Attention: The Meet or Beat Challenge Deadline has been extended!

The Meet or Beat Sandy Creek High School deadline for registration has been extended. Due to a sudden increase of interest in the Meet or Beat challenge ASAP is officially extending the deadline for registration. We are welcoming student and teacher volunteers that would like to spread the challenge throughout your schools and communities. Keep in mind that this is a wonderful opportunity for teachers to combine team work and international education to enhance the learning experience for the entire student body. Are you up for the CHALLENGE? For more information please contact Shannon at 770-632-7451 or e-mail shannondunn@asapafrica.org.

A + Light

Yesterday, ASAP took part in National Black AIDS/HIV Awareness Day with events hosted by CW Network. It was an absolutely amazing experience! The event was held at CW Midtown Music Complex and featured a screening of A + Light produced by Keisha Williams. Many organizations such as Someone Cares, Inc., Radio One, and Campaign to End Aids came out to show support and share information on the growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS in communities. As many people spoke on AIDS/HIV in the US we all came to the conclusion that this disease does not discriminate. This is a global problem and in order to fight it we must educate…educate..educate indiviuals across the board. We cannot sweep this under the rug. WE must be the solution to the problem and support each other on this crusade.

-Shannon

A Call to Action

“In every community there is work to be done. In every nation there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is the power to do it.” -Marianne Williamson

I have learned that whenever I give of myself and help someone else I always seem to have a feeling of joy afterwards. Sometimes we can only do a little, but knowing that you gave of your heart and touched the heart of someone else is priceless.

ASAP is currently expanding our volunteer opportunities for anyone that may be interested in working towards a brighter Africa. We encourage individuals to become a part of your communities in whatever area your specific interest may be. If you would like to step out and make a global impact please contact ASAP and request a list of our current volunteer opportunities.

-Shannon

Motivating the Mind

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. “
-Nelson Mandela

As I was looking for something new to share on this blog I ran across this quote. I thought that it was rather interesting considering that the past few blogs have been centered around education and most of the conversations that I have had lately were also geared in a similar direction. I sat back and thought about the power and meaning of each of these words education…weapon…and change.

This quote very eloquently sums up the entire mission of ASAP (To cultivate self-reliance in Southern Africa). In order to make a REAL change, a LASTING change, a BENEFICIAL change one must take the initiative to educate themselves. Only then will their work be sustainable.

After reading several news articles and talking to various people about the problems of the world, I must say that this quote reminds me of just why I do what I do. Everyday is a learning experience that you must take with you on this journey. If you learn nothing then you will go nowhere, but an educated man can not be stopped.

-Shannon

Bridging the Gap in Mathematics

Children in Zimbabwe are working hard to become the best that they can be and it is so exciting to see them reach their goals. One child that recently showed enormous progress despite the odds is Nomore. Nomore is born to the second wife, Caster, in a polygamous family. In all, there are 12 children. His father, George, is a peasant farmer and is barely able to meet the children’s educational needs, particularly secondary education. Nomore is likely to go to nearby Crossdale Secondary School for Form 1. His family will struggle to raise the fees, uniforms and stationery.

Nomore participated in the grade 7 cluster quiz competitions, representing Sagonda School and placed 3rd out of 6 participating students. What is exciting about Nomore's results is that he got a distinction in Mathematics, having been active in his SMC. Here is evidence of the impact of the BTG project at such a remote institution. Way to Go Nomore!

The Sky is the Limit

ASAP is pleased to announce that we recently won the ‘Schools for Rural Entrepreneurs’ grants competition hosted by Teach a Man to Fish. This grant will help ASAP to improve our agricultural education projects and we are so excited that we were chosen.

One of our projects that we are working very hard to raise funds for is our Rural Family Nutrition Initiative in Zimbabwe. ASAP is partnered with Global Giving in this initiative. Our goal is to provide 300 rural families with drip irrigational kits.

The future truly looks bright for ASAP and all of the endeavors that we have embarked upon. With the continued support of our friends the sky is the limit.

Education is the Key

ASAP Africa recently received the great news that we have been awarded a grant by the Rotary Club of Borrowdale Brooke and the Rotary Club of Peachtree City for funding to help provide increased literacy and enhance the education of over 41,000 students in 131 schools in Nyanga District, Zimbabwe. It was approved by the Rotary Foundation (TRF).

This is perfect timing as we are currently collecting school supplies to send to Zimbabwe by February 14, 2007. Our wish list includes:

Writing Tablets
Erasers
Felt Tip Markers
Rulers
Spiral Notebooks
Pens
Pencils
Crayons
Book Bags
Text Books

If you would like to support ASAP and the Rotary Club in our efforts to provide the children of Zimbabwe with a better education, please consider making a donation from our wish list. You may also give a gift card from Wal-Mart or Target.

We Shall Overcome

“The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King not only had a dream for the United States of America, but his dream included all men and women that run this human race. He realized that in order to produce a positive change we must come together as one body and lift each other up in the name of brotherly love.

When we think of the atrocities taking place in our world it may seem a bit overwhelming and discouraging. You may ask “what can I do as one person to make this world a brighter place?” That is when we need to realize that “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” - Edmond Burke

There will always be negative and there will always be positive. We decide on an individual basis which energy we choose to put out into the world. If you believe in the hope for a secure and livable world you must first make the change within yourself. Once we change our hearts and minds and focus on the pursuit of happiness, freedom, and justice a change will surly come.

Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day
We'll walk hand in hand
We shall all be free
We are not afraid
We are not alone
The whole wide world around
We shall overcome some day
Lyrics from “We Shall Overcome”

-Shannon

Take the Challenge: Meet or Beat Sandy Creek!

Sandy Creek High School challenges schools, corporations, and individuals to meet or beat their efforts in raising money for ASAP Africa in support of our mission to cultivate self-reliance in Southern Africa. Last year the students raised $933.22 towards eliminating poverty in Africa and now would like to increase the total funds with your help. Give the most sustainable gift possible, meet or beat the efforts of Sandy Creek by joining a team with goals of assisting rural communities improve their own lives.

Sandy Creek High School and ASAP Africa have realized the importance of
working together, sharing knowledge, and most importantly creating sustainable change in the lives of those battling poverty. We ask that you take this opportunity to join with us and create positive change that will continue long after the work of ASAP ends. Contact ASAP by calling 770-632-7451 or e-mailing Elizabeth Bara ebara@asapafrica.org or Shannon Dunn shannondunn@asapafrica.org for more information. Join the worldwide crusade to eliminate poverty and take the challenge to ‘Meet or Beat Sandy Creek!’

Lights... Camera... Action!

ASAP Africa will be a guest on Focus Atlanta airing December 31, 2006 at Noon.

We are so excited to have the opportunity to speak with Keisha Williams, the host of Focus Atlanta and bring awareness to the mission of ASAP. Elizabeth and I will provide local viewers with information concerning the history of ASAP, our current projects, and how anyone can get involved in our Meet or Beat Challenge. Please tune in to the CW Atlanta network,formally known as UPN Atlanta, Sunday December 31, 2006 at noon and tell us what you think.

Focus Atlanta is the half-hour community relations program for the CW Atlanta network and has featured guest such as: Mayor Shirley Franklin, T.C. Carson, AID Atlanta, Kenny Leon, Clifton Powell, Eric Jerome Dickey, Hands on Atlanta, and Usher.

-Shannon

Inspiration from Zimbabwe

By Diana Takundwa, ASAP Africa Nyanga Office
A Churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. I've gone and done it for 30 long years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the preachers are wasting theirs too by giving lengthy sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor.

It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.

Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing...God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment! When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say," "Jesus, could you get that for me?"


GOD BLESS

Double your Impact

Global Giving is matching donations made to organizations through their website in recognition of the holiday season. What this means is that if you make a $35 donation to ASAP's Rural Family Nutrition Initiative in Zimbabwe project today - ASAP Africa will receive $70! Your $35 donation will provide a complete home nutritional garden drip irrigation kit, so a rural family will have increased food security all year round. To the family, this means carrying water less often and harvesting crops more often. A welcomed gift indeed!

The matching donations apply to online and check donations (checks must be received by 12/28) and excludes purchase and redemption of Gift Certificates. So please make your gift today.

The RFNIZ project will improve the lives of over 6,000 families by improving the agricultural practices and providing families with relevant skills and knowledge. With the help of ASAP 300 at-risk families will have the opportunity to grow enough food to feed a family of five or more year-round. There is no greater feeling than knowing your family doesn't have to worry about where the next meal is coming from. The families that benefit from the home drip irrigation kits will be provided with appropriate training to ensure the most effective use of the kits.

During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season we must take time to think of our fellow man that is living in poverty. It is our responsibility to help those less fortunate. We all want the best for our families regardless of where we live and your gift of $35 can provide a year supply of food for an entire family. Please take the time to visit www.globalgiving.com/pr/1500/proj1434a.html and donate today.

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." Denis Waitley

Let's Go!

ASAP Africa is proud to announce the receipt of a new grant of $25,000 to support the Health And Nutrition Development Initiative, or HANDEI project. “HANDEI” means “Let’s go” in the Shona language of Zimbabwe. This new project will improve the lives of over 6,000 families with relevant skills and knowledge including
- training in sustainable, cost effective agriculture and perma-culture techniques
- growing and using Moringa trees as a nutritional supplement and for income generation.
(Moringa is a fast growing tree with 7 times the vitamin C of oranges, 4 times the calcium of milk, 4 times the vitamin A of carrots, 3 times the potassium of bananas and 2 times the protein of milk.)
- growing and using medicinal herbs for home remedies and for income generation
- training in psychosocial support and counseling for HIV affected households.

ASAP Africa is excited to welcome this new anonymous Foundation to our team of supporters. Although this list is small, 100% of the Foundations that have made a grant to ASAP Africa since our inception in 1994 have chosen to make subsequent grants to help us fulfill our mission of helping people in their efforts to improve their own lives.

To maximize the benefits of this new grant, ASAP Africa will include training in the use and maintenance of drip irrigation kits along with agriculture skills training. Please visit www.globalgiving to read more about how you too can get involved and support the Rural Family Health Initiative in Zimbabwe. Give the gift of food security, enhanced health & nutrition to a rural family living in Zimbabwe for only $70.

Zimbabwe has world’s highest number of orphans

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Zimbabwe now has the highest number of orphans in the world due to a severe AIDS pandemic hitting the southern African country. The remarks by UNICEF come as the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) announced a massive US$6 million National Action Plan to improve the plight of orphans in Zimbabwe.

Since 2001 ASAP Africa has been working to address the needs of the ever increasing number of orphans in Zimbabwe, working in partnership with the SIDA to achieve the goals set out by the Zimbabwe National Action Plan for orphans and vulnerable children. ASAP is planning to scale up operations during 2007 – with new project partnerships being planned with also Catholic Relief Services, Plan International and Concern Worldwide.

"Almost one in four children in Zimbabwe . . . are now orphaned, having lost at least one parent, and this number is growing," said Dr Festo Kavishe, Unicef Representative in Zimbabwe. "HIV and AIDS have dramatically increased children’s vulnerability in recent years to the point where Zimbabwe now has the highest percentage of children who are orphans in the world." Kavishe said out of Zimbabwe’s 12 million population, 1.6 million children had been orphaned by AIDS. Zimbabwe is among the hardest hit countries in sub-Saharan Africa with official figures putting AIDS deaths at 3 000 people every week. Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Sten Rylander praised the Zimbabwe government for endorsing the National Action Plan for Orphans and Vulnerable Children which is being coordinated by the Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare. Zimbabwe is in the grip of an unprecedented seven-year old economic crisis that has seen most orphans and vulnerable children barely surviving.

Adapted From Zim Online (SA), 6 December

Harare is Number One!

Zimbabwe's capital Harare ranks as the world's most expensive city for expatriates due largely to the country's soaring inflation, and displacing Oslo and Tokyo from the top slots, a human resources firm said on Tuesday. "Zimbabwe had massive inflation of 1 700%," Lee Quane, general manager of ECA International, told Reuters. "Although the currency has depreciated, there was a huge increase in the cost of living for Harare," he said. Harare was the 57th most expensive city for expatriates in the 2005 survey.

The world's 10 most expensive cities for expatriates (City; Country (position in 2005 survey))

1. Harare Zimbabwe (57)
2. Luanda Angola (2)
3. Oslo Norway (1)
4. Moscow Russia (8)
5. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of Congo (15)
6. Stavanger Norway (5)
7. Copenhagen Denmark (7)
8. Seoul South Korea (10)
9. Libreville Gabon (12)
10. Tokyo Japan (3)
From News24 (SA), 5 December

ASAP partners with Giveline.com

ASAP is excited to announce our newest partnership with Giveline.com. This company is a revolutionary online store created for the community-minded shopper. Every transaction made on the Giveline store generates a charitable contribution to your favorite non-profit organization. We hope this is ASAP Africa!. With Giveline's direct supplier relationships, this contribution is significant and truly makes a difference. Thank you for sharing our vision and for shopping with Giveline.com!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

This past Sunday Y.E.S. (Youth Engaged Services) and REC (Religious Education Center) donated their time, energy, and patience once again to help ASAP prepare our Holiday Season Fundraiser. Sixteen helping hands prepared over 100 mailings specially designed by ASAP. The fundraiser is just one way for ASAP to say thank you to our friends for your continued support and a reminder to remember those less fortunate during the holiday season. Y.E.S. and REC volunteered with ASAP last month for our Partners for Literacy Drive and boxed over 5,000 books in less than four hours. Thank you guys for all of your help.

Sandy Creek High School Does It Again

ASAP Africa is so inspired by the enthusiasm that the students of Sandy Creek High School continue to show toward achieving our shared vision of a world without poverty. This week Sandy Creek donated a yet another trunk load of books to the Partners for Literacy Book Drive sponsored by ASAP and the Rotary clubs of Peachtree City, Fayette Daybreak, and Fayetteville. All of the books collected will benefit primary school children in Zimbabwe. Flat Rock Middle and Burch Elementary schools have also helped with the drive. ASAP was also surprised to see a bulletin board highlighting the book drive that Mrs. Holland’s class designed. Thank you Sandy Creek High School for all of your hard work!

It's An International Celebration

November 12th-16th is International Education and Exchange Week (IEW). During this week the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education created a joint initiative to promote international awareness. Their goal is to prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, an exchange experiences in the United States. President George Bush once stated “When students get to know each other, they learn the universality of many values. That’s going to be important for peace in the world.”

The truth is that from lack of knowledge many people do perish and this week is dedicated to opening the eyes and minds of many. When we come together as a whole and move forward towards the greater good we will finally become the change that we want to see.

International Education Week will be held November 12th-16th of 2007 and November 17th -21st of 2008. It is never too early or too late to get involved.

For more information visit International Education Week.

New Urban Village Savings & Lending Project

The beauty of urban Zimbabwe is quickly being eroded by overcrowding, unemployment, and the devastating affects of the HIV/AIDs pandemic. To address these urgent issue, ASAP Africa is proud to join forces with Africare, CARE, CRS, Mercy Corps, Oxfam GB, Practical Action and Save the Children UK on a new urban Joint Initiative project.

ASAP Africa , as an implementing partner of CARE Zimbabwe, is proud to announce the birth of our newest partnership, Kufusa Mari Urban. This new project aims to reduce the food insecurity and improve and diversify the income sources of vulnerable households as well as reduce the suffering and improve the resilience of HIV/AIDS affected families. The hope for tomorrow lives in us all, but it is up to us to bring it forth.

Please read more about the Joint Initiative Consortium project here.