GoPhil’s Tracey Morrell, Lydia Dean and Jessica Rabinner recently returned from Uganda and Kenya where they spent some valuable 1-on-1 time with the staff with our partner nonprofits.
A need for basic accounting:

Last year M-Lisada, our partners in Kampala, Uganda who care for 150 vulnerable street-children were accounting with paper and pen.  As a direct result of working side by side, they progressed to using spreadsheets and now to computerized systems.  Quick books training and software was funded by GoPhil for M-Lisada staff Jane and Ronah. On our recent trip, Tracey helped Jane set up her accounts in Quickbooks.  
Next step:  Finances for major programs will be managed using separate accounts to help day to management of funds.  
Special Thanks: to Alex Berberich who recently started the Hugh Berberich Music Education Memorial Fund in honor of his father who was an accomplished musician and composer.  Recent funds raised for this Hugh’s Memorial Fund will help offset the shortfall Tracey and Jane found in M-Lisada’s general education fund for the children. 

 

Prioritizing needs–as important as Identifying needs…
Spending time with Magdelyn, a nurse at M-Lisada, Lydia begins the process of assisting them with creating a budget for health, a critical need for children who suffer with HIV, malaria and chronic coughs.
The process first required identifying what was needed–basically cataloguing what was left in the medicine cabinet!  Then Magdelyn gathered prices for what was on the wish list.
Problem: The total was way beyond what they could reasonably fundraise for…
Action:  A need to prioritize based on critical need
Result:  An accurate financial figure and list of what is needed, listed in order of priority, for their next fiscal year’s Health Needs.  We are looking for monthly donations of $50.00to meet these important needs.
 

Microscope and Examination Table  $1790.00
Medications (HIV, Malaria, cough, skin)  $770.00
Secure medicine cabinets  $1155.00
Sterilizers, desk and other office supplies  $2098,00
TOTAL  $5813.00
A new program is added to the GoPhil Portfolio

Here is Life:  assisting 250 HIV/AIDs orphans in Nairobi’s slums

Gophil is thrilled to have taken on a small yet very impressive community-based program working in some very challenging conditions in the Mathare and Soweto slums of Nairobi, meeting the educational and health needs of children with HIV and AIDS.  We will making our first small grants for their medical and schooling programs – we could use your help here! (indicate “Here is Life” in the notes section of our donate page)
Sponsorships:  What it takes to maintain that REAL connection
Reporting on their latest news to share with donors


We take pictures of report cards!
In Vietnam Linda DeWolf helps conduct home visits for the sponsored students