Initiatives Needing Support

Our community partners have many initiatives that they are working on to strengthen their communities, improve education, work toward food security, protect the environment, create more water resources, generate more income, and build infrastructure. They are seeking support to complement the resources they bring to the table. You can make it possible for them to advance on one of these projects or programs and know exactly what your funds accomplish. See options for initiatives you can support below. Email us at info@tandanafoundation.org to sponsor a project or for more information.

Initiatives in Mali

			Process to sign a legal agreement for management of natural resources. $18,160 The Olouguelemo Environmental Association represents 19 villages that are working together to conserve resources and protect their shared environment. They have designated protected forest areas where woodcutting is not allowed, and this effort has led to increased harvests of wild fruits as well as the return of wildlife to the area. Now that they have a proven track record, they want to sign an agreement with the Forestry and Water Service to acquire the legal rights to manage the resources in their area. The regional Forest Service chief is supportive of this idea. In order to sign the agreement, they need to undertake a detailed inventory of the resources in their zone and hold a series of meetings with all stakeholders. Having legal authority will help the Association better enforce its conservation policies and achieve even better results. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete the process will be allocated to fund other environmental initiatives of the Olouguelemo Environmental Association.
			Office for School—Sal-Ogol. $5,875 The school in Sal-Ogol has no office for the director to safely store documents, books, and supplies. The director is dedicated to his students’ success and has prioritized acquiring furniture for the classrooms. Now he wants an office where he can work and safely store his materials, without having to take them home every day and expose them to potential loss. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund similar projects in neighboring communities.
			Supporting displaced students in Bandiagara. $13,000 Because of insecurity in certain parts of rural Bandiagara District, many families have fled their villages and moved to Bandiagara, where they are living in tents. This is not only dangerous but also disruptive to students who should be in school. This program will allow 100 students who are members of families who have taken refuge in the town of Bandiagara due to insecurity in their villages to go to school. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund similar initiatives.
			Expand ponds in four villages. $7,600 for each pond. Farmers in rural Mali must rely on the brief rainy season for cultivation unless they have the ability to store water and use it over a longer period of time. Ponds allow for this water storage. Four villages in Wadouba Township have small ponds, but they want to enlarge them so that they will hold more water. With these larger ponds, they will be able to do market gardening through more of the dry season, thus working towards food security and also creating opportunities to generate income. For $7,600, you can make possible the expansion of one pond. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund similar projects in neighboring communities.
			Reforestation Campaign. $480 Each year the Olouguelemo Environmental Association holds a reforestation campaign, planting thousands of native and fruit trees in fields, forests, public place, and along roads. You can make a significant contribution to this campaign, which also receives support from the Association itself and the Mayor of Wadouba Township. Any funds collected in excess of those needed for reforestation will be allocated to fund other environmental initiatives of the Olouguelemo Environmental Association.
			Create a tree nursery. $3,300 The Olouguelemo Environmental Association already manages two tree nurseries that produce native, nutritional, and medicinal trees for planting in the region. They want to increase their production capacity by creating a third nursery, which will also create jobs in another village. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund other environmental initiatives of the Olouguelemo Environmental Association.
			Rainwater collection system. $37,600 The village of Kansongo has a community orchard and garden; however the water from the nearby borehole is not sufficient for irrigation the plants. They have a community meeting room near the garden and want to build a system to collect rainwater from the roof of this building and use it to irrigate the garden. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund similar initiatives.
			Elementary School in Dani. $66,000 The village of Dani does not yet have an elementary school, and residents are ready to provide labor and support to build one. They plan to build three classrooms, an office/storage room, and a block of latrines. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund similar initiatives.
			Rice field for Kansongo. $45,000 Residents of Kansongo, in their perennial efforts to work toward food security want to diversify their agricultural production. There is a variety of dryland rice that they can grow if they can create earthworks to catch, retain, and channel rainwater. They need to hire earthmoving equipment to create this irrigation system. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund similar initiatives.
			New health center in Menthely. $105,000 The government of Mali created a health center for the sector of Menthely on paper. There is a committee in charge of overseeing the center. However, they didn't provide any infrastructure! To have a real health center, the communities of the sector need a building with maternity, consultation, pharmacy, and cold storage rooms, as well as a borehole, water tower, solar panels, waiting hangar, latrines, and wall around the compound. You can make this idea become a reality so that residents of Menthely can access health care near their homes.
			Local teacher for the Yarou Plateau School in Mali. $600 Because of Yarou Plateau’s remote location and the risk of jihadist activity in the area, teachers assigned by the government to teach there don’t stay very long. The community has a local teacher, Ele Samakan, who has been dedicated to the school for many years. He teaches classes, maintains the school garden, and supports women in the village with their projects. Your gift can cover half of Ele’s salary, and the parents can pay the other half, so he can stay in Yarou Plateau for the new school year. Ele’s commitment makes a huge positive impact both in the school and in the Yarou community. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund other similar initiatives.
			Local teacher for the Andjine School in Mali. $600 The school in Andjine has three teachers assigned by the government, but the number of students in first through sixth grades keeps growing. Salimata Karembe, who is from Andjine and trained as a teacher, began volunteering to help the school. Now she is contracted as a local teacher for the third and fourth grades. Your gift can cover half of her salary, and the parents can pay the other half, so that she can continue teaching the third and fourth grade students this school year. Salimata was also a participant in Tandana’s women’s literacy and leadership programs and is a great role model for the students. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund other similar initiatives.
			Startup funding for a Malian Women's Association to create a business. $2,000 Your gift will allow a Malian women’s association involving 20 or more women to start their own business. Women's associations created through Tandana's Women's Literacy, Leadership, and Enterprise program will have an opportunity to submit business plans to a contest, and the best proposals will receive funding. They might start a business raising sheep, market gardening, dyeing with indigo, or many other ideas. Your gift will get them started so they can generate income long into the future. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund other similar initiatives.
			Help a young mother stay in school in Mali. $230 The student mothers program supports girls from rural villages who are living in the town of Bandiagara so they can attend middle school. They have to find families to host them, and if they get pregnant, the families usually send them back to their villages and they have to drop out of school. This program provides training so that the families can continue to host the students even if they become young mothers. It also provides food and basic medical supplies for the babies, so they are not an extra cost to the families. It helps girls stay in school despite the challenges of motherhood. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund other similar initiatives.
			Professional Training Scholarship in Mali. $750 You can help a student from rural Mali learn a profession that is very needed in the rural communities, such as health professions or agrofrestry. Your gift can cover 50% of a student’s costs for a year, while the student and their family cover the other 50%. You will not only help a student access a better future but also help the communities find trained professionals to serve their area. In exchange for Tandana's support, scholarship recipients engage in community service to share their new skills and knowledge for the betterment of their communities. Any funds collected in excess of those needed for one student will be allocated to fund other scholarships in the Dr. Ash B. Varma, M.D. Scholarship Program in Mali.
			Secure and deepen a well in Ondogou. $4,285 The village of Ondogou Dah has only one well that is not secure and dries up during some times of the year. You can help to secure, improve, and deepen the well so that residents have reliable access to water.
			Create a new grain bank. $7,000 In Mali's Bandiagara District, food security is a major concern. Community members work hard, farming millet, peanuts, sorghum, cowpeas, and other crops, and yet decreasing rainfall and increasing pest problems have caused harvests to diminish. In most years, most families cannot harvest enough food to last them through the year until the next harvest. A grain bank gives a community a revolving fund to purchase millet when the market price is lowest and sell it at a constant price in the village year-round, so that residents can purchase it when they need it. It also provides a safe place to store the grain and training for the leadership committee so they can manage the bank successfully long into the future.
			Help pay the director of the Sal Health Center. $1,000 The community health committee is in charge of paying the salaries of the staff at the health center, and they have asked for assistance as they get started. For $1,000, you can cover half of the director's salary for one year, while the local committee covers the other half. You will ensure that the health center can function well and provide care to local residents.
			Help pay a staff member at the Sal Health Center. $750 The community health committee is in charge of paying the salaries of the staff at the health center, and they have asked for assistance as they get started. For $750, you can cover half of the salary of the midwife, the medical assistant, or the pharmacy manager for one year, while the local committee covers the other half. You will ensure that the health center can function well and provide care to local residents.
			Stove-making training for representatives of 8 villages. $9,600 You can make it possible for representatives of 8 villages to learn how to make efficient cookstoves and acquire the necessary tools, so that they can make and distribute these stoves in their villages. With these stoves, firewood needs are cut approximately in half, so women save huge amounts of time and energy, and the pressure on local forests for firewood is greatly reduced.
			Secure and deepen a well in Yombol. $7,000 The village of Yombol has an acute water crisis and residents have been working hard to seek support. Their well needs to be dug 5m deeper than it is and then a new junction with the borehole next to it needs to be made at this deeper level.
			Best forest competition. $2,000 A competition for the best forest among Olouguelemo member villages will showcase the hard work of association members and motivate everyone to do their best to care for their forest areas.
			Environmental exchange visit. $1,000 An exchange visit among the various Olouguelemo member villages will help share ideas and best practices, as well as encouraging everyone to do their best so they can show off their results to people from other villages.

Initiatives in Ecuador

			Secondary school scholarship. $300 per year. You can make it possible for a student from a rural community in Ecuador to attend secondary school for a year. The scholarship covers books, uniforms, school supplies, transportation, and other required costs. Any funds collected in excess of those needed for one student will be allocated to scholarships for other students.
			Post-secondary scholarship. $1,500 per year. Students from rural communities often want to pursue higher education and invest tremendous effort in reaching their dreams. Students in our post-secondary scholarship program work to earn half of the money needed for their studies, while the scholarship covers the other half. Students also complete community service hours during each semester. They have studied business administration, tourism business, accounting, auto mechanics, fashion design, multimedia production, and many other fields. Any funds collected in excess of those needed for one student will be allocated to scholarships for other students.
			Transportation to Secondary School. $3,250 Students from remote communities like Minas Chupa, Motilón Chupa, and Padre Chupa have a very difficult time getting to school. Local students have the opportunity to attend Saminay - El Legado School, a tuition-free private school, which is the closest secondary school to their community. However, without a regular transportation service, they would have to walk for several hours and then catch rides on passing trucks going to and from the Intag mines. The parents are seeking a dedicated transportation service to take their children safely to and from school each day. We would also welcome monthly donations in the amount of $150 or $175. Any funds collected in excess of those needed for transportation will be allocated to other educational initiatives.
			Community Center in Muenala. $1,092 Community members in Muenala are excited to continue the next phase of their project as they add a 2nd floor to their community center. Last year with Tandana's support they built the columns and roof which will make up the second floor. Now they need to raise funds for the cement and blocks that will define the walls and rooms on the 2nd floor. Any funds collected in excess of those needed for construction will be allocated to continuing phases of this project and/or other construction-related projects.
			Help publish the first academic magazine in the Kichwa language. $500 Kichwa is the main language spoken in Tandana's partner communities in Ecuador. This language has been transmitted orally from one generation to the next. It is not the language of formal education, even though it is the mother tongue of many people in the area. Because of this problem, a group of Kichwa academics are creating the Killkashun project. Killkashun is a project intended to promote writing skills in Kichwa. They are creating a magazine with academic and scientific information entirely written in Kichwa, which will be distributed to schools and communities where Kichwa is spoken. With your gift of $500 towards this project, you will have the opportunity to present a message of your choice in Kichwa in a half page of the magazine.
			Prescription eyeglasses for a patient in Ecuador. $95 Help a patient in Ecuador get the prescription glasses he or she needs to see well! Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund other health care needs.
			Baby formula for twins for one month in Ecuador. $33 The mother of these twins was not able to keep up with the breastfeeding demands of having twins and the children were malnourished because she could not afford to buy formula. You can keep them well-nourished, one month at a time. Any funds collected in excess of those needed for formula will be allocated to fund other patient needs.
			Eye allergy medication for one patient in Ecuador. $70 Many patients have eye allergies and need eye drops to treat their problem, but this medication is not available from the Ministry of Health. You can provide the treatment for one patient. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund other health care needs.
			Eye infection medication for two patients in Ecuador. $20 Many patients get eye infections and need eye drops for treatment, but this medication is not available from the Ministry of Health. You can provide the treatment for two patients. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund other health care needs.
			Five ophthalmology visits for patients in Ecuador. $25 Many patients need eye care from Fundacion Vista Para Todos, a vision foundation. The cost of each appointment is $5. For $25, you can provide these important appointments for 5 patients. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete this project will be allocated to fund other health care needs.
			Provide water pipes for a community in Ecuador. $17,000 We recently partnered with the community of Inguincho, Ecuador to install a wonderful new water collection and treatment system, so they have clean water. But, we discovered that the old pipes they are using to distribute the water to their homes are dirty inside from the dirty water they used previously, and are not large enough to get water to all the homes. For about $17,000, you could provide all the new pipes needed to make sure the clean water gets safely and cleanly to all the homes in the community.