AVIF Volunteers in Kenya

Newsletter

Many thanks to all our volunteers for a real budget-version “first” volunteer program.

This will be the first of our Newsletters. The main site remains with our Flash-based host, Moonfruit, so please visit for updates www.avif.org.uk though we are endeavouring to go purely HTML to allow us to cater for vital accessibility and alternative functionality needs i.e. visually impaired viewers, users of older internet browsers, etc.

I'm totally over whelmed by the positive things that have come out of this Summer, for a taster, Rebecca just uploaded 171 photos onto the Yahoo site, direct link from Photo Gallery on website. www.avif.org.uk - fantastic, especially Amos the security guard in a spiderman mask, and Pam's new shoes.

AVIF is now blogging to increase visibility of the main website, you can input comments @ www.avifvolunteers.blogspot.com

We have joined forces with www.Cashback-Rewards.Co.UK, an Organisational Member of the Institute of Fundraising, for another way to raise money. AVIF receives a share of the commission from retailers involved such as Tesco, AA and American Express plus up to 95% of the commission cashback on your shopping. Cashback-Rewards boast a shopping directory with 600+ high street brands including ASDA, RAC Amercian Express and Harrods.

Similar to our BT site www.buy.at/AVIFshopping

Cashback will pay us £10 for each "friend" we refer so please forward this. In addition the owners of Cashback are kindly developing an HTML website, available soon, no change to website address.

Running with London Marathon - with UK Charity Commission still far from reachable due to our "kitchen table charity" size, registering as a Marathon Charity will be impossible. We can still offer support to runners, though. We’ll keep you posted.

Volunteering Handbook - this is now available for viewing to all enrolled volunteers. We endeavour to Invest in our Volunteers, and will always respect your views.

eBay & PayPal project for international trading is changing course. After an indepth cost-analysis, we have found it would be far cheaper and therefore far more beneficial to the communities to set up AVIF's own webshop. All proceeds will go to the craftsmen and women though AVIF will start to trade in its own right to raise funds to cover essential costs of volunteer programs. We are under advice on setting up a trading subsidiary, and slowly disappearing under the paperwork !

Womens Support Groups with Rebecca Lolosoli / Madre. Another project to fundraise for. As yet we have been unable to gain a response from Madre but wish to continue this project for the sake of ladies like Emily and Grace at LDK’s School in Nakuru.

AVIF are now a Master Distributor for EasyKard, who provide us with ATM cards for each Kenyan liaison and community group selling goods online with us. VISA back the cards, charging a small fee to set up and maintain but offer the cheapest method of UK-Kenya fund transfer.

Next volunteer programme is scheduled for December / Jan 2007 and will include homestays, visit to host families rural villages, teaching and safari. We have a new host at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, mentoring street children originally rescued from Nairobi. Due to onset of examinations in late January this program will be more suited to corporate volunteers i.e. backed and funded by employers.

Re-registering with UK Charity Commission - after problems with KPDP in Nairobi we have almost completed paperwork and expect to hear from the Commission by the end of October. Once registration is obtained this will open the floodgates to major funding opportunities and growth of our little network.

Many thanks again to our 14 wonderful volunteers. I have not received much feedback (Matt, Becca and Bev excluded) and would appreciate stories, photographs from anyone involved.

Next Newsletter due October 2006.