A big thank you to our customers for their generous contribution so far!!
To date, Urbanbite has been able to donate to the project a total of £6984.85000000027, a sum made up of 22562 individual contributions. At a time when most of the other donors have been struggling with the difficult economic conditions, this money has come as a godsent to this community and its students:
http://mikembo.skynetblogs.be/post/7454442/merci-a-urbanbite--thanks-to-urbanbite. Urbanbite is pleased to be supporting a small charity project in the heart of the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). We searched for some time for a suitable beneficiary so that our customers and we can have the opportunity to share some of our good fortune with others less lucky than ourselves and to make a real difference rather than just a symbolic gesture. We came across this project and liked the simple fact that all those involved do so on a purely voluntary basis. There are no salaries and no expenses. Everyone pays their own way, and so all money raised goes directly to those who need it.
We at Urbanbite particularly wanted to make a connection with food, since this is what Urbanbite is about, and whilst we all enjoy a good meal served up by a restaurant, perhaps we could also help some others eat well too.
... and it doesn't take much to help people where the average wage is 1 euro per month! This is why we are acting as a conduit for individuals' generosity, enabling customers to make a small donation of 50 pence or £1.00 per order, purely at their discretion. We too will be contributing to this charity on a pro-quota of the money raised through these donations.
What it is
The project's initial objective was to create a school for the 320 children living in the town and surrounding areas. Without a school, there would be no hope for the future and life would simply be a question of day to day survival.
The successful creation of the school has changed the lives of everyone in the town. The children benefit from an education and a hot meal each day, teachers and local staff are earning a decent wage, and parents can earn a living. Education brings hope for a brighter future and a new sense of optimism within the community.
The primary aim was to address the problems of illiteracy, malnutrition and employment prospects. The scope soon expanded to provide an infrastructure for the whole town, including the school, water wells, and some basic local facilities. The Mikembo website details all the developments that have taken place so far and those still in the pipeline.
Today, this province has been lifted out of outright poverty thanks to the generosity of many people, and enjoys a positive outlook towards a brighter future. Here are some ideas on where each little contribution will be applied:
- 25p certainly pays for a whole month of school dinners for one child!
- £1 is the average monthly wage
- £100 is the price of a nutritious hot meal for one month for all the children
- £1,000 - £1,500 is the cost to build a water well (depending on depth)
This enables local irrigation and allows people to cultivate their own land instead of spending most of the day transporting water from a considerable distance.
- Each end of term, the children are treated to biscuits for a total cost of £6.
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The aim of this project is not to provide hand to mouth charity, but to ensure the self-reliance of the entire community in the future. It's about devolving control to up-standing leaders and ensuring the continuing prosperity of the people once the aid is no longer forthcoming. Once this has been achieved, the project will move on and try to do the same elsewhere.
We hope to be introducing other similar projects to Urbanbite customers, all based around the same principles, helping others to live just a little bit better, and making a contribution to our environment. We will be reporting to you on the amounts raised, and the actual developments.
Total Transparency
Transparency was the main criteria for us. We wanted to find a charity where even the smallest donation would reach the benefiaries. At the same time, we felt that we could provite the most efficient medium for raising money for a worthy cause. So this is how the money will get to make a difference:
1. We debit your card with the specified amount (25p to £1.50). There are no processing charges.
2. The money is accumulated until month's end. Administrators of the charity can view the value at any time.
3. We pay the complete sum at the end of the month to the Belgian bank account for Mikembo. Urbanbite pays for the transfer charges.
4. Mikembo transfers the funds to the holding account in the DRC. We are assured that the money is used only to buy food, and pay salaries of local teachers and school carers.
5. There are no expenses or additional costs since all Westerners do so on a voluntary basis and at their own expense.
Our contribution really matters:
As mentioned previously, we wanted to provide a connection with food. So the project's director has assured us that our funds will go primarily towards providing better food for the school. Food, kitchen staff, and cooking infrastructure will be funded specifically by our contribution. They want to use this contribution to improve the diet of the school, adding fruit and cereal which are harder to come by in that part of the world. Small amounts make big differences so we are confident that this will be an immensely rewarding action. Investing in nutrition and education will make real change to the future of the whole community.
Donating is easy, just place an order and then select the option of adding between 25p to £1.50, to your total. We like the idea of contributing in relation to our own eating habits, so whenever you are treating yourself, you can also share the benefit.
Urbanbite will contribute 20% on top of your donation.
Additional information:
For additional information, please feel free to contact the project's administrations and consult their website.
Mikembo website
The school project
info@mikembo.org
All photos and detailed descriptions can be viewed on the Mikembo website.
On behalf of project Mikembo, we would like to thank you for your interest and participation in this initiative.
The Urbanbite team. |
