12/19/2014
Hi friends and supporters of CEEDAY,
We'd like to thank you all for your enthusiastic support of this project over the years and let you know that we've decided to wind down the CEEDAY project for the time being.
The CEEDAY project was always meant to have an end date, once we'd helped build capacity and empower our partner organization, BEEDAY. Together, we've accomplished a lot in six years. There are still ongoing needs in the community of Mugimbu, but for a number of reasons we've decided now is a good time to wind down the formal project.
Social businesses
Jackson is living in Burundi and is focusing his energy on developing a series of social businesses, such as a pineapple farm and a health clinic. These businesses meet community needs while generating a profit and allow community organizations to become self-sufficient instead of continually depending on donations. The businesses are similar to the micro-enterprises CEEDAY helped start, but on a larger scale.
As Jackson has shifted his focus, the revenue for the CEEDAY project has declined and right now we don't have the time or resources to do more fundraising for CEEDAY. If we keep the CEEDAY project open, we'll end up spending a disproportionate amount of donor money on administration costs rather than on the actual work in Burundi. So we've decided to close down the CEEDAY project for now, keeping open the possibility of starting it up again in the future as an independent organization.
What we've achieved
Since we launched the project in 2009, thanks to your generous support, we have assisted our partner organization, BEEDAY to:
Construct a resource centre that includes a dormitory where children can stay temporarily while permanent homes are found for them in the community, a kitchen, and a meeting space for community meetings, educational workshops and student study clubs.
Provide for the care of 50 children in the community who are living with local families.
Provide school books, uniforms and school fees for approximately 50 children per year.
Launch several micro-businesses including a cow project, a chicken farm, a grain mill, a vegetable garden and a banana plantation.
Construct a water reservoir that allows BEEDAY to cultivate vegetables during the dry season to be used as supplemental food for the children in care.
Provide alternative employment and job skills to a number of young people who would otherwise be at risk for recruitment by militant groups in the area.
What's next?
The fifty children whom BEEDAY has been caring for and enabling to attend school will continue to be supported with funds generated by Jackson's social business projects.
Anyone who has donated to CEEDAY in 2014 will be receiving a tax receipt in the next couple of weeks. At the end of 2014 CEEDAY will be closed down and the we won't be accepting further donations. If you'd like to continue to support Jackson's work in Burundi or receive updates, please contact Josiah or Jackson. Jackson won't be able to issue tax-deductible receipts, but he can still accept donations to his projects. If we decide to re-start CEEDAY in the future, we'll keep you posted.
Thanks again for all the ways you've supported us, both financially and in many other ways, and have a great Christmas.
Sincerely,
Josiah Neufeld, Jackson Nahayo & Erick Nduwimana
