"Ending the cycle", One Ummah on LO Review. (2/14/08)
2007 Annual board meeting (5/16/07)
ABC News feature on American Assistance for Cambodia (2/7/07)
Executive Summary Of 7th trip to Cameroon (9/13/06)
Blake Goud has joined OneUmmah as the Executive Director (9/1/06)
Elizabeth Bourgeois joins One Ummah Foundation (9/1/06)
One Ummah Foundation founder joined the board of Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education (6/19/05)
News
Dear Friends of the One Ummah Foundation (3/13/08)
We request your help in meeting the financial needs of some of our most exciting and worthy projects. These include supporting existing programs and schools through monetary funding for teacher salaries, textbooks, materials and building new schools.
In Faisalabad, Pakistan, a young teacher oversees a program where she serves children between the ages of 7 and 12. Children at her school receive not only an education, but the school provides free meals as well. We continue to support this teacher and others in similarly functioning programs. The Little Scholar School in Sukkur, Pakistan, was established with $5,000 and currently serves 50 children. The school was established by a couple who, while living in the U.S., saw the value of using a more inclusive teaching style, which is absent in most schools in Pakistan. We are expanding the outreach of this school and are currently trying to raise $7,500 to build a neighboring school for teenage girls.
The need for education is very great in these impoverished areas as is the risk to these children’s lives. In the seven countries that our programs serve (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cameroon, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan), per capita income is amongst the lowest in the world. With poverty at their doorstep, many parents have no choice but to send their children to work in factories and in the houses of their more affluent citizenry. Child labor continues to haunt countries where parents either cannot support the family or are too sick to work and thus the task of supporting the family falls on the shoulders of its youngest members.
One Ummah is now in its ninth year of helping children and families in underdeveloped countries end child labor and combat the effects of poverty and illiteracy. Our goal is to give children the opportunity to attend school at no cost to the families. With the help of trusted and local volunteers and contacts, we are able to develop programs as well as contribute to existing efforts that meet each community’s specific needs and concerns. In addition to building schools, we continue to support these schools, by sending the funds necessary to supply textbooks, teaching materials, and healthcare, many times contributing to the housing and nutrition of the families. At least 97% of our donations go directly to help the people we serve. We extend our efforts beyond the individual child, and assess ways to make education accessible for families and their children.
Money comes and goes. We give it so readily, we sometimes barely notice it is there before it is gone. In developing countries, where per capita income falls well below the U.S. poverty line, a donation of $150 will allow a child to attend school for one year while a donation of $12.50 will allow a child to attend school for one month.
In a world that is constantly at battle with itself and its neighbors, education remains the steadfast proponent of peace, recognition and understanding. Education, once established, will never leave and never lose. We thank you, as friends of our foundation, for your continued support and your past contributions. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of these children.
In closing, we request your help in meeting the financial needs of our newest projects, as well as existing ones like the schools in Faisalabad and Sukkur. Every dollar you contribute makes a world of difference. Please send your donation in the enclosed envelope.
With gratitude,
Mohammad S. Rahman
Founder
One Ummah FoundationPlease, place contributions here.
"Ending the cycle", One Ummah on LO Review (2/14/08)
Lake Oswego Review of Oregon features One Ummah Foundation. Please, read the article here: http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/ne...209200
2007 Annual board meeting (5/16/07)
The One Ummah annual board meeting was held in Portland, Oregon and a new president, vice president and secretary/treasurer were elected.
Barbara Price, President
Tasneem Rahman, Vice President
Elizabeth Bourgeois, Secretary/TreasurerThe full minutes of the meeting are available online.
ABC News feature on American Assistance for Cambodia (2/7/07)
ABC News has a feature on a group of students from Washington State, U.S. who raised money to build a school for students in rural Cambodia through the American Assistance for Cambodia (founded by OUF Board Member Bernie Krisher). Many of the students involved in the fundraising traveled to Cambodia to see the results of their fundraising efforts.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2842786
Executive Summary Of 7th trip to Cameroon from May 21st to June 30th, 2006 by Pavla Zakova-Laney, President of EDUCARE-AFRICA (9/13/06)
1. On May 22nd, 2006 I arrived successfully in Yaounde, Cameroon. Emmanuel Sunjo & 2 other gentlemen waited for me at the airport and drove me to a rest house. The next day I met the US ambassador, his deputy and security chief to make plans for my safe stay in Cameroon.
2. On May 31st, our former director’s services were finally terminated thanks to a great lawyer, Mr. Sama Francis Asanga. On June 3rd I arrived in Tatum. Fred Tume, a zookeeper at Yaounde ZOO, accompanied me all the way from Yaounde and assisted me. He took 17 days off his work to serve.
3. Basic school supplies for 65 best students from G.H.S. Tatum were purchased at Kumbo and given during a prize giving ceremony on June 7th. Donated clothes, and a few other donations were distributed to 17 students. 86 students received financial assistance for their immediate needs such as school fees, G.C.E. registration fees, rent, kerosene, food, school uniforms, shoes and transport back to their villages. 35 staff members from G.H.S. Tatum received pens for encouragement. Six stop watches were purchased for the physics department.
4. I met with the new principal, Mr. Emmanuel Njei and the staff to brief them on Gilbert’s termination and our plans. Students, staff and parents were all very happy with the new principal, who has been working very hard since he came to Tatum.
5. At this time, since I had no one to work with, we were not accepting new applications. I met with 96 students and some of their parents to inform them that Gilbert was no longer our director and that the students chosen for assistance who did not receive any support this year would be placed on our priority list for the next academic year. They would be the first ones to get assistance in September 2006 as soon as we have enough funds.
A printed note was sent to students from Ndu, G.S.S. Ntumbaw, G.S.S. Mbu-warr and several other schools, which we could not reach during my visit.6. Emmanuel Sunjo & I also met with our students from Yaounde & Buea Universities and from schools around Bamenda to inform them about our former director’s termination and our plans for the future.
7. A foundation for a new Educare-Africa team was laid, thanks to Emmanuel Sunjo and other caring Cameroonians. This summer, 2 new employees will be hired: an administrative assistant, a female, who will be handling finances and an executive field coordinator, who will assist the students. Whenever possible, we would pay the school fees directly to the schools. We already have established a board of 9 directors from Yaounde, Douala, Bamenda, Kumbo & Tatum, who will oversee the operations in Cameroon. We will have a new office location with time. We will open a bank account with the Amity Bank in Cameroon to avoid high Western Union charges in the future.
UPCOMING ASSISTANCE: We want to assist about 220 secondary/high school students, around 40 high school graduates, who would like to continue their education and about 35 university students. Approximately $30,000 by the end of September 2006 would take care of these children’s essential educational needs.
We want to avoid any challenges associated with volunteer work in Cameroon and therefore both our new Cameroonian employees will be paid on regular basis based on our contract with them. In addition, we will be renting a small office. For these reasons, we will need a regular monthly income to cover these necessary expenses.Pavla Zakova-Laney,
Albany, July 7, 2006 Founder, President, Executive director &
Full-time volunteer of EDUCARE-AFRICA
Blake Goud has joined OneUmmah as the Executive Director (9/1/06)
Mr. Goud graduated from Reed College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 2003. While at Reed College, Mr. Goud interned at the Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP), a non-profit, non-partisan think tank before heading to Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland for his junior year. His thesis at Reed, based on a paper written at Trinity, is an empirical study of firm performance in post-Communist economies.
After graduating, Mr. Goud worked for two years in securities litigation consulting before coming to the Institute of Halal Investing in 2006.
Mr. Goud has been involved in volunteer work in El Salvador and South Carolina as well as having completed the Washington, DC AIDS Ride twice, where he raised money to help people in the Washington area living with HIV/AIDS.Mr. Goud lives in Portland, Oregon, and enjoys reading, cycling, camping and playing music with friends.
Elizabeth Bourgeois joins One Ummah Foundation (9/1/06)
Elizabeth Bourgeois joined One Ummah in 2006 as the Director of Administration and Finance.
She was born and raised in Oregon and attended Portland State University, graduating with a bachelors of accounting in 2005. Her goal for One Ummah is to raise community awareness of the need for education and support for the impoverished countries of the world, and to make One Ummah a well known foundation in the Northwest.
One Ummah Foundation founder joined the board of Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education (6/19/05)
Mohammad Rahman, a founder of One Ummah Foundation has been offered to serve on the board of CSEE and has accepted the challenge.
To learn more about the CSEE go to their website at: http://www.csee.org/
Planning for another trip – Educare Africa (4/21/05)
Pavla is planning for another trip to Cameroon this year leaving on May 18th and returning on July 13th, 2005.
Thanks to our Loving Universe and quite a few cheerful givers, she was able to raise all the funds for the ticket ($2,360). Her goal is to raise $6,000 for the trip. So far, we have $1,200.
During her trip, she wants to purchase basic school supplies for many students and some more high school textbooks, depending on how much funds would be available.
In addition, she would oversee building of a school library if we would get funding from the Canadian High Commission in Cameroon, assist many students with their basic school related needs, meet with parents & students and visit students in 3-4 larger villages to inform them about our new scholarship application.
Two Wellesley College Book Awards will be presented to best female science students from two different schools as well. It appears that she will be traveling alone again.
To learn more about this project click here.
New Steps in the Milk Program (3/3/05)
This time with the generous assistance of our friends and board members, we were able to distribute more milk powder in the last month in Bibile, Sri Lanka.
2220 packets, (400 gms/ea) were distributed to around 375 children in the following villages in Bibile, Sri Lanka:
- Kanulwela
- Kotobowa
- Bakinigahawela
- Medegama
The magnanimous contribution towards this worthy project is highly appreciated, this is a much as we can do now for the kids in that specific area. Their smiles/happiness and prayers are for you and your efforts.
We hope we will be able continue this special project for children from very poor families.
Hassim Abdul Nasar,
On-behalf of Distribution committee
Help the victims of the tsunami (1/1/05/)
Image: 657599.gif
After the devastation wreaked by the seas, a deluge from the skies deepened the misery for tsunami-stricken areas Saturday, triggering flash floods in Sri Lanka that sent evacuees fleeing and increasing the threat of deadly disease as survivors shivered in relief centers.The overall death toll of the disaster is likely to hit 150,000.
Take a look at these pictures from satellite. The "Before/After" button there toggles the image between the "Before" and "After" satellite photos.
One Ummah Foundation accepts donations for the victims of Tsunami. Our Primary focus now is on Sri-Lanka where whole towns were wiped out by the waves.
You may download and view a shocking documentary powerpoint file here: Tsunami PresentationRemember that you DO make a difference. Every time you make a decision. If you can help us to aid the victims of a disaster you may contact us directly at: writeus@oneummah.com or you may transfer your donation to this account:
Wells Fargo Bank,account #0033293408,
routing #123006800
