Thanks to O'net and the recent Collaborative Funding Project the Gardens of Hope received $5,000.00. These funds will be used to build and provide start up supplies for 4 greenhouses and a nursery.

But we are not done yet ... the Gardens of Hope is an ongoing project. We will use this space to follow up on the grant and to keep you abreast of the project as it grows ; )

That's tomorrow night. We'll let you know how it turns out : )

Handout.

Great poster! Good luck tonight!

Excellent handout too.

Love the handout, Meron. I just printed it, and will share it around town...

Thank you David and Stephanie - appreciate the outreach.

For lack of a better place to put this at the moment (we are still trying to figure out the best use of our group space on O'net) here is SOLID's current newsletter that we have been putting together for tonight's presentation.

Enjoy! Feedback is always appreciated.

Such a "Great" project!

Thank you Meron, for all your hard work and dedication. I appreciate you getting all this info out to every one on O net. I will see you tonight at Art Spring. Heather

Thanks Heather!

Last evening's presentation went very well. I think it's fairly safe for me to say that we were all pleased with the turnout.

: )

A View from the sky courtesy of Google Earth.

All looking a little dry at the moment.

Ha Makata Disabled Centre

Pitseng High School

Linotsing Community School

An update from Eric Thatjane, US Peace Corps, Community based volunteer, Phelisanong Disabled Group at Ha Makhata, Lesotho.

Hey guys.

We had our meeting with Ntate Hassan and we didn't get the news we were hoping for. He said that the proposal we had worked on was good but that there wasn't any food to give. I know that this isn't what we had expected, given the impressions we had gotten from them during the presentation of our case. So, the project committee sat down and discussed how to go on. Mamello has spoken with the workers and we have 31 workers who understand that the WFP food isn't coming anytime soon. We are busy writing new grants to other organizations to provide us with resources we need. We have met with StockAid Lesotho several times and are hoping to work with them. They give animals and teach sustainable agriculture to small groups/families. We have some other friends in Canada who are raising funds for us to have a chicken (layers) project. We are also working, through SOLID Leribe, on a grant for an irrigation scheme and greenhouse for the garden. And we are going to meet with the local government, we hear they have resources to provide as well.

There are also other possible agencies, such as the Kellogg foundation and the Near East foundation, the latter having a former Lesotho Peace Corps Volunteer in charge! This isn't a dead end, it's, as Mamello has said, quite possibly a blessing in disguise. I think we'll be able to get everything the project needs, especially with another volunteer around!

We'll keep you updated.

Eric

Given this report I'm excited that we will soon be able to give them the good news about the greenhouse/nursery through the O'net grant! And looking at the above photos I'm thinking irrigation should be the next project tackle.

Local Artist Helping SOLID

July 24-29, Susan Haigh presents a special show of her paintings at Artspring, where 50% of the purchase price will be donated to charity. SOLID is one of the two organisations that she has chosen to support. The other is the Salt Spring Island Conservancy. View a selection of Susan Haigh’s paintings at www.susanhaigh.ca

Recieved this email and thought it might be of interest to those of you that can view the program.

Dear Friends of OHAfrica:

We are pleased to announce that Vision TV, Canada's multi-faith and multicultural broadcaster will be presenting the CBC documentary film, “Tsepong - A Clinic Called Hope” on July 19th and 20th.

This award winning film follows the journey of the OHAfrica team comprised of Canadian health professionals as they work to establish the first public HIV/AIDS treatment clinic in Lesotho. OHAfrica is a joint initiative of the Ontario Hospital Association and The Change Foundation dedicated to supporting and distributing HIV/AIDS treatment in Lesotho. I hope that you will have the opportunity to view this inspiring and important documentary. Please circulate this announcement to anyone you think may be interested.

The Tsepong Clinic is one of the Gardens of Hope projects.

Hi Everyone, Just a little update about Eric's letter... the group at Ha Makahta, who have lost their food for work aid through the World Food Program, have received a grant through the wonderful work of Peter Bardon and Peggy Frank to buy the chickens that they were hoping to invest in. So, this means all those kids and helpers can enjoy fresh eggs, free range chicken, and the fertilizing and scratching benefits that chickens will have in their gardens. Thank you Peter and Peggy for collecting all of the funds, and to all of the generous donors who participated.

I know I've been away a long time, but after visiting with you this afternoon, I have to come back and take a peek at what you've been up to. You are such a pleasure to know, Meron. <hugs>

: )

Thank you Sue. Love you too.

: )

Sue Braiden said:

I know I've been away a long time, but after visiting with you this afternoon, I have to come back and take a peek at what you've been up to. You are such a pleasure to know, Meron. <hugs>

Sue, I would love to see you back here. Period!

:))

Love ya!

(Meron too)

Michael.

Ditto

:)

Hi all, This is one of the projects I've stumbled across by pure chance and it seemed to me that it would be very relevant to the farming group where a small group from various African countries have gathered over the last few months to discuss issues such as irrigation, dry land fruit farming and rearing fish in artificial ponds. I sense the lack of interest there disheartens some of them, and I wondered if Onet has the capability to cross-link in some way?

OT but not.

ONE The Campaign to Make Poverty History

Scroll down to the 5th video.

:D

Edit: sp

Just home from a Oka /SOLID benefit.

They didn't give us a lot of time to put it together, but when they called to say they had some time and were coming we just knew we had to make it happen. A very awesome evening and I'm two CD's richer :D

I really think this initiative is awesome.

If Garden's of Hope is interested to include the Elko Peace Park in it's network I would be willing to represent our garden of hope being developed in the US. While the focus is a bit different, it's not really. Where I live this park is connecting people and helping them to open their hearts in new ways.

Our last fundraiser focused on selling TEN products (75% went to end Sex Traffiking and %25 stayed locally for the park). Last year we sold cards made from India.

Some people have a hard time understanding the signicigance of building a peace park in the US when so many conflicts are happening around the world.

If you think deeply about what we are doing I think you might find the common thread.

Here's our link to the Elko Peace Park: http://www.omidyar.net/user/u284289309/news/7/

we also have a website: www.elkopeacepark.org and an email address: friends@elkopeacepark.org

Martin Rizzi is interested in looking at how we might work with him in Mexico with his women. Not only to build a park but also to help them develop ecconomically -- which is part of our larger vision (more on that later).

Julie,

What is your vision of a networking relationship between the Gardens of Hope and Elko Peace Park?

I'd need to learn more about the others in the network. Our project is a stepping stone for building a community center that will have a social ecconomic piece attached to it. As we hope to do with a sister project (or two) in another part of the world.

Our city planner thinks this is a great idea, so we have some local support. Martin Rizzi (from Mexico) also thought this was a good idea.

I have been working with a friend, Pravin on understanding how to develop sustainable social ventures that might be able to support a center and local organizers to grow local/global work (what's valued, needed, wanted locally and globally). Ultimately, I'd like to see a network of these centers.

In regards to our current project, it is a very healing initiative for our community and is uniting a diverse population that don't communicate well. The Shoshone tribes, Hispanics, Ranchers, Artists, Basques, Asian, Youth and many different faith based groups.

It's the first cultural park in our very rural community. We are the last registered frontier in America (350 miles all four directions to a major city). We have many other issues. While AIDS is not our local issue (although it exists here) we are in the top five counties in the US per captia for sexual abuse, suicide and teen lock up.

The park, an 8.5 acre project will also host a demonstration garden showing people how to plant low-water use plants. I would like to incorporate premaculture into this plan. Also, their are no community gardens in Elko. Our hope is to incorporate a community garden with the development of a community center (phase II).

I'm not sure how this fits together, except that we too are a Garden of Hope. Perhaps this request is about how we can each be a bit larger than our initial efforts.

I'm hoping to go to Mexico and visit Martin and see what is possible there. They need ecconomic development, quickly. Their village is run by women as the men have all gone to the US to work. It is very sad, yet very hopeful as they have an established cooperative there with a track record of success.

What are some of your thoughts?

With the Gardens of Hope project SOLID is creating permaculture gardens, tree nurseries and greenhouses in Lesotho, Southern Africa. How do you see this fitting in with the Elko Peace Park and possible community gardens there?

What do you see as the symbiotic relationship between the Gardens of Hope and the Peace Park?