As GO! wraps up our Black Star Shining project, I would like to report on the final numbers of where your donated funds ended up. After inspections on the ground, we have diverted the funds to only two organizations, of whom we deemed extraordinary. The final tally of all dollars spent and their uses are as follows:

• $1,000 for Sovereign Global Mission to build a septic tank for their foster care facility
• $3,000 for Sovereign Global Mission to build a surrounding wall for their foster care facility.
• $4,000 to Saboba’s Medical Centre to fund one year of Sammy Kando’s medical training
• $2,000 to Saboba’s Medical Centre to refurbish the Children’s Ward

From our personal donors, $8,600 was raised for these projects. As we are an all volunteer network with administrative, bank, and foreign exchange fees covered by corporate sponsors, we were able to guarantee that 100% of your personal donations went straight to cause.

From our corporate sponsors at Slalom Consulting, Jim Beam Wine and Spirits, Charles Schwab, and Eli Lilly, $1,800 ($60/day) was allocated for project expenses for the three of us. This funding would cover our travel expenses, accommodation, and food while we worked for GO! on the ground (air fare and personal expenditures were paid by ourselves).

I am UNBELIEVABLY proud to say that due to the immense sacrifice of the team in their selection of bare bones facilities, always sharing one bed, rough tro-tro travel, and strict food budgets (among other tough negotiating), we were $500 UNDER budget.

We lived on $41.21 per day for all three volunteers. That is $13.74 per person. Not surprisingly, we have all lost weight, require urgent chiropractic care, and suffer from dysentery (just kidding, Mom!!!)

With the remaining funds saved from the project budget, we have come up with some novel ideas for further raising funds for GO! and our partners:

• $350 to purchase a mango farm for Sovereign Global Mission. With the land already purchased, our donation will be used to plow the land, purchase the trees, and begin production of mangoes on two acres of land. All proceeds (starting with the first harvest in 2009) will go to Sovereign Global Mission’s street children feeding program.
• $150 to purchase 60 pieces of Ghanaian jewelry to be sold for profit in the USA and United Kingdom. All proceeds from sold jewelry will be invested for future GO! projects. Please contact Bart, Kyle, or Charlie for details.

Additionally, here are some other success stories from GO!’s first venture:

• We secured 10 volunteers from the University of Ghana to support library day and the street children feeding program (see previous blogs). For both of these days, we managed to get the support of 6-10 students per day to help read, play games, and distribute food and water to the children. Many thanks to Alyson Ross and Lauren Zarzynski for helping make this happen.
• We completed the septic tank for Sovereign Global Mission in 10 days, which is nothing short of remarkable. Seriously, though.
• We have sponsored Sammy Kando through his second year of medical school at the University of Tamale.
• Through Kyle’s efforts, Eric Annan, director of Sovereign Global Mission, will be sponsored by Claremont McKenna College to give a speech about NGO work in Africa. The event will take place this October in Los Angeles (stay tuned for more specific dates).
• Over 200 street children were, are, and continue to be, fed each Sunday by Sovereign Global Mission’s feeding program. GO! has also helped to secure a nurse to treat the children once per month.
• Over 30 street children are bussed out of the chaotic Accra slums each Saturday to attend library day at SGM’s foster care facility, which GO! is helping to build. (When construction is complete, this facility will provide a home for 20 street children, an education for over 80 students, and a library for 100s of children in the community.)
• Only one volunteer (myself) was briefly hospitalized.

We would like to sincerely give thanks to our donors and corporate sponsors for making our first project a brilliant success. Without your help and support, none of this would have been possible. We look forward to hearing any afterthoughts you may have regarding this project as well as any ideas you may have for future projects.

If you would like to contribute further towards Sammy’s remaining education or to help finish construction of the foster care facility, please visit our projects page.

Thank you all your support thus far!