Just seven days before the first project of Together for Afghanistan is underway. So much has happened and there is much good news to report.
First we have accepted the grant application from NGO Lojvar for the first business adviser office. I know it's been up on our website but we were still hammering out the details and it wasn't really real... but now it is.
Second, we are no longer just Together for Afghanistan! We will be changing our names from T4A and Together for Afghanistan TO "Together for a Better Life" or "T4ABLE." This has been in the works for awhile but we wanted to broaden the horizon beyond just Afghanistan to all the hard places in the world where we might have the opportunity to help.
Thirdly, we have applied to the IRS for tax exempt status so we're just waiting on that to come back approved. While we cannnot guarantee that gifts will be tax deductible if we are approved all previous gifts would be tax deductible. We'll let you know as soon as we hear back from them.
I will be blogging from Tajikistan as often as I am able to keep you up to date with the goings on of the project. This week I will lay out the goals and timelines of the trip to make it easy to follow along.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Moving Faster...
Everything seems to be moving at quite a clip right now as deadlines are drawing ever nearer. With all the time seeming to drain away there is tremendous amounts of good news.
I have acquired a visa to consult with NGO Lojvar in Tajikistan where I will be overseeing the initial stages of our partnership with them. This means that our Business Advisor Project in Tajikistan is about to begin. We are still in need of donations for that project.
Our Board of Directors is full and they are an exciting group of guys to work with. We are working hard to complete our application to the IRS for tax exempt status.
All this happening by my flight out on August 7th. Wow.
Everything is nerve racking but a great deal of work has been done and more is getting done everyday it seems. This is truly exciting to see the past year and a half come together like it is. Please join us in this exciting project. Please email the address on the www.togetherforabetterlife.org website or link to it on your blog, facebook, or other website.
More exciting stuff coming in the next two weeks and then I will begin my live blogging from Tajikistan!
I have acquired a visa to consult with NGO Lojvar in Tajikistan where I will be overseeing the initial stages of our partnership with them. This means that our Business Advisor Project in Tajikistan is about to begin. We are still in need of donations for that project.
Our Board of Directors is full and they are an exciting group of guys to work with. We are working hard to complete our application to the IRS for tax exempt status.
All this happening by my flight out on August 7th. Wow.
Everything is nerve racking but a great deal of work has been done and more is getting done everyday it seems. This is truly exciting to see the past year and a half come together like it is. Please join us in this exciting project. Please email the address on the www.togetherforabetterlife.org website or link to it on your blog, facebook, or other website.
More exciting stuff coming in the next two weeks and then I will begin my live blogging from Tajikistan!
Monday, May 2, 2011
What do you do?
I've had a number of conversations with a number of people where the question, "what do you do?" came up repeatedly. When talking about Together for Afghanistan the simple, yet broad answer, is we help people in Tajikistan and Afghanistan. To which the next question seems quite predictable, "so what do you do?"
The whole point of saying "help" instead of getting specific is to say that we will do whatever is necessary to better the people in need, but it is terrible unspecific at the same time. So I've had this question on my mind for the past few weeks, how do I get more specific?
Perhaps getting specific can be to look at what we are already doing. Right now we are focusing on helping the poor start small businesses so they can have a stable income, which for unemployed in impoverished areas is huge. We set up offices with advisers who will help provide information to potential small business owners and actively recruit villages to start co-ops to give jobs to people.
Perhaps getting specific could be to tell a story. Last winter in Afghanistan there was a huge avalanche that hit a village and destroyed many of the home and killed close to 20 people, yet because it was in such a remote area the government did not respond to this disaster. No organizations went to deliver food, no tents were taken to the homeless. No one visited and just showed that they cared. In a good world this would not happen in the first place, in a tolerable world we would at least help everyone, but it seems wrong when some people are apparently worth more than others. So what do we do? We will go to villages like this and at least do something.
The whole point of saying "help" instead of getting specific is to say that we will do whatever is necessary to better the people in need, but it is terrible unspecific at the same time. So I've had this question on my mind for the past few weeks, how do I get more specific?
Perhaps getting specific can be to look at what we are already doing. Right now we are focusing on helping the poor start small businesses so they can have a stable income, which for unemployed in impoverished areas is huge. We set up offices with advisers who will help provide information to potential small business owners and actively recruit villages to start co-ops to give jobs to people.
Perhaps getting specific could be to tell a story. Last winter in Afghanistan there was a huge avalanche that hit a village and destroyed many of the home and killed close to 20 people, yet because it was in such a remote area the government did not respond to this disaster. No organizations went to deliver food, no tents were taken to the homeless. No one visited and just showed that they cared. In a good world this would not happen in the first place, in a tolerable world we would at least help everyone, but it seems wrong when some people are apparently worth more than others. So what do we do? We will go to villages like this and at least do something.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Growing Needs...
Greetings everyone!
With upcoming deadlines for financing the first project comes a certain amount of apprehension. We have set a beginning date of June 15th for our first business adviser project to begin and have made a few commitments that are binding. We have not raised this money yet and there are several needs even beyond money.
First, we are still looking for a person to serve on our board of directors. It is my hope that we can find someone who is committed and passionate about the welfare of people on the other side of the world. It is impossible to ask this of someone, but it is a greater impossibility to not to ask when there are such great needs in Badakhshan.
Secondly, we are in great need of documentation such as IRS approval, Tajikistan approvals and other logistics that are a mountain of paperwork.
Thirdly, we are going to need to raise approximately $5,000, (according to my own loose estimate) in the next two months to fund our first project and for the initial training.
With such great needs have come some great friends who are doing what they can and are such a great encouragement. Over the next few weeks I anticipate posting some of their stories of how they are helping the people of Tajikistan.
With upcoming deadlines for financing the first project comes a certain amount of apprehension. We have set a beginning date of June 15th for our first business adviser project to begin and have made a few commitments that are binding. We have not raised this money yet and there are several needs even beyond money.
First, we are still looking for a person to serve on our board of directors. It is my hope that we can find someone who is committed and passionate about the welfare of people on the other side of the world. It is impossible to ask this of someone, but it is a greater impossibility to not to ask when there are such great needs in Badakhshan.
Secondly, we are in great need of documentation such as IRS approval, Tajikistan approvals and other logistics that are a mountain of paperwork.
Thirdly, we are going to need to raise approximately $5,000, (according to my own loose estimate) in the next two months to fund our first project and for the initial training.
With such great needs have come some great friends who are doing what they can and are such a great encouragement. Over the next few weeks I anticipate posting some of their stories of how they are helping the people of Tajikistan.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Website fixed, Tajikistan Ready, and other exciting things
First, after much consideration and much scratching of my head I have figured out how to align columns on the website to prevent absolute pandemonium.(if you didn't see it, be glad you didn't) The website is fixed and will no longer be an explosion of unintended consequences. I will be adding significantly more content in the coming weeks now that the infrastructure issues have been addressed.
Several emails from Masrur indicate that he is back from Kabul, Afghanistan and has finished incorporating his nonprofit organization under the name "Lojvar." He is ready to begin the Migrant Worker Project and we are coordinating to begin the grant writing process.
Other exciting things include the purchase of a camera for our organization as well as our business cards have arrived!
Much still needs to be done, but progress is a reality and we are really looking forward to launching our first international project!
Several emails from Masrur indicate that he is back from Kabul, Afghanistan and has finished incorporating his nonprofit organization under the name "Lojvar." He is ready to begin the Migrant Worker Project and we are coordinating to begin the grant writing process.
Other exciting things include the purchase of a camera for our organization as well as our business cards have arrived!
Much still needs to be done, but progress is a reality and we are really looking forward to launching our first international project!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
New website, first presentation, and a vacant seat on the Board
Greetings everyone,
Our website is officially up, though it will be undergoing significant changes over the next few weeks. Both addresses, togetherforafghanistan.org and togetherforabetterlife.org are active to the website. This is a big milestone and is an exciting event.
One of our directors has resigned due to a possible conflict of interest, though they are very supportive of Together of Afghanistan. We are sorry to see them go but wish them well. Which does mean that there is currently a vacant seat we are considering some people for.
I will be speaking at Mt. Lebanon's Middle School in a few weeks about Tajikistan which should be a great time of practice and will help solidify some of our purposes. Also it will be a great opportunity for Middle Schoolers to learn about Central Asia and how they can help people around the world.
Our application for tax exempt status is underway, but we are taking our time to make sure it is done properly. Thanks to all helping in this area!
Our website is officially up, though it will be undergoing significant changes over the next few weeks. Both addresses, togetherforafghanistan.org and togetherforabetterlife.org are active to the website. This is a big milestone and is an exciting event.
One of our directors has resigned due to a possible conflict of interest, though they are very supportive of Together of Afghanistan. We are sorry to see them go but wish them well. Which does mean that there is currently a vacant seat we are considering some people for.
I will be speaking at Mt. Lebanon's Middle School in a few weeks about Tajikistan which should be a great time of practice and will help solidify some of our purposes. Also it will be a great opportunity for Middle Schoolers to learn about Central Asia and how they can help people around the world.
Our application for tax exempt status is underway, but we are taking our time to make sure it is done properly. Thanks to all helping in this area!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Where we are
Its been a long year and a half journey so far, but things are really moving along. Many of you have been a great encouragement to me in this new endeavor and I'd like to thank you. We couldn't be where we are now without you.
So where is the organization right now?
Together for Afghanistan is incorporated as a Non Profit in the State of Pennsylvania. We have an awesome board of directors that we will be publicizing very soon.
We are working on our 1023 application so that donations will be tax deductible.
Our website should be up in a matter of days!!
Our partner organization in Tajikistan is almost ready to apply formally for our first project!
More to come.
So where is the organization right now?
Together for Afghanistan is incorporated as a Non Profit in the State of Pennsylvania. We have an awesome board of directors that we will be publicizing very soon.
We are working on our 1023 application so that donations will be tax deductible.
Our website should be up in a matter of days!!
Our partner organization in Tajikistan is almost ready to apply formally for our first project!
More to come.
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