World Toilet Day - November 19

I know that it is not common to talk about our personal hygeniene methods and toilet talk but on World Toilet Day - it's quite OK. Did you know that their are 2.6 billion people worldwide who do not have a toilet and 1.2 billion who defecate outside. Not only is it unhygenic but it can also lead to the spread of serious disease. And have you ever had to squat over a whole in the ground to perform you daily functions. I can attest to the fact that it is not the most pleasant experience, especially when you have bad knees as I do.

And imagine those living in the meg-slums in our world - in Kibera and Mathare slums in Nairobi or the slums of India and Brazil. Here there are only a few public bathrooms. Sewage runs in ditches throughout the slums. Imagine the fear of women who have to use public facilities only to be raped on the way to and from the toilets. Even when our HIV positive friends tell their rapists they are HIV positive, the men don't really care and rape anyway. So instead, some of the women must perform their duties in their one room shacks in front of their grown children - imagine the loss of dignity these women experience. And not to mention getting hit by a flying toilet - a most disgusting event. When people do their business indoors, they bag their feces in plastic bags and hurl them out their doors. Unsuspecting individuals walking by can be hit by these "flying toilets" which often break open covering the person hit.

In Wongonyi Village, Kenya most of the homes do not have bathrooms or if they do they are not in good condition, much like the original pit latrine at the Mdawida home in the top photo. After having attended a Water and Sanitation Workshop (led by the CAWST - Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology) teaching Biosand Water Filters and proper pit latrines, Ronnie taught local youth to build proper pit latrines. You can see in the next two photos the beautiful new pit latrine they built prior to our visit in 2008. A proper western style bathroom with adequate ventilation meant that local families could now exercise proper personal hygiene.

On World Toilet Day we are trying to raise awareness of the importance of proper toilet use and techniques which in turn leads to improved health, and less days away from work and school because of illness. For more information on World Toilet Day, check out the website http://www.worldtoilet.org/

November 15 - National Philanthropy Day

"I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time."

Mother Teresa

"Ronnie gives vegetable seeds donated by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds to Monica, a microfinance participant."

Wow - did you know that today, November 15th is National Philanthropy Day. Now you might think that a philanthropist is someone who has a lot of money, so much so that they have extra to give away to charitable causes. But not so, each and every one of us can be a philanthropist - it only takes a small act.

On Friday we screened the documentary "a small act" about how one woman's small act of a monthly donation to sponsor a young boy in Kenya resulted in that boy, now a man, starting his own small act of an education fund for the students in his small village. We showed this film because it mirrored our own small act of starting The Ronnie Fund for our "Kenyan" son, Ronnie Mdawida, by simply saving pennies in a jar for Ronnie's university education. Now four years later and through the generosity of others who have participated in their own small acts by partnering with us we have been able to effect great changes in Wongonyi Village, Kenya. But there are still more challenges and issues to face. Our message with The Ronnie Fund is that it doesn't take great wealth to create change, each of us has the capacity to make a difference in just one other person's life and like drops of water that create ripples, the generosity will be spread.

As individuals we cannot solve world poverty, HIV/Aids or the plight of orphans in Africa, India or South America but each of us can make a difference by our own small acts and those collective acts can help achieve positive global change. Each of us have the capacity to help someone in need be it at home in our own community, our country or around the globe in a developing country to change a life for the better. For us, it was as simple as saving pennies in a jar.

Today on National Philanthropy Day, think about how you can change the world and donate today to your favourite cause (and remember philanthropy doesn't just mean money, it also includes your talents, skills and time).

"Change the world with a giving heart."

Microfinance - Small Loans, Big Impact

"Winnie - one of our microfinance recipients was able to expand her village shop."

Sometimes it is hard to imagine how a little financial boost can have such a huge impact. Microfinance is the term for small loans to business people who otherwise would not qualify for funding. In our village of Wongonyi, Kenya the local bank had few funds available for loaning out to those who wanted help to improve their businesses. So The Ronnie Fund started a Microfinance Program.

Through the generosity of a donor with an interest in Microfinance, we launched our program with six recipients. A year later we are pleased to report that the original six have repaid their loans and we recently provided another 12 participants with funding for their business projects which include a poultry business, grocery and cereal shops, goats, dairy farm, barber, tree nursery, carpentry, agricultural inputs, butcher shop, agrovet store, sewing and farming.
Ronnie meets with potential participants to determine their eligibility and assess their business plan. Once selected the participant signs documentation agreeing to a repayment plan. Ronnie also arranges for training in business skills so that we achieve a 100% success rate in repayment. This training also assures that our participants have the needed business knowledge to ensure a successful and expanding business.

For many of the people in our remote rural village, Microfinance has been just the impetus they have needed to move forward in their lives creating much needed income so they can support their families with food, clothing and school fees. We have found that our Microfinance Program is the perfect tool for helping to move people from poverty to prosperity. It truly is a testament to the fact that a small amount of money can have a tremendous impact in changing lives.