Hello Everyone!

Welcome to the September 2009 edition of the Eat So They Can newsletter!

I have some very exciting news! We have been granted Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This means that the GVN Foundation is now officially recognized by the United Nations! We are growing up and making connections that will help us as we work to contribute to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals through fundraisers like Eat So They Can.

I therefore want to say thank you to all of you who are hosting events. Eliza, the Eat So They Can host mentor, keeps telling me of more amazing ideas and events that will be taking place this year, and it is so exciting to watch Eat So They Can grow.

In this edition of the newsletter, I want to share a story with you which particularly touched me. The story is about a lady called Rachael Otieno, born in Kenya but currently studying in the US, who will be holding an Eat So They Can event this October. Rachael will be aiming to reach the $20,000 target so that she’ll be able to join our distribution team in Kenya! For more information about the $20,000 challenge, click here!

Thank you again to all of you for being part of ESTC and the GVN Foundation family. This is an exciting time for us and it is wonderful to have a group of such dedicated supporters behind us.

Best,

Courtney
ESTC Co-Founder and GVN Foundation Director

Making a difference

I have recently been discussing with our partners how they wish to use the funds we raise through Eat So They Can this year. They are all so excited to know how many hosts we have signed up this year and thank each of you for all your work and effort. I want to share with you a few facts to remind you of the impact your event will have:

• If you raise US$25 this can feed an entire school of 750 Tanzanian students for one day.
• If you raise US$500 this can buy enough supplies to support a small orphanage in Kenya for a month.
• If you raise US$1,000 this can pay for a school uniform, shoes, school registration fee, exercise book, a school bag and stationary for 15 children in Ethiopia.
• If you raise US$6,000 this can build a 4 classroom block that will seat up to 200 children in Uganda.

Diamond Masters to donate 10% of all pink diamond sales

Diamond Masters is a proud sponsor and supporter of Eat So They Can and are very generously donating 10% of all pink diamond sales to Eat So They Can. Twenty years ago a one carat Fancy Intense Internally Flawless Pink Diamond would have sold for approximately $70,000.00 a carat, today that same diamond would be worth $500,000.00. So, if you are a diamond investor or simply worthy of a beautiful diamond please consider purchasing through Diamond Masters. They guarantee to match any price you may be given in Australia and the benefit is that 10% of that purchase price will come directly to Eat So They Can and change the lives of children in need. For more details please contact Cass from our Australia office:

Host Resources

With the big Eat So They Can weekend coming up quickly, I just wanted to make sure that you are all up-to-date on the resources we have available for you.

Online Resource Guide

Our resource guide is packed full of ideas, information and resources. If you don't have yours yet, click here for a copy. You should also all have received your personalized webpage by now. If you would like us to update the name, location or date on your page, please email:

DVD Party Pack

The DVD party pack includes posters, badges and the 2009 ESTC DVD. All hosts will receive an email confirming your address and then your pack will be mailed to you. We recommend showing the DVD at your event and hope it will inspire your guests to donate!

Media Kit

Gaining media coverage can have an incredible impact, shedding light on the plight of other communities, and inspiring more people to join ESTC and take action. We encourage you to contact your local newspaper, radio and TV with your story. Visit our media kit for more details.

Additional Resources

If you need any additional resources, please do not hesitate to contact us and we'll be happy to help!

Recipe - Mukimo

As many of you may know, Lauren McMahon from GVN Foundation, spent nearly 6 months in Kenya working together with GVN volunteers and helping to coordinate the ESTC 2008 distribution. When I asked Lauren what her favourite food in Kenya was, she said 'Mukimo'. So, here it is!

Ingredients

1/2 lb. green maize
1/2 lb. beans
Large bunch of pumpkin leaves or green peas
1/2 lb. potatoes
3 tablespoons margarine
Salt

Method

Boil the green maize and beans until they are soft. Boil the potatoes halfway tender, then add the pumpkin leaves or green peas. Then add the boiled mixture of maize and beans. Add salt. Mash with a potato masher, adding margarine to taste. Add hot water to keep consistency thick. The result is a thick, green, delicious mash.

2009 event ideas

The variety of events taking place this year is amazing. I want to share some details about a couple of events with you. If you’d like me to include information about your event in our next newsletter, just let me know!

Rachael Otieno

Rachael is originally from Kenya but moved to the US for her studies. She has big plans for her ESTC event and we are proud to have her support!

"After enrolling into the Organizational Leadership degree program at Point Park University, it has entirely changed the way I approach life and the path that I intend to take in my career, once I graduate. This program has equipped me with leadership, communication, ethical and teamwork skills that are vital to succeed in a constantly changing world of work.

I had intended to volunteer in the summer at the South Dakota programme but was not able to. When I got the email about hosting a dinner I was excited and thought to myself,..'here is an opportunity for me to volunteer afterall...' with the resources that are readily available to me and make a difference in someone elses life and more so as the funds raised are going to change children's lives in my home country, Kenya and other African countries. Charity begins at home.

By organizing the Eat So They can dinner event, I will be meaningfully integrating theory and practice as well as horning my leadership skills. I am so excited about putting together this event and the amount of plannning that goes with it, is a learning experience which is worth while."

Cassandra Treadwell

Cass is one of the founders of Eat So They Can and the Executive Director of GVNF Australia. Cass has 4 children, is working on her PhD, running GVNF Australia AND organizing a huge Eat So They Can event this year in Sydney. She has had an amazing variety of items donated for her auction, including a diamond and an hour of training with the Australia rugby captain!

I therefore asked Cass whether she had any advice for other ESTC hosts wanting to host big events this year. Her advice is:

• Create a buzz so that everyone is anxiously awaiting an invitation – this can be done through dropping hints about things that will occur on the night to make it one not to be missed: eg – a great auction item; African drummers; fire; someone famous. I have got Diamond Masters here in Australia to donate a beautiful diamond that will be frozen in an ice cube along with 100 other ice cubes, each ice cube will be sold for $50 and everyone quietly watches their champagne to see if they are the lucky winer – this has created a "buzz".
• When asking people to donate an auction item think about what is in it for them. The most obvious is marketing. In planning a big event you have a great deal of marketing power. Believe in this and use it when asking people to donate auction items – believe that THEY should feel lucky that you are given them this great OPPORTUNITY for some very powerful exposure.
• On the night have creative things to make it a night that is talked about a long time afterwards. A theme is always great for this. Africa being the obvious one.
• Have imaginative and thoughtful auction items to raise lots of money. My research shows that time with sporting celebrities (eg kick the ball around with a famous sports star) goes well, as does catered dinners in someone’s home; holiday houses artwork and weekends away.
• Most importantly, have a blast on the night!

Cass' favourite quote is: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter" (Martin Luther King).

Action and Advocacy

International Literacy Day - 8 September 2009

This year, International Literacy Day will put the spotlight on the empowering role of literacy and its importance for participation, citizenship and social development. ESTC and the GVN Foundation are also strong advocates of empowering the children at our projects through education and literacy. Thanks to ESTC 2008 funds, thousands of children's education was supported through donations of school supplies, school fees, desks and chairs.

International Day of Peace – 21 September 2009

21 September marks the International Day of Peace; a global call for ceasefire and non-violence. This year the Secretary-General is calling on governments and citizens to focus on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Please consider signing the We Must Disarm declaration today by clicking here .

World Tourism Day– 27 September 2009

This year’s theme for World Tourism Day focuses on the world’s cultural wealth and the important role sustainable tourism plays in revitalizing local traditions and making them flourish as they cross other cultures. So next time you book a holiday somewhere, take some time to consider the impacts you might have on the cultures of the country you are visiting and how you can ensure these impacts are positive. Or why not consider joining an international volunteer trip where you'll have the opportunity to really become immersed in the local culture and contribute something back to the community you're visiting? For more details visit Global Volunteer Network.