Friday, November 28, 2014

Giving to it...

I thought to provide an updated look at how funds can be generated for FISH for HOPE and how they are put to use in helping the people of Congo. FISH for HOPE is a volunteer-driven, donor-fueled project of World Hope Canada. Since the project is largely managed by volunteers, this reduces the overhead required for project operation--in other words, more money goes directly to the field. For full disclosure, 85% of every donation to FISH for HOPE is wired to the project in Congo. That's hard to beat.



In response to our project's track record, a major corporate donor has recently contributed $5,000 to our work. A second donation of the same amount for 2015 can be triggered if we raise an additional $10,000 from other sources in the next few months. This is a fantastic opportunity for donors to leverage their donation to accomplish more. There are many ways to consider giving to the project. Here are just a few:

     1. Sign up for automatic donations at WorldHope.ca or call 613-482-1499.
- A personal friend recently signed up for a monthly transfer of $10 to the FISH for HOPE project. This may sound like small beans to some, but $100 is enough to ensure two people receive a week-long training seminar AND a $25 tool subsidy. What can they accomplish with $25 worth of tools? Go to the story about Tandala from earlier this year for an example.

     2. FISH for HOPE can be the focus of your VBS fundraiser next summer.
- Each of the past two summers a local church has selected our project for its VBS fundraising focus. This amounted to donations of $500 in one case and $1,000 from the other. One or two churches per year choosing to support FISH for HOPE through their VBS goes a long way toward fulfilling our project needs. It also spreads the word about the work of World Hope Canada in DR Congo.

     3. Memorial donations.
- I hesitate to highlight this point, since it can appear insensitive. Over the past year and a half, I have been honored that two families (one of them my own) have chosen to direct donations to FISH for HOPE in memory of the one they have lost. The significance of this gesture does not escape me and I would never presume to make a fundraiser of tragedy. Nonetheless, it is a meaningful legacy deeply appreciated by our team both in Canada and in Congo.

Here is some additional perspective on how your donations are used:
  • $50 ensures that a fish farmer receives week-long training in aquaculture practices and goes home with a tool subsidy worth $25. Farmers who have participated in our seminars have seen a 100% increase in the productivity of their ponds.
  • $100 purchases 200 young fish for restocking of a demonstration pond; these will be used for growth trials, demonstration of farming methods, and maintaining healthy seed stocks.
  • $1,200 per year ensures that Pastor Dole can travel throughout the expansive territory in which we support fish farmers. He facilitates seminars in various communities, supervises the work at demonstration sites, and visits farmers to encourage and instruct.
  • $2,250 finances an entire week-long seminar for fifty participants, including the $25 tool subsidy for each person.
  • $3,600 covers the full-time annual salary of our Project Coordinator; this salary supports Pastor  Dole, his wife, and six children.
With roughly $25,000 per year, we can have wide-reaching impacts through aquaculture development in the northwest province of Equateur in DR Congo. Let's give to it....  

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