The Onion Bag – GRS’s April Newsletter
Updates from Across Africa
After weeks of discussion over multiple continents, the GRS management team has settled into an African organization that reflects our “technical assistance” model and will enable us to scale our operations over the years to come. While this information does not lend itself well to a limerick, it is critical that we all understand it in order to operate effectively and educate as many kids as efficiently as possible.
So, in Africa, we are organized into four groups: Operations (HR, facilities, voluntary services, accounting), Programs (all matters related to execution of our program), Curriculum and Development, and Business Development. We are in the process to identifying the leader of each area, all of whom will report to an African Managing Director.
As for updates: The operations team welcomes Vernon to the team, our new South African bookkeeper. In addition, the operations team has made accommodations for a bevy of GRS team members in the office. I hear the window has been fixed as well!
Regarding programs, Leah and team are staffing up for FMarc (FIFA funded program based in Cape Town) and the Malawi/Baylor Voluntary Counseling and Testing project. In addition, the team is anticipating work in Tanzania (FHI) and Kenya (OGAC) in the next 60 days. That, of course, is in addition to all the programs we are running currently.
On the business development front, the BIG, EXCITING news is that we have been asked to submit for the next round of the New Partner’s Initiative grant. The US Government selected our proposal as one of 48 out of over 500 asked to make a final submissions. Our submission is due at the end of May and we expect to hear by the end of August on a request of more than $5MM.
In addition, despite Tommy’s undergraduate GPA, he managed to find himself speaking at Oxford in March! Tommy was part of an elite group of leaders including Jimmy Carter talking about the pivotal role of social entrepreneurs in solving the world’s most difficult problems. His visit to Europe included meetings with the Norwegian government, another large, long-term potential funder under the consulting/technical assistance model
With respect to curriculum development, we are working to refine our curriculum and to add exciting multi-media components for a national project in South Africa (Avusa). Taylor is also headed to Ethiopia this month to do a follow up site visit on our successful programs there.
AED Exchange
The GRS US team will host 10 South Africans and Paola from April 17th to the 25th in Hanover NH and Norwich VT on a State Department funded cultural exchange.
Laura Rice and the GRS Upper Valley Volunteer Committee have every minute of their visit planned with super activities, such as visits to the Tuck School and DHMC, working with UV kids at Kimball Union and various grade schools in the area, attending soccer matches and dinners all around the Upper Valley. A special thanks, also, to the 20 families who have agreed to host the delegation for four nights each.
GRS Intern Programs
Summer is approaching. That must mean our 2007-2008 interns are thinking about their next move and a new group of interns are going to be checking their passports and packing their bags.
Here is the roster of new interns committed to spend next year in Africa working with GRS.
Maren Dale, Princeton College, Plantation, FL
John Chiavaroli, Kenyon College, Darien, CT
Taylor Downs, Amherst College, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Alexander Elias, Middlebury College, Manchester, VT
Melissa Esparza, Stanford College, Tuscon, AZ
Lena Roy Forman, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
Sean Hinkle, University of Virginia, Mt. Pleasant, SC
David LaRocca, Middlebury College, Sparta, NJ
Stuart Phelps, University of Chicago, Helena, MT
Welcome. We can’t wait to get to know you all A LOT better this fall!
(Kristin, great work pulling this all-star crew together!)
Zimbabwe
By Methembe
Anxiety is growing by the day here in Zimbabwe. Voting ended on Saturday, 5 days ago and the presidential election results are still “being verified”! The parliamentary results were finally released yesterday and the ruling ZANU PF government has lost control of the house after a 28 year stranglehold.
Grassroot Soccer programs are currently in a “holding” mode. The Professionals Reaching Out program ended on March 14th after only 7 weeks of programming as schools closed early after a teachers’ strike and the chaos leading to the elections. The Peer Education Program has been temporarily stopped as well. There has however been a fair bit of activity on the fundraising front with some individual donations coming in. There are also some leads with other organizations such as World Vision, Dispatch and The Salvation Army. It is expected that if the political situation is resolved favorably, that the funding will quickly pour into Zimbabwe.
It is rumored that if the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission does not release the presidential election results soon we will have to source them from the black market which has kept this country going for the last few years! Jokes aside, Grassroot Soccer Zimbabwe is planning to host a Grassroot Soccer Tournament on May 25 at White City Stadium which will serve as both an awareness campaign as well as a fundraising event. More news next time.
“Give us a Kick”
In this section, we will describe a couple ways you can help out GRS this month.
- Make a connection. Is there someone you know that we should know? Someone that loves soccer, has a connection to Africa or has an interest in helping kids? Send us an email if you do!
- Support Methembe with a direct gift. Small, large, one-time or every month … Zimbabwe is on the verge of big changes. GRS is one of the only NGOs still operating in country. Help us maintain that as the country goes through these hard times.
Thanks from the GRS Team!