Books for Children

Dear Readers,

I'm sorry I haven't written lately. I don't really have any excuse but to say that things that others might find interesting have just become normal to me and therefore I have fallen off the bandwagon of blogging regularly. I'll try to be better about it. I'm in my second year of service now (8 months left!). I do have many new experiences to share with everyone but I'm sorry, right now I'm short for time. I'm writing this entry to ask those back home for your support. I'm just going to cut to the chase and fill y'all in.

The literacy rate in Mozambique is 50%. One in two people cannot read or write. Mozambique is also very affected by HIV/AIDS. About one in five people is living with the disease. Both of these stats include children. Also, there happens to be an orphanage near me in my community. Mozambique's national language is Portuguese. Few countries in the world share it as a national language, about less than five and the majority of those are underdeveloped countries as well. So, books in Portuguese are hard to come by, including children's books. That leads me to explain...

There is an organization called Livros Para Criancas aka Books For Children. They are an organization willing to provide children's books in Portuguese, they just need funding to ship the books to Moz. Some of the books that will be sent include books that teach healthy livestyle practices. The organization will also provide a book case and a training for the orphanage staff on how to care for the books and also how to facilitate children's reading groups. This is to ensure the sustainability of the project.

So, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I have the opportunity to write a grant to make this happen. Through Peace Corps, I can write a Peace Corps Partnership grant, where people back home can donate money for the project funds. The cost of the project is $3,000 USD. However, part of this particular grant requires that the community being benefitted contributes a certain amount. So, the community is to donate $750 and $2,250 from outside donors.

This is one of my goals before my time is up in November. After I submit the grant application, the project will be posted online where people can go to submit donations.

OK so I will be honest, I have been putting off this grant for about a month now because it's kind of complicated, I can't open the application on my computer so I have to come to an internet cafe, and I've been busy with a few other work things lately. Anyways, no more excuses. I'm telling the world about this for 2 reasons:

1. Encourage me to get this grant done. It's really important to me but it's getting harder to complete. I am publicly announcing this because now I have said I'm going to do something, so I have to do it.

2. The grant asks for contact information for donors. Even though the project will eventually be online for everyone to donate money to, it asks for contact info in order to mail the project info directly to donors. Donors can be businesses, organizations, churches or individuals. You can e-mail me this information if you'd like.

That's what's up, everyone! Here's some more information I copy/pasted from Peace Corps FAQ's sheet about donating money to PC projects.

I miss you all and love you all back home soooo much. I thank you all for the support you've given me and I thank you all for continuing your support. I am forever grateful!

XOXO,

MAL

FAQ’S


Is my donation to the Peace Corps tax-deductible?
Yes. All gifts or bequests to the Peace Corps are gifts to the United States for exclusively public purposes within the meaning of section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code and are deductible as charitable contributions under section 170(a) of the Code. Once the donation has been processed a thank you letter will be sent, which can be used as a tax receipt. The name on the tax receipt will reflect the account owner on the credit card or check.
Back to top
Will I get a receipt to use for my taxes?
Yes. You will receive an official thank you letter, stating the amount you donated, which can be used as a receipt for tax purposes.
Back to top
How much of my donation will go to a Volunteer Project?
Every penny! Your entire donation to the Partnership Program will be directed to a Volunteer project. No part of your donation will be used to cover staff or overhead costs of running the Partnership Program, as the office is supported by congressionally appropriated funds to the Peace Corps.
Back to top
Why isn't the project showing up when I search for it?
There are a couple reasons a project may not be online. In most cases, when a project is no longer online, it has been fully funded. Occasionally, projects have not yet been received by the Partnership Program and are not yet online. In rare cases, the system may be undergoing maintenance, and as a result some projects may not show up. Please check the website the next day to see if the project is online. If it is not there or if you need any additional information call our office (1-800-424-8580 x2170) or e-mail (pcpp@peacecorps.gov) and a staff member would be glad to confirm the status of the project.
Back to top
I would like to search for a specific project. How do I do that?
If you have received a letter or e-mail about donating and you have the Volunteer's name and/or project number, use the search to:
Enter only the Volunteer's last name.
-or-
Enter the project number. Make sure to add the hyphen: 555-555 (example)
-or-
Search by the Volunteer's country of service.
If the project does not show up - most likely it has already been fully funded. In rare cases, the system may be undergoing maintenance, and as a result a project will not show up. Please check the website the next day to see if the project is online. If you would like verification or any additional information, please call our office at 1-800-424-8580 x2170 or e-mail at pcpp@peacecorps.gov and a staff member would be glad to confirm the status of the project.
Back to top
My child/friend/relative has a project that was funded. Why haven't they received their money yet?
After a project has been fully funded, Partnership Program staff work with the Peace Corps Budget Office to obligate the funds. Once this is complete, funds must be transferred to the Volunteer by check or Electronic Funds Transfer. The whole process may take between two weeks to one month for money to be received by a Volunteer.
Back to top
I just donated, but the website didn't update the amount raised. Why?
The Partnership Program uses Pay.gov to securely process donations. Once a donation has been entered on-line, it can take up to three business days before it will be reflected on the website.
Back to top
I donated to a project and would like to know the results. How can I find out more?
If you donated to a Volunteer project, you may request a copy of the Final Report submitted by the Volunteer once the project is completed. Send an e-mail to pcpp@peacecorps.gov with your name, address, the Volunteer's name, and the project number that you donated to and we will provide you with further information. Or, you may give us a call at 1-800-424-8580 x2170 and a staff member would be happy to take your information.
Back to top
I would like to donate, but I don't live in the United States. How can I donate?
Yes, you may donate if you are outside of the United States. When you decide what project, Special Fund, or Country Fund that you would like to donate to, you will be asked to provide your contact information. Unfortunately, it will ask you to provide a State (in the United States). If you do not fill in a State, the website will not allow you to continue donating. In this case, we ask that you fill in any State, to allow the donation to continue. Once you have been transferred to the Pay.gov site, you will be allowed to update your contact information.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Pay.gov website only accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and Diner's Club cards.
Back to top
I don't want to donate online - how else can I donate?
Although donating on-line is the fastest way for Volunteer projects to get funded, you may also donate by mail or over the phone:
Send a check to:
Peace Corps Headquarters
Office of Private Sector Initiatives
1111 20th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20526
Please make check payable to Peace Corps Partnership Program
Please also note the project number, Special Fund name, or Country Fund name in the memo section of the check.
(Please print and mail this donation form with your check, so we may contact you with information regarding your donation, if necessary.)
-or-
Call the office and we can take credit card information over the phone (1-800-424-8580 x2170)
Back to top
I'd like to make a donation in honor of/in memory of someone. Is that possible?
Yes. If you are donating on-line, please enter this information in the "comments" box. You will receive a thank you letter for your donation. However, if you would like us to send a letter to the person (or family of the person) that you are honoring, please include their name and address in the "comments" box as well. Or if you are going to mail a check you may fill in this information on the donation form. Of course, you may also give us this information over the phone (1-800-424-8580 x2170).
Back to top
What happens if a project receives more than the requested amount?
We are only able to fund a project up to the amount that a Volunteer requests. Once a project becomes fully funded, any extra funds will be allocated to the Global Fund where they will be used to support Partnership Program projects Worldwide.