Vipani Update
7 October 2009, Mountain View, CA.

Dear Friends of Vipani,

We are pleased to share some exciting news with you in this fall 2009 Vipani announcement. Vipani made great new strides since our last announcement through the expansion of a new Vipani unit, an awarded Rotary grant by the Rotary Club of Dauphin, and by sharing the Vipani philosophy at the global forum on poverty reduction, Opportunity Collaboration, on October 18 in Ixtapa, Mexico.

Award from Rotary Club of Dauphin, Canada

The Rotary Club of Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada recently awarded Vipani a three-year grant. Sean Irwin, Vipani Research Associate, approached his local service club to donate to Vipani's cause with the help of his father-local Rotarian, Eric Irwin. Rotary Clubs have an international focus and help effect change through their support of international service projects that promote the Rotary mission of "Service Above Self." In a Dauphin Herald article on August 11, 2009, Irwin explains that the partnership between Rotary and Vipani is one rural community helping another.

Vipani Sumeek Unit Inauguration in Kenya

Vipani expands through the inauguration of the Sumeek Unit in Rongai Division, Nakuru District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya. The Sumeek Unit is the first Vipani initiative specifically targeted to reach the youth group in the community (ages 18-35 years old). The Unit is located in an area that was devastated by the 2008 post-election violence. This expansion is made possible through the USAID supported Kenya Transition Initiative implemented by the Development Alternatives International (DAI). On September 23, 2009, the new Unit was inaugurated at the St. Maria Goretti Girls Secondary School in Rongai with remarks by USAID and DAI officials and Vipani directors and speeches by local leaders and farmers. Speakers emphasized the importance of trust as the crucial ingredient to rebuild the community and the local economy. The focus of this Unit is bringing the youth group into careers in sustainable agriculture with the help of community elders to shed light on the profitability of farming with the right settings, tools and information provided by Vipani. When each individual is empowered to take responsibility for her/his own economic future and there is recognition that each person's gain is linked strongly to those of others in the community, more people will engage in productive enterprises that create synergies. The Sumeek Unit will initially help 100 farmers through loans and information on technology, crop choice, and technical support.

Opportunity Collaboration to be held in Mexico

Dr. Thomas George, Vipani's founder and one of 250 chosen delegates for the 2009 Opportunity Collaboration in Ixtapa, Mexico, will lead a seminar titled "I am a Poor Farmer. Why Can't I Improve My Life Like You?" as part of the Conversations for Change on Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. Opportunity Collaboration is a four-day networking and problem-solving forum attended by nonprofit leaders, social financiers, grant makers, and academics from around the world that will explore opportunities to collaborate to further catalyze the reduction of poverty. "The Opportunity Collaboration is about leveraging resources and creating influential partnerships," stated Collaboration CEO Jonathan C. Lewis. "Every Delegate brings an important point of view to the summit and a hands-on, working solution to poverty...[delegates] will have a unique opportunity to share insights with other Delegates, but most importantly to pursue concrete actions for real solutions and new partnerships to advance economic injustice." Click here for more information. "I am a Poor Farmer. Why Can't I Improve My Life Like You?" will discuss why the Vipani Method is breaking new ground by leveling the playing field and overcoming the various challenges of poor farmers in developing countries such as the lack of access to basic loans, technology, and the information needed to improve their lives.