SCAN

[EWerb at aol.com]

Date: 	Sunday, February 28, 1999 10:10:01 PM
From: 	scan at scansd.net
Subj: 	 SCAN Meeting Thursday, USIU 6:30 March 4th
To: 	scan at scansd.net

From:	scan at scansd.net (SCAN)
Reply-to:	scan at scansd.net
To:	scan at scansd.net (scan)


SCAN Monthly Meeting Thursday, March 4, 1999
Sustainable Community Action Network
a division of Good Neighbor Community Builders, a 501(c)(3) Corporation
5580 La Jolla Blvd Ste 442, La Jolla  CA 92037
Voice/FAX: 619.488.7691  ¥  E-Mail: scansd at scansd.net

US International University, Green Hall 

USIU is at 10455 Pomerado Rd, Scripps Ranch, SD  •  Pomerado/Miramar Exit off 
I-15  - Take Pomerado East to first signal, turn right on Willow Creek • Free 
Parking upper lot.

6 PM  Networking - 6:30 PM Announcements 
7 PM • Slide Presentation and Discussion by 
  Pam and Ken Barratt, trustees of Quaker Bolivia Link
           
Quaker Bolivia Link is a development charity that formed in Britain three
years ago and is now reaching out for funding in the States. QBL gives grants
for projects that enable small groups of Bolivians to receive training,
initiate income generating ventures and/or improve their health, nutrition or
education. Bolivia is an isolated, landlocked country which few people visit.
It's the poorest country in South America. 80% of the people live below the
poverty line and above 12,000 feet (!) - high up in the Andes.  

Projects that QBL funds must be suggested by Bolivians in a detailed written
proposal. The administration of QBL is run entirely by its British, American
and Bolivian volunteers and only uses 5% of its donations for this purpose.
The Bolivian volunteers assess projects by visiting the sites and speaking to
the beneficiaries. Once a year a British or American  trustee visit all active
projects. The funding is designed not to create dependency. Each grant is
effectively seed money that enables the beneficiaries to get the project
going. To be funded, a project must be able to be self-sufficient within two
years.

Quaker Bolivia Link has a Quaker connection in that it was founded by Quakers
and there is concern to help the 40,000 Quakers in Bolivia who typically are
very poor. However, the projects that are funded have beneficiaries of all
religions and QBL does not in any way promote Quakerism by such things as
building churches, buying Bibles, paying for religious education of any sort.
QBL funds have paid for some 30 projects are in the following catagories
          pig breeding (3)
	chicken breeding (2)
	Industrial greenhouse (1)
	multipurpose Andean greenhouse (2)
	water supply to a school
	building a community library
	humus production business
	books for schools
	fishing nets for the families on the island of Suriqui on Lake Titicaca
	purchase of 10 hectares of land for a community of 50 
	reconstructing terraces to combat soil erosion
	contruction along with some other NGOs of an 8-bed medical clinic
	books for several schools
	women's textile projects (4)
	guinea pig breeding projects (2)
	construction of a center for physically handicapped
	construction of a four classroom block for a school

Many of our projects are aimed at women, because women are second class
citizens (70% of rural women are fuctionally illiterate) and because, research
has shown that abling women is the most efficient way of combatting poverty in
a community. Many of our projects have a training component so the project can
continue after the funding stops. The training is in such areas as women's
rights, health, hygiene, desease control and treatment (breeding projects),
quality control, design stitchery (textile projects), marketing, and
accountancy. All QBL projects must be environmentally sustainable.

on tap:


March 21Tour of the PalmSprings Wind Farm, 
bus in with San Diego friends and lunch with the natives. 
Learn all you ever wanted to 
know about wind energy and check out solar powered race cars. 
For more information and reservations contact Alan Ridley 
Voice619.538.3519,  FAX699.538.5559, eMailalanpro at pacbell.net 

• 
About SCAN
  

For more information Call SCAN Bruce Carey, Executive Director, 619/488-7691 
Director Programs, Marv Lyons, 619/503-1221  Website:www.scansd.net