CNN features The Olevolos Project

Click on this link to go to the CNN website.

Olevolos kids excelling in school (March 19th)

All of the kids who were enrolled in school and tutoring last summer are doing great. Both Kababu and Bakari have skipped through Standard 1 and 2 on their way to their current class. Kababu is doing well in Standard 4 and Bakari is first in his Standard 3 class.

Kababu doing his work	Bakari is first in his class	Kadada taking a break
The Wilfred family	All kids are now in school	Getting school supplies

Construction begins! (February 13th)

Construction has begun again at the Olevolos site. Right now we are working to build a cement wall that will surround our two buildings. We hope to have pictures up in the next week to show the progress.

Redeemer Lutheran School Exceeds Goal (February 4th)

Redeemer Lutheran School, located in Redwood City, California, went above and beyond their goal and raised $2,910 for the project. Many thanks to Ma Patapoff and Cathy Gregory for facilitating this fundraising. And a special thanks to Redeemer's student council for all of their hard work.

 

Email List and CBS C Link (January 14th)

If you would like to be added to the project's email list, send your name and contact information to olevolos@gmail.com.

If you are interested in watching the short segment that aired on CBS College Sports, here are links to the video. If the sound isn't loading off of the AOL site, the video is also up on YouTube.

Feature on AOL site

Feature on YouTube

New Pictures (January 11th)

To see the photo gallery, click here. To see an animated slideshow, click here.

Back from Tanzania (January 10th)

We have just arrived back in the States after a lovely eleven day trip to Tanzania. Highlights from our trip will be posted soon. In the meantime, a few pictures are included below. More are on the way.

CNN features The Olevolos Project (December 19th)

Click on this link to go to the CNN website.

Benjamin, age 10, donates after his vegetable fundraiser (Dec 8th)

Benjamin first heard about the project through last year's story in the Detroit News. After deciding he wanted to help out, he began to sell vegetables at the local farmer's market. Through his hard work, dedication, and determination to make a difference, he was able to raise $1,000. We are so thankful for his ambition and heart. Included below is a picture of Lindsey receiving Benjamin's donation and Benjamin's testimony.

"When I read the article in the Detroit News I wanted to help. My mom goes to the Farmer's Market in the Summer to sell bread and other things. So I thought I could have a fundraiser giving away vegetables that I raised in my garden for a donation.

It started out really well, but then hail smashed a lot of my plants, and I had to come up with other things to give away. It turned out that baking bread and brownies worked really well. My goal was to raise $ 500.00 during the summer. The people that came to the Farmer's Markets were very generous and I reached that goal after only a few weeks of going to the market with my mom. I wondered if I could possibly reach $ 1000.00! That would be great. I kept going with my fundraiser and was able to reach my goal with the help of many wonderful people that gave money for the children in Africa."

Jackson, Adiele, and Kadada graduate! (December 3rd)

Through the financial support of the project, Jackson, Adiele, and Kadada began attending SOS nursery school in July this past year. Though they had little academic experience, they were able to graduate with the rest of their kindergarten class on December 3rd. We are very thankful for the teachers that worked with these three outside of class and helped them get on track. They will enter standard 1 in January.

Adiel receiving his certificate	Jackson's certificate	Jackson after receiving his certificate
Jackson and Adiel looking out	Kadada's Certificate	Adiel, Kadada, and Jackson

 

Emma Miller writes about her experience in TZ (November 28th)

Emma Miller, sophomore at Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, visited TZ with 10 other students last June. She reflected on her experiences in a piece that was published in the Cleveland Jewish News. See the link below to read Emma's story, called "Nakupenda means ‘I love you’ ... and all that that means."

 

CBS College Sports Network features the project (November 27th)

CBS producer, Blake Berson, combined footage from Tanzania, Ohio, and Michigan. He had footage from a 2006 trip when we were building chicken coops, last year's 2007 Christmas trip, and this past summer's trip with Laurel School. He interviewed some of the Laurel girls when he came down to Shaker Heights and also spent time in the classroom and out on the soccer field. We are hoping to get the video online in the near future. Stay tuned.

Michigan versus Michigan State gameday program (October 25th)

Laura Bailey wrote a piece that appeared in the program from the 2008 Michigan/Michigan State game.

Sanjay Garg to run the Detroit Marathon for the orphans (October 9th)

I am running the marathon in Detroit, MI, on Oct. 19, 2008 and am raising funds for the Olevolos project through this effort. Olevolos project is an orphanage in the Olevolos village in Tanzania, Africa with a mission for "enabling children to grow up in a safe, secure and supporting environment and encouraging them to become active and contributing members of their local and global communities". Ms. Dory Gannes, English teacher at the Laurel School, is the Director of Olevolos project and has been instrumental in involving the Laurel student community in supporting the project. More information about the Olevolos project is available at: www.theolevolosproject.org.

I started running marathons in 2007 and this will be the 4th marathon for me. So far I have run the Cleveland, Long Beach (CA) and Washington DC marathons. My long term goal is to run at least 10 marathons in the U.S., all in different states, and then maybe start running international marathons. I like to take the opportunity of running the marathons to raise funds for worthy causes in support of education for children. In April of this year I ran the Washington DC marathon and raised funds for "Asha for Education" which supports education for poor and underprivileged children in India.
This time I am requesting support from the Laurel community for the Olevolos project. Donations to the Olevolos project can be made on-line at:
http://www.theolevolosproject.org/thewatotoproject/donationinfor2.html or via check to: The Olevolos Project, Attn. Dory Gannes, 3510 Stoer Rd., Shaker Heights, OH 44122. Please indicate that this donation is in support of Dr. Garg's marathon run.

Your support for this worthy cause will be very much appreciated. Please spread the word among your friends in the Laurel community including alumni.

Thanks.

Sanjay Garg

Benjamin Holhaus raises money at the local farmers market

Benjamin Holhaus, a nine-year-old from Harrisville, Michigan, has doubled his goal of $500 and raised $1,000. Benjamin read a story about the project in The Detroit News and said that he "always wanted to help kids without parents, no food or that are poor." So he decided to "make a poster for the Farmer's Market in Harrisville, Michigan, to tell people about your project and to help with [his] fundraiser." Each week he brought in vegetables from his garden, and instead of selling them, he asked for donations. We are so thankful for Benjamin's generosity and consideration of the kids in Olevolos. We are amazed that you were able to double your goal!

Pictures posted from this past trip (August 29th)

Click here or visit the link on the left tab under "Pictures. Double-click on the thumbnails to enlarge the picture.

Email update from mid-July (posted August 29th)

Hello all,

A lot has happened in the past month. I arrived here on June 17th, accompanied by 11 energetic and enthusiastic students from Laurel and two other wonderful chaperones. We spent 9 days traveling throughout Tanzania and had a blast. The girls had a long list of memories to take home and share with their friends and families – everything from powerful relationships formed with village kids, walking more than 25 miles in four days, building and painting at a school half way up Kilimanjaro to black mambas and red mud, rice and beans, baboons and elephants, and crazy daladala rides. I think they got to experience a huge variety of people, places, and things and I was totally impressed with the way they handled themselves and those around them. I can't wait to hear what they tell the rest of the school about their trip.

After the girls left, my trip became solely focused on the project. As many of you know, we have had a few things slowing us down in the past few months. But the good news is that we have continued working with kids in the village. As of yesterday, we have enrolled seven kids in educational programs!

Happiness and Abigal have been enrolled in nursery school and are just about the two cutest five-year-old girls in their class. When Happiness found out she was going to school she yelled out "porridge!" and had a huge smile across her face.

Jackson, Adiele, and Kadada have been enrolled in SOS' kindergarten 3 class (KG3). SOS has proven to be a phenomenal organization working in 131 different countries. Because of their success, we have been studying various aspects of their model. All of their educational programs are conducted in English and the kids are picking it up quickly. Though the majority of their peers have been at the school for more than 2 years, Jackson has fit right in. Adiele and Kadada are pretty far behind but their teachers are spending extra time with both of them and expect they will be ready to move up to standard 1 with the rest of their class at the beginning of January.

Bakari and Kababu have been enrolled in a tutoring program here so that they can learn basic skills: reading, writing, and arithmetic. These boys (ages 10 and 13 respectively), have never been enrolled in school. What we are hoping is Bakari will be able to move onto standard 3 after a lot of individual attention and will not be so far behind his peers. Physically he does not look more than 8 or 9 so he may be able to fit right in. We are not entirely sure what will happen with Kababu. We think the best thing for him will be to finish up learning basic skills and then go to some type of vocational training program.

With much love and gratitude for your continual support,

Dory

Carolina Rayzel donates $605 (June 5th)

Carolina Rayzel was able to raise $605 for the project at her 16th birthday party. Carolina set up a jar and made a poster and then asked all guests to donate to the project instead of bringing a gift. Her donation will go towards building a roof on the first dormitory.

Fashion shows raises more than $2,000 (June 2nd)

Seniors Laura Groetzinger, Tasha Toth, Carrie Heller, and Katie Whitlow put on a fabulous performance at the Conway Pavilion. Girls from Laurel and other neighboring schools modeled Laura and Tasha's outstanding work. Carrie and Katie ran the show they had planned. The afternoon went flawlessly and the girls were able to donate $1,822 (after stage rentals and other venue costs). Many thanks to all who attended -- but especially to the four Laurel girls who made it happen.

LAUREL girls plan Olevolos Fashion Show (May 27th)

The Olevolos Fashion Show!
Sunday, June 1st
2 to 4 p.m.

The Conway Pavilion at Laurel's Butler Campus (7420 Fairmount Road, Russell, Ohio)

Come support The Olevolos Project, Laurel Seniors: Tasha Toth and Laura Groetzinger, and Gai Russo, the Dream, Dare, Do! jewelry designer

There will be food, fashion and raffle prizes!
Raffle prizes include: $100 to Flemmings, gift certificates to stores and restaurants, and jewelry by local boutiques

We would like to provide you with the opportunity to give back to the larger global community. As our Senior Year is coming to a close, we have realized there is no better way to show our appreciation for all we have been given by Laurel School and our parents than through a service project directed towards improving the lives of disadvantaged children. The Olevolos Project is a nonprofit organization directed towards the children of the Olevolos Village in Tanzania, Africa.

The project’s mission statement--“enabling children from the Olevolos Village to grow up in a safe, secure, and supportive home environment and encouraging them to become active and contributing members of their local and global communities” describes a great organization, one we want to dedicate our time to. The children from Olevolos Village are orphans without proper nutrition, education, and stable families. We, along with the organization, believe that helping the children now will lead to a better future for the people of Tanzania.

The Olevolos Project was founded and is directed by Dory Gannes, a teacher and coach at Laurel. Through her personal stories and presentations, we have been able to watch the enormous impact the young project has already had on the lives of these children. Currently, The Olevolos Project is working on the first dormitory for the orphans. The Olevelos Project is an organization with leaders who are eager and easily accessible. It has changed the lives of so many children, as can be seen at the website, www.theolevolosproject.com.

For our Senior Project, we are planning and hosting a fashion show, highlighting designs by our peers, Laura Groetzinger and Tasha Toth. All proceeds will benefit The Olevolos Project. If you are interested in donating any goods, including lightly used school supplies or sports equipment, you can bring them directly to school or to the fashion show on Sunday and we would be happy to give them directly to the students traveling to Tanzania. Your support will be felt immediately. We, along with the children in The Olevolos Project, are eager to accept any sort of donation.

Thank you and we hope to see you on Sunday,

Carrie Heller and Katie Whitlow

Carolina Rayzel will be donating to the project for her birthday (May 17th)

Carolina Rayzel first heard about the project through her father, Clovis. Clovis contacted The Olevolos Project last year after reading an article in the Ann Arbor News. Carolina just turned 16 on May 15th and has scheduled her birthday party for May 31st. She has asked all guests to make a donation to the project rather than bring her a gift. We are extremely impressed and thankful for Carolina's generosity and heart.

Detroit News (April 10th)

Our best press yet -- complete with pictures of the project and access to our most recent documentary -- check it out by clicking below:

Former U-M soccer players head effort to erect orphanage, help kids in Tanzanian village

Olevolos featured on Family Matters (April 9th)

Family Matters, a "nationally syndicated radio program and online community to help you live your best life," welcomed The Olevolos Project into the studio last month. The talk, entitled "Can one person really make a difference? We'll tell you the story of a young woman who is building a village for a group of young orphans and how she's inspiring others to do the same," was recently aired and is now featured on Family Matters' homepage: (Direct link: Can one person really make a difference?)

Pioneer sophomores hold bakesale (April 7th)

Julia Caproni and her student council class held a bake sale at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor and were able to raise $80 from the event. Julia also gathered pictures and created a poster to accompany the event and composed a list of items that shared just how much a small amount of money can do in Olevolos.

New pictures from the site (April 1st)

Encompass Success (March 30th)

We are pleased to announce that Encompass hosted a fantanstically successful event. Twelve different groups performed dances and songs that represented countries across the globe. The event was flawlessly organized by Sarine Trochakerian and the rest of Encompass Core. Encompass was able to make a $2,000 contribution to The Olevolos Project after the competion of the event.

 

 

2007 Annual Report is now available (February 18th)

The 2007 Annual Report is now available. If you click on the "2007 Annual Report" link on the left, you can download the file. Note that the page may take a while to load because the file is relatively large. One additional note: the sponsorship program pages are not yet included in the annual report. Soon we will upload a revised version that will recognize all of the people who have generously offered to sponsor orphans from the Olevolos Village.

Christmas pictures have been uploaded (February 10th)

See "2008 Gallery" underneath "PICTURES" tab on the left hand side of the page.

New photos from the construction site (February 10th)

The walls of the first dorm are now complete. We will soon begin construction the roof. Don is standing inside the dorm in the picture on the right.

10 Days until ENCOMPASS (February 7th)

Early February News (February 6th)

Following their dance, Greenhills' Student Council made a donation of $500 to the project. Many thanks to the student council representatives: Anica Presley, Anne Marie Opipari, Nina Cheinberg, Diana Rosenzwery, Gisele Papo, Jay Sarkar, and Andrea McIntosh. Many thanks to all of the other students, faculty, and administrators who helped make this event so successful.

We are hoping to have the project's 2008 Annual Report on the webside by the end of next week.

Event update (January 29th)

Greenhills School had a winter dance two weeks ago. The student council graciously decided to donate all proceeds from their dance directly to the project.

The Encompass Concert is quickly approaching. The concert is on February 17th at The Power Center (on U of Michigan's campus). The show begins at 7:00PM, though doors will be opening at 6:30. Tickets are $6 from MUTO or $7 at the door. This should be a wonderful show and we are very excited ot be a part of it.

January Progress (January 22nd)

The documentary is in progress and should be completed in the next couple of weeks. If you would like a copy of this (it will include footage from past trips), please email olevolos@gmail.com.

Cottrell in the news (January 14th)

The Kalamazoo Gazette recently wrote an article about Assistant Director, Lindsey Cottrell, entitled "22-year-old is helping establish African orphanage." The article is accessible off of the homepage of mgoblue.com, and through mlive.com. It is also available by clicking HERE.

 

Back from TZ (January 8th)

Hi everyone,

Though most of our group returned back to Michigan last Friday, the past four days seem to have disappeared faster than I could have predicted. My apologies for the lack of updates while we were in Africa.

In short -- our trip was most definitely a success. I will just throw out some of the highlights:

We left DTW on December 24th and arrived on Christmas Day. Lucky for us -- Tanzanians continue to celebrate

Christmas on Boxing Day, the 26th of December. Two individuals donated $200 each for meals on the 25th and 26th so when we arrived at the center, there was quite a celebration. We got pretty excited when we heard that the celebration would even include "cake," but quickly realized that Tanzanian "cake" is not American "cake." However, the fried goat that was tied to the table and stuffed with leaves was more delightful to the TZ kids than any sugar and flour celebration that I have ever been a part of.

We got to spend a LOT of time with the kids while we were there -- much more than on the previous trip when meetings with landowners and lawyers and stubborn Maasai men consumed all of our time. This isn't to say that

our trip was meeting-less (in any type of way) but that our meetings did not take away all of our face-time with the children. And, when Lindsey and I were pulled away to talk, the kids were still with Reggie and Steph, who in no way acted like first-time visitors but instead, like energizer bunnies. The two of them probably sang "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" five zillion times but probably would have sang it five zillion more times, if asked.

The kids LOVED swinging on Reggie's arms, dancing with Linds, and playing drums with Steph. It was a great atmosphere to be a part of. When asked what stood out to her on the trip, Steph said that "I've had a lot of interactions with kids but there was something unique and different about the kids at the center. Maybe it was

because there was so much emotion -- you could see it in their eyes and in the way they touched you. Even

through touching their heads or holding their hands, you could feel the transfer of love; the simplest of things seemed to be the strongest. When I was holding Sinata and she was still sick, she looked up at me and took my head in her hands and it was one of the strongest connections I have ever had with anyone."

Reggie commented that "kids in america are gonna complain about everything and whine if they don't get an Xbox but with these kids, you can just go in there and pick one up or let someone sit on your lap and they're

happy. It was just amazing how happy they were and how little it took make them smile."

As great of a time as we had, the need for a completed orphanage is more evident than ever before. Our eyes

were opened to some extremely challenging realities and they have left us more determined to move through construction as quickly as possible and reach our ultimate goal. Many of these kids NEED somewhere to stay as soon as possible. It was very difficult to visit some of the places where the kids sleep and not be able to offer them an alternative.

Our recent estimates predict the first dorm will be completed in three months. We are trying to find ways to

decrease costs but still maintain high levels of durability. The kids may have to use outdoor bathrooms for a while and enter through unpainted walls, but if it means they can move in a month earlier, we believe it is worth it.

While we were there, we revised the orphan inventory. We are trying to compile all of the data and pictures so sponsors will have updated information by the end of the weekend. We did stumble on some new kids that weren't on previous lists but are still in great need. I will try and post new information about these kids ASAP.

Until then, I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday season and a good start to the new year!

Thanks for staying up-to-date with the project and for your continual support!

Love, Dory and the Olevolos team