Through GlobalEyes

Dear Veronica,

Thanks so much for that. The immediate priority will be the stove since it will increase the efficiency of cooking at CRM. The rest we'll use for food and the domestic supplies. The outstanding bills may not be much currently as you remember, we had withdrawn what we had banked George's salary and used it to clear most of the bills. So any bills now would wait. I'll soon work on the expenses for August which will show any such bills.

Best regards,

Tobias

Dear Tobias,

Thanks for the extra information on Pamela Atieno and it is great to hear of the ample rains.

I want to confirm that the wire transfer for $300 from our latest micro-goal went out on Friday. You should see it in the Trop Focus account as early as this coming Friday. Will you please send me a note to inform me of what you use the funds for? I'm hoping you will be able to get that stove in addition to the food and domestic supplies we have discussed, though I know you still have some outstanding bills to pay.

Take care and look forward to hearing from you soon, Veronica

Dear Tobias,

These pictures are fantastic and thanks so very much for getting them to us.

I am saddened to hear of Caren's illness. Please update us on her condition and send her our best. She will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Best, Veronica

Dear Tobias:

Just to add to Scott's comments, could you please send a brief account of the water tank event along with the pictures and video so that we may share that information with our donors?

Also, could you please send a notification email when you enter a new comlog, just so we know to check it. Not sure about the difficulty entering the form using a mobile device. In those situations, it would be fine to just send using excel or in an email and Scott or I will fill in the online form for you.

I'm really looking forward to hearing about the water tank ceremony.

Thanks so much,

Veronica

Dear Tobias,

I hope you are well and that things are coming along in Kisumu. I spoke with the US DHL offices and the package should be released from Nairobi on Monday June 4th and all the taxes and duties will be paid by then. The Nairobi office will forward to Kisumu, so you should be able to pick up Tuesday or Wednesday, maybe Thursday at the latest.

A few questions:

• Any news on the water tank delivery ceremony?

• We are planning our next small fundraising scheme and I was hoping you could tell me when the current school term ends and the next begins?

• Were you able to check the content for Tropical Focus on our website

http://throughglobaleyes.org/page/initiatives

http://throughglobaleyes.org/page/tropicalfocus?

Kind regards, Veronica

Dear Tobias:

Thanks so very much for looking into that and I hope it wasn't too much trouble. Hopefully I'll get the customs fees paid today. I will send you a note to confirm.

Veronica

Hi Tobias:

I spoke to DHL and it will be a few more days to work through the customs process. Also, the DHL representative I spoke to was concerned about forwarding the shipment to Kisumu. Have you received shipments via DHL at the location in Kisumu? I know there is a DHL affiliate in Kisumu, not only because you told me, but the DHL office I shipped the package from also confirmed the Kisumu location.

Perhaps you could provide some information that I can relay to the DHL representatives here in the US who are unfamiliar with the circumstances. I am sorry this is taking so long.

Were you able to review the Tropical Focus page on our website? You may review online at:

http://throughglobaleyes.org/page/initiatives

Also, we will launch our next micro-goal, hopefully at the end of this week. I've attached a spreadsheet of potential goals. Could you please confirm the cost estimates?

Best, Veronica

potentialgoals.xls

Dear Tobias:

Please disregard my previous note as Scott forwarded me the email about the DHL issue. First of all, please know that this is not your problem and we will work something out. I will try to get in contact with DHL to see if they can counsel me as to what to do - I will try to pay the fees with my credit card so as to avoid wiring money again.

By the way, did the funds for the water tank arrive in your account?

That is fantastic and exciting news about the delivery ceremony.

Hopefully the camera will be in your hands to document the event.

Hope you are well.

Best, Veronica

Dear Tobias:

I just checked on the DHL shipment and it is in Nairobi, so I guess it will be to Kisumu tomorrow or Saturday.

I've attached the financial log with added rows for each category.

I've also attached a word document with the content for our new website's "Partners and Projects" page, on which Tropical Focus is featured, for your revision and approval. I know the Obede Feeding Program information needs to be updated, but please make additional changes as you see fit and add any information you feel is important.

Best, Veronica

TFMAYFinancialLog.xls

TropicalFocusPage.doc

Dear Tobias:

I just checked our bank account and the transfer cleared on our end, though I think it will be a few more days before you can collect.

I mailed the camera via DHL yesterday. The instructions I gave on the packing slip were for the Kisumu office to hold the package and call your mobile number when it arrives, though I don't know that they will actually call you. I am sure you are familiar with the location of the DHL agent in Kisumu, but the DHL office here said that it is behind the Barclays. The tracking number is 787 0434 600, which you can use to track on DHL.com if you have internet access. I will be checking it regularly, and the office here projected that the package should arrive by Friday.

I will check in again soon.

Best, Veronica

Dear Tobias:

I will send the camera out this afternoon and I am glad to hear that batteries are readily available in Kisumu.

I checked with the bank and you should see the transfer of 35,000 Ksh Thursday or Friday. Will you be able to purchase the water tank right away?

I suppose it is a bit of a process with transportation and installation. Please inform us of what the process it like when you have time. I think this would be a great topic for your first blog entry for our website! Also, if the camera does not arrive before you buy the tank, please do take pictures with your current camera.

Ideally, we would like to have a collection of photos and a short video to share with our donors.

Best, Veronica

Dear Tobias:

I will mail the camera tomorrow using DHL. The address I have noted from a few months ago is:

Tobias Odhiambo Ounga
Tropical Focus for Rural Development
Kisumu, Kenya

Is this correct? I am uncertain as to whether I need a P.O. box number or street address.

The camera is battery operated so you won't have a problem with charging, but, will it be a problem to purchase relacement batteries?

I will include extra batteries with the package. I will also include a USB cable to connect the camera to the laptop. Is that the method you have been using to get the pictures off of your current camera?

If you have any questions or concerns about this please send me a note.

You should look for the wire transfer to be in the Tropical Focus account on Tuesday or Wednesday, though it was probably held over the weekend and may not appear until later next week.

Thank you and hope you are well,

Veronica

Hey Scott:

Hope the conference is going/went well. A few things...

I've been meaning to get the specs of the camera that Bill donated for TF to you to be sure it's ok. I think it's great for their purposes, and best of all, it is battery powered! Here are the specs:

Sony Cybershot DSC - W7 7.2 megapixels mega movie feature 3x optical zoom

I'll send them extra batteries and a USB cable.

Also, I don't know if you've had a chance to review the materials I sent you, but the more I think about it, the more I don't think I did a very good job describing the micro-goals. Will you please take a careful look at that section and make changes as you feel necessary? After all, it is your idea :).

Finally, I wanted to share a note that I received from a donor. She wanted to say how effective she thinks the micro-goals are, mainly because they are so focused. She said that donating, especially to orgs that work internationally, can be overwhelming and uncertain, and this approach really offsets those concerns. I have gotten so much positive feedback about this, even though many people did not choose to donate yet.

Thanks for all - talk to you soon,

Veronica

Hi Tobias:

I realize you probably won't respond to the updates on the communication log until next week, so I just want to confirm with you that I will transfer the money for the new water tank into the Tropical Focus account tomorrow.

Also, I would like to get the digital camera off to you as soon as possible so that you can take pictures when you purchase and install the tank. Please advise as to the best way to send the camera.

Thanks, Veronica

Dear Caren and Tobias:

Please accept my apologies for being out of touch the past couple of weeks.

I started a new communication log for April, in week two; hopefully we can pick back up where we left off. I also attached the list of needs you provided in February to confirm that needs, costs and priority are current.

Caren, how are you feeling? We all hope you are recovering well.

Very best, Veronica

TropFocus-GEComLog_ARP2007.xls

microfundraisinglist spread sheet 240207.xls

Dear Tobias-

Thank you for the communication log. I am so sorry to hear of Caren's illness; please keep us updated on her condition when you can and send her our best.

Just a few items I wanted to respond to immediately: Yes, because Dr. Bertrand will give you money for George's salary, please do not take his salary out of the recently sent funds as discussed previously.

Regarding the latrines at Obede and Dago Thim and the Dago Thim feeding program, I think we would all agree that we would like to move forward with all, but funding from us is still limited and sporadic, at least in the short to medium term. Do you have an estimate for the latrine construction? Perhaps we could do one at a time, if that does not interfere with your coordination of construction/workers/materials.

Regarding the funds wire, our account reports that the transfer has completed from our end so hopefully you will see it in your account.

I would hate for Scholastica to waste a trip out to the bank.

Very best, Veronica

Dear Tobias:

Please find updates for the week attached. I transferred $1000.00 into the Standard Chartered, Ltd. account today using the services of our bank.

After a bit of probing, I learned that our bank in the US, Chase, has an ongoing dispute with Western Union, which explains a lot of the problems we've had over the past month.

Also, the swift code you provided is not correct for transferring money from the US (perhaps it is for domestic transfers?). For future reference, the correct swift code for transferring money from the US is XXXXXXXX. Please confirm with me when you receive the funds in the account, as it may take a few days, and I will also track it from our end.

Best, Veronica

TropFocusGE_ComLogMAR2007.xls

Dear Tobias:

Many thanks for the photos; they are wonderful! Also, thanks for getting the needs spreadsheet back so quickly. Regarding the communication log, beyond the problem with entering the date, did you find you were able to include everything you wanted to communicate using the form? I may add more space to each line item if you think that would be better.

Best,

Veronica

Hello Tobias-

Please find revised monthly communication log and financial statement form attached. I have not yet changed the log to report separately on CRM, orphan feeding and school feeding and left tropical focus updates and questions together. I did however add lines to the space for Tropical Focus reporting to accommodate additional items.

Please do use these forms and inform me of any concerns or recommendations.

I plan to revise the communication log so that there are separate reporting spaces for the different projects by next week's reporting.

Best, Veronica

Hello Tobias-I will make your recommended changes to the spreadsheets and resend by Friday. Best,Veronica

Dear Tobias: Thank you for the update. I am so glad to hear the feeding program has resumed and that you arelooking into the needs at Caren’s new school. It will be interesting to know the findings of your survey to determine children in need in the area. We look forward to seeing the photos of the mosquito net distribution. Regarding the internet systems, I suspect Scott may provide better insight on that.I have a few items for you:

1. Though we already communicate several times a week, we would like to have a set day when we send each-other formal weekly reports that will standardize and record our communication. For example, you could send to us each Friday and we could respond by each Sunday.I have attached a “Trop Focus Communication” spreadsheet – the first tab is a weekly communication log that provides space for us to update and ask questions.The second tab is a monthly financial report form intended to be completed throughout the month or at the end of the month.Both sheets are designed to begin on the first day of the month and end on the last.What is a good day for you, considering your access to internet, to send the report each week? This does not mean we will no longer reciprocate emails during the week.

2. I attached another spreadsheet with space to enter line items for the micro-fundraising project I wrote to you about last week. I entered a few sample items, but please populate the list as you seefit.Also, please assign overall priority to each item.

For example, I would assume all the needs of the orphans at CRM would be first priority, followed by the outreach feeding programs and the two entrepreneurial projects would come last.I know you have provided us with a lot of information over time that could fill this list, and Katherine and I will help complete it – just please get it started for us. Also, please offer feedback on changes to or concerns with the spreadsheets.

Kind regards,Veronica

Hi everyone-

Thanks so much for participating in the call and I'm sorry it was so painful.
Hopefully things will move more smoothly next time…

Just to recap what we discussed and decided and please make changes and
add items if I’ve left out:

Structure of Activities with Trop. Focus:
– Orphanage and school feeding programs funded by GE
– Business program launched by GE (micro-financing) and maintained by Trop. Focus

Micro-Goals and Micro-Financing will be our major sources of funding for Trop. Focus

Jerry Hildebrand to do micro-financing assessment for Trop. Focus in March

Digital camera to Trop. Focus with Margee in March

Standing Board meeting 1st Sunday afternoon of each month

Communication protocol with weekly communication and financial statement forms

Jessica AHS Swim Against Malaria April 5
– Need info. from Tobias about mosquito netting needs and other malaria prevention/
treatment related items

Scott working on micro-goal donation page to post before new website rollout

Veronica owes Scott outline and content for new website

Veronica prepare document of agreement w/ Trop. Focus

Veronica and Katherine to get line items for micro-goals from Trop. Focus

Thanks again,
Veronica

Hey everyone!

Please find the board meeting agenda attached. I'm just finishing up a spreadsheet that combines Tropical Focus's financial docs over the past few months so I will send that in a moment as we will review it in the meeting.

Talk to you all soon!

AGENDABoardMeeting2.10.07.doc

Please find Trop Focus financial summary attached for June - Jan 2007.

I whipped this up really quickly so it is a little rough on the formatting but hopefully it gives a good sense of where our $ has gone...

TFFinancials.xls

Greetings Caren and Tobias:

I was so glad to receive your confirmation of acceptance of the funds. I hope they will be of help in the short term.

We're doing serious planning and making some big changes at GlobalEyes and we have some ideas to run by the two of you:

We are considering implementing a full disclosure policy and an accompanying full disclosure campaign that will post all of the "goings-on" of our business on our website. This would include publishing our communication with you to the web. We may even ask representatives from Tropical Focus to blog on our site. This idea is very much in the development stage, but do the two of you think Tropical Focus would be comfortable with this?

An idea that Scott came up with is "micro fundraising," which is basically a continuous, goal-based fundraising effort. How it works is (and Scott, please interject if I am not describing this adequately) we would post a list of line items needed for specific programs (like trainer salary for x number of months for the school uniform tailoring business or x months supply of seed for the Food for Yields program) and donors can pick and choose where to apply their money.

A crucial element to this program is follow-up; we want to show the donors where their money is going - both with words and images. We would like to know if it is realistic for someone on your end to commit to following up with us on a regular basis. For example, if a fundraising goals is to purchase enough fabric to sustain the school uniform tailoring business for six months, once that goal is reach the funds would be sent and someone from Tropical Focus would take pictures/video of the reams of fabric, maybe even of Tropical Focus picking up the fabric, of the ladies tailoring and also tape/write an interview with one of the widows.

This will not only require a time/effort commitment, but also equipment! I know you sent me digital pictures in the past, but does Tropical Focus actually have a digital camera? If we were to supply a digital camera, which would be more efficient and economical, an electrical or battery charger?

Do you think someone at Tropical Focus would be comfortable taking on this task? Also, once electricity is flowing at the Tropical Focus office, will you be able to get internet access? Do you know how expensive that will be?

As I said before, at this point we would just like to know your opinions about these ideas and we will provide more details about the projects before we expect any definitive answers from you about participating.

On another note, Caren, I was surprised to hear that you were transferred and hope everything is ok. Please let us know the fate of the feeding program and if you would like to pursue a new program at the school you were transferred to. Also, please let us know how you are doing in your new position.

Finally, I am very pleased to inform both of you that Scott and Jessica Chacon were invited to join our board of directors and have accepted!

Moving forward, please copy Scott (schacon@gmail.com) on all of our communication.

Warmest regards, Veronica

Greetings:

I hope this note finds everyone well.

There are a few changes that I felt you should be aware of regarding our projects with Tropical Focus:

• Caren has been reassigned to another school in the area. I do not know the details of the transfer but I have inquired with Caren and Tobias. I do know that the Obede feeding program is on hold at the moment and they are considering reinitiating the program at the new school.

• Janet Achieng, the young woman who was volunteering at CRM, has left and a woman named Agnes has replaced her.

• I’ve attached Tropical Focus’s financial statement for December 2006 through the beginning of January 2007 — it details all of the items that were purchased with funding from Jessica’s students.

Also, there are some new things going on with our organization:

Basecamp

Scott has so kindly set GlobalEyes up with a Basecamp account. Basecamp will be a great project management utility and I plan to use it regularly. I will post all important documents on this, including archived and updated financial statements, business plans and also communication archives. Basecamp has a chat capability and discussion forum (writeboard) that we will be using to conduct ongoing virtual communication.

In the “To-Dos” you will find tasks for the organization. Anything filed under a person’s name is assigned to them, tasks assigned to “anyone” are up for grabs and those assigned to “GlobalEyes” are group tasks that everyone should review and contribute to.

Right now, tasks are split between two main projects, one titled “operational” which has administrative and business development materials, the other is “GlobalEyes Actions” which has all the exciting fundraising and new ideas/projects stuff.

Everyone should have received an email in the past few days describing how to login to our Basecamp account. If anyone has problems, let Scott or I know.

Board Meeting

I’ve tentatively scheduled a board meeting for next Friday 2/9 to review (briefly) the 2007 plan and introduce the blog, micro fundraising and sponsorship program ideas. This meeting will be conducted using skype, iChat or traditional conference call...I’ll confirm which soon.

Could everyone please let me know if Friday works for them, and if so, what time(s) is/are convenient.
If Friday is not good, perhaps Saturday or Sunday? Please let me know.

In the event that all board members cannot attend (which I suspect will be the case more than once throughout the life of GlobalEyes!) Scott and I are working on setting us up so all of our board meeting are documented in audio and maybe even video.

Many thanks to all!

Veronica

Dec2006-Jan2007TropicalFocusFinStatement.xls Google Spreadsheets

Hi Tobias:

Thank you once again for your prompt feedback. I will let you know if I have any further questions about this.

Best, Veronica

Hello Tobias:

Please find my response to your amendments. I will revise the proposal according to your recommendations, but there were a few items that I am requesting clarification on.

Thanks,

Veronica

Dear Caren and Tobias:

I am so very happy to finally say that the wire transfer via Western Union has been processed. It is a shame that it took so long to transfer these funds and I can’t tell you how frustrated and sorry I am for any inconvenience this has caused to Tropical Focus. Here is the information I believe you will need to collect the funds:

Recipient: Caren Jakoyo, Kisumu, Nyanza, Kenya

Amount: 68,197.78 Kshs

MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number): XXXXX

Please confirm receipt on your end and notify me of any problems.

Thanks so very much,
Veronica

Tobias

Thanks so much for your feedback – I will carefully review your comments and revise the proposal.

Regarding OneMen, please hold off on confirming with them as we do not know Rotary’s response to the proposal. I will keep you posted!

Best, Veronica

Happy 2007 Everyone!

Attached please find a word doc. that will be the outline for our virtual meeting. As your schedules permit, please review and respond as described on the first page. (If anyone has an idea to execute this or future virtual meetings more efficiently, please let me know!)

Additionally, financial statements are contained in a separate excel workbook attachment.

I know this is a lot to ask everyone and I thank you all in advance for your consideration and feedback!

Kind regards, Veronica

GlobalEyes2007Plan.doc

2006FinancialStatements.xls

Tobias-

I am completing the form to send the funds and I just want to be certain I have the correct information. Can you please provide:

Recipient’s first name: Recipient’s last name: City:

Is there a Western Union location near you? I believe you have done this before so you are probably familiar with how this works! Also, as I said before, we’ll have to come up with a security question when we reach that step.

Thanks! Veronica

Hello Tobias-

How are you?

I have a few questions about Western Union, as it appears it will be the quickest way to get some money over to you. Have you ever received money using Western Union? Here are a few things to consider:

- the exchange rate they are offering is 66-67/u003d to the dollar
- the maximum an individual from the US can send to Kenya is $999 every 30 days
- the fee is around 8%, so $80 to send $999

I appreciate your insight in deciding if this is a good way to send money.

Do you know of any other methods?

I think this will be a good way to send money until our account in the US is set up to transfer money internationally.

Also, what city is the National Bank of Kenya, Harambee Avenue Branch, in?

Kind regards,
Veronica

Hi Tobias-

Thank you for this information; it is very helpful as we plan for 2007.

The vehicle co-financing opportunity will be discussed by my board.

Thank you for your response about the latrine and I will pass that information on to my group. It is tough for us to understand your priorities sometimes, so it helped very much for you to explain. I know Margee and Jessica were both very concerned with the lack of sanitation facilities at the school so that will continue to be a priority in planning for next year, and we must find a way to do it without taking funds away from higher priority items.

Sorry to hear the university student internships have not worked out yet but I understand about the transportation costs. Hopefully it will in the future.

I will use the drafts you supplied of plans for the food and livestock exchange and tailoring programs for my group as I think they give good explanations of the programs.

Sorry to hear about the computer not running excel. It is possible that you used an older version of excel to create a document and it will not open in the newer version. You may have tried this, but please open the excel program first and then open your document within the program. Let me know if that works if you haven’t tried it already. Feel free to come to me with any other problems with the computer – I wish I was there to help!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Kind regards, Veronica

Hi Tobias-

I also wanted to tell you that next semester (January – May) I will be doing research and project planning for the food and livestock exchange as an independent study, so expect that I will be seeking your advice periodically! Also, I would like to come to Tropical Focus later next year (August – December) to participate in the final implementation of the program. I hope that this would work for you at Tropical Focus. Let me know what you think!

Best,
Veronica

Hello Tobias and Caren-

I hope you are well and that the computer is working for you. Please let me know if you have any problems or questions and I will do my best to help.

Margee and I met today to plan for 2007 for GlobalEyes and a few items came out of the meeting. We will convene with other board members next week, so I am hoping to retrieve some information from you to provide to them:

Tailoring Project

Some questions have come up about the research that was completed, and while we know you determined there is market for school uniforms, would it be possible to provide additional details so that we might better understand the school uniform market in your area?

Who is currently manufacturing school uniforms and where are they sold?

What is the typical life-span of a school uniform? For example, how many students does one uniform typically last for?

How are the uniforms sold? Is it usually at a retailer? Is there an informal market where people sell/trade uniforms?

Are the retailers in Kisumu? How far are they from Tropical Focus?

What are the big retailers and what kinds of volumes are they selling and at what times of the year? Will we be able to compete with their prices?

Food and Livestock Exchange

What is the status with Onemen co-financing a vehicle?
Besides the ACE project in Bungoma, do you know of any other agro-livestock exchange programs?
As we formulate a plan for the program, can you offer a summary of the community’s agricultural and livestock needs and capacities?

I received the latest proposal for both the widow tailoring and food and livestock exchange projects – are these the latest versions and do I have your permission to share them with my board?

Margee and I were reviewing the financial reports you sent to understand where GlobalEyes funds were applied and wondering if there was an update on the most recent funds sent; however, I put in a call to Chase today and learned that the wire transfer I ordered last month was kicked back to my account on Monday.
I am investigating what happened but think I will seek an alternative method of transferring the funds, at least for now.

Finally, a few miscellaneous items:

Regarding the latrine on the Obede school property, Jessica and I discussed using some of the funds raised by her students for construction. Is this possible?
I know you have attempted to make contact with the Rotary office in Kisumu and we are now exploring the possibility of working with a Rotary International Club here in California. Were you ever able to make contact with Rotary Kisumu?

I’m also curious to know if you had any luck recruiting university students as interns.
Also, please continue to copy Margee on all of our correspondence so she stays in the loop.

My apologies for such a long email and I look forward to your response to all of these questions.

Kind regards,
Veronica

Hi Tobias-

It’s so nice to hear from you and I am glad that you received the items though you were unable to meet with Margee personally. I spoke to her yesterday and heard what happened, so that is a shame you did not see her even though you and Caren made such an effort.

I am so very happy to hear you enjoyed the powerpoint – please know that almost all of the information came from the documents you provided me. I think I also left the photos from my last visit on the computer for everyone at Tropical Focus to enjoy!

I truly hope the laptop will make a big difference. I know it’s just a start and you really need more than one computer for your operation.

My vision is that Tropical Focus will be able to address the challenges of the community largely with technology, so I hope this works toward that objective.

I will review the issues for discussion you provided as I work through the plan GlobalEyes for 2007, so this is a great time to receive these documents.

Just a note on the wire transfer – I spent most of yesterday trying to persuade the regional bank manager to overlook the typical 90 day waiting period for international wire transfers. I’ve convinced him
to drop it down to 60 days but that means we’ve got 30 days left. I will give you an update when I have more information.

Very best to all of you and please pass on my regards to Caren and family, to your family and to everyone at Tropical Focus.
Veronica

Jessica-

Will write more later but just wanted to respond about a few things...I won't be back for December but January looks promising. I am absolutely interested in helping with the rotary thing. I think there's great potential to implement a livestock and food exchange program in Kisumu. If we make a great model and pilot it there it could be utilized in other cumminities. I know there is a rotary in Kisumu and Tobias has attempted to meet with them recently. Ok, more to come. Let me know what you think. This is very exciting!

Veronica

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Jessica-

I spoke with Margee before she left yesterday and she told me about the extremely successful fundraiser you and your students organized! I am so excited! I just sent a note to Tobias and gave him your email address because he had misplaced it after our visit.

I hope you and Scott had a nice Thanksgiving. Perhaps we can get together over winter break?

Very best, Veronica

Hello Tobias-

Nice to hear from you but I am sorry to hear of Caren's illness. How is she feeling? Better, I hope. Margee left for you part of the world yesterday (Saturday, the 25th). Last time I spoke to her she was planning to be in Kisumu November 11th and 12th, though this may change. I forwarded her your cell phone number so do expect a call from her at some point.

Also, I am not sure if you were able to contact Jessica but she and her students had a very successful fundraiser and Margee is bringing some of the proceeds with her! I am not certain that I gave this to you before, but please do contact Jessica directly at bylochacon@gmail.com.

One of my tasks for next week is to speed up the money transfer to you. I am hoping to push it through by the end of the month.

All my best, Veronica

Hello Tobias-

So nice to hear from you and these pictures are wonderful - I am going to post them on the website and send them out to GlobalEyes donors.

Thanks so much for them.

I have a few items of good news!

The IRS paperwork has finally been approved and I am going to open the bank account in just a few moments! I will deposit all the funds and then hopefully transfer them over within the next couple of days. I am so happy and hope the programs did not suffer too much due to missing these funds.

Hopefully you remember Jessica, the school teacher who was travelling with us this summer along with her husband, and also that her students raised money for Tropical Focus. Jessica's students have some fantastic activities planned to raise more money for Tropical Focus and she asked that I forward you some questions that can assist in their planning:

SWIM AGAINST MALARIA

Donors sponsor students and the more laps the students swim, the more money the donors promise to give. Jessica would like for you to buy malaria nets with the funds raised by the event and requests to know how much they cost. I've been searching my files for a price because I believe Caren sent it to me at some point but cannot find it. Could you forward me the cost if you know it?

AIDS JOGATHON

Same concept as the swimming activity - the longer the students run the more money donors promise to give. Jessica would like some suggestions of concrete goals for the jogathon: Are there specific things that children who have been directly affected by AIDS need?

The activities that Jessica and her students are planning could be a nice way to link up the students at Obede and kids at CRM with these American students. I'm sure Jessica's husband Scott could take some video and perhaps you can show it to the kids using the computer?

Regarding linking GlobalEyes to your website - YES, please do!

Regarding listing us as technical and financial partner for your proposals, that is also fine. I am hopeful that sometime in the near future I can draw up a contract to outline our partnership in writing. Now that things can move forward with GlobalEyes, I want to begin addressing some of the many items we discussed this summer.

Towards the end of the year (December-January) I will be on break from school and will have more time to work on it.

More to come and looking forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards, Veronica

Dear supporter of GlobalEyes:

Please enjoy these new photos and a note from Caren Jakoyo (principal of Obede Primary School and director of Children Rescue Mission Orphanage, Kenya) regarding the outreach feeding program your donations enhanced.

Very best, Veronica

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Hi Veronica,

We are well and hope you too are well. My pupils are already feeding and quite happy about the meals. Their parents even praise me when we meet out by the road sides. This was really a good idea. There have been a lot of changes in the behaviour of the pupils such as reduced lateness in the afternoons, increased attendance, reduced requests for sick offs, reduced rate of afternoon dozing in class, all of which I believe is related to availability of meals to the pupils during lunch time. So we really thank you for this programme.

Caren

Hi Caren and Tobias-

I hope this note finds you both well. I hope you all know that Margee will be travelling to your area at the end of November. As I mentioned to Tobias in an email earlier today, I will be sending my laptop with her for Tropical Focus to use. I also have a brand new printer that I cannot use that I would like to send. I just want to know if you will have access to print cartridges and such so that you can continue to use the printer. I suppose I could replenish the cartridge from time to time, but let me know if you have access there.

The brand of the printer is Lexmark.

Also, Margee requested that I ask what kinds of books George needs for the orphanage.

I look forward to your responses.

Best, Veronica

Hi Tobias-

It's great to hear from you. Sorry you couldn't read my text message but I was just thanking you on behalf of the group and letting you know what a wonderful experience it was for everyone. Thank you for going above and beyond to make arrangements for our visit.

In regards to some of the projects I want to work with you on, here is what I have noted:

Uniform Production

TF to provide info. on material and production costs Do you have any documentation for plans that you can send me?

Have you collected any data on the widows that you have targeted - name, background, etc.? I'm requesting these documents because I would like to put together a proposal for the uniform distributor in the US and I think they may want to know about the widows

Electricity - I think this is just a matter of funds, as we know this is essential to the program

Outreach Feeding Program

Research livestock and food exchange program - I will get you some information on the ACE program that has been implemented in Bungoma

Perhaps you could begin thinking about community members that can be mobilized to participate in the exchange program

Motorbike - again, this is just a matter of funding as we see that this is necessary for the program

Community water collection - this was another idea you mentioned.

Have you thought any further about how this could work? Is there something like this already in place?

Laptop - I'm in the process of trying to get ahold of one or two. I will let you know how it's going.

Let me know if there is anything I am forgetting.

Thanks again! Regards, Veronica

Hi Caren and Tobias-

I hope you are well. We have returned from our travels in Rwanda and I will be in Nairobi attending courses for the next three weeks. I will have more access to email now so I wanted to follow up with you regarding some of the items we discussed when we met so that I can continue to work out our donation and ongoing support plan:

Uniform production

• Were you able to find out what the retail price is for uniforms (shirts, shorts, jumpers) in the stores in Kisumu?
• There is a company based in San Francisco that makes uniforms called Farrah and I would like to ask them to provide technical advice. I think they may be able to assist with things like pattern making and assembly line technique.
• There is another company based in San Francisco called Gap, Inc. (you may have heard of them as they are a major manufacturer and retail distributor of clothing) and I would like to encourage them to donate fabric and supplies. They do a lot of their production in Asia so perhaps we can get something shipped over.
• Did you discuss a salary with the sewing trainer? If so, how much would she like to be paid? My thinking is that a weekly salary is best and that she needs to commit to 8 hours of training a day, 5-7 days a week. Do you think there will be enough women to train? Is there any way to encourage more women to join the program?
• Have you thought more about moving the training facilities to Tropical Focus headquarters?
• The sewing machine at Caren's home should be operatable electrically and manually. Were you able to confirm this?

Perhaps if you begin using Tropical Focus as the training facility you could move all machines over there.

Obede Primary School

• Can you confirm the price for a new water tank? Caren, I believe you estimated it to be 40-60,000/=

Children's Home and Feeding Program

• Are you able to estimate the price for the purchase of a motorbike as well the cost of fuel and maintenance for 6 months?
• Could you provide the price of a new stove for the children's home as well as the cost of fuel for 6 months?
• Do you have any information on installing electricity at Tropical Focus? The estimate you gave was 35,000/= for installation and 2,000/= per month for usage. I think that this may be something that Tropical Focus can purchase and maintain once the business is up and running, however, electricity will allow for greater productivity so depending on costs, perhaps GlobalEyes can provide some startup funding for this.
• Regarding the laptop, this may be another item that Tropical Focus may want to purchase. I can work on securing a well priced machine. Let me know what you think about this.
• Were you able to open a bank account that can accept wire transfers from the US?
• Also, I realize that I should have let you write me a receipt for the $1,100 in cash already donated by GlobalEyes.

Hopefully I will see you in the coming weeks to pick it up, otherwise, I may need you to mail it to me if that is not too difficult.

That is all I have in my notes regarding items to follow up on. I would like to quickly move forward with the initial contribution and the longer term plan when I return to the US later in August so I'm anxious to learn what you have discovered.

I would like to thank you both again for the gracious hospitality you provided to myself and the others in our group when we visited.

Very best, Veronica

Greetings Caren and Tobias-

We have safely made it to Nairobi and are departing this morning for Kisumu. I unfortunately have not received my luggage yet so that may delay us. We are estimating that we will arrive this evening and will probably eat dinner on the road, so do not worry about preparing a large meal. I have your phone numbers so we will try to call you later. Here is Margee's number: 011 44 784 117 5832.

We are so looking forward to spending some time in the village,

Veronica

Greetings Caren and Tobias-

I would like to confirm our final plans for our visit to your village. My apologies for changing the date, but we will now be arriving 20 July and staying with you that evening. We are so very grateful that you all have generously offered to accomodate us. There will be 5 of us total, including our driver. Regarding meal requirements, please know that Margee cannot eat anything with any kind of nut in it.

Other than that I don't believe there are any other restrictions.

We are so looking forward to seeing you all later this week!

Best, Veronica

Hi Tobias-

I hope you are well. We are preparing for our trip and eager to leave! I think the best thing to do with the money is to bring some in USD right now so that you may open the account. Then, when I return to the US at the end of August, I will wire you the remainder of the funds in one or two installments.

About the statement for the donors - I would just like to provide them with a plan that states how the money will be sent. It does not need to be a bank statement or anything like that. (Though I will probably need a receipt for my nonprofit, GlobalEyes, because we collected the donations and are sending them out to you.)

When I am there, all we need to do is sit down and discuss all important things you need for the school and orphanage and the widows, and I will create a statement. We can include in the plan items and projects that there is not enough money yet to fund so that donors will be encouraged to give more in the future.

An update on our travel dates - we will now most likely be in Kisumu 21 July. I hope that is ok.

Thanks so much for all your help, Veronica

Hello Caren and Tobias-

The fundraiser - last Thursday the 29th - was very successful! I think both of you would be very happy to know how interested many people here in San Francisco, California are in your village in Kisumu.

We have just finalized most of our travel arrangements. We will be arriving in Nairobi 19 July but leave for Rwanda the next day. My best guess at this point as to when we will be in Kisusmu is 25 or 26 of July. There will most likely only be 4 of us, including our driver. I don't think we will really need any special accommodations. I don't eat meat, but please don't worry too much about the food. We will just be so happy to be there!

One question I have is regarding the money we raised at the fundraiser. Would it be best to send a wire transfer? I will have to send the funds in instalments, with the final instalment being late in August after I return. Also, I would like to create a statement, perhaps when I am in Kisumu, that says where the money is going. The people at the fundraiser would love to see the kind of difference they can make, which I hope will encourage more interest and contributions in the future.

I hope you are both well and I look forward to seeing everyone soon!

Best, Veronica

Hi Tobias-

Nice to hear from you. It is taking quite awhile to complete our travel arrangements but I will let you know as soon as possible when we will be visiting Kisumu. How very generous for Caren to offer to accommodate us. I believe there will be 4 of us not including our driver. Regarding a driver, I believe we already have arrangements for this and thank you for your suggestions.

About the laptop - I will certainly look into this, and I understand why this is such a needful item for Tropical Focus. I can't guarantee that I will be able to bring one by the time leave for this trip but I will certainly try.

Finally, yes, I am quite busy with the fundraising event but am very hopeful it will be a success!

Thanks for everything!

Regards, Veronica

Hi Tobias-

I hope you are well. Once I started to complete the preliminary steps to register Tropical Focus, Margee and I realized that it made more sense - and would be much simpler - if we started our own US based organization and registered with the US IRS as an organization that can accept tax-deductible donations. This means the the name Tropical Focus will not be registered in the US, however, we will be able to make direct contributions to Tropical Focus through our organization.

For example, when I hold our benefit for Tropical Focus later this month, all the donations will be tax deductible and will go directly to Tropical Focus.

That being said, if you would like to proceed with registering Tropical Focus in the US, it may work if you wait until our registration is complete, and then you may be able to register as an affiliate of our US organization. That may work nicely, but let me investigate it a bit more before moving forward.

Regarding the website, we are establishing one for our organization that will have substantial information about Tropical Focus, Obede School and Children Rescue Mission, Kenya. This site should be up soon and I will get you the link asap. We will use the infromation you provided on the site.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding any of this.

Regards, Veronica

Hi Tobias-

It's nice to hear from you. Planning the fundraiser is moving along nicely and it looks as though the event will be late in June. My travel plans to Kenya are not set yet but I think I will be arriving early July. Thank you for your kind offer to make arrangements for our visit. I have accommodations in Nairobi, however may take you up on your offer to make local arrangements in Kisumu. I will let you know as soon as possible.

Regarding the tax information, you may or may not be are aware of the tax deductions americans receive when they make donations to organizations that are registered as charities with the US Revenue Service. Basically, in the US, when someone gives a charitable gift - as money or goods - they are able to claim it on their yearly tax forms, and the value of the gift is deducted from the taxes they owe for the year. It's a very good incentive for people to donate to charities and it would be great if Tropical Focus for Rural Development could be registered in the US.

I spent about an hour on the phone with an agent of the US Internal Revenue Service and, unfortunately, it is quite difficult (but not impossible) for a foreign organization to be granted status as a charity in the US. I did however get all the requirements and information about the registration process. I would like to, with Margee, work to get Tropical Focus registered in the US. I know that using us as your US contacts will simplify the process a bit. I will be with Margee this weekend and I will provide you with more information about how we plan to do this.

For now, you can go to the US Internal Revenue Service Website at www.irs.gov, and click on the "Charities and Non-Profits" section to learn more about becoming a charitable organization in the US.

Thanks so much and travel safely,

Veronica

Tobias-

Thank you so very much for all the information - it has been a significant help in preparing for the charity event. I will keep you posted on the progress of the event and also let you know when we will be in your area this summer.

Best, Veronica

Hi Tobias-

I look forward to receiving more information from you. Margee and I are planning to be in Kenya in the end of June through most of July.

We will absolutely make and effort to get out to the village. I will confirm with you once I know exact dates. Thanks for your help.

Best, Veronica

Hi Tobias:

I am Veronica Ensign, Margee Ensign's niece. We may have met last June when I visited your village with Margee. Margee forwarded me your email address because I am organizing an event to raise money for the Children's Home, school and widows of your village, and I would like to collect some information from you that I can present to potential donors. I have listed questions below but please feel free to pass along as much information as you can. I plan to spend the summer in Nairobi so hopefully I can hand deliver the proceeds from the benefit.

Is there an official name for the Children's Home and school?

Could you give me a brief history of the Children's Home and school

How many students and orphans are there?

Could you provide some background on Caren and the teachers at the school?

What is the name of your village?

Do you have any numbers on HIV/AIDS infection in the village?

What is the drought situation?

What about the initiatives to benefit the widows?

What kinds of needs do the Children's Home, school and widow's have that money from donations could fund?

Any other statistics you think may be informative for potential donors?

Could you provide the name your NGO and your Tax ID number, if you know it?

Do you happen to have an electronic logo for the Children's Home, school or NGO? (I am putting together a presentation to send to potential donors and it would be nice to have a logo. I will send you the presentation when I am finished.)

I very much appreciate any information you can provide and I hope that I will be able to raise a lot of money.

Warmly, Veronica Ensign