YOU ARE INVITED!

Please join us at a house party to learn and discuss an opportunity for tzedakah in the new year, 5777: Sowing Opportunities!

Date:         Sunday, November 20th, 4:00-6:00pm
Location:   Home of Helene Weitzenkorn and Eileen Schwartz, 34 Slocum Road, Jamaica Plain, 02130

 

Sowing Opportunities, Inc. has the mission of fundraising for self-sustainability and education for remote villages in Central America – primarily Guatemala. We also fundraise for health care in Guatemala, when needed.

 

The project was conceived through our now 11-year-old daughter's need to meet her biological mother.  Upon finding her in January 2015, we learned that she is living in a remote, forgotten village, in destitute living conditions and in very poor health, with 2 younger children, and other family members.  We then raised funds and found medical care for her.  The background story is here.

 

We asked the project manager of the NGO CorGuate (Corazones en Acción por Guatemala, or Actions of the Heart for Guatemala) to visit the village in April 2015 in order to deliver needed items.  At that time, he committed to assist the people to develop a self-sustainable income through agricultural development.  It was determined that with the rocky soil, growing chili peppers would be the best option.  Our plan is to benefit the entire village of 1,600 through training and providing self-sustainable income.

 

Thus far, we (1) have learned that the village is interested in having a reliable source of income, (2) had the soil tested, (3) identified a similar program in Nicaragua that is backed by USAID, (4) observed a similar operation in another part of Guatemala, (5) found a local sponsor to buy chili peppers once the project is underway, negotiated for rental of the land, (6) established trust with the village inhabitants, and (7) received approval from the village leaders.  We now need to move forward with funding the project.  We have a fiscal agent, Temple Tiferet Shalom of the North Shore, which has provided its nonprofit status for tax-exempt donations until Sowing Opportunities 501(c) 3 status is finalized.

We hope that you can attend on Sun., Nov. 20th to learn more about this project and perhaps support it as we move forward.