Beat Back Ebola on Giving Tuesday

Dear Echoers, 

Over the past weeks and months you have likely heard of Ebola's impact on West Africa. One of the countries most impacted by the outbreak has been Sierra Leone where Esther Kanu, our community partner, and her school, the Women in Action Development Project, is located. 

During this time, the international community has rushed to contain the outbreak, but Ebola already begun to migrate from rural areas to capital cities, such as Freetown, where Esther's school resides. In efforts to contain the virus, major community centres such as businesses and schools have been shut down to reduce the risk of contact and infection. Women in Action relies on financial support from the local community to survive by securing contracts based on the skills training the students learn at the school (such as catering, tailoring and even electrical wiring). The closures also mean that Esther and her staff are out of work. 

Times are dark in Freetown right now. Recent reports indicate that large grave sites are being dug to bury highly contagious bodies. Esther herself has also reported that one alumni member of the school has succumbed to the disease. 

As a single organization, we cannot stop the Ebola outbreak. But we can help Esther, her staff, and her students weather the storm until the outbreak can be controlled and the country begins to get back on its feet. During that time, organizations such as the Women in Action Development Project will be critical and your support is crucial. 

On Giving Tuesday, please consider helping us support Esther and Women in Action through the Ebola Outbreak and provide a means by which countries like Sierra Leone can begin to recover from this terrible virus. Click on the link below to donate!

Sincerely, 

Matthew Cimone Founder and CEO

Esther and Esther's Echo Team members during her visit to Vancouver British Columbia

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Making The Next Two Years Count...

April, May and June were difficult months for Esther and for us at Esther's Echo.

We were informed by Esther Kanu, our community partner in Sierra Leone, that her school, the Women in Action Development Project, was facing a serious shortfall in funding to make the rent payments on their building. With a change in landlord, rent spiked significantly and the landlord was demanding several years up front in a lump sum payment. 

Because of your generous donations, we were able to successfully raise a year of rent at the rates requested by the Landlord. But we are not in the clear yet, the Landlord is still holding out for that second year. 

We have been able to negotiate the prices down significantly. Originally the Landlord was hoping for 5 years at $7,000US per year, a cost of $35,000, which was simply beyond what we could provide at the time. After speaking with the Landlord ourselves directly, and with Esther's influence in-country, we have been able to get the total cost down to $10,000 for two years. In concert with Esther, we have been able to raise $6,500, most of which came from you as supporters. 

But we're not in the clear yet. We really want to get that second year together for Esther, her staff, her students, and the daycare children who attend Esther's centre allowing adults in the poorest regions of Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, to find employment or continue education. Having two years to work with also helps us find Esther a more cost effective location for Women in Action, or actually build Esther her own location; our goal for the future. 

And we have been informed by the Landlord that, despite our previous efforts, he may still move to evict if we don't get the remaining funding.

For those of you who have donated already, thank you for your support. Please consider sharing our efforts with those you know who would like to see a brighter future for young women and children in West Africa by supporting the vision of our community partner, Esther Kanu

Once, again, a HUGE thank you to all those who have already contributed to our campaign. Below is a special treat that was sent from Women in Action to you all

A "Thank You" from the Women in Action Development Project

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First Rent Donation is Sent!

Hello Echoers,

Thanks to all of your support, we just sent the first portion of our rent campaign donation to the Women in Action Development Project last week. Last Friday, we transferred $3000US to Esther and her school. There is $1500 that is still in cue from donations made to the Esther's Echo website from last week. These take about a week to get to our account from credit card transactions. At the end of this week, we will wire those donations as well. 

With the $4500 you contributed to the campaign combined with $2000 from Esther's efforts overseas, the combined $6500 is enough to cover at least one year of rent at Women in Action producing a whole new generation of graduates from the program. What we need to do now is convince the Landlord to accept a year of funding as he was hoping for a two year lease. I have had several conversations with them now and they seem receptive. Esther has also expressed a receptive attitude in her own dealings with him. 

We will continue to keep you all posted as events unfold at the school through May. Thank you for your support and remember that we are still trying to hit that 10K mark! 

Sincerely,

Matthew

Donate to the Women in Action Development Project Today!

Esther Kanu (centre, red hair) with Staff, and Students of Women in Action

Days left to Save Esther's School

Dear Echoers!

April has passed and Esther's landlord is starting to really put the pressure on. Within days, he may decide to evict the Women in Action Development Project, Esther's school. But here's the incredible news on what we've accomplished so far.

We've hit the $4000K mark! In two weeks that is amazing! Combined with Esther's savings in country, that puts us at just under $6K, about enough to cover one year of rent on Esther's building. The land lord was hoping for 2 (but pushing for 5). I have now connected with the landlord directly over the phone. He is also based in Freetown, Sierra Leone. My plan is to negotiate with him to determine what we can do if funding come up short of the 2 years and to look toward buying his building outright in the future. I will keep everybody posted on how this goes. 

After our initial round of e-mails to friends and family, we had an initial influx of donations including one $1000 contribution from the students and staff at Mulgrave School in West Vancouver. A HUGE thanks to Tony Wilson and the students of the "Action for Esther" campaign for their support. Your donation within days of us beginning this campaign was wind in our sails!

Last week, I received word that the Chronicle Journal Newspaper in Thunder Bay, Ontario (my home town) ran our fundraising letter reaching the entire North Western Ontario community. This week, as a result of the article, we received a series of donations in the mail across the whole region from Slate River, to Thunder Bay, to Nipigon. Know that a school in West Africa is very grateful to you and so are we!

My TEDx talk from University of Toronto Scarborough, which incorporates a story about Esther and her work, went live this week! It has had nearly 350 views already sharing the news about our project overseas with online viewers. If you haven't had the chance to check it out yet, please do so!

I am aware of a few more fundraisers going on out there! Thank you for reaching out to us and running an event in your community, we are going to be looking to send funds out by early next week, so anything that comes through by Monday will go in the first wire transfer over to Women in Action! Thank you all so much for your support!

Sincerely, 

Matthew Cimone - Founder/CEO

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PS, got some new photos from Esther at school celebrations for the end of semester graduation they had recently. 

Students and Staff at Women in Action: Esther is at the centre of photo in pink

A passionate valedictorian speech

Children in Esther's "Kiddies Foundation" child education program. These children are from a neighbouring slum region of the city that Esther is seeking to empower

TEDx Talk by Founder/CEO Matthew Cimone

Dear Echoers,

Founder Matthew Cimone gave a presentation this past February at TEDxUTSC (University of Toronto Scarborough). In the presentation, Matthew explains how his passion for space and astronomy inspired his charity work in West Africa. Esther features prominently in this discussion using the diamonds of Sierra Leone as a call to treasure the value of life from a cosmic perspective. 

Remember that our April fundraising campaign is still on! Esther's school is in danger of being closed due to a shortfall in rent! Help support this incredible initiative by clicking the link below

Help Save the Women in Action Development Project