Past NorCalPCA Grant Recipients & Projects

Guatemala: $3600 to Plenty International, a non-profit founded in 1974, on behalf of the women’s group Grupo de Soya Santa Maria (GSSM). GSSM produces high protein cookies and fresh soy milk for distribution to children living near the landfill in Guatemala City. This is one of the largest waste dumps in Central America, where a few thousand people, many of them Maya, earn an average of $2-5.00US/day for their long, difficult, and dangerous work. Plenty International is committed to maintaining this program as they have for the last 14 years. However, deaths and attrition due to the COVID pandemic have led to a need for training additional staff. NorCal’s contribution will allow the project to maintain the monthly contribution of $900 to the program for 4 months, allowing Plenty to focus program resources on building staff capacity for increased production to enable local retail sales. The project was recommended by NorCal member Celia Bosworth.

Lesotho: $2549.20 to African Library Project to cover the cost of their 2025 teacher-librarian training to support up to 60 community teachers in improving literacy outcomes and library sustainability. Funds from NorCal will pay for three regional teacher-librarian trainings in the Central, North, and South regions of the country between January and March 2025 as part of the distribution of new books that will be delivered to Lesotho at the end of 2024. This project was recommended by NorCal member Beth Spencer.

Mali: $5,000 to Mali Kalanso, a nonprofit that supports a rural community school which hosts approximately 425 students annually from preschool through 9th grade. This education project was co-founded by two RPCVs who began raising funds for the project in 2010. The school currently has 6 primary school classrooms and 3 middle school classrooms. Despite the current political and economic challenges in Mali, the school has been able to maintain high student academic achievement. Mali Kalanso is requesting NorCal grant funding for replacement desks for their students. Although UNICEF donated desks when the school opened 14 years ago, the desks are currently unusable and need replacement. Previously, NorCal has funded desks for Mali Kalanso’s middle school, which were built by local blacksmiths using higher quality local products. Each desk costs $157, and overall transport costs for these desks would be $783.

Sierra Leone: $5497 to the Organization for Peace, Reconciliation, and Development Sierra Leone (OPRDSL), a local NGO, to establish a beekeeping project in the Mamaka Village of the Tonkolili District. OPRDSL has worked in the area since 1999. In 2022, the organization trained 45 farmers (2/3 women) as a three-year training program wherein farmers learned—and practiced—the skills necessary to operate a sustainable family farm business, which can provide a year-round nutritious food supply for their families, and supplementary income for education, healthcare, and adequate housing. The goal was, and still is, to help these farmers transition from subsistence to modern, sustainable, family farm businesses. The program has been successful and a new cohort of farmers started training this year. NorCal’s contribution will pay for the materials to build 75 hives and the equipment needed to care for the hives. This project was recommended by NorCal member John Bost.

South Sudanese Refugee settlements in Northern Uganda: $2700 to South Sudan Leadership and Community Development to establish micro-economic sewing businesses for two new co-operative work groups in the two settlements. Along with funds donated by two Michigan Rotary Clubs, 20 sewing machines will be purchased and women will be provided training and access to their use. The project is expected to be self-sufficient in 2 years and enable participants to purchase their own sewing machines. This project was recommended by NorCal member Nancy Paul.

Grants Contact: [email protected]

Uganda: $1,500 for a collaboration between Home of Kigezi, Nkunga Eco Village, & Food Forests Uganda in Kamwenge District to promote regenerative agriculture, provide income opportunities for youth, improve nutrition, and equip local Ugandan communities with climate-smart gardening skills, all of which will ensure the primary purpose of long-term food security. This grant is for a 12-month pilot program that will train approximately 50 local people, including 20 youth boys and girls, 20 women, and 10 men, who will share their skills in their communities.

Chile: $500 to Hidden Wonders for materials to create field backpacks for forest excursions for local communities in Puerto Rio Tranquilo, Chile. The kits will include magnifying glasses, a few clear viewing boxes for closer observation of insects that can then be released again, a few field guides of local flora and fauna, a few books written by Chilean authors about natural history and indigenous people’s history (to be read between hiking), and a basic first aid kit. This grant will support materials for 1-2 excursions per month, with up to 20 community members per excursion. Emphasis will be placed on encouraging small children and their caregivers to attend and receive a more holistic learning opportunity connected to nature.

Nigeria: $5890 to Bishop McGettrick Girls Secondary School in the Afikpo North Local Government Area for equipment and lighting for their computer lab and library, including funding for solar electrity due to erratic power supply in the area. Bishop McGettrick Girls Secondary School serves 176 girls of various religious backgrounds in a secure boarding school setting in an area where educational opportunities for girls are few, public education has collapsed, poverty is on the rise, and security is difficult.  

Ukraine: $4865 to Golden Key Kindergarten in Kalush, Western Ukraine for the purchase of beds and mattresses for 60 internally displaced people (IDPs) currently residing in the school’s nursery-Kindergarten facility. When the war began in Ukraine, Golden Key was compelled to redirect its program and mission to support IDPs and convert two of its school buildings into living facilities for families who have lost their homes and/or who cannot return home due to ongoing hostilities. As winter approaches, beds are their most urgently needed item for these 60 families who are currently sleeping on the floor of the building.

Jamaica: $3500 to The Jamaican Conservation and Development Trust for backpacking and safety equipment for the Blue Mountains Jamaica trail project in Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park. By promoting eco-tourism, the goal of the overall project is to foster development of poor, isolated Maroon communities adjacent to the park. “Maroons” are the descendants of escaped slaves and anti-colonial fighters from the 1600s and 1700s, the culture of whom is a large part of the rationale behind the park’s UNESCO World Heritage Site status (in addition to its natural cloud and rain forests).

Honduras: $2,500 to Berkshire Amistad to fund maritime shipping expenses for medical equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers from the U.S. to Honduras.

Mozambique: $5000 to Associação Moyo Utsitsi (ASMU) to complete an unfinished community center (including doors, windows, electrical wiring, and finishing of walls and floors) and restart a microloan program. ASMU’s mission is to serve, advocate, and promote the well-being of orphans and vulnerable children and their families impacted by poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They operate a 10-hectare plot of land in Vanduzi that is used for agriculture, horticulture, fish farms, sharecropping programs, and community gatherings for over 900 members and 1500 individuals living in the vicinity. When completed, the community center will have three small offices and a large community space for education, meetings,  and health programs. This grant will also provide seed money to restart a microloan program that originally began in 2017 to teach basic finance and income-making skills to 30 women.

Philippines: $2850 to Glory Reborn in Cebu to support Taking Care of Mom: Maternal Mental Health for Marginalized Women in the Philippines, a project that seeks to prevent, screen, and treat maternal mental health disorders in patients at Glory Reborn’s maternity clinic. Glory Reborn is an NGO that serves marginalized mothers and their babies in Cebu with a vision to build community through care, education, and relationships with each individual, client, and employee. This grant will cover expenses for the project’s social media program and other materials, including six mental health informational videos.

Africa
$3,000 to Health Access Connect in Kampala, Uganda. NorCal funds were used to
purchase roofing sheets and supplies for outreach clinics.

$2,500 to Mali Kalanso in Koulikoro Region, Mali. NorCal funds were used to
purchase a solar-powered digital library for middle school students.

$2,000 to Associação Moyo Utsitsi in Manica Province, Mozambique. NorCal funds
were used to build a tower for two water tanks with capacity of 1500 liters.

$1,950 to Fundamental Initiative for Sustainable Transformation based in Jinja,
Uganda. that serves young mothers and vulnerable women. NorCal funds were used
to purchase 15 sewing machines and materials.

South America and Caribbean
$2,500 to Proyecto Itzaes in Yucatán, Mexico, where families and children have been
heavily impacted by Covid. NorCal funds were used for school supplies, tutoring and
development support.

$2,000 to Hands Across the Sea operating in the Eastern Caribbean. St. Vincent was
badly damaged by volcanic eruptions and Hurricane Elsa last year. NorCal Funds
were used for transport and distribution of children’s books.

Middle East
$1,650 to Together for the Family in Zahle, Beqaa Valley, Lebanon, which serves a
diverse clientele, including Syrian refugees. NorCal funds were used for greenhouse
land preparation, construction, and seeds and plants.

1. $3,100 to Kilunga Village Foundation (KVF) on Rusinga Island, Kenya.  NorCal funds will be used to purchase a gasoline-powered generator to support their health complex.  Fuel and regular maintenance will be provided by the clinic staff and community.  The project was proposed by NorCal member Adam Crider, RPCV Kenya, 2010-2012.

2. $2,000 to Rafiki Group of Butembo, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).  In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rafiki Group plans to make 9000 masks for 4500 taxi moto drivers, using this 2-month project as an opportunity to train 15 girls in sewing techniques and Covid-19 health education.  Water tanks and buckets for 30 hand-washing stations will be placed in central parking areas for the moto drivers.  NorCal Funds will be used to purchase cloth and thread, buckets and water tanks, and other items.  The project was proposed by NorCal member Jessica Vapnek, RPCV, DR Congo.

3. $1,900 to Khulo Public School in Adjara Region, Republic of Georgia.  Four Peace Corps Volunteers have lived in succession in Khulo, a center for 2000 people, mainly Muslim minority.  Now, with community support, Khulo Public School is adding a room for a training and professional development center.  NorCal Funds will be used to purchase a laptop, a projector and peripheral equipment, and room furniture.  The project was proposed by NorCal Member Mahdis Nicokar, RPCV Republic of Georgia, who was evacuated in 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

4. $1510 to the Anjiro Initiative (AI) in the town of Anjiro, a farming community of 15,000 people in
   Eastern Madagascar.  AI is a non-profit organization started by RPCVs.
   NorCal Funds will be used to purchase materials for a new classroom at Ecole Primaire.  In addition,
   a computer printer will be purchased for the school.  Local labor and construction materials are
   considered 23% of the project.  The project was proposed by NorCal Member Clifford Duong, RPCV
   Madagascar.

5. $1260 to the Kaliza and Chankhungu Youth Clubs of Dowa District, Malawi.  These two clubs, serving 75 young people, provide many youth activities for ages 10-29.  The youth clubs plan to train 50 young people in vocational skills such as sewing, carpentry and construction, and business management.  NorCal Funds will be used to purchase tools and materials for the classes, such as sewing machines, toolboxes with tools, fabric, and wood.  The project was proposed by NorCal member Jane Choi, RPCV Malawi.

$2,175 to Mali Kalanso, a volunteer-driven non-profit begun in 2010 to support community education in Nienebale, Koulikoro Region, Mali.  Starting with a preschool and 3 primary classrooms, the collaboration between village, government, and NGO partners has grown the school to 400+ students from preschool through 9th grade.  Besides standard curriculum, their program includes health education, teacher training, adult literacy, and tutoring.  Of special note is the support of village elders for girls’ education which is very unusual in Mali.  NorCal funds will be used to purchase 15 locally-made desks of metal and wood, each seating 2-3 students.  The project was proposed by NorCal member Katie Christ, RPCV Mali.

$2,000 to Peace Corps Partnership (PCP), Peace Corps Headquarters, Washington, DC.  PCP is the clearing house for projects proposed by current Peace Corps Volunteers.  PCP project acceptance includes staff support in the country of service, and community contribution in the form of financial donations, labor or materials.  Once projects have met requirements, they are posted on the PCP website for funding by interested individuals and groups.  The Grants Committee has spoken with the PCP staff and will work with them to find a project(s) that meets our criteria.  NorCal funds will be used for a community development project(s) proposed by a current Peace Corps Volunteer(s) from California.

$1,955 to Macadamia Nurseries Project in Sankhuwasabha District of Nepal.  Founded in 2001, Society Development Center (SODEC) works with national and international donors to support sustainable organic agricultural in eastern Nepal.  The proposed project will create two SODEC macadamia nut nurseries with 6,000 seedlings each.  The trees, once transferred and mature, will provide shade to coffee plants and more income to farmers.  Existing farmers’ groups will provide compost, labor, and local materials.  NorCal funds will be used to purchase macadamia seeds and supplies, such as greenhouse hardware, irrigation pipes, and poly bags.  The project was proposed by NorCal Member Deana Zabaldo, RPCV Nepal.

$1,000 to Hesperian Health Guides of Berkeley, California.  Last year, Hesperian Health Guides, using a NorCal Grant of $2,000, distributed Hesperian publications to current Peace Corps Volunteers from Northern California.  Hesperian discovered that communicating with current PCVs was most beneficial using Reddit and other social media and the efforts resulted in distribution of 75 books.  NorCal funds will be used as a matching grant to continue providing Hesperian materials to the same audience.

$500 to South Africa Kids Pruning Company (KPC) located in Ingwavuma District of Magugu in KwaZula-Natal, South Africa.  KPC was established in 2014 as a recreation program for youth, ages 9-21.  About 100 youth currently participate.  Programs include crafts, sports, music, life skills, drama, and video production.  The music and video projects are designed to inspire and educate the community.  Director Ilton (Yito) Beleque is a long-time collaborator with Peace Corps Volunteers.  NorCal funds will be used to purchase 4 acoustic guitars for the music program.  The project was proposed by NorCal member Aladrianne Young, RPCV South Africa (2017-2019).

1. $2,000 to Health Access Connect in Kampala, Uganda.NorCalPCA’s funds will purchase two motorcycle trailers for their program, Ambulances for All, designed to link patients by motorcycle taxis to existing health care resources within a 5 kilometer area. NorCalPCA member Kathleen Campbell sponsored this application.
2. $2,000 to Davila Children’s Home (DCH) in Bomet, Kenya.The Home provides care, support and protection for 30 orphans and vulnerable children. NorCalPCA funds will be used to purchase a maize grinding machine for their use and for the local community. (DCH received $1,200 to purchase 300 chickens in 2015. That project is thriving.) NorCalPCA member Andrea Crider sponsored this project.
3. $2,000 to Common River, a community program in Aleta Wondo, Sedama Region, Ethiopia, begun in 2007. NorCalPCA funds will provide materials for the new 5th grade classroom, including a wall board, and supplies, books, uniforms and shoes for 30 students. NorCalPCA member Nancy Beam sponsored this application.
4. $2,000 to Hesperian Health Guides based in Berkeley, California.The NorCalPCA Grant through Hesperian’s Gratis Program will provide free publications to Northern California Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) serving overseas. Through cooperation with the local Peace Corps recruiting office and send-off celebrations, Northern California PCVs will learn about this offer and request the Health Guides for their local communities.
5. $1,250 to Comixlenl Coffee Cooperative in La Union, Lempira, Honduras. Coffee rust disease, attributed as a problem of global warming, is impacting the coffee production. The 78-member Cooperative needs to control or eradicate the disease on about 156 acres of coffee. NorCalPCA funds will be used to purchase the equipment and fungicide necessary. NorCalPCA member Maria Robinson sponsored this application.
6. $1,000 to Alternatives to Violence Project Jordan to fund and expand outreach of their conflict resolution efforts. The organization plans mini workshops designed to introduce their concepts to 10 Jordanian organizations in one year. NorCalPCA’s funds will be used for the translation and printing of materials and manuals. NorCalPCA member Lydia McCloskey sponsored this project. This project represents NorCalPCA’s first grant to the Middle East.
7. $1,000 to Full Basket Belize (FBB) founded by Belize RPCVs and friends in 2005. FBB is an all-volunteer organization and 100% of donations go to projects in Belize. NorCalPCA Grants will work with FBB to co-sponsor a project that meets NorCalPCA’s criteria. This application was proposed by NorCalPCA member Brandon Kitagawa.

1. $2,000 to Save Rivers to build a pontoon and jetty for the Long Ekang community in Sarawak, Borneo.
   Save Rivers is an indigenous-led grassroots organization and a partner of the Borneo Project, located in Berkeley, CA. NorCalPCA members Liz Varnhagen and Bruce Moen are active in the Borneo Project. The NorCalPCA Grant will be used to purchase project materials. Long Ekang, located on the Baram River, has a population of more than 500 people, many aged 50+. The river is the commercial and transportation lifeline for the community. The pontoon and the jetty, built over 30 years ago, was damaged by flooding in May 2017. A construction plan and project supervisors have been identified. $3,500 was already donated for the project. The total cost estimate is $8,540. Other funds needed will be raised by the community itself.

2. $1,000 for the composting latrines project in Alto Playon, Darien Region, Panama.
   The 280 inhabitants of Alto Playon live on an indigenous reserve and follow a subsistence life of farming, fishing and hunting. This project was proposed by NorCalPCA member Moiz Kapadia, RPCV Panama, who served there in 2010-2012. We will hold NorCalPCA funds for this grant up to July 31, 2018 for Moiz and his team to raise an additional $1,000. If the outside support is not received, the funds will be returned to Grants.NorCalPCA Grants previously awarded $2,000 in 2015 for the Alto Playon project. After several obstacles were overcome, the funds were released in Spring 2017 for actual construction. With the recent completion of more latrines, the Alto Playon community is very enthusiastic to continue building them. The community members provide all labor needed and 40% of the materials cost. The Grants Committee likes this project and wants to encourage Moiz Kapadia and his colleagues to look beyond NorCalPCA Grants for the additional funds they require. By contributing our name and part of the financial support, we hope to encourage other funders to provide the amount necessary for the Alto Playon project to continue.

1. $2,000 for the African Library Project (ALP), a volunteer based organization in Berkeley, CA, founded in 2005. ALP recruits book drive organizers in the United States and Canada and matches them with rural schools in sub-Saharan Africa. Peace Corps Volunteers in the field are an integral part of their program.  School villages agree to provide space, furniture, and library staff. 

Our NorCalPCA Grant of $2,000 will be used to purchase 30 sets of HIV/AIDS readers for use in school libraries in southwest Kenya.

2. $2,000 to the Dokotoro Project, a volunteer organization founded by Mali RPCVs and based in Richmond, CA.  NorCalPCA Member Matt Heberger is the Project Leader. In 2012, a small group of Mali RPCVs envisioned a monumental task: to translate and publish the book Where There Is No Doctor(Hesperian Health Guides) into Bambara, a language spoken by 10 million people in Mali and surrounding countries. Due to political unrest, Peace Corps/Mali suspended its program in 2012, but the RPCVs continued to work, calling on former Peace Corps staff and host-country counterparts to work with them.  They hosted fundraisers, worked electronically with translators in Mali, and field-tested the results with health care professionals.  In the process, they realized that the materials necessitated an updated West African French translation, too. The result is newly completed, appropriate health text and illustrations in both Bambara and French, ready to be printed and used.

Our NorCalPCA Grant of $2,000 will provide 130 copies of Where There Is No Doctor to communities and local health centers in Mali.

3. $2,000 to Build a School in Burma (BSB), co-founded in 2010 by RPCV Andrew Lederer of Los Altos, CA. To date, over 20 schools have been built in underserved communities of Burma through the efforts of BSB, partnering with NGOs and local communities who want education for their young people. Phara Gyi School in Arakan State, near the India border, was completed in 2013 for 100 students, but 180 children showed up to learn. The original water and sanitation facilities were inadequate for the numbers and a major storm in 2014 washed the latrines away.

Our NorCalPCA Grant of $2,000 will be used to build two new school latrines and provide potable water.  The latrines will be constructed from reinforced concrete to survive the local weather conditions.

4. $850 to Young Community Health Workersin Tsarasambo, Madagascar, a club of young people facilitated by Health Adviser and current PCV Jenna Smith from Pacifica, CA. Five representatives of the club attended 2016 Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World), a Peace Corps-led program for girls from throughout Madagascar. They returned with commitment to recruit their friends and create a program where they can promote the well-being of their community through activities that empower and educate them to make a difference. In the process the club members are learning valuable leadership skills.

Our NorCalPCA Grant of $850 will be used for gardening tools and materials, art and mural supplies, and readers in their Malagasy language.

5. $500 to the Children’s Center in Baluti Village, Blantyre, Malawi. The project was proposed by Elaine Lo, RPCV Malawi 2007-2009, from Hayward, CA. The Chimwemwe Children’s Center was founded in 2009 in response to increased children living on the streets. The organization focuses on youth between 10-25 years, especially those effected by HIV/AIDS, drugs, and mental health problems. The Center facilitates counseling and educational support. A new Children’s Center is currently being built to continue and expand the resources available.

Our NorCalPCA Grant of $500 will be used for windows and other building infrastructure.

1. $2,000 to a Peace Corps Partnership Project in Ñaupe, Peru, proposed by current PCV Jason Emmons, from Yuba City, California. Ñaupe is a small town of about 700 people, situated near the northern border of Lambayeque province.  This project is aimed to combat deforestation and provide green areas/waste managements.  The project includes starting a tree nursery, digging micro land-fills and building concrete planter boxes, and planting nursery trees.  In one year, it is estimated that 20,000 kilos of trash will be eliminated from the landfill and the entire town will enjoy the green areas and increased shade.  The NorCal grant will be used for construction materials and supplies.
2. $2,000 to the Borneo Project, based in Berkeley, CA, to help provide solar energy for 2 rural community centers in the Baram River Basin of Sarawak, Malaysia.  This proposal from a Northern California non-governmental organization was written by the Executive Director with support of several RPCVs on the Board of Directors.  These rural communities currently rely on expensive and polluting diesel generators.  The NorCal grant will help purchase one solar panel for each location.
3. $2,000 to Community Agents for Integral Health (ACSI), a collective of extension workers in Yorito, Honduras.  This project was recommended by NorCal member Janet Espinosa, who served there for her Peace Corps service, 2009-2010.  ACSI identified 4 locations in the neighboring mountain communities where they will build and demonstrate latrines, water storage basins, roofed houses, cement floors and family gardens.  The finished facilities are designed to inspire community involvement and replication in the future.  The communities will provide materials and labor worth 30% of the total value of the project.  NorCal’s grant will purchase construction materials.
4. $2,000 for the composting latrines project in Alto Playon, Darien Region, Panama. This project was proposed by NorCal member Moiz Kapadia, RPCV Panama, who served there in 2010-2012.  During his Peace Corps service, Moiz worked with the locals to build composting latrines.  The local Health Committee became very active in promoting this effort, and latrines were constructed with the help of the next PCV.  NorCal’s grant will purchase materials to construct more latrines, with local recipients providing 100% of the labor and 40% of the materials.
5. $1,656 to Youth 4 Change (Y4C), a non-profit, collaborative public project in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.  This project was proposed by Benjamin Taylor, RPCV Micronesia, 2010-2012 , and resident of McKinleyville, CA.  Y4C consists of 60 youth peer educators from around the island.  The educators present group-created songs, lectures, and crowd-participation scenarios aimed at Micronesian youth in elementary through high school and their parents.  Last year, Y4C also made presentations to Peace Corps-affiliated summer camps.  NorCal’s Grant will fund the purchase of audiovisual and recording equipment to support the group’s activities and allow for transmission on local radio and to outer islands.
6. $1,200 to the Davila Children’s Home Chicken Project in Bomet County, the lower Rift Valley, Kenya.  The project was recommended by RPCV Adriana Alminiana, who served in Kenya 2013-2014 before her service was cut short due to country evacuation.  This project creates an income generating and nutrition-supplementing poultry project.  The orphanage/local community will fund all labor costs, the egg storage facility, a water tank, and other additional supplies totaling about 17% of total project costs. A portion of the eggs will be used to feed the children and caretakers at the orphanage, with the majority of eggs being sold to local stores and restaurants for profit.  NorCal’s grant will purchase the chickens and provide vaccinations.

1. $850 to the Promoting Productive Livelihoods Project (PPLP) in El Salvador. PPLP is a youth program supported by two high schools,  Instituto National de Perquin and Education Complex of San Fernando, both  located in the Northern Morazan, a poor rural mountain region. This project includes a business basics and incubator course that will run for 20 weeks, attended by 50 high school students. Participants will be responsible for creating team marketing plans for a good or service and presenting them to a panel of judges from the community. NorCal Grants funds will be used for class supplies and student materials. The project was proposed by PCV Hilary Jacobsen of Marin County who is concurrently a Master’s International student at Monterey Institute of International Studies.
2. $2,000 to Mali Kalanso, a non-profit organization that supports education in Nienebale, Koulikoro Region, Mali. Mali Kalanso was co-founded by Mali RPCVs in 2010. The program has built a preschool, three primary school classrooms, and most recently, started a middle school with their community partners. This year, the village leaders declared that girls would complete their education before being promised for marriage, “an immense cultural shift in a remote traditional community” according to Mali Kalanso. The first class of 7th graders started in the Fall of 2014. NorCal Grants funds will provide student desks and other needed furniture for this classroom. NorCal member Katie Christ (RPCV Mali), a co-founder of Mali Kalanso, proposed this project.
   
3. $1,800 will go to the Philippine Federation for Environmental Concern (PFEC) for their honey and beeswax gathering and processing project in the Philippines. PFEC supports the Dumagat Remontado indigenous people who live in the Tayabasan Sub-watershed area in Metro Manila. The honey and beeswax project aims to expand economic capacity in a sensitive way. 20 people will participate in an initial training program. NorCal Grants funds will be used for equipment and presentation materials to expand the program.   The project was proposed by NorCal member Larry Maurin (RPCV Zambia) who served 8 months as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer with PFEC in 2013-2014.
4. $1650 will go to the Reading Sierra Leone Book Distribution Project of Schools for Salone. Started by RPCVs, Schools for Salone (SfS) is a non-profit organization committed to helping Sierra Leoneans support education in their country.  As part of their ongoing efforts, they have identified 31 different books that are locally written and illustrated by Sierra Leoneans and Liberians. The audience is first to sixth graders. SfS plans to distribute the books to schools where there are established relationships. Transportation and library responsibilities in Sierra Leone will be covered by local representatives.  NorCal Grants funds will pay for 825 books ($2/each). The project was recommended by NorCal member, Bob Heavner, RPCV Sierra Leone.

1. We provided $960 for the Special Olympics Program in Panang, Philippines.  The program purchased 10 bocce ball sets so able-bodied and disabled could mingle and play.  The Panang program sponsored a bocce team in local Special Olympics competitions.  The project was proposed by RPCV Philippines Debra Pritchard, a former NorCal member who now lives in Panang.
2. We sent $1,000 for the Arborloo Project of Cemaco, Tierra Collectiva of the Darien Province of Panama.  Cemaco is a small indigenous Wounaan community of about 300 people.  The Cemaco community contributed 60% of the total project value through labor and transportation.  This project was a Peace Corps Partnership Project (PCPP) proposed by Nathan Arnold from Sausalito, CA, who was posted in Panama until July 2014.The Arborloo is a model of latrine similar to the basic pit latrine, except that it’s built out of very light materials which can be easily transported once the shallow pit is filled.  The filled pit is then topped with soil and a fruit tree is planted which will use the human excrement as fertilizer.  This cycle can be repeated for as long as the housing and platform hold up and this model is more sustainable than the standard pit latrine.  It also has the advantage of providing trees and fruit for the next generation in an area where deforestation is a huge issue.

3. We arranged for $1,000 to be used in Akhadesh, Azilal Province, Morocco, for Sanitation Project Part II.  The project was proposed by RPCV Morocco Jennifer Lawrence of Berkeley, CA, on behalf of the Akhadesh Association for Human Development and Matthew and Cori MacFarland, who were PCVs in Azilal.Project Part II aimed to continue the installation of toilets, with the involvement of Jennifer and the PCVs posted in the area. The funds were used to purchase toilets, pipes, cement and bricks.  49% of the total value of the project was provided by the people of Akhadesh in the form of transportation and labor.  The overall goal of this project was to improve health conditions in the village.

4. We contributed $2,040 towards a challenge grant for the Mali Onion Storage construction project in Beleco, Cercle of Dioila, Koulikoro Region, Mali.  The project supporters raised $2,040 and the NorCal Grants Program matched the result.The farmers in the Baniko Jaba Ton, the local onion cooperative, come from 15 small villages around Beleco, about 200 kilometers from the capital of Bamako. Onions are farmed seasonally, so the market becomes flooded with onions during the harvest and the prices go down.   The onion co-op used NorCal funds to buy construction materials and build a storage building where their onion crops could be stored up to 6 months.The project was first proposed to NorCal Grants in 2012 when there was political unrest and a coup in Mali.  With more stability in the country, the project could move ahead in 2014.  This project was sponsored by RPCV Mali Jessica Luo, formerly of Northern California.