New Projects

October 2005 Update

By: Pennye Nixon-West

We are proud to announce that Etta II opened right on target on July 25th 2005. We fed 100 children on opening day and had 48 mothers signed into our program. The following are my observations in July and August 2005.

When will it stop being a shock to see such poverty. I realize only when it no longer exist. I marvel at our easy life that I can come home and sleep and eat well and take my kids to the doctor when they have a sore throat. Why heck, I can even drive them there. Life is not like this for the majority of the world. When I am home I forget that 80% of the world lives in poverty.

In opening Etta II--I had forgotten how they look…. In opening Etta II--I had forgotten their desperation…. It has only been 2 1/2 years since opening Etta I but I had truly forgotten.

I had forgotten how they look… The look of a child who is hungry, anemic and parasite ridden...They look lethargic, they don't smile much, they don't play, they are messy when they eat because they are so hungry, they are pale, their hair is dry and brittle and some strange shade of brown but definitely not black like it should be, and they don't flinch when their blood is drawn. They are still beautiful but they look sick. They are the children entering the gate at Etta II.

I had forgotten their desperation...They are women in their 20s and 30s and sometimes 40s with one baby on their back and 3 or 4 following behind. They themselves are hungry but they are desperate for food for their children, they are desperate for medicine or something to make their child feel better, they are desperate for their child to have an education, they are desperate for a sense of hope. They are the women lined up at the door into Etta II.

At Etta I it was lovely to see the children run to hug me, laugh and tease me. These children who play with each other and sing and read, these children who take disgusting icky daily vitamins because they know they help them feel better, these children have black hair, these children talk at the table and brush their teeth when they are done. They look healthy and life isn't quite as hard as it was 2 years ago when they first arrived at our door.

At Etta I it was delightful to see women whose lives had changed. They feel better about themselves; they look me in the eye, speak to me and laugh with me. They have friends, all their children look pretty good, and they have hopes, dreams and some new possibilities.

June 2005 Update

By: Pennye West

June 2005 We plan for Etta II to open in just a couple of weeks. Everything will not be ready and it is likely to be a chaotic couple of months before we are well organized but we will be able to begin to feed children. Eighty Six families have been interviewed. From there we will take only 100 children and start with only 50. We will add up to 100 as quickly as we can due to the dire need in this area.

We have not had the resources that we did with Etta I as there is no free clinic next door that knows the most malnourished children and there is no church across the street that has provided infrastructure to an area for decades. We are out there on our own and as our new social worker/coordinator tells us the women and children in this area live in "misery". Poverty is bad here-with lots of hunger, abuse, lack of sanitation and sense of hopelessness.

Our administrators began doing interviews May 20th. Interviews, family evaluations, basic measurements of the children and home visits are the tools in deciding which children are the most mal nourished. Keep in mind it is not a question at all if every child interviewed is anemic and malnourished. That is a given. They all qualify but the most at risk children will be chosen. We will not only be screening for parasites, anemia and malnutrition but also for TB. In America we rarely see this, but here in Bolivia it is all too common. Unfortunately if they have TB we then have to put them back on the waiting list until they have been treated even though they need good nutrition with the medication to fight the illness.

So imagine yourself working for Etta Projects as one of the administrators. You must interview each woman or man who presents their child- you must weigh and measure each child-- they are all under weight, some have rotting teeth, some have brittle hair and dull skin, all are anemic. It is your job to look at some and say you are not malnourished enough, we have to take someone else. You realize that this is not a great job. It is hard and painful because each child and parent needs your service. They are not poor from lack of hard work or effort. These women wash each piece of clothing by hand in a bucket, they cook where they can, some have stoves some don't, they pay rent on a shack none of you would find bearable, they pray to not have to put their children to bed hungry. They live on less than $1 a day. You look at our new building and you realize we could hold 200 children but we don't have the manpower or the funding to fill her up yet. We will- but not yet. I bet none of you want this job.

The reality for Bolivia is that it is the poorest country in all South America and in 2004, seventy percent of Bolivians lived below the poverty line. According to the United Nations World Food Program, only twelve percent of the families consume the minimum daily requirement of 2,250 calories (that's a family, not a person). UNICEF reports that children and women are the groups most affected by high national levels of poverty. According to the 2002 Poverty Map, 2,500,000 children and 2,600,000 women live in conditions of poverty. Etta Projects is working hard to address this as best we can. Unfortunately due to the political crisis in Bolivia in the last few months these families are struggling even more. Food prices have gone up over 20 % but their incomes have not changed. They are poorer this month than they were last month or the month before. Hard to believe huh?

We are excited though to do what we can and to do it well. Maria, the social worker for Etta II already sees that we have a much higher illiteracy rate than in Etta I. This means two things, one is that we will need to put into place supports to help these women learn the basics, and two, our tutoring program that was not complete to Etta I until this year is immediately necessary here for the children. We will be looking to see how we can make these things happen. A bright spot is that we have much more property here and the families live in rural areas so growing more of our own and their own vegetables is a way to quickly help. We also will look for more farming partners and opportunities related to agriculture. Christina, our new SIT intern and Program Coordinator for Etta II who leaves June 28th spent two years doing this in Niger so aren't we lucky?

Etta II is happening though and only 2 years and one month from opening Etta I. That is exciting and brings hope to a group of people in this world who so desperately need it. I will say once again that we have it very easy here in the US. So please consider that and help those born into a family and a culture that has nothing. I truly believe those of us who have so much were given it to choose to help those who don't. It is our privilege to be gifted with this opportunity.

March 2005 Update

By: Pennye West

It is hard to believe but the construction for Etta II broke ground in January, right on target and if any of you have been to South America you would know that that in itself is amazing. As usual, Etta waste no time and before Etta Projects is 2 years old she will have a completed second project. I will try to give a lay out of how this projects will work. The Comedor is being built by a Philanthropic group from Italy. Etta Projects is building the women's workshops and the social center area with the money provided by the Port Orchard Rotary and the 6220 Rotary District of Michigan and Wisconsin. There is another organization building a daycare hopefully within the next year. The Comedor will be named after someone named Mother Teresa but the whole complex will be named after Etta. Etta Projects role will be to administrate the whole project with the same formula as Etta I. This setting is much more rural so will have a few different features such as a large garden site and the workshops and social center can be built for their specific needs. We anticipate serving approximately the same number of families.

Feburary 2004 Update

By: Pennye West

You won't believe the incredible progress since the last newsletter. The Comedor has acquired a few sewing machines, hired a seamstress to begin to teach the mothers and they have begun crafts and clothing items to sell. These women more than anything want to provide for their families. Like all of us, life is just too hard when there are no possibilities for your own ability to feed your family. Few of us in the US experience that but many in Bolivia do. There is also a hopelessness that accompanies such despairing prospects. Our mothers are beginning to hope and Etta Projects should receive the first crafts to sell this month. It is very exciting. The Comedor has also put on many cooking classes and the mothers seem to like these and learning about how different foods affect our bodies.

Now you really won't believe the next news so I am throwing in a couple of pictures to prove it. The Salesians of Switzerland and Italy have sent money to purchase the property and begin the construction of the new dining hall and kitchen. It has begun!! The walls are up and everything is going beautifully. Part of the old building has been renovated to make a small apartment for two volunteers. Etta Projects will be providing one year long volunteer. So keep us in your prayers as we make that selection. Once the new building is complete the present building will be used for classrooms and workshops and hopefully for a daycare for our mother's preschoolers. OK take a gander at these pictures and smile with pride for with Etta and the world you have all had your part in making this happen.

December 2003 Update

by: Pennye West

Blessings seem to flow on the Comedor de Ninos Etta Turner. Just in November we got word that the Swiss Order of Salesians had sent money to purchase the property so that Etta's Comedor might have a permanent location. Soon after, the Italian Order of Salesians sent money to finalize that purchase. The Montero Catholic Church purchased the property and now we are excitedly planning the next phase of this project. Thanks must go to Father Mario Pani for his persistent efforts in trying to locate money to keep Etta's Comedor at its present location.

Here in the US we are sharing the Etta Projects story with whoever will listen. Our local Rotary Clubs here in Port Orchard were the first to invite us. I have since presented to Port Townsend and Port Angeles, and we are open to continue this. This year, not only do we hope to raise the money to continue to feed the children each day and educate the mothers, but we hope to be able to build a new dining hall and kitchen on the property. As you may have read in the last newsletter the present kitchen is about 9 feet wide by 12 feet long. If you think it was crowded in your Thanksgiving kitchen cooking for 20, imagine cooking for 100+ every day when the temperature outside is 98 degrees and 100 hungry children are standing outside your door. Jenni, our cook, and Marlene, the assistant, two of the most patient people in the world, will be delighted if we can accomplish our goals. We are grateful for the Bolivian architects who kindly donated time and talent to design us a lovely building. The dining hall is presently only 12 feet by 20 feet. Elbow room is limited but the kids are always polite and never seem to shove or push for more space. The new dining hall will seem like a mansion. If anyone knows of other clubs or churches that may be interested in helping us with this project, please let us know. For meals the tables spill out onto the porch to accommodate the new tables and chairs. Under "The Nutrition Center in Bolivia" on this site you can see the blueprints for the addition.

The children and mothers are busy making crafts which we hope to be able to sell for them at some point. I got a box yesterday containing some of them. The children made Christmas card for each of the people who donated the tables and the moms made some doilies and purses. We have also acquired some sewing machines from the parish and so they may begin making other items. It is getting very exciting to just see what can be accomplished with very little money and people who care and have compassion for others in this world. Hopefully these mothers will eventually be able to add to their family's income with a few of these crafts. The Salesian Damas who volunteer and arrange everything are miraculous. You can see some of the latest pictures on a new site, click on http://espanol.photos.yahoo.com/proyectoetta or view our photo gallery. It is lovely to see the children at play and doing crafts, and the moms helping cook and you can get a peek at our wonderful volunteers, Nanci, Vera, and Maria.

A periodic newsletter goes out with more information. If you would like one, please email us.

Etta has been gone one year now but she keeps working in this world very hard.

Update on Visit to Comedor de Ninos, Etta Turner

by: Pennye West

The Comedor de Ninos Etta Turner was officially dedicated June 25th, 2003.

Thanks to the kind generosity of many people and several Rotary Clubs Etta’s whole family was able to attend. The experience was healing and loving. It is now feeding 80 - 90 children every day.

Etta’s Comedor is situated across from the Floresta Plaza, next to the medical clinic and kati-corner to the church in one of the poorest sections of Montero. It is truly an area of love, compassion, healing and spirituality.

The children are all from the neighborhood. They are ages 6 to 12. Some go to school, some don’t. They all come to Etta’s Comedor with smiles and hugs for anyone in their path. They are happy to at least once a day have their bellies full and they seem to know how gladly and lovingly the food is given. If they are early, they play or color. When the food is ready, many help when we serve to make sure all at their table get food and then many help clean up. They are always grateful for what they are gifted.

Their mothers come too, sometimes to volunteer for their turn during the lunch hour, sometimes to attend classes on nutrition and health, and we hope sometimes just to be a part of something. They have asked to learn to sew, embroidery and other crafts that they might sell to improve their own lifestyles. We hope they will find a small community of support and friendship where not only their lifestyles and family lives improve but they gain a sense of self esteem and recognize their value to their family, their community, and to themselves. Some are single parents, some share households with many family members, some have spouses — they are all poor.

This is Etta’s Comedor. It is a place of life, hope, dreams come true, and fun. May all who come and all who give their talents, money or prayers to this project know and feel the power of an inspired moment when tragedy becomes pure love and hope.

Comedor de Niños Etta Turner I and II

by: Jim Turner

Mission: Etta Projects empowers Bolivian families to transcend poverty by offering education, economic opportunities and a supportive community to women and by providing balanced meals, vitamins and basic preventative healthcare to their children.

Vision: Etta Projects envisions a Bolivia in which hunger does not interfere with daily life.

Participants:

Parroquia San José de la Floresta (the Parrish of Saint Joseph of the Floresta Neighborhood) of Montero, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Rotary Club Montero of Montero, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Damas Salesianas (the Salesian Women's Order) of Montero, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Etta Projects of Port Orchard, Washington, USA

Communities to be served:

The city of Montero resides in the province of Obispo Santisteban in the State of Santa Cruz, the largest and most easternmost state of Bolivia. This area, in the lower elevations, is tropical and essentially flat. The land surrounding Montero has been mostly cleared of the previously existing jungle and stands of mahogany and is used primarily for growing sugarcane and raising dairy cattle. Montero is 50 kilometers from the city of Santa Cruz, the capital of the State of Santa Cruz and Bolivia´s largest city.

The projects are located in Montero´s "La Floresta" and in "Pampe de la Madre" neighborhoods. Of Montero´s 82,000 people, 13,000 reside in La Floresta. La Floresta, like other neighborhoods closer to the edge of town, accommodates many of the poor who come into the town from the country looking for work. Pampe de la Madre is in a more rural section outside the city. Etta Projects is one of the first humanitarian aid projects in this neighborhood.

Poverty is endemic here in this already impoverished country, and with it the attendant ignorance as to proper nutrition and health and absence of functional job skills.

The History:

The project had been the dream of Father Pani of the Parroquia San José de la Floresta and the Damas Salesianas of Montero for some time, to be coordinated with the adjoining community health clinic (El Centro Medico).

In 2002 a Rotary International exchange student from Port Orchard, Washington in the United States, Etta Turner, was living in Montero and attending the catholic high school of which Father Pani was principal. On November 25, 2002, she was killed in a bus accident traveling in the mountains of southern Bolivia with her friends. She was an extraordinary person and touched the lives of many throughout the world.

Her tragic death was the catalyst which enabled the creation of this project. To Father Pani came the inspiration to dedicate the project to the memory of Etta. He contacted the Rotary Club Montero which had sponsored Etta, and they joined in. The family and friends of Etta in the United States likewise joined in, creating a nonprofit corporation, Etta Projects, to assist with this project and others like it. With initial money from Etta's family and the hard work of the Salesianas, Etta's family and host family, Rotary and Etta's friends and classmates, the project opened with Etta I on June 25th, 2003. Due to the success of Etta I, Etta Projects was asked to open a second facility and with the gift of the property form the city of Montero and the coordination of the Catholic Church Etta II was opened on July 25th 2005.

The Project:

At present, the two projects feed the children of approximately one hundred families who are age five to twelve years (close to 200 children per day). The second part of the project trains their mothers in nutrition, preventative health, self esteem and reproductive health. It is mandatory for the mothers to attend these workshops. They then have seven work skills workshops available to them to help them have a new source of income. Finally in cooperation with MCC, a well established micro credit organization in Bolivia, they then receive economic and small business education. The project site is also used for the existing nutrition program run by the Centro Medico, which serves kids under six.

The project is managed by a local committee : the principal priest of the Parroquia San José de la Floresta - Father Mario Pani, the president of the Damas Salesianas - Dr. Teresa Gómez; the president of the Rotary Club Montero and two local board members from Etta Projects- Fatima and Jaime Paz. The project bank account requires two signatures of the committee members for all expenditures. The daily operation is administered by Etta Projects and it's local employees.

Operating expenses are presently provided by Etta Projects, with major donors being Rotary clubs from the Puget Sound region in the state of Washington and Michigan/Wisconsin and the generous individual donors and service groups that lovingly support us.