Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY "Belated" THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR YOU!

We are so thankful for our INTERNS! We have been fortunate to have a consistent flow of interns visiting for at least six months at a time, which has been so helpful in getting our work accomplished. The below was written by one of our interns currently living in Uganda.

"Lately I have been working on developing a Basic Sewing Class curriculum. The aim of these lessons is to teach those with no sewing skills (or very little) the basic sewing principles and techniques needed to create simple yet professional looking items. This course will put an emphasis on striving to produce the highest quality product each individual skill set allows as well as prolonging the life of a sewing machine through regular maintenance.

I have also been working with a group of local tailors to develop and produce Africa shaped Christmas stockings. These stockings will be sold in Kampala at an upcoming craft fair in November. It is my hope that these are products that could be made and sold annually as another small avenue of income for these skilled artisans."

Written by Sarah Pietruszka
Fount of Mercy Vocational Development Intern

We are so thankful for our interns and their work. The time and effort they invest is immeasurable... and this month, we simply want to say a great big THANK YOU!

To you and yours - Hope you had a marvelous Thanksgiving!

With thanks, Fount of Mercy

Meet Sarah: Singer, Songwriter, Mom and Philanthropist

For the past nine years Sarah Lentz Dickinson has hosted a Christmas benefit concert with her singer, songwriter, musician friends. In 2006 Fount of Mercy had the privilege of meeting Sarah and attending her annual Chirstmas benefit concert. The following year when Sarah asked Fount of Mercy to not only attend the concert but to be the highlighted nonprofit at the event and to receive the donations we were taken aback and thoroughly honored. This December 3rd marks the fifth year Sarah has supported Fount of Mercy with her time, art and network of amazing artists. If you are in the NYC metro area we invite you to attend what we consider to be the best way to kick off the holiday season.

9th Annual Christmas Benefit Concert for Fount of Mercy
December 3rd
7:30 pm-10:30 pm
Suggested Donation
Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
199 Carroll St., Brooklyn, NY 11231
Child Care Provided

Meet out Intern Katie Korpi

Hello, my name is Katie Korpi and I recently interned for Fount of Mercy with their Vocational Development Program.

I lived and worked in Jinja for close to six months before recently returning to the US. Working with Fount was truly an honor and it allowed me to see very real needs and struggles that Uganda faces daily. The work that FOM is implementing is nothing short of extraordinary and being a part of the process was a fantastic, eye opening, deep breath of fresh air.

Although sometimes challenging, researching different viable options for sanitary pads, as well as helping to develop a business class curriculum, was both strengthening and humbling and I am so thankful I was able to play a small part in Fount's big picture.

Written by Katie Korpi
Vocational Development INTERN for Fount of Mercy

Summer 2012 - Travel with Purpose

Hi everyone!

This is just a quick plug to see if any of you are interested in traveling with Fount of Mercy during the summer of 2012. I know, I know... it seems early... but trust me... it isn't!

Taking time off work, getting finances in order, choosing the best flights ... all this takes time... and friends, you don't want to wait too late. =) This time also allows Fount of Mercy to work on your trip proposal so that while you're in Uganda you are investing in the areas that most fit your abilities, expertise, and passions. We want your trip to be purposeful and satisfying. To plan your trip well, we do need to know if you're planning on traveling with us as early as possible.

We're so incredibly thankful to those who have volunteered with us in the past and all the hard work you've done in your partnership with Fount of Mercy. We hope many more of you will take this opportunity and join us in the work we're doing in Uganda.

If you think you might be interested, or know someone else who might be, simply email me at contactfountofmercy@gmail.com and we'll start a conversation about some options for your trip.

Looking forward to the opportunity to work alongside you!

Rebecca Brown
Director of Communications

Basic Business Class

Basic Business Course 2011

Hi all!
We wanted to let you know that we are currently teaching our 2nd "Basic Business Class" from a curriculum that our Fount of Mercy staff has written. We are thrilled to announce that it has been VERY successful!

Last summer we worked on a "Bread Basket" project in Lwanda in which we discovered that simply learning how to bake was not enough for those invested in the class. The entire group really needed a basic knowledge of business so that they could divide the work and hold each other accountable.

Our 1st Basic Business Class, which focused on making sure EVERY woman had some basic business knowledge, was key in empowering the group as a whole and for ensuring the necessary accountability among members.

Because of our first experience, we're now pairing our business classes with a small "practice project" for the group to have the opportunity to implement what they have learned immediately. We are currently working in sewing, baking, and agriculture...3 household-based vocations that are women-friendly and sustainable locally. We're finding a nice balance with this new model and are happy to report the work is going wonderfully.

Tara Hawks
Fount of Mercy's Vocational Development Director

Fount of Mercy's Foreign NGO Status

NGO = Non-Governmental Organization

What is a foreign NGO? In a nutshell, according to our friends on Wikipedia, a foreign NGO is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term NGO originally came from the United Nations and is usually applied only to organizations that seek to pursue some wider social aim that has political aspects, but that are not overtly political organizations such as policial parties. And typically... the term NGO is used for organizations that are not for profit.

In May 2011, Fount of Mercy's status as a foreign NGO was renewed for three more years. This means that the Ugandan government is aware of, and approves of, the work that we do. It is very similar to non-profit status in the United States. This is excellent news for us! Without this status, Fount of Mercy would not be able to do its work. We are so excited that the Ugandan government granted us their approval to continue working for the next three years!

Written by Lori Acton
Fount of Mercy's International Development Director

Leadership Conference 2011

This past July, Fount of Mercy had a team visit Uganda and host a leadership conference for local Ugandan organization directors, educators and pastors. We are beyond thankful for their work and the time they invested in preparing for the four-day conference. We had an average of forty participants attend and the response was incredibly positive.

The courses the team offered these leaders included: public speaking, research methods, project management, conflict resolution, sewing and tailoring, teaching kids art, teaching kids music, leadership/team-building, and training the trainer.

This work was hugely successful and we couldn't be more proud of all that this team accomplished with their time and skills. We're hoping that this leadership conference will happen annually and are excited about the opportunities it will afford leaders as they serve their community's orphan and vulnerably child population and as they empower caregivers in their independence and livelihood. A huge thank-you to our volunteers for all they did to make this a success! We are grateful for you!

Rebecca Brown
Fount of Mercy's Director of Communications