:Title: UNBELIEVABLE DONATIONS 2008 :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:04:36 PST :Modified: Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:30:48 PST :URL: http://www.ned.com/group/pfo/news/0/ **NOW HERE IS HOW IT ALL STARTED ON THE OMIDYAR NETWORK :)** Unbelievable DonationPosted to: Ray B-r-o-s-s-e-u-k (CCAL30) (1414) by Ray B-r-o-s-s-e-u-k (CCAL30) (1414), Fri, 21 Jan 2005 22:00:13 PST Edited: Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:28:55 PST Feedback score: 2010 (* * * * * * * * * *) Tags: community success Comments: 1356 by 62 members (most recent: 9 weeks ago by Lois *~end all wars~* Brayton (CCAL30) (346)) Viewed: 18672 times by 552 members Original first Post. My wife and I were just given two transport truckloads of construction nails, 37 tons, all in 50 lb boxes. We will be shipping them overseas to be used for the rebuilding in the tsunami region and also some into the south pacific for the building of schools and dormitories ect. I can't tell you how incredible this is. I went home this week to unload all of them into my warehouse; I am a little sore right now. It will take more than five, forty-foot containers this year to get all the nails shipped. We will be able to put roughly 7 or 8 tons per container and the rest will be clothes, shoes, food ect, otherwise the container will be to heavy, maximum weight forty two thousand pounds. These nails were from Tree Island Nails in Vancouver It just goes to show you that there is really good people out there. All we have to do if we want to make a difference in this world is believe we can and move forward (action) with that belief and commitment and it will happen. I asked the owner why he would give such a large donation and he said he was inspired by what my wife and I are trying to do and just wanted to help. So it just goes to show you that if you just start trying even if the nay sayers say it can’t be done keep on trying Pictures http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_2608.JPG http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_2610.JPG Thanks again Ray Almost 3 years have gone by since this first post on Unbelievable Donations. **Here is the overview of what happened in 2005, 2006 and 2007** January to April 2005 Donated items start to come in.~~ April 2005 tried to send a container to Sri Lanka for Tsunami relieve, unable to, due to political problems in Sri Lanka~~ April 24/2005 Shipped a full 40 ft container to Fiji, with some items going on to Papua New Guinea. Arrived May 27th~~ June 20th/2005 Shipment of items to Tanzania, Toye Wigley’s project~~ September 16th/2005 Shipped computers, clothing and schoolbooks to Belize Central America~~ September 30th/2005 another 40ft container to Fiji, arrived Nov 16th.~~ August 7th/2005 40ft container to Phuket,Thailand, Meron Moroz project~~ October 3rd/2005 40 ft container to Ghana,West Africa.~~ November 2005 Started working on a project with David Bale for Bread Line Africa to ship containers to Africa.~~ December 2005 trying to send items to Moses’ school project in Sudan.~~ December 2005 started working on sending a 40 ft container of dehydrated food, clothes and tents to Gabriel’s Project in Sudan Africa. I think this is the most exciting and meaningful project to date.~~ **I want to say that this has been an amazing year and it could not have been done without all of your support.** **Ray and Jackie Brosseuk** **SUMMARY OF 2006 PROJECTS** Breadline Africa Kids in Cans, thanks goes to David Bale~~ Stop Genocide wristbands Completed, sent the wristbands that we did not sell along with a check to Gabriel.~~ The Sudan & Chad Refugee camps project Completed, all the money was sent to Gabriel.~~ Sudan School project with Moses We raised money and sent it to Moses.~~ Shipment to Fiji in May Completed, A close personal friend donated the funds required, Jackie and I sent cash to help pay for the distribution costs throughout the islands.~~ Shipments to Swaziland Children’s Aids Orphans Two containers a 40ft and a 20ft were sent in Feb.~~ June 25th another 40ft container to Swaziland Arrived, distributed.~~ Kamae Children Money sent to them in August.~~ Oct 15th another 40ft container to Swaziland Arrived Dec 18th, All Paid for and distributed~~ Nov 15th another 40ft container to Swaziland Arrived, all Paid for.~~ Kitchen Building for the kids under the tree Completed, we gave them a container to use, they are trying to sell it and then use the funds to build a block building.~~ Second Life, Better World Island Jackie and I were asked if we would take over Better World Island in 2006, we are thrilled with the potential of this Virtual world and the enormous possiblities that lie ahead.~~ **2006 was an amazing year, Thanks to the O-Net community and to all of you who helped make this happen.** **Ray** **SUMMARY OF 2007 PROJECTS TO DATE** February 2007 Swaziland & Lesotho I flew down to clear the container thru customs and to help distribute both of them. While I was there, I met up with Anna & Beth from Salt Spring Island and Meron Meroz flew down and joined us 2 weeks later. We all helped with the distribution of the items. It was one of the most rewarding and memorable trips (fun too:) Meron and others from her community countinue to support the people in Lesotho and are arranging the shipment of another container this year. Cost of both containers was $17,190~~ May 2007 Fiji A 40 ft container sent, $7,960~~ June 2007 Swaziland a 40 ft container sent, arriving soon cost $8,700. August 2007 sent another container to Swaziland, cost $8,700.~~ October 2007 sent another container to Swaziland, cost $8,200.~~ October 2007 sent another container to Lesotho, cost $8,100.~~ Jackie and I are commited to continue sending containers of much needed items to the unfortunate children of Africa and other parts of the world. Total expenditures for 2005, 2006, and 2007 to date, were well over $200,000 U.S. As you can see, it has been an amazing journey over the last three years and it's great to be able to continue sharing the stories with you here at NED. Thanks again for all the support each one of you have given and most of all I want to say THANK YOU on behalf of all the children you have helped through out the world. I know if they could write to you here, they would say thank you for giving me some clothes and the soup for me to eat and for the toys I play with now and the books I learn to read and most of all, thank you for showing me that you love me **Ray & Jackie Brosseuk** **Partners For Others** **Looking forward to a great 2008 at NED** Here are some links to videos taken over the past few years Also here is the link to the stories behind the videos http://www.ned.com/group/pfo/news/4/ **Swaziland orphans slide show** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpG1aD_G7S0 **Lesotho** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUfwFiNXns **Fiji Boat** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vt-3FTTQAc **Swaziland water tank** http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=GLiUwDwraLA **Namatakula Fiji** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy61miKL4Xw **Boy with one leg Fiji** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw8HS9ReJw4 **20 yr School Reunion Fiji** http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=IYB5deJZsIo ---- **Comments** :Author: Christina Jordan :Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:20:38 PST glad to see you here Ray! ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:53:27 PST Thanks, it's good to be back on. The only problem is I left it to long and now I can't remember everything that's happened since Sept 7 but I'll try. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:07:09 PST Well here goes the trying. I last posted about a container to Swaziland on Aug 10th, well it arrived about 3 weeks ago and the distribution is going great. I've been speaking with Mfana a lot about all the needs and how he is managing the distribution and we felt that it would be nice if he could be able to take pictures and videos and get them over to me some how so I can share them with everyone. Well about 3 weeks ago I sent him $600 U.S. and he went and bought a new Panasonic 80 gig digital video camera. He says it’s amazing and he can’t wait to send us some video. This week I decided to send him another $2,000 so he can buy a new Computer and be able to hook up to the internet via a cell phone card. He will be able to make videos and up load them up to youtube for all of us to watch soon:) I am going to invite him here so we can get the up to date info all the time. I like this idea, I think it’s going to make my job a lot easier. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:21:56 PST Well I’ll start telling some of the stories and let Jackie and Mfana fill in the details later. Mfana and us have been working towards setting up sustainable businesses for people we have been helping. One of the projects we are starting right now is to help 10 women in a village buy some goats. The project is costing us about $2,000 U.S. Mfana and the women have done a business plan already and set up a repayment plan so our little micro fund hopefully never dries up:) He has also involved the Ministry of Agriculture in this project and they will be advising the women on all sorts of things like breeding, feeding and helping with sales of the meat. The ministry is also going to take some of the money to go and buy the best kind of Billy goat for meat from South Africa, they will also do the paperwork to bring it into the country for the ladies. Next on the list are chickens for another group of women. Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:30:06 PST Wonderful to see you here Ray. I know you've been missed. **: )** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:23:24 PST Ok today is the day:) Meron has managed to orginize another container to Lesotho. She has raising all the funding and the collection of items to send. (which is not an easy thing to do, so hats off to her:) I am on my way up to Hope B.C. were we will unload the 2 trucks coming from Salt Spring this morning and reload it all into a container and then off to the port of Vancouver. The container will go thru the the Pacific ocean to Asia then down past Australia, then thru the Indian Ocean to Durban South Africa, then by rail to Lesotho. Only 42 days this way instead of 55 across Canada and the Atlantic ocean. Well have to run, will tell you how it went tonight. Ray ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:26:08 PST Fantastic to see you log in Ray. Happy to see the container get off the island as well. ---- :Author: Michael Pattinson :Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:22:49 PST Great to see this thread here. :-)) We "Neded" it !! ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:16:13 PST Thanks Mark and Michael, great to be here:) Well one of the uhaul drivers got lost for an hour and the rain was coming down heavy and most of the people who said they would help load didn't show up, but we managed to get it done. Container arrived at Hope at 12:30pm, by 2pm the uhaul trucks from SaltSpring arrived and we started loading. I must say there was some really nice stuff collected from the people of Salt Spring. By 5pm I was slowing down alot but I kept thinking of Mamello's smiling face and it kept me going, managed to finish by 6pm. Then I raced to drop off the uhaul drivers for the 7:20pm ferry to SaltSpring, missed it by 4 minutes so they stayed the night and caught the early morning one. All in all it went well, I know for the next few months it will be like Christmas for Mamello and the kids as they open up bags and boxes. Thanks to all who helped Meron pull this off. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:45:33 PST Friday morning I was getting ready to head home when I received 3 phone calls. First one was from the truck driver who brought the container to Hope on Thursday. He had 1200 lbs of dried peas for me to pick up, so I raced down to his yard in Richmond and loaded them in my truck. Then I got a call from Julian Tile who said they have 6 pallets of ceramic tiles (about 10,000lbs) for us to pick up. Then another call from a paint warehouse in Surrey saying they have 6 pallets of 1 gallon cans of latex paint about 100 gallons per pallet. Needless to say my truck would not even begin to haul that much weight so I have hired a transport truck to pick it all up this week and bring it to us. While I was juggling all this this week, I managed to finish my dealers liscence course and recieved my dealers liscence. Then I went to the dealer auction in Vancouver and bought a couple of cars and trucks to sell which will help pay for all the containers going out. Anyone looking for a good car, call Meron:) she bought a nice 2005 Pontiac SunFire:) On the drive home I called Mfana in Swaziland to see how things were going, he and the boys were actually out in a rural area down by the eastern border distributing clothes and stuff when I called. They were so happy I could hear all the people in the back ground laughing and shouting and Mfana said he was so happy. He said, thank you for sending us these things so I can help my people, I have never been so happy doing anything else in my life, helping people gives me a joy that I can't even find words for. He said they were taking video and as soon as the new computer and internet were up and going they would start to put it on youtube:):):):) Ray ---- :Author: Moses Kariuki :Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2007 22:22:59 PST Happy to see you Ray here and the Unbelievable Donation Thread. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:47:51 PST Wow time is flying by, sorry I’ve been neglecting to post but I’ll try and remember everything that has happened and fill you in. I finished clearing and leveling all the land on our farm for the new charity warehouse. I went and bought an excavator and bulldozer to get it all done before the snow fell. I cleared an area about 110 m x 60 m (340ft x 190ft) I plan on starting to build around the first of May when all the snow is gone. I am estimating that the new building will cost about $65,000 to finish, and will take about 3 months to build. Clothes have been coming in at such an incredible rate that we hired Jackie’s mom to come and help us run the warehouse. She has sorted, folded and baled over 600 bales (40,000lbs) since she arrived. So much stuff is coming in that we will be shipping 3 containers in Jan to clear it all out. Clothes, Soup mix, 2000 gal of latex paint, 26,000 lbs of ceramic tile, shoes, purses, belts, computers, medical equipment and supplies, 6 tons of fruit bars, school books, fabric, welders, generators, chainsaws and grass cutters and much more. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:49:30 PST I am currently in Swaziland because Jackie and I got an email from a Canadian lady who was in Swaziland in Nov, she said she went through the Mbabane hospital (ward 8 the children’s ward) and she said, she saw a little baby girl who had been abandoned at birth, found then dropped of at the hospital back on Sept 11. As soon as we read the email Jackie and I really felt something about this little girl, so I made some call to see if we could help her in anyway. After talking to a few people who we know there, we were told that when babies are abandoned at the hospital they usually end up there for a very long time because there is no room at any other place. So Jackie and I talked and we decided that I should fly over right away and see what I could do for the baby, it just broke our hearts too think that she would spend years in the hospital without someone to really love her. I arrived in Swaziland on the 10th of Dec and went straight to the director of Social Welfare to explain to her why I was there and to ask her if we could help this little girl. She listened carefully and then said “well we already know you from Kieara’s adoption and from all the work you are doing for our orphans here in Swaziland so if you want, you can adopt this little one too” Jackie and I had discussed this option and could only wish that it may be possible but here I was and the lady was saying just what we so wanted to hear:):):):) I asked her, how soon could we have her and she said “just a minute I will make a call”, she called the Social Welfare lady who handled the adopting of Kieara for us. And when she hung up the phone she said “you can go to the hospital right now and get her if you want”:):):):) I drove right up to ward 8 and asked for the head nurse, when she saw me, she said, “I don’t know who you are but no one comes into my ward without any papers and gets one of my babies. I swallowed hard and said, didn’t Mrs. S call you and let you know I was coming over, she looked at me for a minute and said “yes she did and I don’t know what you did to be able to get her so quickly but come with me”. She took me down the hall of ward 8 to the very end and asked me to write down all my particulars in a hospital logbook and to sign it. After I did this, I saw one of the other nurses in the corner starting to change a baby. My mind was racing, wondering if she was the one? Then the head nurse said, “Where is the mother”? I said she is in Canada and will be coming soon, she looked me over again and said “so who will look after the baby till she comes” I nervously said, I will along with some maids at my home in Manzini, she frowned a bit and I assured her that I have 4 other kids and was able to do this. She looked at me again and said, “Ok where is your baby carrier and all the things you will need to look after her”? I said in the car, she said, “ok go and get it and show me. I ran back to the car and grabbed everything and brought it in, she pulled everything out of the dipper bag and then smiled and said” ok it looks like you have everything” At that moment I was whispering Thank you Jackie, as she was the one who put the diaper bag together for me before I left:) Two of the nurses came over and took the bag and started pulling out all the stuff again, I could see that they liked everything they saw. They picked out an out fit and started to dress the baby, then I knew at that moment that she was the little one, so I went over and waited till they were done and then one of the nurses picked her up and handed her to me. I can’t tell you all the emotions that I went thru at that moment, I immediately called Jackie while I was just standing there to tell her I was holding her baby girl:) she started weeping for joy. I tried to hang on to it in front of the nurses but with little success. Now that we have her, the next part of the process has begun. I changed my return ticket home from Dec 23rd to Jan 13th, this is when Jackie and Kieara will fly down to Swaziland and the older 3 kids will stay home with Jackie's mom until I fly home on the 13th to ship 3 containers and then return to Swaziland with the rest of the kids on the first of Feb. We will stay in Swaziland until the first week or so of April when the adoption process will be completed and Caela Theresia Temhlanga (pronounced Temshlangya) Brosseuk is all ours and we can go home with our newest addition to the family. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:50:29 PST On Christmas eve I was sitting at Mfana’s house (the young man who we are working with here to help with all the distribution) a container that we shipped at the end on Oct arrived, it drove in and the driver jumped out and said you got 4 hrs to unload it. We made a few quick calls and in a matter of minutes 12 young men from the community were there to help. It took us 3 hrs to unload it, we put everything into the two containers we had on the ground there and now we are ready for some more distribution. We put together our first micro financing project last week:) 15 ladies from one of the near by community came together with a plan to help the orphans of their community. The plan was to raise goats and sell them, They said they would come up with 3 goats each and all they needed was the money to buy some more goats, plus a large breeding male goat, a special kind from South Africa which is better for meat. The money needed was also for constructing a building and an enclosure for the goats and medicines. We read the business plan and it sounded really good so we started asking around to see if we could get some people back home to fund it, We had a few people say they were interested but they never came through so Jackie decided to supply the $2,700 cnd her self to get it started (I am still trying to figure out were she got the money from????) We purchase 36 more goats and all the fencing posts and the wire to build the enclosure and all the timber, roofing tin and wire mesh to build the building for the goats. It is all set up now and the 15 ladies of the community are herding goats, will fill you in on the success of this micro project as we await baby goats:) The ladies say because we bought them so many more goats they will have no problem pay back the loan Jackie gave them. We are working on another plan and I will share it with shortly. Ray ---- :Author: Linda Nowakowski :Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2007 05:33:42 PST Ray and Jackie - You are my heroes. You bring so much light and hope to the world that I am sure the sun doesn't set when you are in town. Your faith blows my mind and the minds of everyone I tell about you. Thank you for being. Thank you for showing all of us how it is done. All of my love and respect... Linda ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 04:33:19 PST Miracles of miracles, I bought a new cell phone and managed to hook it up to my computer and I'm stting in our house in Swaziland right now on the internet. :):):):) Only 2 rand per Megabit (25 cents) and it's real fast. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 04:34:29 PST I drove Heather and Eswen over to Lesotho on Sat the 29th and met up with Memello and Ben again. One of the containers we sent in Nov had arrived for ADRA Lesotho and the other will be landing at Memellos in 2 weeks. I only stayed one night and then drove back to Joberg to return the rental car, then flew back to Swaziland. I purchased 2 vehicles last week, one for the charity to use full time and one for us. The charity one is a Volkswagen Van, seats 10 for 30,000 rand ($5,000 U.S.) and ours is a Volkswagen Fox car, don’t know what it is about Volkswagens, just got a great deal on both of them:) Well I was gone; Mfana and the boys went out and put a new roof on a small mud hut for an old lady in their village. They said it was so bad, that there were only a few sq feet in one corner were she could sit and hide from the rain and as many of you know, when it rains here, it rains. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 04:36:50 PST :Modified: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:19:53 PST We went and did a distribution on New Year’s Day to about 180 People in an area about a half hour from our property. Over a hundred of them were children who were either orphans or from single parent homes. I was so impressed with Mfana and the boys they had a real system going that was so organized and efficient. I quickly new by watching them that they truly care for their people and that we had joined up with the right guys. They quickly identified 4 young girls in the village that were between the ages of 13 and 17. These girls were left to raise their younger brothers and sisters because their parents had died of Aids, one of them was looking after 5 siblings, the others had 3 to look after and one of them had just had a baby of her own. The boys took them aside first and gave them soup mix and clothes. They talked to them about their situation and asked them so many questions about their families, how far along in school did they get, before they had to drop out. They asked if their homes were safe and weather proof, did their parents leave them any gardens, chickens or goats? I stood there with tears in my eyes as they each told their story and it was the same for all of them, their houses are falling down and leaking and they had to sell everything their parents left, to try and survive. They were all very concerned about trying to send their brothers and sisters to school but didn’t know how they could do it. I was so proud of the boys when they told the girls that we are their family now and we will be there for them and if they need help or are in trouble, they must call. Mfana found one of the grandmothers of the village and told her that she must watch over these girls from now on and report back to us if they need anything. Then he asked which one of the women in the village does sewing and would be willing to teach these girls how to so, when a lady stepped forward he instructed her to come to his place to pick up lots of fabric and to return to the village and teach these girls how to sew and to sell the garments, so they will have a means of income. He turned to me and said this is what Community Conextions will be; we will find the most vulnerable of a community and help them first. He said these girls need the hope and security of knowing someone care for them and will help them through the terrible struggle life has put upon them, they need to know that they don’t have to give away their bodies to survive they need to know they can hold there heads up high and be proud young women of the community. Next they called the grandmothers forward who are looking after orphans and distributed goods to them and then to the others in the village who were struggling. The whole day was so amazing and I am proud to be apart of such a dedicated group of young men. Ray ---- :Author: anne marie bellavance :Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:49:19 PST i somehow missed this thread until today. Ray and Jackie, you are angels on Earth....i wish you all a blessed New Year and thank you so much for sharing your spirit with us here. and great job Meron on container!!! Do you think you could teach me how to do such a thing here in Franklin? ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:22:35 PST 3 weeks ago the boys and I were talking again about the real need for our own piece of land to be able to build a distribution warehouse on. The area of Swaziland we are interested in is so beautiful, it’s situated at the base of the mountains in the Ezelwini valley where a large river is running by, making it a very green and fertile area. We decided to go to the Chief of Mahlanya village (pronounced Mashlangya), we asked if he would give us some land, he said lots of foreign groups have asked him for land and he has watched many of them over the years and they never stay very long, so why should I give them land? I was starting to feel a little down as I listened to him but I decided that if we were supposed to have a piece of land here, it would work out somehow? Then he said that he has watched us for almost 2 years now and he can see that all the people of Swaziland are benefiting from our work, not just his people, so yes he will give us a large piece of land :) and it will be close to the road so our containers can easily reach it. He took us down and showed us the land, which also included a fresh water spring. This spring was the original source of water for the village years ago. The land is absolutely perfect and the spring is quite big, I will need to try and find a water purification system to install at the spring and then all the people nearby will have clean drinking water. The land is situated right next to the very first group of orphans Jackie and I helped when we first came to Swaziland. It’s the place were we bought the water tank for the orphans. Ray ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:57:32 PST Our new Daughter!!! |Caela| That's Heather's hand in the pic :) I can't wait to kiss this baby!!! j. .. |Caela| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/DSCN1995.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:07:15 PST **She is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!** _____________________________________ Congratulations to all of you - what a stunningly gorgeous and "meant to be" story. WOW. **:)** ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:45:35 PST She's **ADORABLE!** I can't wait to hold her. I'm jealous that Heather got to touch her 1st. **: )** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:20:40 PST It.s 10:26am Sunday morning and the little angel is napping on the floor beside me:) 26 minutes after midnight at home, just finished talking to Jackie as she needed to get some sleep. She is coming over to Swaziland with Keiara next week to switch places with me:) I will head home for two weeks, ship a few containers and then come back with the rest of the kids for a 2 to 3 month stay, we want to make sure the whole plan with the charity work is well under way before we head home. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:34:15 PST The boys started at 6am yesterday morning sorting clothes and then we went to a rural area in the southern part of Swaziland and did a distrubution to over 700 people It was one of the biggest distrubutions we have ever done and it had a few challenges but it went well. It took over 40 bales of clothes to make sure everyone got at least 4 garments each and two barrels of soup mix in order to make sure all the people looking after orphans and the elderly got some. We blew the water pump on the volkswagen on the way there and left it on the side of the road, everyone climbed into the back of the 4 ton truck on top of all the clothes. After the distrubution we went and loaded the van onto the back of the truck and carried it home, reached home and fixed it, all done by 7:30pm. All in a long days work in Swaziland:) Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2008 11:38:22 PST That's a really cool new toy you have there. It's wonderful to be able to keep up with what you are doing in real time. Keep 'em coming Ray! ---- :Author: Christina Jordan :Date: Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:02:32 PST You two are amazing! And your new daughter is a lovely and very lucky girl. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:00:35 PST **An Idea in the making** After walking around on the land for a few days and trying to figure out where to put the new warehouse, I started thinking about the micro goat project Jackie funded, I thought to myself; we should be practicing what we preach. If we are telling the ladies that are looking after the orphans to become self-sufficient, then we should be doing the same? I thought, if something should ever happen to Jackie and I, then all these people who have based their future hopes on us, will be left out in the cold. So I have come up with several plans that we are implementing right now to get our Community Conextions Charity here in Swaziland totally self-sufficient as soon as possible. Since receiving the land a few weeks ago, we have already fenced in the whole property and started building a distribution warehouse that is 15m x 25 m (45ft x 75ft). We have started a separate company to run along side the charity to operate in the beginning, 6 new business ventures. All the profits will be rolled into the charity as they come in. Here’s an overview: **Concrete Block Making.** I purchased a block-making machine and the boys have already made 800 six-inch wide cement blocks, the first 3000 blocks will be used for our new Warehouse and then they will start selling the rest. Here is the business in simple terms. Blocks sell in this country for 5.50 rand each (0.83 cents U.S. each) our cost to make them is 3 rand (0.45 Cents U.S. each). We will sell our blocks for 4.95 rand each (0.75 each) A nice profit of 1.95 Rand (0.30 U.S.) each We are currently making 150 blocks a day but as soon as we get a cement mixer ($2000 U.S.) we can go up to 800 blocks a day ($240 U.S. a day:):):) Huge money in a country like Swaziland. The only reason the people themselves can’t start businesses like this on their own, is they don’t have the start up capital, just like the ladies with the goats. **Saw Mills:** The country has lots of pine forests and gum trees, we have 2 portable band mills at home in my shop and I will ship them over next month. We will set one up permanently on the land and the other will be pulled around the country cutting timber for rural villages so they can build schools or what ever they need. The second one which is fully portable, will work on a basis were we take just enough of the boards we cut to take care of costs about 20%, the rest is for the village. The first one will be able to cut about 600 lineal meters of boards a day (1800 board feet) About 20% is cost, so we should see about 3000 rand or (400 U.S) a day in profits. This will be up and running by the first of April. **Wood Working** In Feb we will start building a wood working shop, this is were we will teach young boys and girls from the orphan center next door how to make furniture and stuff to sell. We will use some of our own wood cut by the sawmills. Not sure what kind of value added profits will come out of this one yet, but I am sure it will be good. **Mechanical shop** One of the guys is a good mechanic and wants to start a shop to be able to take on jobs so he can teach the young orphan boys how to be mechanics so they can go out on their own and make a living some day. Girls too:) To start this business, I am going to buy about $2,000 U.S. worth of tools at home and ship them over in the next container. I’m a heavy-duty mechanic, so I know exactly what to buy. I was pricing tools here and it costs 5 to 6 times more then back home. To find someone here who has even a screwdriver in there home is rare, because of the costs, so this one I know will really be good :) **Equipment Rentals.** In one of my recent conversations with Jackie, I asked here to look up when the next Ritchie Bro auction was in either B.C. or Alberta, she did and it happened to be the very next day. So I called the auction and asked if they had any small generators and water pumps and sure enough they had lots. I set up proxy bids because I could not be there in person and 2 days later they called me and I had won all my bids. I ended up purchasing three diesels, 3-inch water pumps, three Gas, 3-inch water pumps Thirteen small portable generators, one portable 250-amp welder-generator and a Honda pressure washer. 40 chain saws and 40 gas powered weed eaters for grass cutting. We are going to run an equipment rental business, we have calculated that if we only rent out 4 of any of these items a day we will see about $600 rand profit ($100 U.S) We are also putting in bids or tenders to the government for easement clearing along the roads of Swaziland. When we win a contract we are going to employ the local young men in that area to use our gas powered weed eaters and a few chain saws to do the clearing. This will give local employment and we should see a healthy profit too. I had to higher a government machine to clear and level our new land last week. It cost 350 rand an hour ($60 U.S.) I wanted to rent a cheaper smaller one but no one has anything like that here. I have a small Sumitomo excavator and a small Mitsubishi bulldozer at home that I am done using on our land. They are small enough to put inside a container so I am going to ship them over next month. Then we can rent them out, with our own operator who I will train. I can see a huge opportunity for this business; we calculate that each machine will easily rent out for about 175 rand an hour ($27 U.S.) for a combined total of 2800 rand a day (425 U.S.) After fuel, repairs and maintenance we should see about 2000 rand a day profit (300 U.S.) **Water Wells** My Lawyer back home says he has a client that is in the drilling business and he is going to see if we can get a drilling rig from him. If we do, we will ship it over to begin drilling water wells. We will run this business from the profits of the other businesses, this way we can drill the wells for free. My dream is to get all these businesses running at a profit as soon as possible so the charity can then use the profits to help fund micro projects that directly help orphans. I estimate everything I’m trying to do here is going to cost us about 465,000 rand (75,000 U.S). I know we have taken on a huge commitment in time and money and we’re happy to do it because I know im my heart it's the right thing to do. If any of you, want to be a part of these projects, just let us know as we could sure use the help this time. Thanks Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:15:22 PST With all this going on it looks like you are going to need a bookkeeper **; )** ---- :Author: Linda Nowakowski :Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:38:48 PST That is great of you to volunteer your time as bookkeeper, Meron! ;-) Knowing you and your generous heart, I'll bet you are even volunteering your expenses to go to and stay in Africa! ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 20:01:44 PST ~Linda said: That is great of you to volunteer your time as bookkeeper, Meron! ;-) Knowing you and your generous heart, I'll bet you are even volunteering your expenses to go to and stay in Africa!~ **LMFAO!!!** ; ) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:56:10 PST Your hired Meron, how did you know I needed a bookkeeper???? You can start next week when I get home, oh ya bring your shovel. Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:03:00 PST Ummm, shovel? I'm guessin' that paperwork has piled up pretty high or is it for diggin' through your **BS**? ; ) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:26:56 PST No no, it's for all the snow in the driveway, Meron! :) I can't believe you would even think that I would keep paperwork like that :(:(:( It's all in neat little piles. I even went thru all the effort during the year to stack it by date for you:) Jan on the bottom Dec on the top, I think ? Rat ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:39:32 PST 10am here and I am on my way out the door, I'm heading for Joberg 500 klm (300 miles)to pick up Jackie & Kieara from the airport :):):):):):):):) I'm staying here for 1 more week, then back home for 3 weeks to send down 3 more containers loaded with all the goods to start the businesses here. (cost is $24,000 if you would like to help?) The boys here printed up 12 tee shirts that say "Community Connextions" on the back in big letters and on the front in smaller letters "We Are For Social Profit" Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:09:04 PST I forgot to tell you that the other day the women who are sewing all the fabric we are sending over came by and asked if they could all come and sew in the new warehouse when it's finished? so I thought about it and we decided to do a design change on the main warehouse for them. We had already poured the foundation so it's still 15m wide x 25m long. We decided we could build 16 units down each side of the building. (only an additional $4,000:) Each unit is 3m wide x 4m deep (9.9ft x 13ft)this will allow about 4 or 5 women and their sewing machines to work in each unit, When they came by the other day and we told them what we decided to do for them, they just sat down and cried :) I haven't said this for a while in my posts so for any of you out there thinking about taking some time to help the less fortunate in this world. All I can say is take the time, because there is no greater "HAPPINESS" in the whole world than this. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 07:12:03 PST Jackie and Kieara arrived and we are back home in Swaziland:) At this very moment (5:26pm) Jackie is passed out from exhaustion. It took her 47 hr from the time she left the house in Canada till getting to the house here. More to come later Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:45:09 PST ~Ray said: No no, it's for all the snow in the driveway, Meron! :) I can't believe you would even think that I would keep paperwork like that :(:(:( It's all in neat little piles. I even went thru all the effort during the year to stack it by date for you:) Jan on the bottom Dec on the top, I think ? **Rat** If it's all the same to you Mr. Rat, if I have a choice between up-to-your-eyeballs-in-snow Revelstoke and Africa I pick Africa!!! My best to Jackie when she wakes up!!! XoX <<< those are for Jackie and those lovely babies **:D** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:40:27 PST Mr. Rat would answer for himself but he's gone into hiding due to spelling error mortification! I've finally gotten the jetlag behind me and am enjoying these baby girls and seeing Ray after over a month! The new babe is a GEM and Keiara loves her...she adores Keiara and gets this absolutely delighted look and big smile when she sees her. Glorious lightening and thunder last night knocked our power out for a few hours, but ahhhh the lovely coolness it brought...I was an eskimo in africa and my pitiful whiteness was slowly becoming flourescent redness LOL luv to you all! j. ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:12:08 PST **LOL!!!** When I read to mortification and it was spelled correctly I knew that it had to be YOU, Jackie, posting under Ray's account **LOL!!!** Wonderful to hear from you and that you made it safely to Swaziland. Give those two lovely babies a hug and kiss from their Auntie Meron. Can't wait to meet the newest edition to the Brosseuk family in person. ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:27:59 PST Big news today! Caela's adoption order was **GRANTED** so the family has officially grown to 7 :) It's so hot here that I'm melting into a little puddle of canadian perspiration :) it's not often that you can upload pictures from swazi..especially using the cell phone modem, but today was a good connection day and I've got pics of the progress of the new warehouse. ray's been gone a week today and we have the slab all finished, the one side foundation started and over 2278 blocks drying nicely in the sun :) that's halfway to what we need to finish the project!!! |one| nice view of side foundation and slab covered with blocks drying in the sun |two| **hand** shoveled sand and crush, wheelbarrow, mix by **hand** with bags of cement on ground, wheelbarrow, shovel carefully into block makers, shake and tamp by **hand**, cure in sun, carrying cans of water to sprinkle with periodically...and that's what makes the building dream become a reality. Oh and did I mention these guys are **volunteers**??? .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2481.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2482.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:16:09 PST Wow! That's wonderful news about Caela!!! So when are you going to adopt me??? **:D** ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2008 21:50:25 PST :Modified: Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:02:53 PST Had a brief telephone conversation with Ray this morning. He's going like the wind as usual, organizing and sending off **FIVE** containers to various destinations around the globe **AND** getting the rest of the family packed up to leave for Africa on the 11th. Jo (recent SOLID volunteer who is going to Sipho's orphanage in Swaziland at the end of April) and I are going to Hope on Sunday to deliver the boxes of *wish list* stuff she has collected to put in the container that is leaving from there next week. Oh, and he also offered me a ticket to Africa! If I have to go to Swaziland to be adopted by that family then go to Swaziland I will **: )**. I'm still wondering what the catch is though. hmmm, maybe it's just a one way ticket, he did mention he needed a bookkeeper there!!! PS: Apparently Jackie does a lot of Ray's wheelin' and dealin' on both sides of the ocean ... she has all those bricks you see in the above photos sold already!!! **:D** ---- :Author: Linda Nowakowski :Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:16:47 PST Will it shock anyone else to realize that this thread has no (**ZERO**) points? It says something for the caliber of work around these parts that this thread is considered ordinary. I am here to tell you that - at least I hope- I will never come to regard the work that Ray and Jackie do, the the extraordinary lives that they lead as an example to all of us, as ordinary. I have rectified the point thingy. ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:29:24 PST **OMG** - yes - shocked and shamed - and now in on the "points thingy". **:)** ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:33:46 PST **Jackie Brosseuk said** *Big news today!* *Caela's adoption order was GRANTED so the family has officially grown to 7 :)* Woohoo .... Ned's very own Jolie-Pitts! Congratulations Jacquelina and Rad. **:D** ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 04:47:03 PST time to let **BIG SECRET OUT** Well I've been hiding a secret from all of you, I've begged Ray not to tell you about it based on the fact that you will all know that we are officially **insane**, but we've actually added another baby to our family as well. We heard that she was dumped by the AIDS testing clinic in an old sweatshirt, still with umbilical cord attached and all, and so we agonized about making our family any bigger, we went by the hospital to see her and decided that if Social Welfare would let us adopt again that...we just couldn't leave her in the hospital..so tiny and helpless...Social Welfare said yes... so I took her for testing, she's completely healthy and I brought her home here with me on Wednesday. She was born on the 13th of January and weighs about 6 pounds I think We've named her Kiahna Maire yes that makes 8 of us now.... so I'm pulling a **MARATHON** here, I've got a 20 month old, and 4 month old, and a 20 day old...I'm not sleeping and I've counted over 25 diapers a day that I"m changing... to say that I"m anxious for Ray, Cass, Kyle, and Katie to get here and lend a hand would be the understatement of the century. I've got three car seats on my old VW Fox and we are a bunch of girls buzzin' around Swazi :) :) Oh yeah, and you are right Meron, Mfana and I have also sold all the blocks :) should be about 3000 rand profit which we desperately need to help with the project. So Meron the catch is...we needed a **NANNY!** LOL LOL LOL and yes...that is slightly hysterical laughter..... j. ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 04:53:21 PST >> time to let BIG SECRET OUT Well I've been hiding a secret from all of you, I've begged Ray not to tell you about it based on the fact that you will all know that we are officially insane, but we've actually added another baby to our family as well.<< Holy cow. Congrats. Holy cow. I feel like this is somehow going to become a TV series on Oprah's new network. 25 diapers a day...gads. Well, again congrats... head still spinning. ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 05:04:05 PST **OMG** - Ditto on everything Mark just wrote x 1000!!!! **CONGRATULATIONS** ____________________________ ---- :Author: Linda Nowakowski :Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 05:26:26 PST I am totally awed.....I would take my hat off to you all but I haven't got one! You all amaze me. Meron...diapers not accounts! ---- :Author: Christina Jordan :Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:14:19 PST Holy 16 legged cow! Congratulations Jackie - you absolutely, totally **insanely kind-hearted** woman you. I am blown away that you have just committed your life to being the mom of these 3 babies! Aren't they lucky to have a mom like you to teach them about life as they are growing up. Congrats to the rest of the family too! Something tells me the trend of unbelievable donations in your lives is not going to end any time soon. ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:50:33 PST :Modified: Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:51:18 PST Somehow this latest news doesn't surprise me at all!!! **: )** Well, what does surprise me is that *Rat* was able to keep it a secret ; ) You want me to come to Swaziland to count diapers???!!! :P ---- :Author: Michael Pattinson :Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:41:29 PST CONGRATULATIONS !! Speechless, so I gave thread points instead.... :-)) M ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:12:19 PST Thanks for the exclamations and congratulations all of you, reminds me again what a treasure trove of friends we have here...truly blessed :) luv you all :) j. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:13:39 PST Wow, Jackie let the baby out of the bag:) So now that you all think we are crazy, here is a bit more to add to the pile. As Meron said, I am loading out 5 containers right now, 4 for Swaziland and 1 to Fiji. I had originally planned to come home for 2 weeks and only send 2 containers but I got an email from Gleaners just before I left Swaziland and they gave us 160 barrels of dehydrated soup mix (36,000lbs) Each barrel has eighty 2.2lb bags in it (12,800 bags) and each bag feeds over 300 kids, if they have a little rice with it. **3,840,000 Kids** So I immediately called the freight broker and asked him to book another container. Then about an hour after getting off the plane, I received another call from a group of church people near Vancouver B.C. and they asked if I could use a 40 ft container full of clothes and hospital beds and other stuff in Africa. I thought for a minute and said yes but I’ll have to check on my finances, as they cost $7,000 each to send. He quickly interrupted me and said they have the money to ship too, so no need to worry about the money:) I then called the freight broker guy again and asked if he could book a 4th container:) He said he would try but it’s getting close to sailing time and there might not be any space left on the ship but after an hour he called back and they had the space. Then I made it home and went into our warehouse and could not believe my eyes. After measuring everything I realized we had way to much stuff for 4 containers, so I decided to send one to Fiji too:) So as of this moment we are a family of 8 ? and we have successfully loaded out 3 of the 5 containers and we are loading another one tomorrow and the last one on Wednesday as the ship sails on Thursday, I know, cutting it close but that’s the way I like it:) I also managed to run around amidst the chaos and buy the 20 chain saws and 10 weed trimmers and all the other things needed to run all the businesses we are setting up down there and I even called Meron once:). The worst thing I had to do so far is, go out to the farm and dig out the little cat and the little excavator, they where buried under 8 ft of snow and no I’m not exaggerating. The little cat was so buried that I had to take the excavator and dig a path out to the road in order to get it out. The snow here is insane and it was 30 below zero well I was doing all this, even I, was questioning my sanity? Well if I think of any more evidence I’ll post later LOL Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:46:16 PST |one| Kiahna Maire Brosseuk:):) |two| When I saw her in the hospital she was so small, I think she was less than 4 pounds. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2477_edited.JPG :height: 400 :width: 300 .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2470_edited.JPG :height: 250 :width: 400 ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:02:32 PST :Modified: Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:14:17 PST You know, I'm almost too nervous to ask how you guys will top 2008 - particularly given it's only bloody February!!!! LOL Even the sight of the name of this thread makes me smile these days! Congratulations to "Rad and Jacquelina" - and the 3 little bubbies and the 3 big bubbies.....and everyone whose path you cross because I cannot think of a pair that *walk their talk* quite like you two. What a big, fat **JOY!!!** with hugs and love and super happy thoughts sent your way, Gayle **:)** ** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:15:31 PST Thank you Gayle, you know it took a little sole searching this time to know what to do about Kiahna when we saw her. I stood there in the ward 8 of the hospital and looked at her laying there knowing that this little child’s future depended on us and that we were the ones who needed to advocate for her. I new that no one else would do anything for her, not because they wouldn’t but just because they didn’t know she was there. Jackie and I slowly walked outside and got into our car and we cried as we seem to always do when we leave that hospital. After talking for a while and looking at all the other things we might be able to do for her, we asked ourselves some pretty basic questions like, can we give her the love she needs? and the answer was YES, can we financially afford another child? and the answer was YES, how will all our other kids be affected by this? and the answer was, they will be happy and blessed from having another sister. When we asked them they all unanimously agreed to adopt her, in fact they were upset that we didn't bring her home right then and there :) The crisis in Swaziland is getting worst, new figures just came out and they showed that the population is declining from AIDS and that the orphan crisis has increased from 70,000 to over 100,000. In situations like this were a new born is abandoned at birth, the only place they can take them is ward 8 at the Mbabane Hospital because none of the care centers can manage a new born, they are so over crowded and understaffed. The hospital has to keep newborns that are abandoned until they can walk and are potty trained and until one of the care centers agrees to take them in. The child needs to be basically independent enough to survive on their own in a sea of other children. The knowledge of all this, is what led us to opening our hearts and our home and to say yes we can and will love this little girl for the rest of her life. Jackie and I were sure having a difficult time trying to think of another C or K name LOL It wasn’t until I landed at the Vancouver airport and I went and picked up Katelyn, our 6 year old from Jackie’s mom. Katie and I were driving the 500 klm home when I was on the phone with Jackie, we were still talking about different names when Katie spoke up and said “I like the name Kiahna” That was it, as soon as she said it, we both said yes that’s it! So Katie is the one who named her and she is really pleased with herself too :) Ray ---- :Author: Pam O :Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:31:35 PST WOW. Going to add my wows. Where do I send the crates of diapers? What a wonderful family! I love the pictures. The girls are beautiful. More soon. Sending lots of love and hugs? ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:34:48 PST Well container #4 is done and gone but it was a little over weight. We are allowed to put in 43,000lbs but when it got to the scales, it was 45,900lbs. The scale guys could have been real nasty and made us unload some of it but after a while they let us go and it's now on the ship and on it's way:) We will be loading the 5th container for Fiji tomorrow. We are all pretty tired but happy because were heading for the airport on Monday. Jackie has been calling us and sending us lists of all the things she needs, I think she's worried I might forget something:) I keep telling her, don't worry, be happy but I don't think she finds that amusing LOL. I think she is a little sleep deprived at the moment:) Hang in there Jack, we'll be home this Wed, then you can get some sleep:) Ray ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:23:52 PST LOL - tired after loading 4 containers, eh!!! Roll on next week! Safe trip - kiss the babies for me. G. xoxoxo ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:25:31 PST Number 5 is done and on its way to Fiji:) 39,000 lbs of clothes, soup mix, medical supplies, bikes, tile, paint and more. Very tired:( Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:23:21 PST Well the house is all clean and we are heading out the door in an hour. Hope the Hwy are open today, we have had 2 weeks of non stop snow, so yeasterday they closed all the hwy out of here :( The hwy going east to Alberta is closed due to a major snow slide, they say 3 days to clean that one up. The hwy going south has been closed for a long time now and the hwy going west (the one we need to take to Vancouver) is closed in 3 places, the first one is only 10 miles out of town due to a transport truck accident and a snow slide. It's also closed over the mountain pass 200 miles for us and an alternate hwy around is also closed to snow. |one| **TOO MUCH SNOW** |two| MERON if you want you can bring your shovel and do the books while I'm gone? |three| Our van out in the street in front of the house. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_0336edit.jpg :height: 300 :width: 400 .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_0349edit.jpg :height: 250 :width: 400 .. |three| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_0348edit.jpg :height: 250 :width: 400 ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:53:10 PST ~Ray asked: MERON if you want you can bring your shovel and do the books while I'm gone?~ **LMFAO!!!** Only if there is a ticket to Africa in it for me ... oh wait! already got that ; ) Let me think of something else. Actually Ray, I'm really looking forward to putting you through **bookkeeper boot-camp** and you have to be there for that. We are going to have sooooo much *fun* ... trust me **:D** ??? ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:25:55 PST The kids and I made it back to Swaziland last Thursday but I came down with a nasty flu, high fever, chills the whole thing. I ended up in bed for days and still feeling a bit under the weather. The guys made huge progress on the building while I was gone, they almost have all the block work done ready for the roof. I should have put Jackie in charge a long time ago :) Yesterday Jackie and I went down to the site and decided to share the 3,000 rand ($400US) profit from the sale of our first blocks with all the workers. Since we started they have only been working for food and I really felt it would encourage them and show them that this is what it's all about, Empowering them to help themselves. Well you should have been there and seen the looks of pure joy on their faces when they each recieved 100 rand ($14US:) They claped and shouted for joy, it was so cool to see joy and pride in the faces of those men and boys who had just reaped the rewards ($$)of thier own hard work. They clearly saw and understood in a tangable way ($) the long term plan we are trying to impliment here. I have no doubts on the future of this project now, it's already a success :) I'm not one to ask but we could sure use a little help with the financial end of things here, Jackie and I are stretching our budget pretty thin, I think we have already spent $100,000 U.S but I know it's the right thing to do. I just found a 7 ton truck for sale and we really need one for hauling the bulldozer, logs and stuff. It's worth 140,000 rand ($20,000 U.S.)and I can get it for 90,000 rand ($15,000 U.S.) It has a brand new motor just put in last week. Well I better go and feed all the kids as Jackie has gone for a much needed and deserved 2 day rest and I am trying to hold down the fort. Will try and post a picture of the building? Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:46:28 PST ~Ray said: I should have put Jackie in charge a long time ago :)~ After all these years you are only figuring that out now? :P ---- :Author: Lars Hasselblad Torres :Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:38:50 PST Well done, Ray - just outstanding and inspiring. Straight out of Knut Hamsun ("Growth of the Soil")! I have a question about the milling. How much would it run you to lay a slab and put up a nursery for seedlings? There is such a need for effective reforestation on the continent. If you are close to trucking, perhaps even large trees for landscaping ventures... I missed the story of how you all acquired the land to build on - clearly there is lot more to read! Are you guys n' gals taking visitors? Maybe there is a way I can share an art effort with the young'uns a put my paws to work for a spell later this year...?! ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:36:26 PST .. image:: http://bp0.blogger.com/_v9n29Ojh38I/R1PyDUk28NI/AAAAAAAAApA/KdgfByxB-VQ/s1600-R/Happy_Birthday.bmp **HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAY!!!** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:52:50 PST Thanks Meron, now let me tell you the best birthday story :) As most of you know I have been looking to buy a big truck to haul logs to our new saw mills and to deliver blocks and boards to our customers and most of all to delliver clothes and food to the orphans. Well I found one yesterday, actually Somebody Bigger than you and i found one for us:) The Truck is a 1999 MAN 8-ton Diesel with only 228,000 Klm on it, formally owned by Coke Cola. It comes with all the service records that show it has been well maintained and it has an 18ft steel flat deck on it. The truck has a value of about 185,000 rand ($32,000) If you service it properly, you can easily get a million Klm out of a truck like this before you need to do any major work. A bunch of the Coke trucks including this one were sent over to a mechanic shop for maintenance and repairs, this particular truck was there to get the differential changed (cost 15,000 rand ($2500) some rear broken leaf springs repaired 6300 rand ($1200) 2 tires 2400 rand ($400) and a broken passenger seat 900 rand ($150) When the new Coke president saw the quote for all the repairs he decided to sell the trucks instead of doing the repairs, so the owner of the mechanic shop bought all of them and is now in the process of fixing them all up and selling them, this is how we heard about the truck. A friend of our mechanic was going to buy this truck but when he heard we were looking for one for the charity he called and told us that he would like us to have it instead of him. So Yesterday Mfana and our Mechanic went over there to look at it, the owner of the shop told them that he thinks he has it sold already to a guy in Mbabane for $138,000 rand ($23,000) but if we had the cash we could have it. (The buyer he is referring to is the friend of our mechanic :) They explained to him that we needed the truck for a charity we were running and asked him if he would come down on the price a bit. He responded by saying that it was worth an easy 185,000 rand ($32,000) when the repairs were done. So they called me and told me all this and asked me to come down and look at it right away. I drove down and looked at the truck and couldn't believe what great shape it's in. We have been looking around for a truck for a week now and found nothing even close to this kind of truck for this price. I knew I didn't have this kind of money available right now but I told Pila the mechanic to run in and get the owner so we could start it up and test drive it, when the owner of the service shop came out, he immediately recognized me. This guy is the president of the Lions Club and I did a presentation at the Lions Club last year when I gave them some of the eye glasses, which they sorted into different categories by prescriptions for us, then we were able to give them to a local doctor called, Mr. Ponds This doctor now runs an eye clinic in Manzini out of a borrowed space beside the Saint Theresa clinic. We donated one of our 40 ft shipping containers to him, which is being converted into a nice building with windows and doors and will be set up on the clinic property permanently. People can come there and for $30 rand ($5) get an eye test and a pair of glasses. We ended up giving the whole 80,000 pairs to be dealt with this way. Anyways this mechanic / president of Lions club guy looked at me and said I really admire what you are doing for the people of Swaziland. I think I can do a little better on the price now that I know who you are:) We checked the truck over and test-drove it and he told me exactly what all the repairs are and the costs. He also has a nice 2003 Nissan Hard Body P.U. from Coke and we could sure use a little truck to, it needs a rear window Battery and 4 tires about 6000 rand ($1000) so we talked about it too and he said he could sell it for 45,000 rand ($7500) I asked him how good of a price could he do for us on both and he said let me go talk to my wife for a minute as she runs the books and I'll be right back. He soon came out and said you can have the big truck for 80,000 Rand ($12,500) and he'll throw in a 2003 Nissan Hard body P.U. for 20,000 ($3200) God is so good. The total cost above will be about $21,000 but there is always a few unknowns? so I think I can get it all done for $25,000 any body out there with some spare change LOL. Ray ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:20:52 PST **Happy Birthday, RAY!!!!** (sorry if the wishes are a bit belated) Cool - very cool - on the trucks deal. What a price! Goes to show that you reap what you sow. Good blokes always get looked after in the end. **:)** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:52:11 PST Well great news! **KIAHNA MAIRE NOMBUSO BROSSEUK ADOPTION IS COMPLETE** We went up to the court house in Mbabane and sat for a 1/2 hr while the magistrate read all the documents. I was expecting him to ask us some questions but he just sat there, read everything, then picked up his pen, signed it then looked up and said, "There all done. You may go" So it's official **5 GIRLS and 1 BOY who is becoming a MAN** Paid a deposit on the trucks, still figuring out how to pay the rest? The building is almost done, just have to put the roof on, will try and up load some new pictures. We are running out of room on our land, I think the chief will give us some more next week? Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:32:28 PST **Congratulations Kiahna!!!** I'm getting pretty excited about coming to see you all the end of March! Is there anything you need me to bring (besides diapers that is ; ) XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo <<< one of each for everybody ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:25:18 PST haha yes, we have a long list for you. To start off: 2 bottles of SPIKE seasoning (it's a little red, glass spice bottle) 2 Nestle rice and banana baby cereal 2 boxes of Playtex standard 8oz. bottle liners I can't think of anything else, except mabies some form of birth control **:):):)** Jackie will give you the big list, but she's sleeping now LOL Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:56:25 PST **LOL!!!** I'm so all over that list : ) Bring on the rest!!! I'm thinkin' the birth control you guys need is ear muffs so you can't hear about any more abandoned babies. ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:37:53 PST Meron Moroz said: I'm thinkin' the birth control you guys need is ear muffs so you can't hear about any more abandoned babies. Snap! I quietly thought almost exactly the same thing when I read his post. Love it! **:D** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:54:23 PST Sorry for not being on lately, but beyond busy:( Roof for the new building is going on next week, just in time for the containers and Meron arriving:) Will try and take some pictures and post them here? Swazi TV did a news clip on us last night, got lots of calls from people who saw it, trying to get a copy, then see if I can put it up on Youtube? Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 06:01:45 PST |one| News paper article about the donation of medical stuff we gave to Hospice at home care center. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/scan0001.jpg :height: 1000 :width: 400 Hospice at home tries to give Palliative care for those in rural areas that are unable to get to a clinic or hospital. They have 6 full time nurses and they have divided the country into 4 regions. 4 of the 6 nurses then go out ever month into the different regions of Swaziland to try and reach the sick. Each nurse has a patient load of over 300 to care for in each region. They were so excited to find bottles of waterless hand sanitizer, they said that the challenge they face when out in the rural areas, is no water to wash there hands and this stuff is a life saver. While I was there they showed me around, they had a room set aside for people who come in to die, she said that when the terminally ill know they are about to die they try and make it into town because they say they don’t want to die alone. She puts them in this room were someone sits with them 24/7 until they pass away. She said the terminally ill really like eating the fruit bars and always ask for more. She said that anything they can’t use in the stuff we give them, they are passing on to other clinics and hospitals. It's such a good feeling to be able to collect things from home and bring them here and get it into the hands of those who need it so bad and to see hundreds if not thousands being helped with it. Correction:) I am not the coordinator of Interior Health LOL Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:56:38 PST The sad reality of the situation here in Swaziland showed itself again today. A few weeks ago one of our workers died and we did everything we could to help his wife pay for the funeral. He knew he was sick before he passed away and he asked if we would look after his wife and children, we promised him we would, and we are now paying his children’s school fees and making sure his wife has food and clothes for them. Well yesterday the same grim situation happened again, we paid all our men (36 now) $50 rand ($7 U.S) each for this weeks work but one of them was missing, we asked were he was and learnt that his wife had died Thursday night, leaving him with 3 young children, she was only 32. Well Mfana went to his house today and gave him everything he needed to pay for the vigil tonight and for the funeral tomorrow. He was so thankful that we cared and that we were there for him. Mfana told him that he is part of our family now and family looks after each other. Mfana also asked if there was anything else he needed, he said yes “could I please have 20 cement blocks ($9 U.S) so I can make a nice grave for my wife because I really love her” I know this is happening hundreds of times a week here but it’s really hard when it happens so close to home, it really makes you think about how fragile life is? It really makes me think about what I am trying to do here, so many people are now clinging to the dreams and hopes of this project, clinging to the belief that they will be able to feed their kids and maybe even put them thru school someday. I sit here tonight with even more determination to make this project work and to not let any of them down. In the last 4 months since we started this project, Jackie and I have spent over $900,000 rand ($130,000 U.S.) and we still have another 2 month to get thru before it’s turning enough of a profit to carry itself. We are starting to run a bit low on $ so if anyone would like to help we could sure use it right now! http://www.ihcenter.org/groups/partnersforothers.html Take Care Ray ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:56:45 PST You and Jackie might cry your eyes out every time you stand out front of that hospital you seem magnetically drawn to (ear muffs are on their way!) but Raymond, **I** invariably end up bawling **my** eyes out every time I read this thread!!!! When you wrote, *I sit here tonight with even more determination to make this project work and to not let any of them down*, that was the end of me. (dripping with tears :) Some would be overwhelmed by such expanding responsibility - to the point of feeling burdened......and then there are those like you and Jackie - where such commitments and connection just seem to provide fuel for the fire in your bellys. It is a bloody privilege to know you both!! **:)** Now - give us all a ball park figure to work with. How much would you need to get through the next 2 months if you lived fairly tight? (not that I mean you usually live opulently but what is the bare bones rough figure?) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 11:35:57 PST Thanks Gayle, I guess the best way to put it here is to post the numbers we have already spent and what it was for, then to tell you what we still need to do here to bring the project to where it is self sustaining and the projected numbers for that. The rand is 6.8 to 1 U.S. dollar. **December 2007** Vehicles $40,900 rand - Land development $20,820 rand - construction tools $24,000 rand - Block making items $4,000 rand - water pumps, generators, chainsaws, brush cutters and other power tools. $199,856 rand - Bulldozer, Excavator and flat deck trailer $156,750 rand - Shipping containers and clearing costs $180,000. **TOTAL $626,326 rand ($92,000 U.S.)** **January 2008** Vehicles $9,600 rand – New Warehouse $42,000 rand - Blocks $8,000 rand - $196,000 rand shipping costs. **TOTAL $255,600 rand ($37,588 U.S.)** **February 2008** Vehicles $112,000 rand – Warehouse $96,300 rand - woodworking tools $5,000 rand - Block making $2,500 rand **TOTAL $215,800 rand ($31,735U.S.)** **Projected funds still needed for the rest of March & April 2008** Vehicles repairs $8,000 rand – Finish Warehouse $59,331 rand – Sawmills building and set up $40,700 rand – Mechanical building $10,500 rand – Wood working building $32,000 - Clearing costs for the 4 containers arriving $24,000 rand. **Approximate amount still needed for the project $174,531 rand ($25,666 U.S.)** I hope this is what you where asking for? I will try and post some new pictures of the warehouse soon. Ray ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:49:00 PST Ray - thanks for sharing all of that information. What I was angling for was an idea of the rough amount to see if a fundraising "something" was possible to bridge the gap you've got. Short term fundraising probably isn't even going to touch the sides of the 25 - 30K USD you guys need quickly. So......... here's my next question. Given that the business is asset rich/cash poor just at this point, have you looked seriously at the possibility of taking on a business partner? (As in, they would "own" a small percentage of the business.) Sorry if I'm asking questions that have long been considered and either rejected because they weren't right for the project or explored and entered into but didn't work out. ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:54:46 PST Also, could possibly look into a low interest loan via prosper.com (maybe). Perhaps breaking it into even smaller increments...$250-$1,500 (each tied to something specific) and seeing if some people may step forward as donors/sponsors of certain things. ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:04:19 PST Hey Ray, I know this is just a drop in the bucket but this morning in our Skype conference call the SOLID Board agreed to donate $500.00 to Partners for Others. I'll be bringing it with me. See you all the end of next week!!! **: )** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:02:44 PST To answer Gayle question about a business partner and giving away a small percentage, this is not our business model. This would have a long term negative impact on the project, because to date there is no one person owning any percentage of future profits, it is all solely owned by Community Connections which in turn returns all profits back to community projects. If there was a shareholder then he or she would be benefiting to the detriment of the poor. If I am unable to get additional funding and the project viability becomes at risk, then your suggestion of giving away a percentage to a shareholder my be our only alternative. Thanks for the $ Meron and the SOLID board, every bit counts and $500 ($3,500 rand) buys 50 bags of cement which turns into more than 2000 blocks which turns into $10,000 rand ($1500 U.S:) Thanks for the prosper.com idea Mark, I will look into it. Ray ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:26:41 PST Ray Brosseuk said: *To answer Gayle question about a business partner and giving away a small percentage, this is not our business model. This would have a long term negative impact on the project, because to date there is no one person owning any percentage of future profits, it is all solely owned by Community Connections which in turn returns all profits back to community projects. If there was a shareholder then he or she would be benefiting to the detriment of the poor.* **Gottcha!!** (...and sorry if the questions pissed you off a bit!) So - can we do a "Chip-In" thingy on NED to see if we can at have a go at matching the $500 from the SOLID Board? If we achieved that at least (and using the cement/bricks profit ratio you've mentioned), that would make $3000 USD all up. Not what you need in full but at least it is 10% of the total amount needed. Thoughts? (anyone!!) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:41:54 PST Gayle to the contrary, I appreciate the dialogue as it brings new thoughts and ideas on how we could possibly make this project succeed faster. (ask Meron, I never get P O :) As you may already know or will find out, when it comes to charity projects like this, I just jump in becasue I know it's the right thing to do and I know it has to be done and I know I have the abilty to do it and I know if I don't do it, probably nobody else will. It may look like I jump sometimes before I figure out where to land but I do have a well thought out plan here (excel helps) The only little problem is, I started the well thought out plan before all the $ were in LOL. Matching funds is a great idea :) every little bit helps. Thanks Ray ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:47:51 PST Oh good on ya Ray!! You write *matching funds is a great idea* and then toddle off! **:)** Ummmm - so the "Chip In" thingy????? If we are going to do this then we need a set up and all that....you have a Paypal A/C and then....... I don't know what you have to do next so I'll just do what I usually do on NED when I don't know something....... **Maaaaaaaaaaaaaark!!!!!!** ___________________________ .. image :: http://www.ned.com/group/community-general/file/549850/6.36.12058406366/get/mark_help.jpg ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:33:03 PST Having problems with PayPal, once they get fixed (been working on it a while) I can set up a ChipIn for matching PFO funds if Ray would like. Of someone else with a PayPal account can do the same in the meantime, if Ray wishes. ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:07:03 PST **OMG and LMAO**.....I didn't mean using **your** account, Mark!!!! I meant what does Ray need to do to start a chip-in thingy (that's its new official name!) - or should I have bellowed for our favourite Book-Keeper?? **:)** ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:45:23 PST To use Chip-In all anyone needs is an existing PayPal account. ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:34:44 PST Thanks Mark! (For being there when we all "bellow" and for the chip-in stuff.) Ray.... mothership calling Raymond!! (hehe) How would you like to handle this? What would suit you best? ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:40:28 PST Jackie has a pay pal account but I don't know anything more than that? Maybe Mark and Jackie know how to do this? Ray ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:49:30 PST working on it :) j. ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:51:31 PST .. raw :: html Well, I'm doing something wrong here...and have no idea what. (trying to insert ChipIn widget code Jackie sent. ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:11:49 PST .. raw :: html *thnx Jim* ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:35:10 PST **WOW!!!** - just saw the figure set on the widget - it seems my suggestion of NED members having a go at "matching" the SOLID Board's $500 has turned into a **MUCH** bigger task!! To all those I had already contacted with news of an impending Chip-In campaign (and the possible goal of topping the $500) - I'm very sorry if it now seems like I wasn't being straight or upfront about the target. Crossed wires somewhere! **:)** It's a big amount for a **super amazing project** so how about we have **a red-hot go at it** and start by setting a few "mini-goals"? Maybe the first goal could be matching/topping the SOLID Board's donation of $500 **before the end of Easter**??? We now have $150 from NED members ....... only $350 more is needed over the next 4 days to tick the first box!!! Happy Easter everyone!! **:)** ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:07:56 PST oops! major typo!! extra 0 that's what happens to new mom's at 1:00 a.m. :) sending Mark new code! sorry guys j. ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:26:55 PST No worries. Looks like the change propagated and it now says $150 of $500. Great. I faxed 15 pages to PayPal to try to fix the problem. If it doesn't get fixed within a week, I'll ask some nice US Ned member to make a contribution via PP, and send them a check. ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:41:17 PST Mark, if your paypal thingy isn't sorted out within a week, **I'LL** send them 15 pages!!!! (it's starting to drive me nuts so I cannot imagine how pleased you must be about it - NOT!) You can use my account anytime you like......just bellow! **:D** ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:51:46 PST Thank you very much Gayle. It's been a pain, but somehow find other ways to flow around it. FWIW, I read the first few rough draft chapters of Soren's book this week, and deep down there must be a Zen Buddhist that lives in my heart of hearts. It takes a lot to get me too riled up. Passionate about good things, but try not to let day-to-day problems/challenges get to me. ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:26:21 PST Well I'm very glad to read that because there is **ALWAYS** a solution to day-to-day problems and challenges, baby!!! It's the big stuff, the "values" stuff (like people lying to me) where I'm more likely to get a little stuck. (I get angry or annoyed or upset in the moment and the longest it ever lasts is until bedtime and then the anger is always gone when I wake up..... and replaced by disappointment, hurt or just a little feeling of sadness) OK - enough of this - "we" have cement to buy and trucks to fix!! **:)** ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:35:10 PST .. raw :: html ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 05:05:01 PST **ALMOST halfway to matching SOLID's donation - YAY!!!** __________________________________________________ The current total is $225 - with **one $25 donation**, "we" will have half of the $500 to match the SOLID Board's donation to **Partners for Others - Swaziland Project.** VERY cool! Just a quick re-cap on the number crunching potential of combining $500 from both SOLID and NED based on Ray's figures. (previous page) $500 USD ($3,500 rand) buys 50 bags of cement which will produce more than 2000 blocks which - when sold - will fetch $1,500 USD. ($10,000 rand) **Sooooooooooo.........** $1,000 USD donated by SOLID/NED creates $3,000 USD which is $20,000 rand. Based on Ray's figures, that would pay for the vehicle repairs ($8,000 rand) AND the mechanical building ($10,500 rand) with $1,500 rand left over to buy more bags of cement!!!!!!! **AND** That $1,500 rand = approx. $215 USD which would buy 20 more bags of cement (with a wee bit of change) which would make around 800 blocks which would generate a further $600 USD (4,200 rand) in funds. I am **loving** this cement thing!!!! ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:53:40 PST :Modified: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:57:52 PST as a friend of mine says, "let's not be Non-Profits let's be Social-Profits" :) we're not buying fish we are workin' the rods baby! j. OMG me and the typos! LOL LOL ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:24:15 PST Ahhhh I was licking the typos :):):) Yes Gayle, I'm liking the cement thing to, can't wait to get the sawmills up and running and the carpentry shop too. Thanks for the support, as you can see from Gayle's math, every little bit makes a big difference. Ray ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:20:19 PST >>Ahhhh I was licking the typos :):):)<< **That's** the **best one** yet ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:30:01 PST Ah I like it, we are half way to $500:) Well Meron is on her way and the containers are in Durban now, they should be loaded on the train to Swaziland in the next 2 or 3 days, so we should see them in a week? The tin should be in tomorrow so we can start putting on the roof and the boys are happily working away making more blocks. Tomorrow we are delivering 6 bunk beds we made for a lady who has 12 orphans she is caring for. They were all sleeping on the floor, so we made the beds last week for them, can't wait to see the looks on those little kids faces when they see thier new bed and mattress:) (made from the profits of block making:) Will take pictures and post later. Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:43:54 PST Hey!!! I'm at the airport getting ripped off by the internet waiting for my flight out in 45 mins!!! See 'ya all soon. ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:49:46 PST **Have a grand time, Miss Meron!!! :)** _____________________________________ ---- :Author: Carlos Diaz :Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:52:31 PST Meron Moroz said: Hey!!! I'm at the airport getting ripped off by the internet waiting for my flight out in 45 mins!!! See 'ya all soon. LOL. I'll be right behind you in less than a week. I'm shopping for duct tape right now. Anything else I need to grab, please let me know!! Carlos ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:26:36 PST ¬Carlos said: LOL. I'll be right behind you in less than a week. I'm shopping for duct tape right now. **Anything else I need to grab**, please let me know!! Carlos¬ Yeah, when you are passing by a duty free on the way to the gate could you pick me up a carton of Captain Black Sweets? They would only let me have one when I boarded. Thanks Carlos! At Heathrow right now waiting to board and to see if my luggage is going to make it. They switched my boarding pass in Vancouver and forgot to transfer the luggage tickets over so not certain my luggage is going to make the same flight as me! It will **SO SUCK** if I don't get my stuff :( Gotta' go check with the nice lady at the desk who is trying to help me with this issue. Keep your fingers crossed otherwise that list is going to get a lot longer Carlos!!! **LMFAO** ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:06:30 PST Goodness! I'm so excited that Meron and Carlos are coming! :) the next few weeks are going to be intense here in Swazi! I can't wait :)...well maybe I can...I really need a nap :) j. ---- :Author: Carlos Diaz :Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:37:30 PST I just heard on the CBC that there were huge delays and cancellations at Heathrow! Hope you weren't involved in anything going on in that new 8.6 Billion dollar terminal 5 where nothing works! I'll pack some Captain Black's you silly goose. Take a nap Jackie. . . with me and Meron together. . .hehe. it's gonna get interesting. ;-) In a good way! I'm really excited now. I went shopping for a bunch of stuff yesterday, but um. . .hey what's the weather like? Am I going to Lesotho too? I've been talking with Jean Margaritis over on fbook, regarding everything. Do I need warm clothes? summer clothes? Rainy season clothes? talk soon!!! ---- :Author: Carlos Diaz :Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:39:26 PST how do i edit my post when I write something inane? "I've been talking with . . . . regarding everything"?! What am I even saying? She was giving me advice on clothing and digital cameras etc. should i leave my powerbook behind? I have a tiny digital still cam that also does video. ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:14:28 PST Heh. To edit simply click the timestamp of the post you want to change, then click *edit* in the brown tab. ---- :Author: Carlos Diaz :Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:08:53 PST Lol. Thank you Mark. :-) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:56:05 PST We are home and Meron is sound asleep in her cottage. Jackie says stop freaking out on the thread Carlos:) she will answer your questions in the morning. Ray ---- :Author: Carlos Diaz :Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:10:01 PST LOL. kk I'm calm though. . .just thinkin out loud. . . okay, maybe a little excited. :p Carlos ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:16:01 PST :Modified: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:16:55 PST **WoW!!!** I just had the most amazing sleep. What a beautiful, gorgeous place; breathtaking. We've just had a lovely, relaxing morning. Re-meeting all the babies and Ray made a wonderful breakfast of eggs and pancakes with maple syrup, whip cream and yogurt. Cups of hot, milky rooibos tea. Sliding glass doors opened to a cooling breeze and the most fantasic view. Apparently on a clear day you can see all the way to Mozambique. Kyle and Cassandra are preparing to leave for a snake handling and safety course at a local game park ... very necessary knowledge in these parts. (Don't worry Carlos, we'll protect you from the snakes ; ) They will be gone until tomorrow. The rest of us plan on just having a relazing day hanging around the compound taking a few short hikes and napping. PS: the nice lady behind the desk at South African Airlines worked her magic and my luggage made it with me just fine : ) and fortunatly I wasn't caught up in any of the trouble at Heathrow; flight made it out on time and arrived in Jo'burg 45 mins early. South African Airlines was great! the BEST flight I've ever been on ... wonderful. Cheers! it's nap time and the hammock under the tree by the pool is looking really good at this moment :D ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 03:49:09 PST So amazing to have Meron here :) and you are right Carlos, the fun will start properly when you get here :) I'm so excited that we all get to hang out in Africa together! How blessed are we to be able to make a difference for others and to just experience this!! btw the freaking out comment was said affectionately and with great humor...hate it when Ray quotes me! The weather here is like August September in Canada, so can be really hot during the day and then cooling off nicely in the evening. We have the odd scorcher still but they are easing off as the season changes. When it rains it's quite chilly so nice to have a fleece or sweatshirt on those days. Can't wait for the containers to get here and distribution to start, we are all going to be insanely busy and have an amazing experience at the same time! Can't Wait!!! Now I'm off to make Meron's lunch.... j. ---- :Author: Carlos Diaz :Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 05:17:36 PST Thank you! No worries, affection will never offend me! oooh. okay, I'll be prepared for august / september then! Awesome, can't wait to get there now. If I didn't have to work tuesday/wed, I would be leaving now!! see you soon. thank you. Carlos ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2008 06:55:06 PST OK, I'll pay for Meron's snake handling class...as long as pictures are part of the package. Glad you are there safe and the luggage worked out. Gayle, finally after two months of rangling with PayPal all things are back to normal on my/Ned's account. If you PM me the right email addy, I can simply PayPal you the funds you dropped into PFO Swazi Projects 2008 for me. (with another big thank you to boot) ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:39:35 PST ~Mark said: OK, I'll pay for Meron's snake handling class...as long as pictures are part of the package.~ If I had of known that in advance I would have packed my snake charmer outfit!!! ; ) Off to Sipho's orphan school for the next three days. Excited about finally seeing Sipho's for myself. Be in touch when I return from the back hills of Swaziland. ---- :Author: Carlos Diaz :Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:06:22 PDT I'm home. I can hardly believe it. I just finished uploading a slew of photos to Facebook and the comments are pouring in. But I think I'm suffering reverse culture shock. It's strange to be here, when my mind is still in Africa. Thank you Ray and Jackie and Meron and Sam for everything. A priceless, invaluable experience for me to see your compassion and dedication up close. I'm so very glad I went. I'm coming back. Next year or later this year, coming back. Meron, your mother is writing me on facebook says a lot of people miss you and asked if you were all right. I was honest and said I could have taken better care of you but that Jackie and Ray were doing just fine keeping you up! :=) ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:09:16 PDT Hey Carlos, welcome back. "Reverse culture shock"...I hear you. If you could link to your photos from here, I'm sure people would love to see them, myself included. ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:30:18 PDT :Modified: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:35:11 PDT Carlos said: Meron, your mother is writing me on facebook, says a lot of people miss you and asked if you were all right. I was honest and said I could have taken better care of you ... Awww, thanks for the thought Carlos but honestly if all you can do is take care of yourself emotionally, especially on your 1st trip to Africa, then you are doing pretty much all you can do. Me, every once in a while I just melt down, cry it out then move on. It's all good and I'm surviving pretty well. Ray and Jackie sure know how to show a girl a good time but missed you after dropping you off at the airport. You got yourself back to TO before we even left the city! Really could have used your help as we did "Little Miss Sunshine, the Sequel" Jackie and me push starting the kombi from parts store to parts store across South Africa in search of an alternator that would charge the battery. And really could have used your comic relief as we drove through and out of Jo'burg with no headlights! Kinda' scary especially in a city that posts road signs like *"High Crime Area, Do NOT Stop!!!"* Happy you made it home safe and sound : ) See you same time next year??? ; ) ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:55:45 PDT Meron Moroz said: See you same time next year??? ; ) I can't wait :) It was so awesome to have you here, but you did miss the dangerous part of the journey Carlos :) Meron and I did use our girl muscle to get us back to Swazi, Ray drove for nearly two hours on the freeway back to Witbank with no headlights, it was lovely that it didn't rain and that the moon was bright! Can't believe that old alternator held in there till after we had you at the airport on time! seems there was a screw loose :) We also went into the Fordsburg area of Joburg to get fabric for school uniforms...the guy there showed us the bullet holes on his office wall...a few of the 47 that they recieved on a rough day in the past...I was really glad to leave that part of town! Never a dull day here :) For all of you wondering where Ray is...he's in a work frenzy trying to keep up with automotive repairs,finishing the construction on the warehouse, sorting the containers contents,and getting all the community connextions projects off there feet before we have to leave in less than 3 weeks! We also have distributions to do this week as there are many desperate areas that have been awaiting the soup mix and clothing. He promises to post soon and with pictures! j. ---- :Author: Carlos Diaz :Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:35:33 PDT Mark Grimes said: Hey Carlos, welcome back. "Reverse culture shock"...I hear you. If you could link to your photos from here, I'm sure people would love to see them, myself included. Oh sure thing Mark! I'll put the external links here. I have two photo albums up and one still in the process of uploading. . . we were on a picture taking frenzy! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=108983&l=4a545&id=687565426 ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:17:45 PDT I second it Carlos, it was great to have you here and your welcome anytime:) As far as the trip from Joberg to Swaziland I think I should leave that story alone or the girls might tell you how bad it really was:) After a bit of a detour we did eventually find an alternator and it was only 100 klm from the Mozambique border LOL. All 4 containers arrived and we unloaded them last week. We had to unload the contents of every container (23 tons each) on to the ground, then take the empty container off the truck and then put everything back inside, this was because the factory that is making our clear roofing panels broke down and we won’t get the panels until next week so we can’t finish the roof, typical for Africa. Oh ya, all 3 lifting cranes in the country were broken last week too so that’s why we had to do it this way:) I was sure happy that the first container they brought to us had the excavator and bulldozer inside; I was able to drive them out and then use them to drag the empty containers off the trucks onto the ground. (Carlos do you have any pictures of all this?) The first one didn’t go as plan, as I was trying to get it off the truck it fell over on its side:) no damage and the little excavator was able to set it upright again. We will be doing a huge distribution next Sunday, will take lots of pictures. Going to do some small deliveries for the next few days well Meron is still here. The main Social Welfare lady came down yesterday and picked up clothes, toys, shoes, food, storybooks and more. She sees a lot of really sad cases coming thru her office and in the past she has not been able to help very much but now she can at least give them a little bit to help them out. The block making is going well and it’s turning into a really good business, the sewing ladies came for more fabric and can’t wait to get into their new building and start using the 14 sewing machines that we brought in the containers. I can’t wait to get all the other business going as soon as possible:) After unloading we hopped into the famous Combi (Volkswagen Micro Bus:) and headed for Lesotho. Had a great time and I talked with Momello and her husband Ben about setting up some income generating businesses for them. I asked him a lot of questions and after a bit I realized that they had already been thinking about this and they have 3 ideas in mind. They want to set up green houses to be able to sell fruit tree seedlings and bedding plants. Because they have a cold winter season they all need to start their vegetable plants inside before spring so I think this would be a great business. The closest green house is over an hour away. The next one is they want to build small round cottages they call rondovals to rent out to the tourist that come thru. There is a lot of tourist traffic passing by. The only place in the area that I know of, is 4 klm away and it’s expanding because they’re usually full, they charge over 300 rand per night for two people ($45 U.S.) The rondavils can be built for just under $1000 U.S. each and they think 6 would be good for starters. The next project for income generating is a Tractor, they can use it for plowing their own fields, they have had a hard time in the past trying to get it done at the right time so their crops don't fail. There is so much work for a tractor in the area; I think it would never stop working. Great news on this, I just found out that thru SOLID someone has donated $6,000 cnd to buy a tractor can’t wait to help them buy the right tractor. Well off for a 5 klm hike with the kids, so I think that’s it for now:) Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:31:28 PDT Dad said: Well off for a 5 klm hike with the kids, so I think that’s it for now:) Does that mean I've officially been adopted now? **:D** Today is the Kings 40th birthday and the Brosseuk family : ) is enjoying a lazy day at home. The walk was wonderful, through the valley and up the sorta' mountain on the other side. After bushwacking it down again and scalling a well enforced barb wire fence we followed the river home stopping for a short while to build a dam complete with a discarded PVC pipe overflow and a runoff bypass. LOL!!! when with Ray errr I mean dad ... even playing in the river gets complicated!!! We all enjoyed a quick dip in the cool pool back at Gibela Farm and just finished a lovely lunch prepared by Nana. I'm thinking now is a good time to escape the big house and head back down to my quarters for a nap with all the windows and doors open to the cool late afternoon breeze. Yep that's sounding really good indeed ... ZzzZZZzzzZzZzzZZzzzzZZ It's a great family to be adopted in to **:D** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:28:14 PDT Meron Moroz said: Does that mean I've officially been adopted now? **:D** Yes, but I think your old enougn to leave home now? like maybe this Tuesday :) Oh yes, Enjoy your long flight and don't hesitate to call once and a while, just not collect. LOL Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:30:57 PDT Meron Moroz said: Does that mean I've officially been adopted now? **:D** Yes and it's been great having you **:D**, but I think your old enougn to leave home now? like maybe this Tuesday :) Oh yes, Enjoy your long flight and don't hesitate to call once and a while. LOL Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:50:21 PDT :Modified: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:59:36 PDT |one| Some of the clothes and stuff that came out of the last container. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/_MG_2704edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 |two| Our nice little Bull Dozer **:D** .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/_MG_2627edit.JPG :height: 400 :width: 300 |three| And the excavator **:D** .. |three| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/_MG_2707edit.JPG :height: 400 :width: 300 Photos by Sam Barlow:) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:15:20 PDT |one| The new bunk beds arriving :) .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_1009edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 |two| Unloading the beds at Jesus Cares center. .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_1028edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 This lady is a retired teacher and is now looking after 7 girls and 6 boys, they were all sleeping on the floor so Mfana made these bunk beds for all of them. When we delivered the beds we realized they had very old and extremely thin foam they were using on the floor as matresses so we went back down to Mbabane and bought new matresses for all the beds:) Today we are going up there to drop off some soupmix, fruit bars and clothes ect. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:06:40 PDT Here is some of the long awaited photos of our new building. Carlos the internet connection is flying today, first time in 5 months :) |one| The building ended up bigger than we originaly planned, 23 meters wide x 25 meters long (75ft x 85ft). We added 8 rooms on each side, each room is 3 meters X 4 meters (10ft x 13ft) The sewing ladies will use most of them to work in. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/DSC01229edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 |two| A couple of the ladies from the village have been cooking for all 40 workers since Dec, they can't wait until we put up a proper kitchen building for them. .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/DSC01249edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 |three| Unloading one of the saw mills, should be cutting logs and selling boards in less than a week, then we will work on building the carpentry shop so the young people can start to learn how to build furniture :):):):) .. |three| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/DSC01543edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 |four| Picture of the inside of the building, we are just waiting on the clear roofing panels to arrive then we can finish the roof. These clear panels will let light in and save on electricity, also you can see the nice forklift that was donated to us by Walter and Theresia Stow. .. |four| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/DSC01226edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:48:04 PDT :Modified: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:54:03 PDT Only time for a quick note! 7 mins left on the internet here at Heathrow. Awaiting my flight out to Vancouver, home sweet home. Sad to be leaving the new relationships I've made in Swaziland, I've kinda' become attached to the place. But, as I get closer, also excited to be going home to family and friends. Safe journey so far. Ran in to Scotty in Jo'burg airport! he was on his way to Heathrow as well but on an earlier (by one half hour!) flight, same airline. We got in about the same time and I saw him again here and shouted to him on the escalator. LOL! What are the odds? If we meet up again one of us is in a very wrong place 'cause he's off to Ireland and I for home. 2 1/2 mins left and I have to let mom know when my flight is in ... gotta' fly **literally!!!** ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:02:07 PDT Home safe and sound. Rested up a little bit. Luggage and bits of Swaziland spewed out across my living room floor. No time to clean it up. Off to Vancouver tomorrow to accept a `YMCA 2008 Power of Peace Award`_ on behalf of SOLID. Exciting! and should be a great time, Anna is my date ; ) More on my Swaziland trip when I return home ... again. .. _`YMCA 2008 Power of Peace Award`: http://www.vanymca.org/id/powerofpeace.html ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:27:04 PDT Welcome home, looking forward to stories and pix. Have a blast in Vancouver and tell Anna hey and looking forward to May. Enjoy the award. ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:03:02 PDT G'Day BABY!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations to SOLID on the award - **that is just brilliant!!!** I'm looking forward to the pix too ..... the un-PC ones! **:)** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:38:42 PDT Glad you made it home safely Meron:) We did 2 distributions this week end, will try and post all about it with some pics soon. Ray ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 10:46:21 PDT Cool, in all the traveling and everything I had not even noticed that the $500 goal was reached. Very cool!!! .. raw :: html ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 18:00:14 PDT **How did I miss THAT????????????** ____________________________________ I'm bloody delighted - and will no doubt be thinking "cement" thoughts for the rest of the day. Super Cool!!! ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 00:29:24 PDT Yes very cool to see the goal was reached, the guys are making cement blocks as fast as they can. We delivered 3000 blocks the other day to a customer and they ordered another 600 for next week. We also sold and delivered 2000 10 days ago. **Total 33,600 Rand (4,500 U.S.:)** There is a new childrens hospital being built here starting in July, we have been given the contract to make all the cement blocks for it, I don't know how many blocks this will be in total but I'm sure it will be more than 30,000 blocks :):):):) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 01:45:55 PDT Well the roof is finally on the building and next we need to build the 2 big doors. We will start plastering the whole outside next week, and then do the electrical wiring and then we can move all the stuff from the containers inside. The sewing ladies will be able to set up all their sewing machines in the next 2 weeks:) Last night we met with all the boys at the site and told them how unbelievably proud we are of them. They all made 100 rand each this week ($14 U.S.:) It so cool to see the block and welding businesses up and running perfectly. The grass cutting and chain saw clearing businesses will be starting next week as we have secured a tender from the government road works department. The sawmill and it’s building is all set up and I will be showing them how to operate it before I leave. We have a real ability to make some great money from the sawmill because the longest boards you can buy in this country is 6.6 meters (21ft) and we can cut boards up to 10 meters (32 ft) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 03:30:54 PDT On April 23rd Kyle and I went to see Nqobile,(nobela) she is the lady with the clubbed feet I mentioned last year. We found her at home sewing and she was so happy to see us. She showed us the new boots that she got last year and said now she can carry 20 gallons of water on her head and her feet don’t hurt anymore. I asked why she was carring water and she said she has no water tank to catch the rainwater of her roof so she must walk a long way to get water. I looked at her boots and one of them is already tearing on the side. The next day Kyle and I went to the hardware store and bought a 1000-liter water tank (250 gallon) some eaves trough and went back out to her house and set it all up in about 2 hours, it only cost $145. Her mother, aunt and her 5 kids can now have fresh rainwater for drinking without having to walk for it. |one| .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_1620edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 400 Right to Left, Nqobile, her 5 children, her mother in law and the mother in laws sister. all their husbands have died including Nqobile's just over 2 years ago, 2 months after the last child was born. Speaking of her 5 kids, four of them are in school and it costs 800 rand ($110 U.S.) for the youngest per year and 960 rand for the next one and 1100 rand for the next one and 1260 rand for the oldest one, so I asked her how is she paying for all these kids? She said she sews blankets by hand and sells them but she has only managed to pay for the youngest one since school started in Jan. I told this to Jackie and she remembered that there was some boxes of quilt tops and bottoms in the container that just needs to be sewn together to finish them. Before Meron left, she gave us some money to help buy a sewing machine for her, she has no electricity so we bought her a hand operated one and we gave her all the quilt pieces so she can finish them and sell them to help pay for the kids schooling and she will be giving 20% back to Community Connections and there was enough pieces for 24 quilts :). Yesterday I took her to have another pair of boots made at a new place(850 rand), they mesureed her feet and said they make them made in South Africa, they say the quality will be much better than the first ones we had made and she should have them in the next 3 weeks:) Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 09:09:06 PDT **YEAH!!!** she got her sewing machine! Thanks for passing that along. Hope it helps her out a lot. All this news is wonderful to read. Can't wait to hear it all in person. Ray, can you send me your Swazi number? I need to talk to you before you leave. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 21:57:17 PDT Mark Grimes said: Cool, in all the traveling and everything I had not even noticed that the $500 goal was reached. Very cool!!! .. raw :: html I forgot to mention that Carlos also helped directly when he was here with the chip in, correct me if I'm wrong Carlos but I think you matched the **$500 :):):):)** Ray ---- :Author: Carlos Diaz :Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 12:10:35 PDT Ray Brosseuk said: Mark Grimes said: Cool, in all the traveling and everything I had not even noticed that the $500 goal was reached. Very cool!!! .. raw :: html I forgot to mention that Carlos also helped directly when he was here with the chip in, correct me if I'm wrong Carlos but I think you matched the **$500 :):):):)** Ray Yep yep that was me! :=) And some of my actor peeps who threw in. I think we came really close to $500. Something in the exchange rate put me right under, but i was close! Did you get the number Meron? I still have all the Swazi numbers programmed into my phone. yay! Roof! yay boots! ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 12:45:46 PDT Thanks Carlos! Yep, I got the number and spoke to Jackie last night. They are in a frenzy to get packed up to leave. ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 22:29:02 PDT :Modified: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:44:57 PDT Just wanted to share this thank you letter that came for the container that was delivered to HaMakhata earlier this year. Dear SOLID This is addressed to all those people who made the container possible and all those who contributed to the contents. It simply says Thank You! It would be better to address every thing in much more detail, to describe the pleasures, the joys, but I wouldn't expect anyone to undertake the job of transposing my difficult hand writing, and Heather and Eswen will be able to explain. I don't intend to prolong the issues of gifts- versus- cash either, as they seem to be well understood. Where to start? The Basotho have a riotous, noisy way of greeting the generosity of others that makes all the difficulties fade into significance. I live at the Phelisanong site, so I'm privileged to see much of the activity that's happened since the container came. The clothing is sorted over a long period of time. The residents and local volunteers are provided for first, baby packs are made up to reserve for destitute mums. The support groups sort suitable garments to take to the villages. The school children come in groups so that even the poorest can always arrive each morning looking neat and tidy, and the grannies, often the most deprived, collect good clothing that's hard wearing. The looms are a superb gift, and their value is clearly understood. We are keeping the big rug loom which can be kept in frequent use and will generate income. Several people will enjoy the back strap looms and learn to make saleable items for the craft market. However, weaving is competitive in Lesotho and no longer lucrative. It needs a lot of product support right back to shearing correctly, and the volunteer with all the know how (me) has far too much else to do. So we have already found people in South Africa interested in the other looms. There is mounds of yarn of all kinds, specialist to general hand knitting, some of it already in production, the knitting machines generating, the hand knitters busy, all enjoying having a good place to work. (craft center). Some of the older boys pumped up tyres, enjoyed a lot of mechanicking,and have the bikes roaring around the football pitch. The singer sewing machine, just bliss. We were without. It is my favourite, exactly right and with all its' bits and pieces. The rototiller started first pull and did a patch of work this morning. The manual is in safe keeping. The telephone wire cabelling sits under the craft house table and awaits N'tate Kerike who knows some one who can come and show us how to make fighting sticks. We want to make beautiful ones decorated with wire weaving, beading, incised decoration and I've been hunting in Masaru library for information on historic examples that we can revive. The craft market is not just income generating; it's intended, when it finally opens, to celebrate Basotho culture. The beads and hand stitching threads are enormously useful and pleasurable, my own area of expertise. There is a tradition of decorating blankets with pattern borders and rosy corners and we will revive that. For everyday care, waterproofing for mattresses, comfortable bed pads and the great rolls of lining fabric that gets used for mopping up everything you can possibly think of. We have lots more residents, we are over crowded and many are maximum dependency. Most of those buckets go out to volunteers in Ha Makhata, tokens of their services. The rest do service right here. Blankets, winter clothing, boots, all await the winter when it snows here. We might have electricity by then, but indoor heating is too much of a luxury. There is masses of paper and writing and drawing materials, some of which is already being enjoyed by the school children. Previously for the younger classes, writing practice was not possible. I have reserved a lot of coloured pencils for the residents to use. Even for the most severely intellectually challenged, the value of visual self expression can not be over emphasized. Heather and Eswen will explain to you the difficult issues that arose over books. The children have unrestricted use of the books in the craft house at weekends and at other times when they can be helped. For me a library is high on the priority list, since I see it as the only workable answer to the accessibility of books. The learning is that libraries do not work in Lesotho. One is started only to remain locked in houses for fear that the precious books not be lost. I intend to rectify that view if I have to find the cash myself to build and furnish one. Okanagan Gleaners: well now I understand and wish that I was young enough to set up something similar in the UK. Just brilliant. I will contact them separately. Finally, you sent us Heather and Eswen. They are probably exhausted. Their learning curve on several fundamentals was challenging to say the least, because neither of them hesitated to get involved at the sharp end. This is unusual for short term volunteers. The sharp end is messy, difficult, both literally and emotionally. Eswen has established long-term relationships between Phelisanong and the new pre-schools in the villages; one of Mamello's many brilliant ideas that needed someone young and motivated to give it impetus. Heather had me worried with all her introduced weaving technologies and unfamiliar materials. I simply felt that it wouldn't work. I was wrong. The ladies loved it, not just the novelty, but the way it relates to their own expertise - listening to them talking as they worked it became clear that they were identifying neglected sources of materials out there in their own environment and spearing new ideas. They like the results too and I'm sure they will prove all this further. There is lots more that I could say. Thank you SOLID and every one who helped. Yours, 'M'e Mathabo Khethisa Tau ---- :Author: David Bale :Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 00:08:02 PDT What a wonderfully crafted and detailed letter! It conveys the true value of people's gifts. Meron, Jackie, Ray, the good people of SOLID and contributors to their efforts, you must all be so proud! :) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 01:38:19 PDT Thanks Meron for posting the letter, it's wonderfull to here how all the stuff is being used and appreciated. We are in London today and everyone is taking Jackie's mom on a tour to see the sites, I am bed riden because last week I was bitten by a yellow sac spider (highly venomous) and my upper leg is in a terrible mess and I can't walk becasue of the pain:( I am hoping that it will heal in less than the 8-10 weeks they say it usally takes. The doctors say there is no treatment, you just have to let it run it's coarse but Jackie is doing here magic on it with Activated charcoal poultices which is drawing the venom out faster than just leaving it there and it's working because earlier my whole upper left leg was swollen, red and oozing but after a few days of Jackie playing nurse it's way better, still hurts like a B____ but better:) I usally never take medication for anything but this one is beyond painfull, so I am taking tylenol and advil to try and manage. Hope it's gone down enough to be able to walk and talk at Salt Spring this weekend:) Ray ---- :Author: David Bale :Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 06:38:15 PDT Oh, Ray! I read this *after* sending you my messsage. How awful! Wishing you a swift and less painful recovery. Is there no-one in Belize to help? :D ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 17:07:26 PDT Here is a story which explains what this project means to these people. A couple of weeks ago we hadn’t sold any bricks so we couldn’t pay the guys their 50 rand ($8 U.S.) for that week. Then the next week came by and we had sold some bricks and were able to pay that weeks 50 rand but still not catch up on the one before. Then the next week went by and we sold more than enough bricks that we could pay the 100 rand and get all caught up, but before we did this, Mfana wanted to see the dedication of the guys and to see if any were upset and wanted to leave. So he called them all together Friday afternoon and said, “what if we cannot pay you again are you willing to come to work again next week? All of them said “yes we will always come to work even if we don’t get paid” then Mfana said “what if we can’t feed you, will you still come to work? They all said “please this is our home, this is all we have and if you could please just feed us we will always come to work, we have nothing else in life, this place has given us hope and we come here to be a family, to work together and to laugh together, please just let us continue to come. Mfana smiled and told them that they are all family and that he had just sold over 3,000 blocks and they needed to be delivered on Sunday. Then he gave them all 100 rand each ($16 U.S.:) This is what drives Jackie and I, the knowledge that what we are doing here means so much to these guys, it gives them hope, it gives them dignity, it allows them to be men and to be proud of their accomplishments. Without this work these men have nothing, they would just sit at home and become depressed about their situation, a situation full of so many terrible thing that if you and I had to bear them we would have given up long. Ray ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 17:18:42 PDT :Modified: Tue, 20 May 2008 17:19:26 PDT I'm flying low and fast this morning but had to zoom in when I read the post above. Jeez Ray - everytime you post these days I end up either dreaming of cement or **CRYING!!!!** (happy tears!) If anyone doubts the path of "profit for purpose", I'll point them to your post! Hope the leg is healing - it sounded horrid you poor thing. Gayle **:)** ** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 07:26:38 PDT I don't know if I mentioned this before but all the workers and personal associated with our charity in Swaziland "Community Connections" has embroidered this on all their Jackets and shirts **We are For Social Profit** As they work and go around the country of Swaziland people are always stopping them and asking about the charity and these words explain it all:) I don’t even know where to begin about my leg; something happened that is almost to UNBELIVABLE to even share? On Sunday I was invited to speak at the Community Gospel Chapel on Salt Spring Island. We haven’t been to church in 4 months so it was just wonderful to sit and enjoyed the singing and praises to God. The people were so warm and hospitable and I sensed a real sincerity in their church that I have not felt in some other churches. Anyways I was not sure what I was going to say until a few minutes before it was my turn, they told me I only had 10 to 12 minutes and not to worry if I go over because they have a trap door in the floor and I’ll just end up in the basement LOL. I’m sure that many of you know how hard it is for me to talk about my passion for charity work in less than an hour:) Well a few minutes before I hobbled up front I finally figured out what to say, and I think I did it in less than 25 minutes :):) After I was done talking the elder of the church asked me to stay up front and he called Jackie up too, he said he was impressed that they should all pray for my leg and he invited anyone who wanted too, to come up front and gather around me and pray. Well I think nearly the whole church came up and prayed. As I sit and write this I am still amazed at what happened! Before Sunday I was on 3 Advil and 2 Tylenol ever 3 to 4 hours just to mask the pain enough to try and walk. Well since their prayers I have had no pain and I’ve needed no painkiller at all! The next morning I woke up and Jackie went to change the bandages and when she unwrapped it she gasped when she saw it because it was nice and pink and the hole caused from the necrosis is starting to close nicely. The doctors said this would take 8 to 10 weeks to close but it had only been 9 days since I was bit. I thought about posting a before and after picture but I think the before is too gross to put here? Well I have seen a few Unbelievable things but this one is an absolute miracle thanks to some wonderful Christian people who believe what they preach. Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 07:46:48 PDT :Modified: Thu, 22 May 2008 07:52:51 PDT Oh, maybe this is my cue? I do have a before picture!!! **:D** because I'm just that sick and I was raised by a surgeon and OR nurse. I can't even begin to tell you all the gross things I saw and heard about at the kitchen table after dad put in a long day at the 'office'. Hope you don't mind Ray, I sent a link to your above comment to Mike. ---- :Author: Linda Nowakowski :Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 09:36:12 PDT I think God looks over those who make miracles happen and I think he was more than happy to repay you Ray and give you the miracle you needed as you have provided the miracles so many others have needed. You and Jackie are still two of my heroes. I am so incredibly glad to hear you are ok. Peace. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 06:31:45 PDT That's OK Meron, I've always known your sick and that you took a picture of it, just didn't know you wanted everyone else to know this too. LOL Instead of putting the pictures right here, I'll get Kyle to put up a link to a before and after for anyone else who can handle it, or is sick like Meron :) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 06:34:00 PDT Thanks Linda, I don't see myself as a miracle giver but I'm sure thankful that I was the receiver of one :) Ray Linda Nowakowski said: I think God looks over those who make miracles happen and I think he was more than happy to repay you Ray and give you the miracle you needed as you have provided the miracles so many others have needed. You and Jackie are still two of my heroes. I am so incredibly glad to hear you are ok. Peace. ---- :Author: Evvy Bryning :Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 08:53:08 PDT This is just the best news Ray and I do believe in miracles!! I am so glad that your pain has gone away. Watching you hobble around was so awful. Loved hearing your stories and experiences and I can't tell you how much they helped me. Since returning I have been working so hard with the community in Kampala to turn them around and get them moving in the right direction. Your experience with the brick making project has truly inspired us and given us the answers we needed. ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 09:16:04 PDT **LOL!!!** Any one here that knows me knows I'm just that sick. Oh, and btw to be *sick* these days is a good thing, just ask your kids! **:D** ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 10:22:04 PDT The Miracle of the leg should be shared with the congregation of the Community Gospel Church. Thanks for all the inspiration on the week-end and sharing your lovely family with us ---- :Author: Gayle Rogers :Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 16:43:03 PDT Ray Brosseuk said: Instead of putting the pictures right here, I'll get Kyle to put up a link to a before and after for anyone else who can handle it, or is sick like Meron :) **Cool! :)** ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sun, 25 May 2008 23:26:02 PDT Thanks Gayle! See I'm not the only sick one here. Hmmm, maybe we should just post them in the *corner* were all the sick little gals hang out LOL!!! ---- :Author: KAYE JOHN :Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 04:20:46 PDT CONGS. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:51:26 PDT Sorry I have been on the road for the past week and will be home tomorrow. We just received a donation of 50 really nice hospital beds, so I’m in the midst of making 3 trips with my truck and trailer to get them all home. Talked to Mfana in Swaziland today and we landed a Government contract for 1000s of cement blocks, so many the guys will never be able to keep up manually so we are going to buy a automated block making machine, which makes 6 blocks at a time. $38,000 rand ($5,135.00 U.S.) Oh yes, when I get home I'll try and remember to get the pictures from Kyle’s camera and up load the link to gore:( Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:43:19 PDT Pictures of my SPIDER bite, Graphic warning, for everyone except Meron. Before, Saturday May 17th at Salt Spring with major pain and lots of medication :( http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/DSC0841-before.JPG After, Tuesday May 20th at Salt Spring with no pain and no need for any pain killers :) http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_2450after.jpg I am still keeping it covered as it is still not completely scabbed over. Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:44:22 PDT Wow! It's looking so much better! but still wonderfully gory : ) Thanks for sharing!!! ---- :Author: Lars Hasselblad Torres :Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:09:10 PDT Ray Brosseuk said: Pictures of my SPIDER bite... Yummy! Could I have that with a side of fries? Its funny, I got a pretty nasty staph infection after a fall I took at an outdoor theater in India a while back. I should have taken pictures of it as it worked its way steadily up an artery - to contribute to our menu...! Glad you're on the men, Ray. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:48:46 PDT Another story to tell you about. This happened in early May while we were still in Swaziland. Jackie and I were sitting near the new warehouse building one evening after dark, I was on the phone trying to change our tickets again :). The Minister of Social welfare was out of the country at the time so he was unable to sign the waiver for the kids international passports until the following week, so we were postponing our trip home again :) Well we were sitting there this guy comes walking by and says to Jackie “thank you so much, you have saved my life” Jackie said, your welcome and then after the guy walked away, Jackie turned to Mfana and asks, “Who’s that guy?” Mfana said, well the other day this guy came on to the site and he saw him walking away with two wooden poles over his shoulder and he yelled at him saying, hey what are you doing come back here with our poles, the guy turned around and came back and admitted he was trying to steal them. Mfana knows the guy as he’s kind of the town drunk and everyone in the area knows him, so Mfana asks him why he was trying to steal the poles and he says, “I have nothing left except a few chickens and I need to build a shelter for them”. Mfana looks at him and says, it’s lunch time so go and put the poles back, have some lunch and then come and work for us instead of stealing, then you can earn the money to build your chicken's a shed. Well the guy has been working for us ever since and Mfana says he’s one of our best workers and he is always watching over our stuff in the evening to make sure no one is trying to steal anything LOL. Mfana said all he needed was someone to believe in him and give him a chance. In fact I think that is what most of us need at one time or another in our struggle through life, Someone to believe in us and give us a Chance. :) :) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:00:27 PDT :Modified: Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:04:15 PDT **Here are some links to videos taken over the past few years, I also posted them at the beginning of this thread** **Lesotho** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUfwFiNXns **Fiji Boat** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vt-3FTTQAc **Swaziland water tank** http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=GLiUwDwraLA **Namatakula Fiji** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy61miKL4Xw **Boy with one leg Fiji** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw8HS9ReJw4 **20 yr School Reunion Fiji** http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=IYB5deJZsIo ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:42 PDT :Modified: Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:01:58 PDT Here is the link to the stories behind the videos. http://www.ned.com/group/pfo/news/4/ Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:48:29 PDT We got another donation from the garment factor in Vancouver. It consisted of 9 pallets of new jackets and pants and 11 pallets of sewing thread, zippers and accessories. Big Steel Box in Abbotsford gave us another free container to ship to Swaziland so they went over to the garment place and loaded up the 20 pallets and brought it up at the same time. This will keep us busy for the next few days, as we need to bale all the pants and jackets into 80 lb bales to maximize room in the container. I am also on my way down to Nelson B.C. tomorrow to pick up a load of medical equipment. Don’t know were I am going to put all this stuff as the warehouse is busting at the seems, we have enough stuff to fill at least 4 containers right now and more is coming in everyday. Ray ---- :Author: Evvy Bryning :Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:08:27 PDT You are so awesome Ray. I want to come hang out with you for a while just to see how you do it! Was it hard for you in the beginning or did it just start out great right away? I ask because I keep trying but seem to not get very far very fast. Give me some hope!!! ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:11:16 PDT Just got home from another long day, went south to Nelson and Castlegar B.C. a 300 mile round trip. I picked up a huge load of wheel chairs, walkers, crutches, bedpans, and lots of other medical equipment. I'll take some pictures tomorrow and post them. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:13:44 PDT |one| Picked up 36 Hospital Beds so far, more to come:) .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_2686edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 |two| .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_2677edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 They are at least 150 lbs each, so I'm glad I have only had to pick up a dozen a week. Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:09:39 PDT Yesterday they delivered the 40+ bags of sorted baby & children's clothing that the ladies at the Community Gospel Chapel have been collecting, to be stored in my garage. I'd been planning to clean up that space for a long time but in the end not much cleaning happened, just a lot of shifting to make room! I'll check with Mike and Rene' tomorrow to find out where they are at collecting hand tools. We'll need to make a plan to get these things to you. Looking forward to a Revelstoke visit. Missing my babies ... ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:42:39 PDT Thanks Meron, I talked to Mike and things are coming together with the hand tools and your welcome anytime. We got a great donation today, 50 boxes of books from one of the school library in town, mostly kids story books :) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:33:01 PDT :Modified: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:39:13 PDT Sorry for not posting for a while, so here it goes. Remember I picked up 36 hospital beds and I don't know if I told you that they came with no mattresses. Well Jackie and I and all the kids went to Oliver B.C. this week to pick up a load of wheel chairs and other hospital equipment, they also had 38 beautiful hospital mattresses which they gave us :) It is so cool to see things like this come together, beds from one place and then weeks later and 300 miles away, mattresses that fit the beds. Talked to Mfana the other day and the big truck is up and running again as they had a bit of a transmission problem for a few days but they are back delivering cement blocks every couple of days :) Money is a bit tight for them right now as they are still paying for things like the instillation of electricity, plastering and paint of the main building but they are in good spirts. Here is an email I got from them last week. From: Mfanawenkhosi Mndzebele Sent: July 9, 2008 2:06 AM To: Ray Brosseuk Subject: RE: no more Little problem the problem with the truck was fixed yesterday noon, we even delivered 800 6inch blocks in Manzini with it,the truck is so powerful im glad you bought it today its going to deliver 500 more in Mbabane , i think with this truck we are going somewhere.the building is finished we have to paint tomorow.so we are using the money we get in the building, also need to buy glasses for the windows.its quite promising also need to install electricity 3phase. im delighted that the warehouse is full to rhe beam i hope you would be able to send us some clothes, as have a very large number of requests,im proud to tell you that His Majestys Correctional Services wants to join hands with us in helping exconvicts start self help project. Thanks for everything you have done for us and he whole country we cannot thank you enough,what we would be without,youve been our pillar of strength, a symbol of success we see everything possible through you. Say hi!! to Jack,Kylie,Cass,Kate,Kiara.Ciana,Caela, I am hoping we can send some containers in the next few weeks as we are over full, more stuff than we have ever had at one time before, it would take 6 containers to empty the warehouse now, I’ll take some pictures for you all to see. The cost is what’s holding us back from shipping at the moment as we spent most of our money while we were in Swaziland on the project and we don’t have any more personal $ coming in until the end of Oct now. We have been trying to sell the warehouse in town for over a year now to be able to finish building the new one on our farm and it looks like it might finally happen, as we had 2 buyers look at it this week. This would be great as we would not only be able to finish the building on the farm but we would have enough left over to ship quite a few more containers before Oct. Ok that's all I can think of for now. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:52:44 PDT Oh I thought of something else. I was driving down past the Airport last week and saw that they were putting a new tin roof on the airplane hangers. I called the guy who was doing it and asked if we could have the old tin to ship to Africa, he said absolutely:) He brought it all over a few days ago and I was shocked at how much there was, each sheet is 27ft long and my 5,000lb lifting forklift could hardly pick up the whole pile. I think there is at least 3 times the amount I bought for the Swaziland warehouse? I paid $10,000 U.S. for the tin there, so I'm estimating that there is at least $30,000 worth here:):):) Mfana told me the other day that they had a few pieces of tin left over from the building so they went out and fixed an old ladies roof that was leaking and they were also able to build a little road side shack for Nqobile so she can sell some bananas and mangoes out of to try and get by, she's the girl with the clubbed feet and 5 kids. I can only imagine how many people they will be able to help with this much tin! Again I love how this all comes together:) Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:33:17 PDT I know, I know, I've been very quiet lately. We've been ever so busy at SOLID these days. So busy I missed this until now. My friend `Carlos`_ joined us in Swaziland this past spring. He put some pictures with a mention on his show's `fan website`_ .. _`Carlos`: http://www.ned.com/user/u634116425/ .. _`fan website`: http://www.babyz.ca/ ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:50:31 PDT Talked to Mfana yesterday and things are going well, after I left he said he was worried they would fail to keep the vision alive and all the businesses going but I knew he could do it. He said he is proud to report that they are ok, he’s so thankfull that I belived and trusted in them, he said this is what gave them the motivation to persist and not to give up. He said they bought a small forest close by and the boys are cutting trees this week and then running them through the sawmill starting next week. The only thing left on the building is doors for the sewing rooms. He was proud to anonce that he landed a large sewing contract for the garage ladies:) The big truck is still running good and it is sure making a difference on the profit from the blocks now that they can deliver them. Gone Rural gave us another huge contract to weld together the wire frames they use to weave some of their baskets over:) Next is to connect electricity to the main building. I sold our warehouse in town last week and I have until the 18th of September to be out:( I have been hoping this would happen so we could build the new one which is twice as big but now that it has, I sure have a busy month ahead of me. I’ll need to load and ship out 5 containers just to clean out the warehouse and then I will still have 2 more containers of stuff that I am keeping for the new warehouse. Speaking of the new warehouse, I have until the end of Oct to complete it before it starts to snow, all the concrete foundations , put up the posts and beams, set all the roof trusses on and then screw all the tin down and then put the walls on. 70ft x 120ft, so not sure if it's actually possible in such a short time but will give it an honest try. The new warehouse will cost about $80,000 and all the shipping of containers will cost about $40,000 so if anyone is feeling generous we could sure use some help:) More to come later Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:51:08 PDT Hey Ray and family! I'm thinking about heading up your way this weekend. Mike is loaning me his truck (and paying for the fuel, bonus!) I'll be bringing up all the stuff that the Community Gospel people have been collecting. I need to make some room in the garage ... both kids moved back home at the end of last month and my son needs his room back!!! ** ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:54:24 PDT Got the truck tonight so it looks like I'll be heading out of here on the first ferry Friday morning. Should put me in your neck of the woods around "time to head out to the river for a bon-fire, beverages and **s'mores!!!**" Couldn't convince either one of the kids to come with me, how much you wanna' bet they have a party while I'm gone, a I-survived-the-1st-week-being-back-at-home-and-mom's-gone-for-the-weekend party? ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:03:14 PDT See you Tomorrow:) Are you coming paintballing with us on Sunday? I think you might enjoy it LOL. Not sure were we are going to put the stuff you are bringing as were are beyond full, we have been putting stuff outside for the past week but I guess we will cram it in somewhere? Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2008 09:56:51 PDT Arrived safe and sound. 12 hours from ferry loading to Brosseuk front door. Every trip to the interior is contemplated with the anticipation and expectation of beautiful scenery ... I was not dissappointed; I'm in awe, this country takes my breath away. If I was to be honest I'd have to admit that I really wasn't disappointed that neither of the children wanted to come with me. The long open road, a great little truck, windows down, music turned up loud, fantastic view, wonderful weather, bags of fresh fruit = **bliss**. I thoroughly enjoyed my day. Ray, as for paint ball tomorrow ... let's see how well we get on for the rest of the day before I make my decision **LMFAO!!!** ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:22:07 PDT Meron, stay longer next time...that was just a tease :) luv ya, j. ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:35:12 PDT Thanks Jackie! You bet I will ... it was not near long enough. Ray and I didn't even have time to get on each others nerves **LOL!** Luv 'ya right back. Give all those babies a big X & O from their Auntie Meron, even the big ones **: )** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:20:35 PDT Yes Meron, if you had brought a shovel like I asked and stayed a little longer you could have helped pour cement yesterday:) We built all the wooden forms for the new charity warehouse; it was a huge job because there was 480 ft of forms to build and then 480 ft of concrete to pour. I was so tired I could hardly get out of bed this morning :( On Monday the cement will be dry and the work continues, building more forms and pouring more concrete until Wednesday, then let it dry for 2 days and then start putting up the huge wooden beams for the main structure. Hopefully in 3 weeks we will be able to start putting all the trusses on and fasten down the tin. We need to be done by Oct 31st because thats when the snow starts flying around here. Oh ya nearly forgot, we also loaded out a container destined for Swaziland and arranged for 1 container a week to come in for the next 4 weeks just to be able to empty out the old warehouse, that explains why I’m so tired. My mom used to say “you kids have more muscle than brains” not sure what she meant? but thats what she used to say LOL Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:22:03 PDT Hmmm, I must have missed the bit about the shovel, but I would think you would have a few spares around with all the BS you toss about LOL! **:D** Do you know if the boxes I brought up for Matrine at "Jesus Cares" from mom and Ms. Clope at the Care Centre from Sam went in the container you sent to Swaziland? XoX ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:51:17 PDT >>but I would think you would have a few spares around with all the BS you toss about<< Bam. Oh, Meron won that round and Ray is in the corner with the coach thinking about throwing in the towel ;-) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:01:45 PDT The coach is thinking ? but not about throwing in the towel :) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:12:14 PDT |one| Latest pictures of the finished Swaziland warehouse. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/DSC00761.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 |two| .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/DSC00760.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 Ray ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:44:52 PDT Great.I could run a first class B&B out of here. Shirley ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:22:49 PDT Oh WoW!!! does that every look different from the last time I saw it. And they painted it **PINK!!!** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:18:15 PDT **PINK** not my first choice but thats what you get when you mix white with red. They opened all the 1 gallon cans of paint we sent over looking for all the white paint but they couldn't find enough to paint such a huge building. Then they looked at what was the next colour they had lots of and it happened to be red, so they mixed all the red with all the white and then they had enough paint to cover the whole building and thats why it's pink **:):):)** Ray ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:26:44 PDT My kind of people,resourseful and never waste a thing. Better than purple. Shirley. ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:50:04 PDT `Pink`_ can be just perfect, and love never wasting a thing too. .. _`Pink` : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Pink ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:04:02 PDT I don't know ... purple can be groovy. But the pink is good advertising, you certainly won't miss THAT from the road ... **:D** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:49:48 PDT They also say that pink is calming and when used in prisons the inmates are less likley to be violent. Just a suggestion Meron, if you are planning on repainting in the near future maybe you should think about Pink. I think we could even find some Red and White in the warehouse here to donate to you. LOL Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:37:28 PDT Oh, I have used pink to calm down the inmates. Just ask Mark ... Meghan's room is VERY pink. As for me, I don't need any calming down **:D** ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:37:12 PDT We got all the concrete foundation for the new warehouse poured this week. Now we will start putting up the big wooden beams. We are also loading another container tomorrow for Swaziland. 3 more to go and the old warehouse should be empty???? Ray ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 10:16:27 PDT Jackie reports that the gift container for Matrine and my 13 grandkids will be on board. So glad, should arrive to have treats for Christmas or a special group birthday. Shirley ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:23:07 PDT Yes it's loaded and should arrive during the first week of Dec :) Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:10:06 PDT **Awesome!!!** And mom got a letter from Matrine the other day, really nice **: )** ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:33:56 PDT GVM donated 3 bags of sugar again for cotton candy. Yeah for GVM. Guess that Zelda will perform again. Pray for good weather. Zelda ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:48:19 PDT |one| Pictures of the new warehouse :) .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/0923081505.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 |two| .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/0923081501.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 Also, I got a call today, the Red Cross has 250 wheel chairs for us to pick up from all their interior locations :):) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:23:34 PDT Loaded another container yesterday, this time it was for ADRA Lesotho. It always amazes me how much stuff we can get into a container and how much stuff we still have in the warehouse after a container has been loaded. I thought it would take 5 containers to clean the place out but now it's going to take 6, so 2 more to fill this week, 1 more for Swaziland and 1 for Fiji. Here is a bit of what we packed for Lesotho. 104 bales of clothes, weighing 75lbs each. 49 boxes of school books 2 teacher’s desks 20 school desks 34 big bags of stuffed toys 160 boxes of nice shoes 11 black boards 2 big school shelves 13 boxes of kitchen utensils 18 Mac computers. 11 wheelchairs 11 sets of crutches 30 walkers 17 Chair porta potties 61 boxes of school bags & purses 87 boxes of dried fruit gummies 16 Barrels of dehydrated soup mix(1,280 one kg bags(2.2 lb) and lots more. I am so glad to see all the excitement and action about KIVA here. It's great that people are seeing how wonderful it is to do something personally for someone else, to see how a little help monetarily or help with the actual item needed, can make a difference for good in another person’s life. I guess this has been my form of KIVA for the past 14 years:):) Thanks Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:40:20 PDT Wow, what a lot of heavy lifting! We just received detailed reports from Sandy about the Health Care Centre and from Christoper about the Schoolhouse needs (hint, hint they need teacher's desks) at HaMakhata. We'll see what we can get together around some fundraising for shipping here. I've been using the reports to start building our new website, not my forte' by a long shot! I can't even get the pictures to upload . ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:48:12 PDT Another cheque is in the mail for Matrine and the 13 kids...my KIVA. Thanks Ray and Jackie for seeing that a monthly stipend is delivered safely to her. Have sent birthday cards to 2 who have October birthdays plus a little gift from their Canadian Gogo Shirley ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:37:29 PDT No problem Shirley, I'm pleased to help in anyway I can, Thanks again for being so kind to Matrine and all her wonderfull kids Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:23:23 PDT Loaded another container today:) We were able to put in 42 barrels of soup mix too, (over 500,000 cups of soup for all the hungry little kids:) Also, we started putting the trusses on the new warehouse a few days ago. Maybe by the end of next week I might be able to start putting the tin on? The snow is slowly creeping down on us, so I hope I make it. 5 containers are now loaded and ready to send, just need to finish getting the $40,000 together to ship them all. Ray ---- :Author: Evvy Bryning :Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:21:13 PDT That is so great Ray. I have a question for you. Do you have to pay a VAT or import tax on the containers to get them into the country? Just wondering how other African countries handle this. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:14:07 PDT No I don't have to pay any Vat or import taxes, this is because I always use a registered charity within the country of destination or in the case of Swaziland, I registered my own charity there to be able to import free of charge. I do however pay between $400 and $700 U.S. for custom broker fees to do all the paperwork and railhead handeling charges. Hope this answers your questions. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:19:34 PST I think an update is long overdue. We loaded another 2 containers this week :) The new warehouse is coming along pretty good, it's snowing now so it's going a little slower than I would like :( We are putting on a charity event in our local community center in Dec, it looks like over 200 people might attend **:)** The boys in Swaziland are doing good, they were having a bit of a tough time for the last 2 months because Jackie and I are a bit strapped for cash building our new warehouse so we were unable to help them with unexpected expenses. Despite the lack of start up capital for the sawmill business they were able to get a contract to make pallets for a local business and it is really good. Here the email from Mfana:) Everything is falling perfectly into place, i think God is with us, Yesterday a guy came to my house in the evening and told me he wants to help with the Hyster forklift, so today he is coming to fix it, i think its going to charge us less. He also talked about giving us a tender for pallets, he said they buy one pallets at E300 and a truck load is E9000. so for 300 pallets its E60,000 minus E5000, RUNNING COSTS. WE are to make 40,000 profit in two weeks. Mfana The exchange rate is 10.14 rands to 1 U.S. dollar. So they are going to make over $300 U.S. a day:) This is amazing and I am so glad to see they were able to find a niche market for the sawmill we sent over. Speaking of sawmills, the same guy donated another one a few weeks ago. Since Feb this year we bailed and shipped over 1000 bales of clothes, averaging 85 lbs each, all this, 85,000 lbs was from our local thrift store, it's hard to believe that a town of less than 8,000 people can donate so much clothing. total amount of goods shipped this year was 559,000 lbs :):):):) My second spider bit has healed perfectly and I don't want it to ever happen again, it was on of the worse things I have ever been bitten by. Well that's all I can think of for now? Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:44:30 PST Another spider bite? Now we really will have to call you Spider Man LOL!!! ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:23:37 PST |one| Well I am slowyly getting the new warehouse built, dispite the snow flurries. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2561-Copy.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 |two| .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2564.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 |three| .. |three| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2545.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 |four| .. |four| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2567.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 Ray ---- :Author: David Bale :Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:48:16 PST Ray, That's Massive! You weren't thinking of moving into air shipments, were you? ;) .. image :: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Cardington_Shed_BW.jpg Cardington airship sheds, Cardington, UK. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:51:30 PST You made me laugh when I read your post David because I actually I am! I built a 15ft prototype of a new type of airship and flew it around and now I want to build a bigger one so I can lift my truck up off the ground:) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:31:09 PST |one| Latest Picture. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/1119081555.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:50:33 PST :Modified: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:10:34 PST Well I hate to say the word **SNOW** so much that we had to stop the work of putting the roof on the building:( I guess thats what happens when you live in a town that has a snow fall of 4 meters (13ft) a year. This means I won't be able to finish the roof or pour the cement slab inside until May next year. The sale of the old warehouse fell apart do to problems that the purchasers had with city hall, so now the 6 containers I loaded to send to Africa will have to sit until some other money comes in. The only good news this week is the program I put on last night for the community went really well, about 60 people came to hear about the work in Swaziland and Lesotho and they bought $420 worth of Baskets at an average of $25 each. |one| Picture by Heather .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/DSCN1679.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:37:30 PST Where was this picture taken? Man I wish I had more of those baskets, we've sold almost all of ours. So happy to read your event was successful. Wish I could have been there. ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:11:00 PST We must be super sales people as we sold the ugly purple and brown baskets. Imagine what we could do with the pretty ones. ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:58:35 PST **LOL! @ mom** ---- :Author: Jackie Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:41:37 PST Correction of Ray as usual :) The baskets pictured above are the ones that are made for Gone Rural. http://www.goneruralswazi.com/ Heather took the pics during her time in Swaziland. I agree they are very beautiful and incorporate traditionally fired clay and ceramics as well as the basket weaving. We will probably never get our hands on ones like that as the potters are exclusive to Gone Rural :) The baskets we sold here in Revelstoke are the same ones you chose from on SS Meron :) I have only sold a few purple as well...it's not easy that's for sure :) but was really surprised that pinks reds and oranges sold as well as they did. I'm going to start a new thread for the basket/handicraft sales over the holidays and will post pics of our displays at the craft fairs etc as well as a sales report and a few other goodies :) hugs all!! j. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:33:22 PST Here is the latest video I've posted on Youtube. **Swaziland orphans slide show** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpG1aD_G7S0 Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:47:07 PST |one| Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. From: Ray, Jackie, Cassandra, Kyle, Katelyn, Keiara, Caela, Kiahna .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_5757edit.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:11:02 PST I spoke with Mfana yesterday and he said they had a wonderful Christmas. I sent them 16,000 rand so they could have a huge Christmas party for all the orphans at Mrs. Klope (Mrs. White), the care center next to our building. He said most of the kids and lots of the elderly people came and they ate, sang and danced all day long. He said the old people asked him how he was able to feed them all so much on Christmas, he told them that there was people in Canada that loved them very much and sent them this Christmas gift, and then he said, they sang and danced even more :) At the end of the day they had enough food left over for all the children and elderly who were unable to make it. He took lots of pictures and said he would send me a cd in the mail, when I get it, I will post them. Ray ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:49:40 PST Thanks for sharing this Ray, it brought back fabulous memories ... I want to go back to Swaziland! Last night we had a SOLID Board (and friends) potluck. Candace and Eric are back from Swaziland and Kenya. Candace had pictures of the *pink* warehouse. She said there wasn't any one there the day they went to visit. The roof had blown off and they were just in the midst of putting it back on. Lots of pictures and stories from Sipho's. Wonderful evening. How is Mfana? Must be recovering nicely if he was up to playing Santa Claus. Looking forward to the pictures. ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:21:52 PST Thanks Ray. The true meaning of Christmas. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:22:23 PST Well, we just sent out 3 containers this week, 2 to Swaziland and 1 to Botswana:) Trying to send one to Fiji because of all the flooding they have had there in the past few weeks. The price to Fiji has come way down to $6,585 U.S. so hopefully we can find the funds soon. The price to Swaziland dropped too, from $7,985 U.S. last Oct to $5,250. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 08 Feb 2009 10:48:59 PST Well this is the time of year that Gleaners mixes their soup mix. Their process is, dehydrating all the vegetables during the summer months as they come in and then every January they calculate how much of everything they have dried, then they mix it all together, creating 1 KG bags, then they put 80 bags into each 45 gallon drum. **Now the amazing part:)** A 53ft long transport truck will be coming to our warehouse this Tuesday to unload 150 barrels of Soup mix (12,000 1 Kg bags). In Swaziland they have been able to feed over 200 orphans from 1 bag, that’s more than **Two Million Four Hundred Thousand** meals for these kids:) I have said this before, these kids usually only get some corn meal mush and it does not have all the nutrients these kids need to stay healthy but the soup mix from Gleaners gives them the vitamins and minerals they need to keep from getting boils and other skin infections. To date we have supplied soup mix and clothes to over 60,000 of the 100,000 orphans in Swaziland alone, not counting Lesotho and other countries. Again I want to say thanks to everyone who has been a part of making this all happen. Check out Gleaners web site: http://okanagangleaners.ca/ Ray ---- :Author: Mark Grimes :Date: Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:11:52 PST 2,400,000 meals for kids in Swaziland. Off the charts, unreal, and simply one of the best things I've heard in quite some time. Amazing, and just thrilled to know you guys :-) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:47:47 PST David Bale sent me this email the other day, and I thought it would be nice to share it with all of you so you can see how these amazing things come together:) Dear Ray and Jackie, I had an interesting meeting earlier today with Abraham Kalyapu, a Baptist minister in my local area. He is from Zambia and is involved with a feeding project in Chaisa, one of the high density housing compounds, close to the centre of Lusaka. He was bemoaning the lack of vitamins in the standard food available for distribution and saying how necessary it was for them to be able to provide more than just their staple food if the recipients of their project were to build greater immunity to (often fatal) disease. When I mentioned the work of Okanagan Gleaners, he was extremely interested and I said I would speak with you about the feasibility of obtaining a supply of dried food from them and of the costs and various shipping options that would then be involved in getting the supplies out to land-locked Zambia. I've downloaded the application form that OG provide on their website for Abraham to think about what their application might contain, were they to make one. Do you have any advice? I've been looking through the Unbelievable Donations history thread to see if you have ever shipped to Lusaka. It seems that you've shipped to Tanzania, but not to Zambia. However, I did notice a post you (Ray) made in January 2006: By Ray B-r-o-s-s-e-u-k (CCAL30) (1371), Tue, 03 Jan 2006 21:41:02 PST Comment feedback score: 5 (* * * * *) Susan, I am thinking of how you or others may be able to help, Here is an idea I will throw out there. If we could find schools here in North America that would adopt a sister school overseas, like Moses's school in Sudan, then we could slowly help upgrade the level of education in each one. We would ask the North American school to supply the items needed for their sister school, (example see moses's list) then they would send the items to us so we can put them in the container and forward it on to their school. It could work two ways, either the actual items on a list would be sent or in some cases were it is not possible to send the actual items, then cash would be donated to purchase the items in their country. This could also be done in smaller crates like 60" x 60" x 60" then we could ask the airlines to deliver it, like we did with the orphange project in Tanzania. In most cases the cost of the crate would be under $1,000 instead of $5,000 for a 40ft container which is way to big for what most schools need. I would guess that Moses's list would fit into a small crate like this. How does this sound? does anybody have some feed back on this idea. This gets back to where my heart really lies, "education" it is the most valuable gift we can give a child and I would like to figure out a way to do more of it. Thanks Ray I wondered, for example, whether an air crate might be a possible option for Abraham or would the weight of the soup mix be way too heavy? If you have any thoughts about anything else that might assist their project (the Kumbayah Communities Feeding Project), please let me know. On more general matters, I hope all the family are faring well. I trust the roofless new warehouse too is faring well in (or under?) all this snow! If you are coming over for your board meeting in London, I still hope we might get to meet up. Best wishes David ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:49:35 PST Nice to here from you David, hope you are doing well and yes if we come over in the spring some time we will call you. Gleaners is not set up to send the soup mix anywhere, they simply give it out to organizations that can afford to ship it overseas so I don't think Abraham would be able to get some from them unless he was able to show that he had the means in place to ship it? The soup comes in 1 kg bags (2.2lbs) each. Each bag makes 29 liters of soup. I know that in the omidyar thread I said that 60" x 60" x 60" would cost about $1,000 but there is a weight restriction on that volume of 100 kg. The soup is 320 kg for that same volume. 4 barrels containing 320 bags is less then 60" x 60" x 60" but it is 320 kg, so they will charge by the kg. The cost is a minimum of $10 U.S. per kg to send it air freight? not cheap $3,200 to send. As you know from the NED thread we have a massive amount of soup mix right now and we would be more than willing to crate it up for Abraham but we are low on finances right now ourselves so if he has a way of raising money for shipping we will do it. I have also sent out an email to my shipping agent to ask for an exact quote to send 4 barrels containing 320 bags of soup. I will forward it on to you ASAP. Hope this helps Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:50:21 PST Thanks for your kind offer to crate up a consignment of soup mix if we can meet the cost of shipping. Abraham arranged for a party of thirty supporters to go out to Lusaka last summer to help build a school there and they got to see the feeding programme at first hand. So I think that raising the money may not be too difficult, though I haven't discussed this with anyone yet and have no idea how long fundraising might take. Also, can you clarify - is the quote you've asked for from your shipping agent for air or land/sea freight? Cheers David ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:51:47 PST It's cheaper than I thought. $1,800 U.S because the cnd dollar is 80 cents to the U.S$. Let me know how it works out. Is it ok to post this on Ned? I know Mark would appreciate it. Ray ----- Original Message ----- From: Jim Griffiths To: Ray Brosseuk Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 7:09 AM Subject: Re: Zambia Ray Can quote you as follows: Commod: Barrels Dried Soup Mix Dims: 40x48x42 = 220 vol kgs Weight: 400 kgs Chargeable: 400 kgs Airport Vancouver / Airport Lusaka Zambia Airfreight: CD$ 5.545 Allin per kg x 400 kgs = CD$ 2,218.00 Handling: CD$ 20.00 Routing with KLM via Amsterdam + Nairobi - Nairobi to Lusaka w/ Kenya Airways As you can see it is import you have exact actual weight, as chargeable is on weight + not on dims. Above does not include local delivery. Also pallet must be safely secured + shrink wrapped. PS-We have export docs ready to be couriered to Gaborone Botswana. Address you have supplied is only PO Box address. Do you have street address for Courier Comp ??? Kind Regards Jim Griffiths ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:52:24 PST That's really good news! There seems to be a determination here to make this work. I'll keep you posted, Ray, about our progress. Abraham is contacting the people who run the feeding programme to find out where the barrels can be safely stored and I'll talk to him also about how they would like to handle local delivery issues - do they have the means, for example, to collect the barrels themselves from the airport or how else would they plan to have them delivered. What would they need to do about import charges/documents or any other issues to do with paperwork? Thanks once again! And by all means post on Ned. :) David ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:17:09 PST I will try and remember to post a picture of all the soup mix. The sun came out today and started to melt the snow, so as soon as it's all gone I'll be able to get back to finishing the new warehouse. I hope it's soon, because the old one is filling up again. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:28:44 PST Great news, I recieved this email today:) Ray Ray we have started processing 40 boxes of Eyeglasses for your container. These glasses will be Sorted, Sanitized, Hand dried and Package 400 per box for a total of 16,000 par of a varity. Note they will not be prescription read. I would estmate that they will be ready for shipping by March 27th I will keep you informed. How would you be getting to Revelstoke? It will be 40 boxes or 2 Pallets of 20 per pallet If you have any questions please contact me Regards Bernie ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:13:11 PST Hi Ray, Fundraising plans for transporting the soup mix are being discussed at a meeting this Friday. 10 members of the local Baptist Church visited the Kumbayah feeding programme last summer and seem keen to take the lead in raising the money. I've also spoken to Tim Martindale of Mission Direct, the person who will take responsibility for collecting the barrels from the airport and arranging to store them safely, using storage facilities of an umbrella organisation he beliongs to, if the feeding programme itself hasn't got anywhere suitably secure. He's in Africa at present visiting (I think) all six of the countries in which Mission Direct operates. He will certainly be visiting Lusaka and will address all the issues that need to be sorted. We'll meet up again when he returns to the UK after Easter. We've set ourselves a target of raising the money by September at the very latest. The good news is that the Kumbayah feeding project is attached to a school and Mission Direct will be sending a work party out in July to help build new schoolrooms. They have acquired some land on which to start growing their own vegetables, so the soup mix may well tide them over until they harvest their own home grown crops. I'm following up on putting them in touch with an agriculture specialist in Lusaka who promotes FGW (Farming God's Way), an organic high yield approach that he uses in village training programmes, at the pastor training college where he teaches and at a street kids programme (similar to Kumbayah) where he has already set up a FGW vegetable garden project. I figured that the folk at Kumbayah might want to pay them a visit. I may also be able to get the local branch of Tools for Self-Reliance to send out some refurbished gardening tools, but that remains to be seen. I'll let you know as soon as we have a date for sending you the money. Cheers David ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:17:50 PST Thanks for the update David, I was thinking that there may be another way to save some money on shipping costs? We are going to be shipping at least 100 of these barrels of soup mix into Swaziland this year, I am wondering if they want to look into the cost of shipping from Swaziland to Lusaka instead of from Canada, it may be cheaper? Just a thought? Ray ---- :Author: David Bale :Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:54:41 PST Yes, Ray. That could be even better! Which would be cheapest and safest? Road, Road & Rail, or Air Freight? Thanks once again! :) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:27:41 PST Not sure wich is the cheapest way? I have not shipped anything between any of the African countries yet. I am guessing here, but there should be rail service through Zimbabwe? and if there is, then I would think this would be the cheapest and safest? I will ask my shipping agent if he knows. Ray ---- :Author: David Bale :Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:37:09 PST Thanks, Ray. You'll also need to cost in the cost of shipping the four barrels from Revelstoke (presumably as part of the contents of a 40 foot container?). Hope to get back to you soon with an estimate of when we might be able to raise the required amount. The two key figures in this however will be in Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Zambia) for the next few weeks. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 10:19:02 PDT It’s been a long time since I updated all the things that are going on with our charity Partners For Others and our sister charity Community Connections in Swaziland. Gleaners gave us 150 barrels of soup mix (12,000 1 kg or 2.2 lb bags) the largest shipment ever. The women in Swaziland are able to feed more than 180 kids out of 1 bag (about ¾ of a cup per child) Some really great stuff is happening in Swaziland too, Mfana was working with some of the boys a month ago and a Member of Parliament drove in to talk to him about the project. He said he has been hearing about Community Connections and seeing Soup mix all around the country and thought he should stop by and see for himself what is going on. Mfana told him everything we are trying to do and he was so impressed that he asked Mfana to come up and speak to all the members of Parliament and tell them about Community Connections and it goals. One of the things that impressed him the most was that Community Connections is a Swazi registered charity and run by Swazi people and not by a foreign group and that they get help from Canada but not controlled by Canada. Mfana went up and spoke to the MPs and they were so impressed that one of the MPs who operates a government organization called NERCHA (National Emergency response council on HIV/Aids) asked if they could work with us? http://www.nercha.org.sz/ I spoke with Mfana and he explained to me what NERCHA is about, he said that they want to build 80 new homes for children headed households, were the children have no parents or relatives and the shacks they are living in are in a state of disrepair or have already fallen down. They also want to start a sewing program and a food processing program, like Jam making. They have identified 85 people around the country who are looking after more than 9 dependents without an income. They want to bring these individuals to a central place where they can learn the skills that will help them be more self sufficient and where they can earn some money at the same time. After 3 months of skill training the Government will also provide these people with a certificate which will help them get a job too. Well after talking to Mfana we agreed that this is what we are already doing and it would be great to work with NERCHA and help them accomplish their like minded goals, so we told them ok, let’s do it. Well less than a week later the Government trucks showed up with Cement, sand, rolls of fabric and 85 women, men and young people, ages from 18 to 65. Today they are making cement blocks, welding window frames together, cutting glass for the windows, making cement roofing tiles and they even sent down a government draftsman and the kids are learning to draw and design their own homes. They also have 60 women and girls sewing school uniforms and selling them and they started a Jam making project too, they are making close to 100 quarts of jam a day and they are sold out every day:) It is so cool to see all of this happening, I am so happy to see that all they needed was a little encouragement and the tools to make it happen! We still have a few more things to finish around the site in order to be fully functional and to make the Health officials happy. We need $10,000 to be able to put on the part of the roof that blew off and to install toilets, running water and electricity. They are temporarily using a generator I sent over for electricity. The best thing Mfana told me was every Saturday they load up the trucks with clothes, soup mix, shoes and other items and all the people go out to a rural village and distribute to the needy, he said it’s the thing that is making them all the happiest, it’s healing their souls. It’s so amazing to see people that the government has identified as the poorest of the poor, the ones who are the most in need, going out and helping others and saying that this is the happiest thing they have ever done :) I think I know a little bit how they feel, because this is the happiest thing I have ever done too :) We now have 3 containers loaded and ready to ship and 2 more in the warehouse ready to load. Mfana said they are going to be all out of the stuff soon, so I feel a real urgency to get this stuff shipped as soon as possible, we just need to find the money. The good news is, the price has dropped considerably from last year, it was costing about $8,000 per container and now it’s about $6,000 a container. As I think of more I will continue to post. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 24 May 2009 08:30:34 PDT A cool thing happened Friday, some ladies from our local Community Connections office came over to drop off some bags of clothes left over from a clothing swap they put on. They had never been in the warehouse before, so I gave them the tour and explained in more detail what we do. One of them asked if I would be ok if some of the kids from the community came in to help fold clothes, kids who need to put in community hours for grad and other reasons. Well I am so far behind in folding clothes that I jump at the chance to have more help. Since the first of Feb we have folded and baled over 500 bales at 80 lbs each (40,000 lbs) and I still have over 5,000 lbs in bags that need to be done and it’s coming in at a rate of over 1 ton a week :) There is so much stuff coming in and the work load is getting so big that it's sure nice to have people in our community willing to come and help:) A little bit of bad news:( ADRA Canada has pulled the plug on us, they sent me an email saying they no longer want to be involved in shipping containers over seas so I must find another charitable organization to ship through and another way of reciving tax recipts for the money spent on shipping. The good news is, I called my Lawyer and he says he can have our own charity up and running by the middle of June. Also, ADRA said it’s ok to ship through them until the middle of June, so all I need to do is find the money to ship the next 5 containers that are ready to go. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:22:45 PDT Some really good news, it looks like someone is going to help us ship a few containers soon:):):) Will let you know when it happens. Ray ---- :Author: Linda Nowakowski :Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:56:51 PDT Ray, your faith moves mountains... ---- :Author: Christina Jordan :Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:47:31 PDT So amazing and lovely to see that this is all still growing, flowing and sowing so much good, Ray. Hugs to you and yours! ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:40:36 PDT Here's a long overdue update. Well for the past 4 months I’ve been trying to get 5 containers shipped out but I've been running into lots of road blocks:( The 1st problem was obvious money! We needed $32,480 to ship 5 containers. Jackie and I only had $3,200, so we still needed $29,280. But a few weeks ago we received a promise of $25,000 from a U.S. donor, happy, happy, happy but not quite enough for all 5 containers, so we decided to only send 4, still very happy:) Now that the 1st problem was solved the 2nd problem was ADRA Canada had pulled the plug on anyone, including me, who has been shipping under their name. (Umbrella organizations) I called my lawyer and asked how much longer until our own charity would be up and running and he said at least another 3 months, because the government is really scrutinizing new registrations. I had to send in mountains of more documentation verifying that we have been doing this for 15yrs now. Not sure what a new person would do if they wanted to start a charitable organization now? Well I didn’t know what to do, so I called ADRA back and plead with them again and again and they finally said they would allow me to ship under their name one last time, but they said no money could be sent to them for any more tax receipts. This created another problem, because the $25,000 donor needed to send their money to a registered charitable society:( Well I got on the phone for a few more days trying to figure out what to do and I ended up calling IHC (International Humanity Center) our fiscal agent in the U.S. and they agreed to accept the donation and to pay my Canadian shipping agent for the shipments:) Well everything was coming together nicely, so I asked the shipping agent to look into the bookings for these 4 containers, 2 to Swaziland, 1 to Lesotho, and 1 to Fiji. He called me back the next day and said it doesn’t t look good, because of the down turn in the economy the ship lines are parking some of their ships and consolidating their shipments on each other’s vessels. This means no space on the Mersk ships from Vancouver to Singapore then to Durban S.A. for at least 3 months, was happy:) now sad:( I called him back the next day and asked him to please ask the ship lines again and to plead our case (over 2 million cups of soup for orphans) well not only did he get the ship lines to agree, they agreed to a much lower price, so now we can ship all 5 containers:) happy, happy, very happy. They gave us space on the ship, Alcazar leaving Vancouver on July 21st so I have a huge task ahead of me next week. I have to have all of the containers on the docks in Vancouver, no later than Monday, July 20th. Fortunately for me, I already have 3 loaded, so only 2 more to fill. The bad part is, I have to do it all myself because my son Kyle is leaving for a 2 week trip to help build a school in Ecuador. (He said he will ask some of his friends to help me??) One more great thing, the ship lines said they will give us high cube containers (1.5ft higher than normal) for no extra charge, I can get an extra 120 bales of clothes in:) Will try and keep you posted with more news and pictures this week. Ray ---- :Author: David Bale :Date: Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:23:30 PDT Ray, even *reading* this was a real roller-coaster! But such a "happy, happy, very happy" outcome. Unbelievable! :) (PS Two huge 40 foot containers to fill all by yourself - what, has Katie gone on strike? ;)) ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:37:05 PDT I wonder if the cavalry could arrive from Saltspring in time to save the day. Draw your wagons in a circle and I will talk to Meron. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:20:53 PDT Well the container for Lesotho is locked, loaded and gone:):) 4 more to go. I had a real scare Friday, I loaded the container on to the truck and as soon as I had it chained down the owner called and said he just got a call from the Vancouver ports saying he is no longer registered with them. This means he can’t haul any of the containers for me :( Well my first thought was I'm finished, I only have 4 days next week to deliver the containers and there is no way I can find another trucker who is registered with the Vancouver ports. Then I thought of a company that hauled for me a few years ago and I still had their number in my cell phone. I looked up the number and called, the phone rang but no answer just an automated system, saying for dispatch press 1, for highway press 2, for local press 3, and so on and so on. Well it was just after 4 on Friday so no one was answering so I called back 10 times pressing every combination I could and still no one was answering. At 4:50pm I got desperate so when the system said “if you know the extension number of the person you would like to talk to, enter it now, so I tried 123 and it said invalid extension then I tried another one like 245 I think? and it rang and a real person answered. I said high my name is Ray and before I could finish my spiel of who I was, the guy said, hey Ray haven’t talked to you in a long time are you still doing charity work? I could not believe it, it was David, a dispatcher who had organized some trucking for me a few years ago. I told him my dilemma and asked if our local trucker could bring the containers down to him so he could take them into the port for us. He said no problem Ray, tell your trucker to come in any time and I will lift the containers off and put them on my trucks and drop them into the port for you. Really supper nice of him to do this on such short notice, but now I had to ask the real question, HOW MUCH? He said because its charity, only $150 each, now that’s beyond nice, because I had to do this once before and I was charged $600 for 1 container. I thought you might like to see the email I sent him, as you can see it took some maneuvering to pull it all together:) Ray David, our trucker will be bringing down 3 shippers own containers 2 standard 40s and 1 High cube 40. They will need to pick up 2 High cube 40s, lines equipment and bring them back were I will fill them and they will bring them back to you The earliest drop off date for the Swaziland and Lesotho containers is Thursday July 16th and the cut off is Tuesday July 21st The earliest you can pick up the lines container for Swaziland is Wednesday July 15th. 1st container the trucker will bring down to your yard, will be on Wednesday July 15th Container #NONU 158525 2 This is a standard 40ft container destined for Lesotho, shippers own. If possible they would like to have an empty lines container put back on their truck the same day, for return trip. if not, then the next day? 2nd container the trucker will bring down to your yard, will be on Thursday July 16th Container #NONU 162313 6 This is a standard 40ft container destined for Swaziland, shippers own. (this means we own it and I can give the container to the people in Africa to keep.) 3rd container the trucker will bring down to your yard, will be on Friday July 17th (this will be the first lines container they picked up from you. 4th container the trucker will bring down to your yard, will be on Monday July 20th Container # 9725220 This is a shippers own, High cube The last container is destined for Fiji and is on a different ship. The earliest we can pick up the lines container is Wed July 29th and the earliest return is July 30th, cut off is Tuesday Aug 4th. Thank you so much for doing this on such short notice. Ray Here is a link to a news paper article. http://www.revelstokecurrent.com/2009/07/09/revelstokians-think-globally-and-act-locally/ ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:24:22 PDT Forgot to mention that Kyle asked his freinds to help me load the containers and they said they would. Also I announced it in church today and several of the members said they would come and help too. So tell Meron she can tie up her horse and relax:) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:02:25 PDT |one| Loading another one, this one is for Swaziland. This is how we did the Lesotho container too. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_6789-Copy.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 |two| This is how we have to load them on to the truck when they are full, (43,000lbs) even with huge equipment like this, it's still a big job. .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_6792-Copy.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 |three| Kyle is in the wheel loader and I'm in the track Excavator, we lift at the same time until we are about 4ft off the ground then the truck just backs under. .. |three| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_6793-Copy.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:17:19 PDT |one| There was some space by the back door, so we put in 24 more bales of clothes and 11 boxes of shoes. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_6800-Copy.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 |two| $6,000 so making sure every sq inch is filled :) .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_6801-Copy.JPG :height: 450 :width: 300 |three| I get the most amazing feeling inside when they drive away, I see smiling faces, children laughing, women singing and dancing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_autR1FtyU .. |three| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMG_6803-Copy.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:37:18 PDT You must be doing the happy dance right now. What a lot of co-ordinating is involved. Better The than Me. ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:20:43 PDT Drove to Vancouver Monday night and dropped Kyle off at the airport. He arrived in Ecuador last night and he's happy because his cell phone works there and he can text us. On the way down he met about 30 other kids in the Miami airport. Sounds like he's having a blast:) On the way home we stopped and loaded the trailer with over 4,000 lbs of fabric remnants and 30 brand new rolls of fabric. I told Mfana about it and he said the women are going to be so happy because they are always asking if more fabric is coming? He says he’s not going to tell them, he wants to open the container and surprise them with it:) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:18:25 PDT Loading 2 more container for Swaziland today. 1 is already loaded, I just need to pick it up with the loader and excavator and put it on the truck. The other one is the one that will make me sweat:) Will post pictures later today. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:54:32 PDT :Modified: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:41:14 PDT Just so you can see actually how much stuff we can put in a containers, here is the packing lists for the Lesotho and Swaziland. **Container number 1 to Lesotho** 116 Bales of used Clothes,(11,600 lbs), 8 Barrels of Dehydrated soup mix (640 / 2.2lb bags makes 128,000 cups) 2 Barrels of Dehydrated Apples, 40 Bags of loose clothes, 37 Bags of soft toys, 5 Boxes of hard toys, 154 Boxes of shoes, 61 Boxes of new school backpacks, 8 Boxes of House wares, 98 Boxes of dried fruit, 1 box of Hospital supplies, 11 Wheel chairs, 9 Boxes of zippers, 11 pairs of Crutches, 30 Walkers, 5 Canes, 2 Teachers desks, 20 School desks, 13 Black boards, 30 Small School chairs, **TOTAL weight 34,680 lbs** **Container number 2 to Swaziland** 191 Bales of used Clothes,(19,100 lbs), 24 Barrels of Dehydrated soup mix (1,920 / 2.2lb bags makes 384,000 cups) 38 Bags of loose clothes, 10 Bags of soft toys, 5 Boxes of hard toys, 74 Boxes of shoes, 5 Boxes of children’s reading books, 10 boxes of Hospital supplies, 4 Wheel chairs, 30 Boxes of zippers, 21 pairs of Crutches, 15 Walkers, 10 Canes, 4 Baby strollers, 10 near new Hospital beds, **TOTAL Weight 32,890 lbs** **Container number 3 for Swaziland.** 338 Bales of used Clothes,(33,800 lbs), 21 Bags of soft toys, 4 Boxes of hard toys, 145 Boxes of shoes, 25 Boxes of Children’s reading books, 8 Boxes of House wares, 25 Boxes of purses & Belts, 25 boxes of Hospital supplies, 24 boxes of Hospital equipment, 10 Near new Hospital beds, 15 Boxes of zippers, **TOTAL Weight 34,140 lbs** **Container number 4 for Swaziland** 225 Bales of used Clothes,(22,500 lbs), 37 Bales of new fabric (100 lbs each), 40 rolls of new fabric, 52 Barrels of Dehydrated soup mix (4,160 / 2.2lb bags makes 832,000 cups) 8 Barrels of Dehydrated Apples, 26 Bags of loose clothes, 10 Bags of soft toys, 6 Boxes of hard toys, 77 Boxes of shoes, 58 Boxes of children’s reading books, 60 Boxes of House wares, 10 Boxes of hats, 42 Boxes of Purses & Belts, 3 Wheel chairs, 44 pairs of Crutches, 10 Walkers, 19 Canes, 11 Sewing Machines, 200 new pillows, **TOTAL weight 38,624 lbs** One more container next week for FIJI:) Again there is no greater JOY then helping those who are in need. Thanks to all of you who make this possible. Pictures next. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:08:16 PDT |one| This contanier was a high cube (9ft 6 inches high instead of 8ft) we ended up getting in a lot more bales of clothes but it was sure hard on the back trying to lift 100lb bales of clothes up over your head. .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2665-Copy.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 |two| Some of Cassandra and Kyle's friends who came to help. .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/IMGP2667-Copy.JPG :height: 300 :width: 450 Ray ---- :Author: Christina Jordan :Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:21:08 PDT keep up the great work, Ray. Nice to see the youngsters getting involved! ---- :Author: Shirley McIntyre :Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:20:54 PDT What's with all the zippppppers. So good that you had help. ---- :Author: David Bale :Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:18:37 PDT Doesn't Keiara look so grown up! :) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:52:54 PDT Just got home from 10 days of camping:) The zippers were donated last year from the same place that gave us rolls of fabric. I had a few more pictures I was going to post but my computer is down for repairs until the end of the week. I'm driving down to Arizona with Kyle and Cassandra today, will be back late next week so will try and post the pictures then. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:26:30 PDT Back from Arizona and I've got an unbelievable story to tell you! First, we were given 24 hospital beds this week, will put them in the next container to Swaziland. All the containers sent to Swaziland and Lesotho will be arriving at there destinations this week:) The Fiji one will be there on the 16th. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:38:28 PDT **Here is one of the most unbelievable donations ever** I went to Phoenix Arizona to attend a conference / trade show. While I was there I ran into a guy who sold his business a few years back and is using the money to help others less fortunate them himself. He's now manufacturing steel buildings that are 38ft long x 20ft wide, to be used as churches and schools. The buildings consist of steel upright beams, roof trusses and the roofing tin. (see first picture below) The only thing that is needed to finish them is the cement blocks to fill in the walls between the upright beams or bamboo (see second picture below) With a few men you can assemble the steel skeleton and put the roofing tin on in 1 day, then it takes another week to do the block work and pour a cement slab inside. I told him all about the work we are doing for the orphans of Southern Africa and he became very interested and explained to me that he and his wife are personally supporting orphans all over the world too. We talked for quite some time and by the end of the evening he gave us 50 buildings and more in the future if needed **:):):):):):)** He’s already begun manufacturing them for us and he's even paying all the shipping costs too:) All I need to do is make sure I have all the necessary paper work done to get them into the country and find the necessary funds to make the cement blocks, windows and doors to complete each building. (about $1,500 each.) If you or anyone else you know would like to help complete 1 2 3 or more of these buildings, please let me know. |one| .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/steelbuilding1.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 |two| .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/Steelbuilding.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 ---- :Author: David Bale :Date: Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:14:43 PDT WOW!!! :) ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:05:16 PDT Update, 47 buildings almost completed, all these are being shipped to Fiji. So far we have 13 identified for Swaziland, Mfana is working on locating more orphan groups in need of them. Also working on how many are needed for Lesotho and Botswana. The Fiji container we sent in July arrives on the 16th and the 3 for Swaziland arrive on the 17th and the one sent to Lesotho on the 19th :) British Columbia's Ministry of Interior Health gave us 6 pallets of medical supplies. The clothes are coming in at the unbelievable rate of over 1.5 tons a week:) We hit 1000 bales this week, this was from Feb 1st to now. Thanks to everyone who helped make all these shipments happen. Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:15:08 PDT Jackie and I celebrated 21 yrs of Marriage last week, Cassandra turned 19 a few days later and Caela turned 2 today. All this made me stop and realize how unbelievably blessed my life is. **:)** Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:27:03 PDT Pictures from the container we sent to Botswana back in Feb. The first one is a cow hoof they were cooking to eat, next are bags of soup mix being given out. |one| .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/Lookatwhattheycooked.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 |two| .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/Soupdistribution.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 |three| .. |three| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/Soup.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:56:17 PDT Mfana and Primrose were finally able to afford to have their traditional Swazi wedding:) That's their 3 yr old daughter Lindi. |one| .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/05092009337.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 ---- :Author: Meron Moroz :Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:59:22 PDT What a beautiful photo. Thanks Ray ... I miss Mfana, Primrose, Lindi and Swaziland! ---- :Author: Linda Nowakowski :Date: Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:00:21 PDT Oh my, Meron's back. Everyone keep an eye on your chocolate! ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:24:56 PDT :Modified: Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:25:52 PDT **THE CONTAINERS HAVE ARRIVED** |one| .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/01102009011.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 Mfana says wherever they go in the country now, people wave and call out Community Connexion :) |two| .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/01102009017.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 Mfana, supervising the unloading process. |three| .. |three| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/01102009034.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 One of the 24 hospital beds for the new childrens hospital being built in Manzini. |four| .. |four| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/01102009074.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 Bales of Clothes, over 800 bales went to Swaziland this time, 35 ton. |five| .. |five| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/01102009038.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 Barrels of soup mix and our fork lift. |six| .. |six| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/01102009060.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 They had to unload everything into the new warehouse, then drag the empty containers off the trucks and then put everything back into the containers to keep it secure. The new warehouse has no main doors yet so they can't lock it up at night. Again Thanks to everyone, your helping make a lot of children happy, as they run around Swaziland in new outfits and some good food in their bellies :) Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:58:37 PDT **DISTRIBUTION HAS STARTED** |one| .. |one| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/13102009098.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 Soup mix |two| .. |two| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/13102009142.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 Clothes for the kids |three| .. |three| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/13102009104.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 |four| .. |four| image:: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-1/938053/13102009143.jpg :height: 300 :width: 450 Thanks Ray ---- :Author: Ray Brosseuk :Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:07:42 PST Sorry it's been such a long time since I posted. Well the warehouse is full, we have about 6 or 7 containers worth of stuff stacked in there. Jackie and I and all the kids flew down to St Louis last week to do a tv program called Kids Time on 3ABN network. The lady who hosts the show was in Africa with us when Keiara was found and brought to us, she also wrote a book called "Passionate Prayer" with Keiara'a story in it. With all the babies I didn't think it would be possible to do the whole taping in one take, but we did :) They will air it sometime in 2010, we anounced that we were raising funds to build orphan Care Centers in Africa and that people could help by going to our web site www.partnersforothers.com I hope the show helps make a difference. Just missed the snow storm in Denver on our way back, we had a 2 hour delay but made it back to Seattle and drove home to find the house had run out of oil and it was minus 18 :( Well it took all day to get the house warmed up agian and now it's snowing. Time to go to Africa again LOL. Mfana is putting on a huge Christmas feast for the crew and the nearby orphans this weekend, I think he will send some pictures so when I get them I'll post them. Ray ---- :Author: Jon Alexander :Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:07:54 PST Ray, you and your gang do such great work -- whenever I need inspiration, I visit one of your threads on ned (but not often enough, apparently!) Wonderful news, and regarding the donated bales - as we've found here on ned, a (B)ale is always a welcome addition! (Apologies to David for the pun.) Seriously, though, keep doing what you're doing! ----