Eco Africa: 2009 Accomplishments
Saturday, January 9, 2010
, Posted by flobugg at 8:32 AM
This year has been a tough one financially, in Zimbabwe as always and here in New York for non profits including ours, (and many other individuals and companies, as we are all too aware).
In Zimbabwe sadly the great expectations for change with the coming of the new “Unity Government” are slowly fading as business-as-usual still seems to be the order of the day right now.
Food prices took a huge hike when the USD and SA Rand were declared the official currencies and the Zim dollar finally expired in a puff of smoke after the issue of the $1,000,000,000,000 bill. Only the top 15% in Zimbaweans have access to US dollars. Most ordinary people in the countryside are reduced to bartering; a chicken for a ride into town or worse; often their only currency of value women have are their bodies.
Eco Africa still struggles financially to stay operational but on the other hand has made great inroads in building our infrastructure with the help of a fantastic group of skilled volunteers.
We have this year
• Joined the online e-commerce community with our new Helping Hand for Africa Website
• Updated Eco Africa Social Ventures website
• Created an Eco Africa You Tube channel with our interview with Business Week and our Eco Africa Slide Show
• Created a new market for the artisans products through our new School Fundraising Program.
• Created a PR strategy and are just starting a media campaign to publicize the new Schools Fundraising Programs.
• We were invited by a number of prominent New York churches to set up tables of products for Fundraising Sales Events at gatherings they held.
• Will be shortly starting an Eco Africa Day Care Center project in Zimbabwe with the generous financial help of one of our friends and supporters.
• Received our first donation - from The US Embassy in Harare - to start building our new Crafting Center in Chitungwiza.
A big thanks to other wonderful friends who helped us out when we needed it most.
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