Surgance Central

Surgance and The Almus Project join forces to preserve, develop, and transform communities in Africa

The Almus Project has become part of Surgance, Inc.

Founded in 2008, The Almus Project exists to address the life-threatening issue of malnutrition that currently a f fects millions of people throughout the world. According t o the project's founder, Andy Milligan, "The Almus Project is based on the concept of thinking globally and acting locally. We are committed to bringing to bear the financial and technological resources of the western world in partnership  with local communities, beginning in the Sub-Saharan African nation of Zambia, to address the threat of malnutrition.

"Almus is a Latin word," Andy explains. "It means kind, generous, and nourishing." Through the use of peanut-based Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), the Almus Project is working to bring life-saving nourishment to thousands of malnourished children throughout the world.

"This partnership is a striking example of the power that the Surgance platform brings to social entrepreneurial ventures," says Brian Audia, Surgance, Inc.'s CEO. "We're excited about the possibilities of affecting community transformation throughout the world and The Almus Project is a perfect opportunity for Surgance and it's partners to do just that."

If you would like to make a contribution to enable Surgance to continue to lead community transforming projects like this all around the world, we would greatly appreciate your tax-deductible donation of any size through Network for Good:

Dr. Larson's Vision for Sewell Elementary's Community Cottage

Yesterday we had a great meeting with Dr. Larson and the staff at Sewell Elementary in Henderson to strategize the renovation of their "Community Cottage."  I grabbed some video of Dr. Larson sharing her vision for the building and wanted to share it with you all.

If you would like to make a contribution to enable Surgance to continue to lead community transforming projects like this all around the world, we would greatly appreciate your tax-deductible donation of any size through Network for Good:

The Almus Project. A Most unusual afternoon: a Bishop, a President, 1.2 Million Orpahns, and Flying Starfish

I had a most unusual lunch today. Not that the food was unusual, rather the company. Recently I had heard that a bishop from Zambia was coming to Las Vegas. This morning, our pastor who's a huge supporter of The Almus Project invited me to have lunch with them. As I spoke with Bishop Peter Ndhlovu I learned that 8 years ago in Lusaka, Zambia's capital, he started a small church in a tavern. In the last 8 years that 1 church has planted 236 churches in 12 countries and oversees 92 community schools that serve 13,000 orphans. I shared our vision to nourish children with Ready to Use Theraputic Foods as well as to reach out to vulnerable children with new supplemental formulas designed to fend off malnutrition as well as new formulas to support ARV drug regimens for adults living with HIV/AIDS. I told him that we are planning to make an extended trip this summer to lay the foundation to begin manufacturing RUTF in Kabwe as well as to spend time with African farmers who grow peanuts, make connections with various aid organizations and to see if we could meet with officials of the US embassy in Zambia as well as Zambian government officials. After hearing the vision, the bishop said, "When you come to Lusaka I will arrange for you to meet with the Minsiter of Information who is the spokesman for the Cabinet to the President. That meeting could lead to a meeting with the President of Zambia to present the vision you've shared with me." I was blown away.

Come to find out, Bishop Ndhlovu has served as the pastor of the previous and current President of Zambia and currently serves as a spiritual advisor to President Rupiah Banda.  When I woke up this morning I had no idea that today I would be dining with a close personal friend of the President of Zambia. Seriously, what are the odds (Vegas pun intended) that I would have lunch on a Sunday afternoon with the spiritual advisor of the leader of the country where the Almus Project is working?

I gave him several copies of our program DVD to share with officials in Zambia, and we had an amazing time talking about The Almus Project and what a difference it can make in the lives of the people of Zambia. Particularly orphans. With an average life expectancy in Zambia of less than 40 years, because of the devestation of HIV/AIDS, there is an entire generation missing. 45% of Zambia's population of 12 million people are under the age of 14. 10% of Zambia's population are orphans... that's 1.2 million orphans. He shared a poem with me that poigniantly describes the lives of the children in Zambia they are reaching .

The Cry of an Orphan
By Judith Mungaila

My heart bleeds when I see an adult passing by.

I look in their face hoping to see

my lost father and mother.

Hoping to hear their comforting voices;

Hoping for a hug but no body has time

for me since my parents died.

I’ve become a scavenger.

I have nowhere to sleep.

I cannot go to school.

When I make a mistake

I must be beaten because I am naughty.

I must be given a little food to eat

because I eat too much.

I must do all the work because I am lazy.

If I laugh I am making noise.

If I cry I am not grateful.

When I become a parent one day

for the sake of my children,

I’ll protect myself from AIDS.

Oh God Oh God,

it is terrible to be an orphan!

As Bishop Ndhlovu and I were discussing the problems so many orphans face in Zambia, he commented that the problem is so vast that it can be overwhelming. I was reminded of and shared with him a story that one of our parnters in Zambia and South Africa, Coen Scholtz, tells that so beautifully illustrates why we do what we do:

 

The Parable of the Starfish.

There was a man who was walking by the sea when he noticed that the beach was covered with thousands of starfish. Standing in the middle of these starfish was a man who slowly and methodically bent over, picked up a starfish and threw it into the sea. The man who was passing by called out to the man on the beach and said, "Why are you doing this? There are thousands of these starfish. You can't possibly save them all. What difference does this make?" The man on the beach replied, "but it is making a differnce for this one." And he reached down, picked up another starfish and flung it back into the sea.

Thanks for making a difference,
Andy Milligan
Director
The Almus Project

Photos by Jess Koehler
www.curiositysavedthehuman.com

If you would like to make a contribution to enable Surgance to continue to lead community transforming projects like this all around the world, we would greatly appreciate your tax-deductible donation of any size through Network for Good:

Awareness to Action Seeking Surgance Partnership

New Jersey nonprofit Awareness to Action founder Kevin Pounds addressed a group of leaders in Atlanta Sunday afternoon regarding the expansion of the program through Surgance to the rest of the nation.

The program focuses on taking professionals from social awareness to social action in urban centers, partnering with nonprofits.
 
 
brian AUDIA
President and CEO
www.surgance.com
702.309.7874

Posted via email from Brian D. Audia

Urban Nation Fuel

I learned something important today as I handled a strategic planning meeting in Atlanta concerning advocacy for urban nonprofits: Urban Nation Program Director Drew Benton hates veggies...
 
brian AUDIA
President and CEO
www.surgance.com
702.309.7874

Posted via email from Brian D. Audia

rejuveNATION Las Vegas

Things are heating up out here in Las Vegas, and I'm not just talking about the 85 degree weather we're having this week! (Sorry for the bad weather metaphor, but Brian makes me do it. It's in my contract.) In all seriousness, I had a GREAT meeting today with Phil Thompson, a friend and owner of local architectural firm Visual Insights, along with Joe Haun, owner of civil engineering firm Hauntec. Both of these gentleman are donating their services and expertise to our project to help Sewell Elementary transform a run down mobile unit into a beautiful and functional learning center for the adults in their community. 

Here's a pic I snapped today of the building we're going to be applying lots of tender-loving-care to over the next few months:

Phil and Joe have also given me a number of leads and made a couple of personal introductions to some companies that are going to be vital to completing this project. I'm so grateful for men in the community like Phil and Joe who are eager to use their skills to invest in the the lives of others! Surgance IS people like Phil and Joe finding out how they can use their skills and knowledge to bring about positive change in communities! EVERYONE has something to contribute!

rejuveNATION Baltimore

Since the beginning of December I have been working with the Principal of Eutaw Marshburn Elementary School, offering her our services to help create a better learning environment within her school.  After three and a half months of persistence (though some may call it badgering or stalking), we were able to line up a meeting with the Executive Director of the Baltimore City Public School System to discuss our offer.  After being visibly impressed that an outside organization was asking to direct manpower and funding towards the school I was given a tour of the facility, and shown the needs.  I saw security doors that do not work, a potentially beautiful courtyard area that is infested with rats and unsafe for students to use, lockers that need to be repaired, and walls that desperately need painting.

As the meeting ended, I was promised that I would hear back by Tuesday about official approval for our offer, and Wednesday afternoon I will again be meeting with the Principal of the school to start looking at the work that needs to be done, and putting together a plan of attack. 

After the Executive Director left, I spent about an hour with Ms. Jackson, the Principal.  Ms. Jackson shared with me some of the struggles that she faces as a Principal of an inner city title one school.  Her story was somewhat depressing as she shared with me the demographics of her school:

• 99% of her students are on federal meal assistance 
• Most of her students live in section 8 housing 
• The overwhelming majority of her students are being raised by aunts, grandparents, or a single parent
• Over 40% of the school's parents did  not graduate or earn a G.E.D... imagine motivating students to learn who come from families that do not recognize the value of an education

She told me many of her students are deeply angry and hurting, forcing teachers to do triage before they can teach. 

Our conversation turned to matters of faith, and Ms. Jackson told me a few times that the only reason that she is able to carry on at this school is because of the hope that Christ gives her, both for herself and her students.  

Leaving the school, I was encouraged by Ms. Jackson's heart for serving the students and families of the community, and her heart for working through her struggles in a relational way.  She realizes that little will change without creating a sense of community within the families served by the schools, and is looking forward to leveraging our partnership to develop that sense of community.  As our proposal goes before school administrators tomorrow I am excited to see the possibilities that lie before us, and seeing how, by a little freshening up, we can begin the process of changing the lives of a community.

Glove Story - Why?

Today, we were supposed to set up at the field in Macedonia.  In baseball, the saying goes, "You win a few, you lose a few and a few are rained out".  I was kind of sad - No games, no people, no gloves, just rain.  I was not discouraged, just kind of wondering why I am doing this.

Then, when I got back home, I looked a couple of email messages like the one I am pasting in below.  Here is why we do this.

From: Juan Herrera
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 7:44 PM
To : ned@calvaryskids.net
Subject: Sandra's husband

"Hello Mr. Hess , I am Juan Herrera , Sandra's husband.

Sandra told me about someone that is interested to send children's gloves to the DR.

That is a great news considering how expensive  the gloves are here and many kids practicing baseball , most of the time, do not have one.

Still, I m working with the scholarships program and I have many contacts in the baseball leagues here in Santiago.

Just let me know what do you want to do .

 

Blessings and Thanks so much for thinking of me.

Regards

Juan.

Dave

Glove Story branches out!

Today, I met with a manufacturer to discuss producing and packaging a Glove Story brand glove conditioner and glove oil.  We discussed 3 or 4 formulations which they are going to produce shortly for us to give a trial run.  After the trials in our glove repair/conditioning classes, we will go over the pros and cons, get back to the drawing board to re-formulate our product, finalize packaging plans and make labeling decisions.  Then production will begin.  The name of our conditioner you might ask?  What else but "gLove Potion"?  If it takes 9 tries to get it right, then it will be "gLove Potion #9".   I even have a 60's jingle for the commercials already. 

Fans of Glove Story, please do not jam the switchboard with overwhelming praise nor with undue criticism for this name selection.  However, if you have a gentle suggestion, I am open to hear what you say. 

By the way, that is Mariano and me in the picture, not the manufacturer.  (Didn't get a picture of him)

Dave

Glove Story - Examples of our work.

We are preparing to go to Shaw Park in Marietta this Saturday for their Opening Day.  We took signs and fliers out to the park on Monday to advertise.  We will repair/condition gloves there from 10:30-3:00 and collect a few donated gloves to take to the Dominican Republic this summer.

A Smoothie King state rep will be there to see what we are doing to consider partnering with us.  Brian and I have a meeting with him on March 11 or 12 to discuss the possibilities.

And finally, take a look at the before and after pictures we took of mitts we brought from Shaw Park to have ready by Saturday as a favor to them.

Dave

  

Before                            After

   
Before                        After                                           

 

Before                         After

 
  Before                         Before