Greetings (%Last Name%),

At GVN we are about to embark on a journey where reaching the destination relies not only us but on people like you. As Nelson Mandela said at the Make Poverty History Campaign in the middle of last year "Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom. Of course the task will not be easy. But not to do this would be a crime against humanity. Against which I ask all humanity to rise up!"�

Yesterday we launched the Stop Child Poverty Campaign and the focus is to raise awareness of child poverty worldwide, and to help everyday world citizens make a difference in the lives of children in need. We outline how you can be involved below.

Colin Salisbury
Executive Director

Stop Child Poverty Campaign Launched This Week

GVN is excited to announce the launch of Stop Child Poverty, a campaign that raises awareness of child poverty worldwide, and helps citizens make a difference in the lives of children in need. Stop Child Poverty works to promote the U.N. Millennium Development Goals to halve extreme poverty by 2015.

World leaders in developed nations pledged to increase support to developing countries to reach the goals by 2015. With less than a decade to go, many developed countries are not following through with the promises they made.

The campaign aims to keep governments on track by reminding them that citizens are deeply concerned about the welfare of developing countries. Along with helping governments reach the Millennium Goals, the Big Push will also urge world leaders, policy makers and global citizens to look beyond 2015 to a world that embraces the rights of children to live a full, happy, and healthy life.

You can get involved in the campaign by signing up at the website. The campaign offers ways to connect with other members of the campaign, to join in direct actions to appeal to governments, to learn about issues that affect children, and to plan day-to-day activities that can effect change.
> Stop Child Poverty Website
> Discussion Forum

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Kenya Appeal

Kenya has been hit by a terrible drought that has left millions suffering. The need for humanitarian aid is urgent. This week we will give you the opportunity to donate through the GVN Foundation to Kenyan communities that need our help. Please consider what you can give in the next few days and we will have the Kenya Appeal in your inbox shortly.

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Climb Mount Everest Base Camp (September-October 2006)

You now have the opportunity to help Nepali children while climbing the tallest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest. The Global Volunteer Network has created a fundraising trek to the Base Camp of Mount Everest in order to help poverty stricken children in Nepal.

As a participant of this fundraising trek to The Base Camp of Mount Everest you will have the opportunity to visit ancient temples and palaces in Kathmandu. While on the hike you will visit the highest Buddhist monastery in the world, observing Buddhist prayer rituals as you acclimate to an altitude of 12,687ft/3,867m. You will then hike over glaciers and snow capped rocks as you ascend to the Base Camp of Mount Everest at 17,998ft/5,486m. Upon descending you will visit Sherpa villages, see the famed mountain yaks of the Himalayas and visit the hospital Sir Edmund Hilary created for the people of Nepal. This once in a lifetime experience will not end upon your descent to Kathmandu. Once you have returned to civilization you will then have the opportunity to visit various projects designed to assist Nepali children. You will see the faces of the children your funds will benefit. > More Info

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Ecuador Volunteer Program - Special Offer

Our Ecuador program has a special offer for volunteers coming for two or three weeks. The program fee for 2 weeks is now US $250 and 3 weeks is now US $340. This offer applies for all volunteers who sign up and start the Ecuador program between February 8 2006 and 31 July 2006. These prices do not apply to the San Cristobal reserve.
> Ecuador Program Page

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Journal Entry from Ghana

"There are two sisters here volunteering (from the states) and they are leaving soon so they decided to donate a well. It costs five hundred American dollars and provides free accessible water to the refugees here on camp. So having recently joined the Wat/San team (which looks after the wells, conveniently), I was super happy to get a chance to help dig and build the well. When we got to the site it was a little funny cause the well was already partially dug. I guess they started a month or so ago and then CBW ran out of funds for it. We were slightly disappointed at first because we were all so hyped up about digging the whole well. Disappointment soon passed, however, when one man jumped down and started chipping out dirt bit by bit while we took turns hauling it out in a bucket. In between bucket duty we all stood around marveling at all the hard work we were putting into the well as we enjoyed the hot sun (this is where the sarcasm comes in). Eventually we all got a turn to climb down into the well and dig, after some very entertaining photo ops when we pretended to be hard at work and exhausted. When my turn came, I shimmied down the little foot holes chipped into the sides and went to work with a big tool. I went right to town and showed that well who was boss for sure, except after a while I started to feel like I was going to pass out so I had to climb back out. I guess everyone underestimated the scrappiness that is Nicole, because they were all impressed with my hard work and lack of sweat (no, really I almost filled up the whole well with the sweat pouring off of me). It may also be interesting to note that I was filthy - possibly dirtier than I have ever been (yes mom there is a picture) in my entire life - but I have a feeling that in the next three months I can find a way to top that. I also have a few blisters and scratches and some stiff muscles the next day, but I will definitely live. The highlight of the whole day was when one of the other volunteers was in the well with an extra shovel, and one of the Wat/San guys leaned in and asked him if the shovel was embarrassing him. So apparently in Liberia, embarrassing means bothering. What he really wanted to know was if the shovel was in the way, but it was so incredibly funny, I almost laughed to the point of near incontinence. Guess you had to be there. Tomorrow we put the drums in and fill the sides with crushed rock and form the outer part of the well. Raymond, one of the Wat/San guys, was asking about my masonry skills today, so we shall see how that goes. More loads of fun, no doubt."
> Nicole's Journal
> Sponsor a well in Ghana

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Hot off the Press

Saving Thailand's Wildlife
It was an alarm clock that never had to be set. Every morning, at around the same time, Chelsea Nordick was awoken beneath her mosquito net canopy to the sound of gibbons singing to each other. Chelsea got accustomed to these musical mornings while she was volunteering at a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand for eight weeks last June.
> Read This Article
> Thailand Program Page

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