Vision

Here are some thoughts from The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier and our project. Some very interesting things are in that book I highly recommend it to anyone that has a passion to help the poverty stricken people in this world.

• Administrative costs are not necessarily a bad thing in the nonprofit or NGO world. Collier says that many organizations are nibbling this cost on their bottom line because sooo many people donate to organizations with low administrative costs. Collier also says that this is not necessarily a good thing because what much of the Bottom Billion needs is people on the ground and high administrative tasks.
• Infrastructure...Collier talks about the need for infrastructure in contrast to other aid. He says that infrastructure is sorely lacking in the Bottom Billion and with a better infrastructure other things would be effected including but not limited to exports which is a very important statistic in bringing a country out of poverty.
• Transparency...With the corruption in these countries being so rampant and at many times and places accepted, Collier stresses the need for transparency and better bookkeeping.
• People, People, People...Collier talks about getting trained and educated people on the ground and working in these countries as it helps in so many areas. To me this validates what WTW has always stood for, getting our hands dirty! Picture our IV-Hopewell filled to capacity year round with international people...how do you think this will improve the Barut community?

So here are some thoughts about our project and how it relates to our project.

I think we need to be completely transparent with the costs and expectations of our project. As soon as the land is acquired (we need roughly $20,000 to purchase the 5 acres wanted) we need to set up a "project sign" on the site and post the project prints, what is being bought, for what price, when it will be done and everything that we know about this project should be on that board. It will be our way of communicating with the community around us. It will also show that transparency is expected and may encourage other entities to do the same.

Again once the land is acquired we will need to look at the labor needed to run the IV-Hopewell and the fair wages for the work that will be required. Next we will need to set up standards and a system of work for our workers that show how IV-Hopewell will be different from any place in the world. These would include but are not limited to: hygiene, language, services offered, etc. Next what we need to do is make the IV-Hopewell the absolute best place to work in the area. With fair wages already established their need to be "developmental perks" set up for our "community" of workers. Things that this may include but are not limited to: microloans, performance bonuses, catch you being good bonuses, leadership award, benefits for training others are your position, and possibly an award for getting a better job at another place other than IV-Hopewell to encourage a development into the community at large to improve the lifestyle and spread the Hopewell mission.

Let's go back to transparency for a minute...I would like to take that "project sign" and keep it up when the building is completed. Let's be transparent by posting the accounting numbers for IV-Hopewell as far as gross receipts, costs, and net income for each day, week, month, quarter, and year. In addition, lets post a number that shows our "account" hopefully in the positive and continuing to grow. So everyone will know that there is money accumulating in the account and the IV-Hopewell is being profitable. Than on the same sign we will have 3-5 next projects, either improvements of IV-Hopewell or other projects that will improve the community...a garden, vehicles, a commerce or trading area, school classrooms, etc. These projects will be carefully selected and a price will be set on each one...as the account gets close our "community" will vote where they want the money to go. In essence empowering them to make the decisions with the money that they are making at IV-Hopewell. This should create more jobs, help more people get trained, bring more money into the community, and so much more.

Here are some highly recommended books: The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier, Volunteer Vacations: Short Term Adventuresthat will benefit you and others, VolunteerL A Traveller's Guide to make a difference around the world

Tuesday, June 24th Board Meeting

On Tuesday we had a WTW Board meeting and three people were available and made it to the meeting: Joanne Franzene, Connie McChain, and Phill Klamm.

At the meeting we discussed a little about the book, The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier, and how his vision for helping poverty across the world matches with our project. I will do a post on the book at a later time.

We also talked about fundraising, throwing out ideas for reaching the large hotel companies such as Hilton, Hyatt, Ramada, and Best Western, talked about fundraising dinners at the Cactus Club, Rocky Rococo's, and Fin's. We also overwhelmingly agreed to develop an "in process" informational booklet to give to our fundraisers. We will be working on this on Thursday, June 26th at 1pm at the MECAS Alternative School in Milton, WI anyone available is invited to come.

God Bless
Phill

1st Trip/Kenya Project Meeting

Monday, June 16th 5:00pm @ W8059 Bay View Dr, Whitewater, WI

In attendance: Connie McChain, Joanne Franzene, Willie Myers, Sheri Myers, Paul Johnson, Bobbi Johnson, Jodie Klamm, and Phill Klamm

Topics covered (include but not limited to)

• Fundraising: Band Concerts and Food, Winter Golf Outing, Community Service Day, Time Share Sales, Fun Run and Walk, Personal, Group, and Corporate Sponsorships
• Project Costs and Purposes: Costs located on this blog, purposes can be found in Vitalices emails may include but not limited to: providing jobs, providing tourism services training, bringing electricity to the area, increasing water supply, increasing visibility of the area which may include government sponsored roads, increasing market options, providing low cost voluntourism options for international travelers, setting up a prototype for Wrestling the World International Villages elsewhere in the world ie. Sri Lanka, Dominican Republic, etc.
• Summer 2009 Trip Details: Mid June to early August travel window, possibility of multiple trips of anywhere from 10-17 days being orchestrated in that window.
• Next Meeting Time, Date, and Place: Wednesday, July 9th at 6:00pm @ W8059 Bay View Dr, Whitewater, WI
• Concerns: Government support, concerns about Government confiscating finished property, correct licensing and permits, management of finished property

Water/Well/Borehole

It is Vitalice again writing on behalf of the IV-Hopewell project team. We had asked and paid site visit fees to the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru Water department (who drilled our school borehole) to assess and produce for us a quote for drilling and equipping a borehole at the proposed global village. Their quote reached me today and I am sending it out straight away. We will also be doing a comparison with laying pipes and water pump from the school borehole to this village for comparison purposes. It is quite expensive drilling around here due to the poor/loose structure and few drilling companies which price this highly due to overwhelming demands.

God guide this important meeting at your house tomorrow. We not only consider it important but very crucial and critical for the future of Hopewell and our surrounding Barut community.

Quote 1 Borehole Drilling: 1,044,000 KES
Quote 2 Borehole Equiping: 625,400 KES

New Drawings

Email

How are you today? That blog spot looks great! Saw the latest update and it all feels like we are already off the ground on this exciting project. The star-looking centre of the main building will be the meeting/conference room on the first floor. It will be a hexagon and will still leave enough room on the balcony for a rest and taking of the view as one sips a drink in the African warm weather in summer.

The water harvesting component of the project will not be possible on this IV-Hopewell because we are using ‘makuti’…Kiswahili word for weaved palms for roofing. The solar panels can be fitted both to provide energy for heating (hot showers) as well as save on electricity bills.

Architects here normally charge a percentage of the total project costs and our man had quoted 4% but I know we can bargain till 3.5%. With 50% of the payment, he will do all the working drawings (with full details of dimensions, etc) and bring out a Bill of Quantities (which is a tedious and expensive undertaking, calculating up to the last nail that will be hammered in and determining its actual cost). This cost also includes the city’s permit/license. He can complete all the drawings in two weeks at the outside. We already paid him for the project site visit.

We will give a more detailed update tomorrow.

"The Hill"

Notice: "The Hill"
The hill behind the classroom buildings is where IV-Hopewell will be located. The newer classrooms we built is across the gate from here what would be just off the right of the picture. Imagine this land, high, close to Hopewell, great view...Vitalice is going to take and send more pictures of "The Hill" and send them to us in the near future. I found this picture on our website from our trip. Go to Album @ www.wrestlingtheworld.org to do some exploring of your own. You have to see it before you achieve it. I see it and believe it and I cannot wait...to go!

Email from Vitalice-Initial Drawings!

Hello Phill

The project team had a session with the architect working on the IV-Hopewell. We visited the site again and discussed the sketches I am attaching here below. We prefer something with an African touch, something traditional which will make any foreign visitor feel like he/she is in an African village. There will be a ground floor which will have the reception area/lounge; a small administrative office; an open kitchen; two living rooms-one will have a small bar which the other will be a TV/general resting area; cloakrooms. On the first floor, there will be a spacious conference room with all the sides/balconies serving as view points. Surrounding this superstructure will be several cottages of different sizes (I have attached a sample of three).Initially there will be eight cottages, spacious enough to serve as double rooms. Only the bathroom areas will be made of stones/concrete. The rest of the superstructure will be made of bamboo wood with huge oak trees (used here as telephone/electric posts) serving as pillars. The inside will be immaculately finished with block boards (like the finishing inside Gilanis restaurant where we took lunch after meeting Rotary officials when you visited).In summary, all building materials will be local ones we use save for the floors and the internal fittings.

There are two such ‘tourist camps’ in Nakuru-Flamingo Camp at the side entrance of Lake Nakuru National Park and Elementaita Camp. Both built in this simple manner. I asked how much they charge guests during peak tourist season and was just perplexed! Kshs. 10,000/= (US$207) a night at Elementaita and Kshs. 7000/=(US$121) a night for the Flamingo Camp.

We are meeting the architect and a quantity surveyor this coming Thursday and should make a decision if they should go ahead and develop the sketches into architectural plans and blue prints for approval by the city council. Even before the surveyor works on the detailed costs, they mutually agree that the entire building including furnishings (beds, furniture, etc) would reach about Kshs.4 million (US$68,966), this is inclusive of electrical connection/transformer to the site (supply line by Kenya Power & Lighting Company).

I still concur with you that the impact of this project will be instant and huge! It will immediately open this remote section of our city up and act as the catalyst for development. The surrounding two primary schools will be the first to benefit heavily from the electricity supply line brought that close. And if WTW’s fundraising efforts are blessed and get more successful, then new water well there will help serve the remaining members of this community with water. As a worthwhile return on investment, no doubt this is the finest I have seen in my lifetime. And you bet, the government will swiftly put up several amenities in this area……hence guaranteeing this community essential services they have lacked since time immemorial. I am imagining paved roads, an expanded trading centre at Barut and keener interest in this community. And you can guarantee….Kenya’s Minister for Tourism will be present for the Grand Opening.

I will take a picture of the grounds tomorrow for you. It is on the hill behind Hopewell….you can actually see it from some of your pictures of 2006.You stand atop that hill and you can see inside Lake Nakuru Park. Anyone with binocular in the cottages at the IV-Hopewell will be able to see all the feeding flamingoes from inside the rooms. The whole city stands below your feet from this point.

Got to stop now. I can write for hours on end. Look forward to hearing from you. Alice and James are still a little doubtful if this project is real.They were worried today when we stood on the land which we havent even acquired.I told them that if it is God's will,this project will be done.

Vitalice

Here is the view from the "front" or should I say the "side"? WOW! This is the main building or as Vitalice refers to it as the "superstructure". Is this gorgeous or what? Looks like a frint entrance on the left, a nice deck and just beautiful archetecture. If you can only now picture the hill behind it and all of Barut/Nakuru in front of it...

This is the ground floor of the "superstructure". It starts on the bottom of the picture with a circle drive on parking spots on the left and some beautiful trees in the flag plaza from the original drawing. The passage than leads right to the reception area where our host or hostess will be waiting to meet our guests. Following the drawing to the right will be the kitchen, dining room, restrooms, and two living areas with decks and it looks like steps going down to the ground. Does anyone know what the star like thing in the middle of the dining room is? Is it a bar? A fireplace? I am not sure...if you look at the next picture you will see the same thing appears on the first floor.

Next comes the first floor layout...you can see right away it matches with the ground floor...I know you are guessing why I didnt become an architect right? Honestly it took me a minute to realize that the lines drawn on this picture are the roofs from the ground floor. To me it looks like the first floor has multiple balconies, 2 toilets, that fire pit (?) from the ground floor, and something over the kitchen from the ground floor. I do like the idea of a fire pit...but I am excited to know more about the first floor layout drawing. The most important piece of the first floor is the large conference room!

Now we can look at the individual cottages, initially Vitalice says there will be 8 cottages of differing sizes done in an African village style. Is there anything else to say about this picture other than, "Um, SWEET!" I mean seriously look at this cottage absolutely AWESOME.

Here is an example of the inside of a cottage. This looks like a double room sweet with 2 separate bedrooms and 2 separate bathrooms for a total of 8 possible people to stay. I also really like the fact that while these will be in the proximity of the "superstructure" they will not necessarily be attached for some nice added privacy.

Here is another look at a different cottage style. On the top part of the drawing you will notice a covered living area without walls...and the sleeping area is covered with a window and a watertank above the bathroom. Now on the second drawing you can see the beds, a small sitting area, and the bathroom with all the amenities an American could want including a shower, sink, and toilet! Is anyone getting the travel bug yet?

DECISIONS...Decisions...decisions

Here are some thoughts I have had as of late about putting this together.

• We have a price quote on land, just under $4000/acre. There are 5 acres that are in close proximity to Hopewell and a nice and safe positioning for a guest house. Total cost than just for land is just under $20,000 USD. 5 acres, assuming it is a square piece of land...however that is very unlikely...but for this case lets go with a square piece of land that is 466.7' on all four sides. Our drawing with fences is 120' x 140'. That leaves a lot of extra space for growth.
• Here is a question out there for you: What makes a quality community? When we bring more clean water to this area of Barut will more people come? What if we brought more jobs would more people come? What if we brought high quality and reasonably priced food would more people come? When we use the money to invest in the area by adding more clean water, more food, more jobs, micro-loans, etc...will people trust more than they question? As we add jobs, improve the community, and the Hopewellian students are investing their time to learn these skills and taking these job skills, experiences, and work ethics to other parts of the country/world? What about education? With an increase in international visitors...how fast can the Hopewell school infrastructure grow? Can we get a full school building with a school farm, computer labs with internet, Jr Academy with age appropriate toys, games, and experiences, a technical school for high school graduates that are not going university where students can learn trade skills, a high school job program to help students pull their families out of poverty while learning life skills?
• How do we pull in more international travelers with an emphasis on charity and volunteering while highlighting the natural beauties of the Kenyan lands and the Kenyan people? This week I will be making a list of travel magazines, websites, and blogs. In addition to this we are going to need to find a huge group of travelers for this coming summer...wouldnt it be sweet to see IV-Hopewell open up and be booked for the entire months of June and July and parts of August? Lets say 100 people stay at IV-Hopewell during the first few months. Now take those 100 and their positive experiences and multiply it...what can happen next?
• My vision still is to have International Villages across the world. People can rest assured their money from their stay supports locals through jobs, charity, infrastructure, and promoting more international exposure...all while saving money from traditional hotel stays and tour brookers. How about the beach in Unawatuna Sri Lanka? Ravished by civil war, tsunami, and poverty...the people of Sri Lanka are amazing. Can you see it WTW's IV-Unawatuna.

Dear friends...we can do this...think big, pull it all together and lets change the world!

Dream Stock

Here is an example of what a "dream stock" might look like. I am figuring something around 11x17 that would like sweet in a frame. I have no art talent...but quickly laid something out for people to look at. Let me know what you think.

What would the "Trip" look like?

With our email list growing I have been fielding some questions in regards to traveling to Africa in the Summer of 2009. While I currently have...um...yes...I have exactly 0...zero answers; I can add some insight with experience from our previous trips.

Caveat: This is all speculation and I cannot make any promises in this regard, this is meant to be a dream building process to get people thinking about challenging their comfort zones to make a difference in another part of the world!



What would we do?

• Fly to Nairobi


• Travel the "one of a kind" African roads


• Game Drive (I highly recommend Masai Mara) Note: Picture to the right is of Shelley and Joanne at Masai Mara on the Kenyan/Tanzanian border.


• Visit and volunteer at Hopewell Jr. Academy. Note: Picture on the left is a picture of the Hopewell Jr Academy...think pre-school.
• Eat lots of interesting food!
• Meet lots of great people!
• Celebrate the grand opening of WTW's International Village-Hopewell, and hopefully be the first guests during our stay.

How long would we stay?

• Probably anywhere from 10-17 days; remember travel to and from takes a "few" hours :)!
• There is at least one person who is considering staying a longer time ie. from Mid-June through the end of July/early August.

What would we need to do to make this happen for ourselves?

• First, you have to have a dream and align this with your priorities. Most people never make a decision to go...you are elite!
• Next, make a decision, make a commitment, and just do it!
• Passport...if you don't have a valid passport you will need one...head over to the Post Office today and get an application...what's it going to hurt?
• Shots! Close your eyes, grin, and bear it! Really, they are not that bad. Everyone will need to call the travel clinic and schedule the shots they need to travel safely.
• Money...everyone knew this is coming...and for those couples out there, get out your calculators because you will need to do some multiplying. Some guesses would be about $2000 for airfare and probably another $1000 for everything else. Now this is just a guess...so please don't hold me to it. These costs may rise and they may fall depending on everything that is going on.
• Participate...get active! You know, read your email, check the blog, comment on it...attend fundraisers, take some responsibility, etc. You can do it!

That's all I can do for now...Ill post more later.

Operation Clean City-Message from Vitalice 6-2-08

Hello Phill

I hope you are doing well. I printed out the sketch plan of the IV-Hopewell from your blog site and now the whole picture is crystal clear in our mind. The local project team is as good as made up and has Alice and James, both former Hopewellians and myself. James is already setting an appointment for the project team to discus land acquisition with two potential land owners. They own parcels of land next to the hill behind Hopewell and those two parcels provide a spectacular view of the entire city with Lake Nakuru and its Flamingoes providing the extra scenic beauty. Alice is out gathering info on the basic essentials of a guest house right from the kitchen equipment, guest rooms and conference facilities. Vitalis has a session with an architect tomorrow afternoon to share this drawing and get the insight into legislation pertaining to the building of such a structure in Kenya. The project team gets together again this Thursday to compare notes and possibly come up with an approximate project budget.

That’s what we have been up to. I am also attaching a write-up of the Clean City project fro your perusal. An additional project proposal that may be combined to meet the water needs of the IV-Hopewell(combined water harvesting and possible borehole)…..this is the one Steve is spearheading and can be made to comfortably fit the two sites.

We would wish to know roughly the approximate land acreage you have in mind and if you already have an approximate working figure in mind.

Be blessed.

Vitalice

Clean City Attachment

Nakuru Town Clean-Up Project: Reclaiming the lost glory of the once ‘Cleanest Town in East Africa”.
Project Summary

Sustainable Development Forum (SDeF-K) was created to help achieve locally, the Millennium Development Goals. This clean-up project incorporates two of the Millennium goals, partnership development and environmental conservation, and follow just a month after SDeF-K launched a successful Sanitary Towel Project that will help keep 1200 needy girls in 25 schools for the next one year without any break occasioned by their biological clock. The project is proposed for July 2008 and five thousand participants(residents, students from schools and colleges, business community and humanitarian service organizations in Nakuru including Rotary Club of Nakuru and Lions Club).SDeF-K is requesting Safaricom Foundation to kindly support this project through a donation of Kshs.500, 000/= and Safaricom T-shirts for the participants. SDeF-K strongly believes that this project will generate a huge national impact whose outcomes will be demonstrated in other towns across the country.

Funding. Where from?

SDeF-K is seeking approximately Kshs. 1,000,000(US$17,000) in funding from various development agencies which have a commitment to community service. We are looking for partners who will not only consider their support for this project as an additional feather in their CSR,but those that will in addition enjoy in this the project’s guaranteed high benefit impacts that is sure to be replicated in other towns and cities across Kenya.

The Problem

Mounds of solid wastes continue being an eyesore in the 21 residential estates of Nakuru town as well as the town centre itself. Papers, plastics, broken bottles and other forms of solid wastes provide breeding ground for disease vectors as well as being unsightly! In spite of there being in place legislation against open dumping and littering, both the residents and Municipal authority have either by omission or commission contributed to this massive pollution in the once acclaimed “Cleanest Town in East Africa”.

The town’s 21 residential estates with a combined night population of one million and day population of 700,000 residents absolutely overwhelm the Municipal’s Environmental and Sanitation department which is responsible for ensuring garbage disposal as well as spearheading environmental education. The said department, charged with the critical function of environmental hygiene and sanitation, is manned by a thin staff of 30 persons. The department depends on a fleet of 2 refuse collection trucks to manage the over 50,000 tones of waste generated weekly by the town.

Compounding the environmental pollution in this 4th largest city in Kenya is the lack of an efficient garbage disposal system and uncoordinated town clean-up efforts. Nakuru lacks a landfill and an incinerator and all solid wastes end at the Gyoto Open Dumpsite. This ‘cheap’ option is already a health and security hazard to the residents of London Estate, one of the biggest estates in Nakuru in which the dumpsite is located. Several community-based groups occasionally engage in clean-up exercises but their efforts have failed to show and leave a lasting solution to this problem.

SDeF’s Proposed Solution
SDeF proposes a 3-pronged approach to reclaiming Nakuru’s lost glory as the cleanest city in the region as follows:
· Launch an intensive 2-day clean-up exercise of Nakuru town which will serve to generate awareness to residents and stakeholders. The City Mayor, high profile personalities and other participating officers from the Environment Ministry and Ministry of Public Health & Sanitation, possibly the Minister for Environment, will use the launch to give this project the impetus and momentum to move forward.
· The same clean-up activity will be the launch pad for a comprehensive environmental education program to be conducted in schools, institutions, residential estates and the market places. Increased education in personal and environmental hygiene will help sustain a cleaner city.
· Stakeholders brought together in this clean-up exercise will be roped in to help enhance the capacity of the Municipal Council of Nakuru in the collection and proper disposal of garbage. This is a long-term effort which will lead to a well-equipped and informed department at the council and better waste management practices.

SDeF’s Capabilities
Though a young non-governmental organization, SDeF-K has over the last one year established itself as a result-oriented and community-needs’ sensitive group. Its activities are directed by a team of four persons who double up as Rotarians and have internalized the Rotary motto of ‘service above self’ in their various businesses and vocations.
SDeF mobilized financial resources last March and in collaboration with development conscious friends and partners in Wisconsin, USA, the Rotary Club of Walworth-Fontana in the USA and Nakuru Rotary initiated a successful Sanitary Towel Project which supplied sanitary products and garments to 1250 needy girls spread across 22 schools and centres in four school districts around Nakuru.
SDeF was also the lead agency that established Early Childhood Education (ECD) centres/nursery schools in the camps for the Internally Displaced Persons at Afraha and ASK Showground after the post-election violence that hit Kenya early this year. SDeF established a Management Board that now oversees the teaching, learning and protection needs of the 700 children in the two ECD schools in the internal refugee camps. The board, chaired by SDeF’s Vitalice, has representatives of all the agencies dealing with children issues and includes UNICEF, Save the Children Fund-UK, BetterWorld-Canada, Rotary International, Child Welfare Society of Kenya; ASK Nakuru Branch and the Red Cross.
SDeF-K mobilized an initial Kshs.100, 000/= from wishers (Doshi Group of Companies locally and the Hanford Rotary Club in California, USA) to initiate a feeding (lunch program) for the children. The said funds have procured foodstuffs to last the children one month.
The project team is a mix of two educational administrators who will easily work on mobilizing both primary and high school students as well as university students and staff in the clean-up exercise; an incoming Rotary Club president whose efforts will bring in participation of the Nakuru business community and a veteran chemist/environmentalist, now serving as the technical director of a mineral water bottling company in Nakuru, whose public relations’ efforts brought four ambassadors, Kenya’s director of medical services and chair of the Kenya Human Rights Foundation to visit Nakuru as guest speakers at the Rotary functions. His talent will be utilized to publicize this project as credible and urgent.

Project Budget

The project budget includes:
Cleaning materials
Administrative costs
Environmental education

Direct Costs (Cleaning Materials):
1. Wheelbarrow
2. Rakes
3. Brooms(Long-handled)
4. Slashers
5. Gloves
6. Mouth/nose guards
7. Hoes(Jembes)
8. Dustbin liners/refuse bags
9. Bibs/T-shirts

Administrative Costs:
Include costs incurred in publicizing the clean up exercise (posters, flyers), costs of coordinating various project activities, transport costs during implementation (delivery of cleaning items & supervisory), telephone services, sending out invitations, arranging for podium/tent for official function. This will constitute 10% of direct costs..

Environmental Education:
Includes costs of enhancing the capacity of group leaders in environmental education (training of leaders’ of school environmental clubs, leaders of out-of institutions groups) and general community education through drama/theatre as well as film shows on personal and environmental hygiene.

Fundraising

Fundraising…The Big Question?

Here are some thoughts on Fundraising…as many of us know fundraising for anything is often tedious and a lot of work. In my mind that is why we need to follow the rule of SIBKIS (See it Big Keep it Simple).

Large amounts of fundraising dollars are a challenge to get as people will initially get excited and than the excitement will fade. At WTW we have been very blessed by some partnerships and large dollar donors who have always helped us to “get over the top”…while we can pray these can continue to be there, in my mind we should plan as if they are not coming and than be pleasantly surprised when they do.

ONE BIG WEEKEND!
After a fantastic weekend with the McChain and Roselle families over the Memorial Day Weekend at a fun little festival in a tiny little town called Boltonville…I believe I may have the start to our fundraising questions. What I would like to do is get a couple of bands…hint…hint…anyone who knows a band or DJ start schmoozing! There are a few bands who have told us they would help in the past: Goodtime Dutchmen (sweet polka), Copperbox (sweet ecletic polka mix…wait till you see this group live), and I am sure we can locate some others…I have a friend that is playing in an up and coming country band. I say we tour with these bands for the weekend. Find 3 areas that are WTW friendly areas (Walworth/Fontana? Whitewater? Waunakee? West Bend? Kewaskum? Burlington? Edgerton? Milton?) set up for a night and just do it…Think food, music, 50/50 raffle and more. Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday afternoon

The Next Step…
Obviously we all need to sit down and finalize this process…but I believe that we roll out this at the ONE BIG WEEKEND celebration. I havn’t figured it out yet…but how about selling “Dream Stock”? What we are building is WTW’s first International Village a place where anyone in the world can go and stay…think charitable timeshare! Each stock would be numbered 1-1000 as there will only be 1000 stocks. We could have them done up really nice and totally frameable with a picture of preliminary drawing and a spot to put a picture of the final completed project. Obviously the stock would have to be “not legal tender” and have “no monetary value” however we can make the stock worth a week at IV-Hopewell…and maybe that would encourage our “stockholders” to make a trip and plan it. I know 1000 is a lot of stocks…but what if we made each stock worth $100 and got out there to our friends and family, media outlets, at the ONE BIG WEEKEND celebration, etc.

With these two steps completed…we should be far on our way having purchased our land and possibly more. I am hoping by this point we are at least 50% funded with the ONE BIG WEEKEND celebration and the stock sale. Which than sets off what I will call…THE FINAL PUSH!

THE FINAL PUSH…
The final push would be a timed and carefully orchestrated plan of media attack. With members of our group slotted at different Rotarys, Kiwanis, Lions Clubs, Churches, Schools, and other Community organizations…with the right media mix of hometown newspapers, large city newspapers, tv, radio, and more. We would promote group partnerships and sponsorships of our project. We would also continue to promote the stock sale to individuals and promote the final news conference and banquet. (Another fundraiser…but we would do it with an international phonecall from our partners on the ground at IV-Hopewell and include video footage and pictures of the work in progress. This would than be capped off with the projected outlook of the people we are going to help by doing this either by jobs, with water, increased tourism, etc. Also at THE FINAL PUSH would be details of our CLEAN CITY campaign that we will be doing while on the ground at Hopewell and our advertising push to get international visitors to stay in our IV-Hopewell.

Thoughts?

Details-Labor

Labor: Obviously we will need people to work at the IV-Hopewell to keep things fresh and running. I will guess at some positions and someone from Kenya can give me an idea of what each of these positions should get paid to do this work.

Manager-This person must be trained first in people skills and secondly in all things hospitality. While this is by no means intended to be a posh experience, we do want everyone to enjoy their stay. This person would oversee all areas including but not limited to: cooks, waitstaff, housekeepers, security guards, drivers, and groundskeepers. Must be very honest with everyone from WTW Board of Directors to his/her staff, to guests.

*Note: depending on the number of guests, vacancy, and more these duties can be and should be combined to save on money...however it is also important to note that having jobs and paying salaries is beneficial to the community as well.

Cooks- How many cooks are needed to cook for 0-40 people? How much does a cook get paid?

Waitstaff- Can be easily combined with other duties. Key is to be clean, friendly, smile, and be willing and able to serve.

Housekeepers- Would need to do the very important job of keeping the entire place clean from the dining room, bedrooms, bathrooms, great room, everything inside!

Security guards- 24/7 Security...

Driver(s)- While I think this is down the road...it is important to get a cost for two vehicles that are able to take on the Barut roads...one smaller and one larger...maybe even a matatu? Also, what kind of schooling does a driver need to complete? I remember Charles talking about his education...are there Hopewell students wanting a job like this? What does a driver get for pay?

Groundskeepers- Their main job would be to keep the grounds and outside areas of the village clean and in good repair. Possibly someone with mechanical expertise if we do consider getting a vehicle or vehicles.

Building Details

Details!

Building- Strong and safe, doesn't need to be fancy, one window and door per room. Rooms should open into hallway and not outside. Floors need to be solid! One of the things I remember from seeing some of the older classrooms at Hopewell was the cement floors falling apart within I think it was only 2 years! A floor covering such as tiling should be examined. Rooms can be semi private with walls not reaching the ceilings if that saves money. It would be best if done with Barut/Hopewell labor.

Furniture- Best if quality built by Barut/Hopewell labor. Need costs for single beds and bunk beds for rooms. Possibly a dresser or two in each room depending on cost and quality. Bed mattresses, I am unsure what is available...does not need to be fancy DOES need to be able to be kept clean. No bed bugs! I got those in Sri Lanka...and was miserable!

Bathroom- Function is most important, followed by eco/green technology. Does not have to be Western Standards...only acceptable and have the ability to be kept very clean and free from smell.

Kitchen- I have no idea what a Kenyan kitchen looks like...none! Obviously nothing fancy...would be great be able to make the traditional dishes, like Greens, Ugali, smoked meat such as Noma Choma, Tea, etc. Must also include storage for dry goods, bottled water, and ... I am going to need some help here from my Kenyan friends.

Dining Area- Dining tables and chairs for 40? Does that sound like a good number?

Great room- Chairs, couches, tables, etc

Eco/Green- Costs need to be figured on the following: a new well, clean water filtration, water harvesting program, bio gas for cooking/heat, solar energy for electricity.

Transportation- It would be wonderful...but definitely not a first step...to get a touring van and a smaller car for transportation.

Linens- Most international travelers bring their own linens to sleep with, however sheets, towels for showering, table cloths, and cloth napkins for eating may be worth investing in.

IV-Hopewell 5-29-08 Email

We have global communication rolling! I have received emails from Vitalice and from Alice so our connection is good and now comes the fun part: picking a project! You can read Vitalice's reply here about his project "Clean City" and about his response to the scanned project phillklamm.blogspot.com WTW's International Village-Hopewell.

Vision/Dreambuilding-Picture a constant flow of international visitors, think of the money that comes in, think of the connections that are made, think of the global synergy that would happen at Hopewell/Barut/Nakuru/Kenya/World etc. Think of the job skills that could be learned and improved at the IV-Hopewell and students could transition to other places around Kenya...think Nairobi, Mombasa, etc.

Now take the learning experiences we have with IV-Hopewell and transition that to IV-South America (Brazil?), IV-SE ASIA, IV-Eastern Europe, etc. Can you imagine a network of WTW IV's around the world where visitors could travel to and have real experiences while helping the local areas?

I love the "Clean City" proposal...cant wait to see more details!

What if? What if we did a new well for IV-Hopewell with water purification, supplemented the water supply with rain water harvesting from the roof, used solar energy, bio-gas, and was able to set up a completely "green" location to stay at? Add this with local food such as Noma Choma, Kale, Ugali, etc

One more thing and than Ill hit send...I promise! What if we were able to nail this down soon, start the fundraising process get our group solidified and was able to cut the ribbon on this deal next June...completed by June...we could stay there...train staff, plant trees, work on "Clean City" initiative, set standards for visitors, take pictures and videos to promote it...can you see us sitting in the courtyard of our new IV-Hopewell having a fire, enjoying Noma Choma, and writing personal letters to celebrities, travel magazines, journalists, friends, and family...would this be after collecting tons of garbage off the streets? Getting home from Masai Mara Game Drive and seeing the "Big 5"? How about after sitting down with some of the village elders and praising them for their leadership? Or visiting the children in the village and playing soccer, handing out books, and sitting down together with some sweets? What is it for you?

You are not normal...you are far from ordinary...what makes you want to do this? How do you see this in your head? How will this change the rest of your life? What will be the story you tell the most when you come back and talk to the people who found excuses not to go? What picture will you show your grandchildren or nieces and nephews when they ask you how you started this global village?

I believe in you...you can do this!

Vitalice's reply:
Thanks for that swift response. And Alice came over to see me yester evening with this grand idea of a project proposed from your end. That is a sure blockbuster of a project! I don’t know why nobody else has ever thought of a project like that! Centres around Hopewell, involving the entire Barut community and basically serving as the nucleus for economic development of this underdeveloped section of Nakuru. The idea is cool, viable and doable. The scan of the diagram you sent Alice didn’t print out ok but I get the general idea. I asked Alice to spare time this coming Saturday so that together with James, another graduate of Hopewell who serves as a project assistant in school and Nelly or Rashid and brainstorm further on this. I believe after that session, we could provide you with an approximate financial outlook of this project.

Yes, the dorm is located 20 meters from the borehole along the fence. It is those two tin classrooms adjoining the library that we pulled down and replaced with a large hall portioned into two to serve as a girls’ dorm. We currently have 135 girls boarding. The rest will come in slowly as space is created by provision of beds.

The environmental project I was proposing is not the one sent to Steve. This will be somewhat an education campaign but with a major one-day town clean-up operation to launch the ‘Clean City” campaign. We expect the momentum to build slowly as we get schools involved, colleges, businesses and other organizations. Funds will be needed in mobilizing cleaning equipment, advertisements and general administrative expenses in coordinating the whole exercise expected to have 5000 participants in the 18 residential estates of Nakuru. I will still send you this project proposal but it definitely doesn’t come any closer to the one you hatched already.

WTW's International Village-Hopewell

Here are some initial drawings of an idea for a project for the WTW Summer 2009 Africa trip.

You can see one is done completely by hand and the other has been modified in photoshop.

While this is a completely new idea and one that needs to be researched extensively. There are some uique thoughts on why this would be a good idea.

To build a "green" International Village (IV) in the area of Hopewell in Barut, Nakuru, Kenya would cost a lot. To justify this cost for this project in an area where there is limited water, very limited clean water, substandard sanitation in regards to both human excrement and garbage, lack of food, lack of free education, and more; the positives of this project would need to be clear and substantial.

To create a 10 bedroom, 2 shared bathroom, 1 large kitchen, 1 large dining room, and a Great Room, with fenced in security, a secured gate, parking, a courtyard, and a flag plaza is going to cost a lot of money...we shall see what the total is later.

Lets first look at uses. First and foremost in my mind is the international traveler looking to get a "real" view at Africa. An international traveler would be able to stay at the IV-Hopewell for much cheaper than the local hotels. Agreed, the accomodations will not be as nice, however, it will offer a better chance at getting to know the locals, eating the local cuisine, and putting the extra funds towards the development of the Hopewell Community (Hopewell HS, Hopewell Technical College, Hopewell Jr Academy, & Barut Primary). Other uses could be to highlight the area with a local Rotary luncheon, meetings such as community get togethers, awards banquets and much more.

Now lets look at employment. A fulltime manager, a driver, cooks, security guards, housekeeping, and possibly more. These people would be trained and be top notch in serving the needs of their guests. Also, it would be great experience for Hopewell HS students to be trained in these areas to be placed in other parts of the country in the tourism industry.

Eco/Green. Rainwater harvesting and solar energy would be a must to promote the best way to use the earth's resources in a sustainable way. In addition, approved pit toilets and showers would be used to minimize the effect of the environment.

Parking would be allowed for up to 6 vehicles. It would be awesome if the IV-Hopewell had a smaller vehicle and a large touring vehicle for guests to use with IV-Hopewell's own driver(s) that have been trained after graduating from Hopewell HS. It would make this a very attractive spot for international travelers if there were drivers and vehicles for nominal travel in town and for game drives at Nakuru National Park and Masai Mara.

It would be great to surround the IV-Hopewell with a nursery. I know there has been some talk of this at Hopewell for a long time. If you take the dimensions from the picture in this post and place young trees on 40' of each side of the secured gate...lets say 10' deep all the way around leaving only the secured gate without trees in front of it.

With the IV-Hopewell, the main idea is to keep fundraising internationally while building connections to other large groups from around the world. If you look at what happened in one instance starting with Darleen and Johnny and HOPE INC out of California, than to Matt Werner and Wrestling the World in Wisconsin, than to Steve and Pat Werner, Walworth/Fontana Rotary and more, than to SOAR-Kenya and Don and Mary Hoffman. It is amazing what has been done and what continues to be done at Hopewell. What if we entice people to come and stay, meet new people, and help, by offering them a clean, safe place to stay for a fraction of the cost of a hotel...knowing all the money earned pays the staff and works toward the next project. Which brings me to...the next project.

The next project would be a IV-Hopewell initiative where there would be a place in the Great Hall promoting what the money has already built, is currently being used for, and will be used for in the future. Always following the rule of SIBKIS "See it Big Keep it Simple"

Some possible projects include:more classrooms for Hopewell HS, classrooms for Hopewell Tech, another clean water well station placed in Barut, micro-loans, etc.