People who know me know that I take on many projects. Sometimes with considerable success, sometimes getting nowhere. One of my main accomplishments was setting in motion the restoration (currently happening thanks to much help!) of the last surviving synagogue in the town of Rezekne in Latvia where my family came from.
I have taken on a new project focused on a marginal Jewish group and their Muslim and Christian neighbors in Uganda. In a region where intolerance has too often been dominant, this is a place where tolerance has become the norm and I want to help them along.
I have been involved loosely with a group named Kulanu for a few years. They focus on marginal Jewish populations around the world: http://www.kulanu.org/
One of the groups they work with is the Abayudaya in Uganda. These people have an unusual story and were almost wiped out by Idi Amin. But they survived hand have been working to improve life for themselves and their Muslim and Christian neighbors in the Mbale area of Uganda:
http://www.kulanu.org/...
They are funding schools, school lunch programs, and have started a coffee cooperative, all as a collaboration with their Muslim and Christian neighbors. As a result they have gone from a despised, oppressed group to an integrated and respected part of the community.
One day I came up with an idea reading about the problems local women have with lung problems related to charcoal stoves. I have been supportive of many groups that try to help women find alternatives to lung-destroying traditional stoves and one option are solar cookers.
I have established a collaboration among three key organizations: Kulanu, Jewish World Watch, and Solar Cookers International. Our goal is to supply solar cookers to the Mbale community in Uganda to both reduce deforestation and lung disease among women. Solar cookers cut the use of charcoal (and so save trees and reduce the carbon footprint), and are clean, so they prevent the common chronic lung disease among women who have to cook over traditional stoves. Solar cookers are also a time saving device because the collection of firewood and the making of charcoal are time consuming.
More below with a plea for help raising a few hundred bucks to get the first stage going...
The Abayudaya Woman's Association is very interested in this solar stove project and will be our main contact on the ground in Uganda. However, before we can even start this project, the Abayudaya Women's Association needs to be connected to the web so we can coordinate with them. Currently they have no internet contact and their extensive efforts are limited by their lack of communication both internationally and among the villages they cover.
So as a precursor to the main project of providing solar stoves, I want to work with Kulanu to purchase a computer, modem, spare battery, and solar charger (there is no electricity in the area) for the Abayudaya Women's Association. Ideally I would like to raise enough money for two computers and accessories since the AWA covers several spread out villages and could use at least two such connected computers. Kulanu also has recommended that I consider going to Uganda myself to organize the project, but I don't see that happening with any fundraising I am capable of. So my first goal is to get the Woman's Assn. one or two computers with needed accessaries and then to look into the best way of introducing solar cookers (one suggestion is to start with larger solar cookers for the local schools, which would be expensive but effective!).
I am hoping to get some help raising money for this project, starting with the computer(s) and then continuing with the solar cookers. Every little bit helps. I am sure we can do the computer(s). I'll deal with the solar stove aspect once the computer(s) part is done.
Donations to the Abayudaya Woman's Association can be made through the NYC based organization Kulanu. Donations are fully tax deductible.
Pleas click here to donate online: https://app.etapestry.com/...
To target the donation, pleasewrite "AWA computer fund" in the comments field online so the money goes to the right place. Of course I love all of Kulanu's work, so even if you don't designate the money to this project your money will go to good stuff...but if you want to help me please designate your donation for "AWA computer fund."
Or send a check by mail to:
Harriet Bograd, President
Kulanu, Inc
165 West End Ave, Apt 3R
New York, NY 10023 USA
Please include your email address and phone number when sending your check.
To target the funds please write "AWA computer fund" in the comments field online or the memo field of the check. That way they can keep track of the amount going to that particular project. Send me confirmation as well so I can also keep track.
Thanks for anything you can give!