ReGrouping for the 2011/2012 Season

Since my return to Canada, I have not even had the time to take a break. I came back thinking I would take 2 or 3 weeks off but that wasn't to be. Yet for some reason I feel re-invigorated. Perhaps it is because of all of the support I received from family and friends I ran into on the street that were there for us last year. In fact I have had considerable time to reflect.

At times I feel that I don't belong here. With all the bickering you read in the newspapers over the smallest of issues, especially under the editorial sections, I sometimes wonder if they would continue to find something to complain about, after just one holiday trip to Laos. I had 21 visitors to Laos over the winter and every single one of them has said it was a life altering experience. In my case, I guess I am still living it. With the support of all of our private citizens and sponsors, $38,000 went a long way. We have helped over 2700 people in the rural villages with schools, a new water source for 45 families, water filters for every family in Pha Yong Village, Had Chanh Village, Small Huephen Village, a high school hosting 1300 students, a secondary school with 420 students and a hospital that only has water from the roof top when it rains (we hope to supply a new water source for them when I return in November), and a few other smaller projects.

Now that I have had a chance to catch my breath, I have reviewed 34 proposal requests from Laos totalling $940,000. Looking at this number over and over again, I couldn't help but just stare at it. It just seems so insurmountable. I consider myself a reasonable amateur fundraiser but 7 months to raise these funds in an economic climate that is trying recover....I just keep shaking my head.

The only way I could deal with it was to try to break it down in sections. I knew that Rotary is very supportive of anything to do with water so that helped a lot. If I can raise $50,000 at the club level, the Rotary District and Rotary International could potentially match to a total of $200,000. This would cover off the costs for the new water source projects, hygienic toilets for 2 villages, hygienic toilets for 16 schools and 175 more water filter systems. This also includes the hospital requirements which also requested a computer for admissions and some small medical instruments. That is a good sized chunk out of my target.

Next I broke down the smaller projects of bicycles for two village schools, student support requests and blackboards, although I am having a lot of trouble sourcing the good quality green ones, rather than plywood painted black (the students can't see the chalk from the back of the room!). I have also applied for sponsorship to private individuals and an organizations for all of these items except for 3 university students. Yet it is pretty hard to ask for a firm commitment if I can't even source the proper blackboards and cost.

As the third breakdown, I had given myself a target of a total of 1000 water filter systems this year. Holy crap! What was I thinking? I had to raise the price too, to $55.00 per system because that is what they ended up costing last year. I know that many of the people who kindly donated last year (202 filters sponsored last year), will do so again this year and a few of them have decided to go out on their own to try to raise more filter sales. A good friend Roland Drake, from Toronto has already raised about 20 filters. Another friend in North Carolina has vowed to raise at least 10. If I add in the 175 filters that I am including in my proposal to Rotary, the total so far is pretty significant, with the sales already made. With the wonderful help from Roland, we have finalized a brochure for the water filter systems. Please feel free to download and print off. Maybe you know someone that may wish to help a family or two?

This leaves 16 schools and I still find myself staring at the number. It is still huge. I have commitments of about $6000, a far cry from about $650,000. Indeed I have a couple of smaller sponsors up my sleeve that I will be approaching and a couple of fundraisers planned for later in the summer that might bring in another $15-20,000. I am also trying to work out some other options too. The Jai Lao Foundation in California has announced an essay competition (closes May 31) and I understand that a couple of the schools in my district may be considered. It is still just a shot in the dark but you never know. There is another shot in the dark with the possibility of speaking to a University south of the border where there may be some consideration into Adopting A Village in Laos. You never know. Still, I know I need a better plan than this to raise significant funds for these schools that are either non-existent or in shambles.

So here is my plea. If any of you can assist in the funding, or know someone or an organization that may be able to assist, I would be deeply grateful.

Meanwhile I continue to book presentations to various clubs and special interest groups. This will be ongoing throughout the summer.