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MYO
Ends 2004 on a High Note!
This year exceeded even our wildest expectations. We worked
with over 400 kids throughout the year, and provided dedicated
tennis lessons 3 times per week for 65 kids. Alta and Beverly
took the MYO kids to 4 tennis tournaments, many of them taking
their first trip out of the coastal region. It was magical
for us, to be able to have such wonderful support and participation
in our first year, and it has set the stage (and raised the
expectations) for 2005.
Even more important than our success on the tennis court,
is our progress in building infrastructure and back office
organization. In 2004, we assembled a truly world class board
from around the US and everyone flew in to Chicago for our
inaugural meeting. Designer Rosie Billingsley designed our
beautiful logo and Frank DeBonis designed and posted our website.
We incorporated and filed for IRS status as a charitable organization.
Jon Giuliani, Rose and Frank worked together with Tom Stader
and Nomadic Marketing to create our marketing brochures. Larry
Myres has set up our financial structure and established our
accounting practices; he is currently working with lawyers
and risk management personnel in Namibia to ensure we are
protected there. Jon Giuliani, in between trips to Sao Paulo,
Bombay, Amsterdam, Singapore, Shanghai and Sydney, is overseeing
our marketing and technology efforts as well as a host of
other areas.
MYO member Taiwin Garoeb (2nd
row left-in white sweater)
with family and friends outside his house in DRC
Tricia Johnson, an economics professor at Rush University
has joined the board to assist Bryan Moser with long term
planning. In Idaho, Shanna Kittell and her daughter Caleigh
have mobilized supporters and are spearheading an organic
fundraising movement. There are dozens of individuals involved
now in supporting MYO in a variety of ways and we are gaining
momentum. Part of the role of the board is to keep our ambitions
within grasp of our capability and for now we feel confident
that we are far from our limits in terms of our depth and
breadth of reach.
Looking
Forward…
2004 was a pilot year in all respects. While we had great
success this year, we were primarily focused on evaluating
our capabilities, establishing relationships with the schools
and families of Mondesa and DRC, and preparing ourselves for
our full program which will begin in January. 30 learners
from this year’s grade 4 will be joined by another 30
learners from grade 3 to remain in the program next year.
Each year, the kids will move up a grade and we will add another
30 kids in to grade 4 until we have grades from 4 to 12 enrolled.
The real news for 2005 is that in January we will begin the
academic component of our program. The core element of this
part of our agenda is 5 hours of facilitated study sessions
and tutoring each week, for every student in the program.
In addition, volunteer staff will teach specialized classes
of necessary life skills as well as providing individual mentoring
for the program participants. We consider this part of the
program absolutely critical to meeting the core objectives
of our charter and are excited to have the full program underway.
Children at their home in the
DRC
In addition
to our program of academic support and sports programs, we
have budgeted for no less than 4 overnight field trips. It
is very rare to find a native Namibian who has seen a lion,
or a leopard or an elephant. Even though they are raised in
this country of so many wild animals, only the tourists can
afford to go to the game reserves. We will take advantage
of the government’s Environmental Education Center at
Etosha, as well as other beautiful Namibian attractions, to
make sure that our kids are educated in ways beyond the classroom.
MYO Narrows in on Facilities
MYO has entered in to negotiations with the Rossing Foundation
to lease their facility through 2005. Ideally, if the location
proves suitable and we can come to agreement, we will look
to expand this contract into a long term lease. The long term
lease would allow us to build tennis courts and sport facilities
and establish a permanent home for MYO.
The facility in Tamariskia
we are negotiating to lease
The facility
is located on the border of Mondesa and Tamariskia and is
ideally suited to our needs. MYO would lease office space,
a large and small classroom, and storage space for our gear.
The facility is well maintained and is easily accessible from
all around the general area. There is a very large public
open space directly adjacent to the facility; if we are able
to arrange a long term lease, then we would apply to the city
for permission to build our tennis courts and sports facility
on the land open land.
PayPal
You can now donate using your Visa/MC or PayPal account just
by clicking on the link on the homepage
of our site. This is a great way to donate a set amount each
month.
Tricia Johnson
Dr. Tricia Johnson has joined the board of MYO where her considerable
experience, economics credentials, and strategic background
will help us document our long term plans. See the entire
board bio’s on the website at http://www.mondesayouth.org
Kitted out and tournament
bound
Nomadic
Marketing joins our extended team
Just as we really needed to find someone with serious graphics
skills and marketing expertise, and does not charge corporate
extortion rates, along comes Nomadic
Marketing. Philip McCrea from Vitesse
Learning turned us on to Tom Stader who founded Nomadic
Marketing in 2003. Nomadic Marketing has a global network
of volunteers—from Graphic Designers and Website Designers
to Copy Editors and Photographers—that want to offer
their talents to the world.
Through this network, Nomadic Marketing handpicks a project
team of volunteers that complement the client’s deliverables.
Each Project Team has a Project Leader to set deadlines, deliverables
and accountability.
All of this, Nomadic delivers to NGO’s at no charge.
Nomadic has already prepared a marketing brochure for MYO
as well as designing and formatting this newsletter. We will
soon engage them to help with formatting and professionally
branding our other materials, all of which we will distribute
globally via our website and make available in hard copy as
necessary.
Nomadic is a very important partnership to us and we feel
fortunate that they have taken us under their wing as we continue
to promote awareness and donations.
A Film In Our Future?
Perhaps, maybe, possibly – We are talking with a documentary
film director about a feature length (app. 75 minutes) documentary
of MYO. Funding and logistics are the opportunities for us
to demonstrate our creative problem-solving skills, but who
knows. Stay Tuned on this one. |
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December 2004 Newsletter
