See It: The Community being helped

The Olevolos Project is an up and running non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. The main goal of the project is to build an orphanage for Jane's Orphans' Center in Tanzania, Africa. It is our hope that this orphanage will:

1. Support the children’s direct physical needs;
2. foster a positive social experience and alleviate feelings of stigmatization, discrimination, and ostracism;
3. Create an encouraging environment in which the kids feel empowered to develop into valued members of their community;
4. and provide medical, psychological, and psychosocial support (if necessary)

Whether it be through pictures on our website, letters between pen-pals, or a volunteer experience at the orphanage itself, it is our vision that this orphanage will be a joint-community effort based upon the collaboration of project supporters from the United States and dedicated men and women from Tanzania. We want to build a bridge and establish a long-term connection between the two countries.

We understand that people can help in a myriad of ways and would like to enable donations in any sizes or forms. Besides direct monetary assistance, project supporters have been getting involved through t-shirt sales (organized by the McIntosh girls at Greenhills School), lemonade lunches (arranged by student council at Northside Elementary), and chapel offerings (coordinated by Mary Clark at Detroit Lutheran). People have also made donations in lieu of wedding favors, birthday presents, and holiday gifts. One project supporter is attempting to raise enough money so that we can ship a container filled with shoes, clothes, blankets, books, and other materials.

As of September 4th, the project has raised over $65,000, purchased land in the Olevolos Village, and designed architectural drawings for the facility that have been approved by the Tanzanian Government. We are scheduled to start pouring the foundation of the orphanage this Septmeber. The contractors have estimated that the total construction time will take six to eigth months. So, we are hoping that the facility will be finished by the summer of 2008.

Please visit www.theolevolosproject.org for more information.