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December 2010 The African Development Initiative 2010 Holiday Newsletter Dear Friends and Supporters of ADI, On behalf of the entire ADI team, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season from Ekumdipe and Agyementi! We are currently here in Ghana working hard! In Ekumdipe, we are continuing the second phase of our irrigation endeavors. The dry‐ season is in full‐effect right now and farming has grinded to a halt...all except for on one farm. Our farming expert from the Bawku region of Northeastern Ghana is here and demonstrating that it is indeed possible to obtain substantial crop yields in Ekumdipe during the dry‐season. Next we will be deciding the most profitable and feasible ways to sell our crops! Along with continuing our sociological, economic, and financial analyses of the project and its implementation methodology, we are also continuing our efforts to interview the growing number of people interested in applying for a loan to receive an irrigation pump of their own. By the end of December, we will have created an improved communication system with our partners on the ground, assessed the initial success of the dry‐season crop, and finalized the implementation plans for the project through the end of the dry‐season. In Agyementi, we are preparing to provide 100% latrine coverage. This will include creating a census and digital map of Agyementi, enabling us to understand where everyone in the community resides in relation to the nearest household latrine and a water source. Then, the business part starts! We will begin marketing our latrines for a (subsidized) price that those willing to make the commitment to hygiene and sanitation can afford. With the support of your donations, we can get the last latrines started by early January and built before the rainy season starts! Thank you all for your continued support and we hope that this holiday season, you will consider donating and making life a little more pleasant for those less fortunate in these communities. Sincerely, Darryl & Adam CEO and Undergraduate President TIS THE SEASON: HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FEATURE STORY: CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE FROM OUR CFO: 2011 FUNDRAISING STRATEGY AND GOALS

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Page 1: Official ADI Holiday Newsletter

December2010

TheAfricanDevelopmentInitiative2010HolidayNewsletter

DearFriendsandSupportersofADI,OnbehalfoftheentireADIteam,wewouldliketowisheveryoneaHappyHolidayseasonfromEkumdipeandAgyementi!

WearecurrentlyhereinGhanaworkinghard!InEkumdipe,wearecontinuingthesecondphaseofourirrigationendeavors.Thedry‐seasonisinfull‐effectrightnowandfarminghasgrindedtoahalt...allexceptforononefarm.OurfarmingexpertfromtheBawkuregionofNortheasternGhanaishereanddemonstratingthatitisindeedpossibletoobtainsubstantialcropyieldsinEkumdipeduringthedry‐season.Nextwewillbedecidingthemostprofitableandfeasiblewaystosellourcrops!Alongwithcontinuingoursociological,economic,andfinancialanalysesoftheprojectanditsimplementationmethodology,wearealsocontinuingoureffortstointerviewthegrowingnumberofpeopleinterestedinapplyingforaloantoreceiveanirrigationpumpoftheirown.BytheendofDecember,wewillhavecreatedanimprovedcommunicationsystemwithourpartnersontheground,assessedtheinitialsuccessofthedry‐seasoncrop,andfinalizedtheimplementationplansfortheprojectthroughtheendofthedry‐season.InAgyementi,wearepreparingtoprovide100%latrinecoverage.ThiswillincludecreatingacensusanddigitalmapofAgyementi,enablingustounderstandwhereeveryoneinthecommunityresidesinrelationtothenearesthouseholdlatrineandawatersource.Then,thebusinesspartstarts!Wewillbeginmarketingourlatrinesfora(subsidized)pricethatthosewillingtomakethecommitmenttohygieneandsanitationcanafford.Withthesupportofyourdonations,wecangetthelastlatrinesstartedbyearlyJanuaryandbuiltbeforetherainyseasonstarts!Thankyouallforyourcontinuedsupportandwehopethatthisholidayseason,youwillconsiderdonatingandmakinglifealittlemorepleasantforthoselessfortunateinthesecommunities.Sincerely,Darryl&AdamCEOandUndergraduatePresident

‘TISTHESEASON:HOWYOUCANMAKEADIFFERENCE

FEATURESTORY:CHRISTMASINTHEVILLAGE

FROMOURCFO:2011FUNDRAISINGSTRATEGYAND

GOALS

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Christmas In the Village

In America, evergreen trees, colorful lights, and felt ribbons announce thearrivaloftheChristmasseason.ChristmascarolsstarttofloodtheradiorightafterThanksgiving. IntheVillage,therearenofancydecorationstotellyouwhen Christmas has arrived; in fact, Christmasmorning in Ekumdipe lookslike any othermorning. Children’s voices, rather than old school carols, leteveryoneinthevillageknowthatChristmasisfinallyhere.It is customary for men and women in the village to exchange Christmasgreetingsandblessings.However,as inAmerica,thechildrenalwaysgetallthepresents.Youngboysandgirlsfromeachhouseholdvisittheneighborsto collect their gifts, which consist of maize, yams, cassava, and okra.Villagersdonothavemoneytospendontoysandgames,sotheysharetheirfoodinstead.Food is plentiful on Christmas. Cows and goats are slaughtered for a hugefeast.Thereisalivelycelebrationwithmusic,drumsanddancingthroughoutthe day. Later in the afternoon, the community gathers for dinner at thetown center. With full bellies and glad hearts, families return to theirhouseholdsforthenight.As inAmerica, Christmas is a joyousoccasion, a time to celebrate andgivethanksforsomeoflife’sgreatestgifts:familyandfriendship.WhileEkumdipelacksmanyoftheornamentsandamenitiesweenjoy,thestarsthatshineintheruralnightskyarebrighterthananyChristmaslightsinAmerica.

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This holiday season; consider contributing some of your gift-budget to help pay for latrine components in Agyementi or materials to upkeep the irrigation system in Ekumdipe. Donate on behalf of yourself, a friend or family member, and you will be featured in our next newsletter and our website. Spread the holiday spirit and make a tangible difference in the communities the African Development Initiative serves.

To Donate, visit africandi.com/?p=donate

$$$222555 ADonationof$25buysafullsackofseedsfordry‐seasoncropsORfortheironrodsneededtoconstructthefoundationofalatrine.

$$$555000 ADonationof$50paysforpipeconnectionstorevamp1/3ofentirepipesystemtoincreaseareaofirrigationORfortheartisanfeesofconstructingalatrine.

$$$222000000 ADonationof$200buysfencingmaterialsfor10farmsORtheentiresubsidyofalatrine.

$$$555000000 ADonationof$500payshiringandtravelingexpensesforourfarmingexpertfromBawkutomovetoEkumdipeanddemonstratedry‐seasonfarmingfor3months.

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DearADIMembersandSupporters,TheADIfinanceteamislaunchingalarge‐scaleefforttoraisefundsforADIoperations.Weareimplementingathree‐prongedstrategythatincludesaNewYorkbranch,Bostonbranch,andundergraduatebranch.Thesebrancheswillcollaboratetoleadthefinancingeffort.Fromanoperationalstandpoint,duringthemonthofDecemberandintoearlyJanuary,ProjectRISEwillbeinitssecondstageandtherewillbeaseriesoffollowupsinAgyementifromtheACWAteam,asDarryl,Adam,Alex,andAmbertakeflightforGhanainDecember.ADIhasanumberofthingsthatitislookingtoaccomplishinFY2011inAgyementiandEkumdipe,ourprimarysites.ThroughthesuccessofProjectRISE,dry‐seasoncropsaregrowingwellandthereisanincreaseddemandforloans;tofinanceonlythemostcreditworthyandcapablecommunitymembers,wewillrequireafundingpoolofapproximately$15,000.WithregardstoACWA,53.7%ofthehouseholdsinAgyementicurrentlyhavealatrine,andweplantomakethisnumber100%bytheendofFY2011.Thismeansroughly30additionallatrineshavetobebuiltandimplementedatacostof$200eachinthecomingyear.Closingthis46.3%gapandaffordingeveryoneaccesstolatrinesisafeasiblegoal,butonlywiththecontinuedsupportfromourpastsponsors,andtheadditionofnewsponsorsthroughourfundraisinginitiatives.Overthepasttwoyears,thecommunityofAgyementihasreachedmilestoneswithregardstoimprovingwaterqualityandquantity:‐100%properlatrineusage‐100%initiallatrinegoalreached‐100%ofHouseholdswhoproperlycovertheirHouseholdwaterDespitethissuccess,thejobisincompletewithoutoursanitationgoalsseeinganequal,orgreateramountofsuccess.Givenouroperationalgoals,weareplanningtoraise$50,000duringthisfiscalyearwiththeundergraduateteambeingresponsibleforonly10%ofthat.Thefirststepinourfundraisingeffortscomesintheformofabenefitcocktailpartythatisbeingorganizedbyoneofourgeneroussponsors,XcelNYC.XcelNYCisaphilanthropicorganizationstartedbyADIteammembers,GerrelOlivier,ProjectEnterpriseDirector;DaraJohnson,ProjectUnveilDirector;andmyself.ThecocktailpartywilltakeplaceinNewYorkCityonMartinLutherKingweekendandactasakick‐offeventforADI'sfinancingeffortsinNewYorkandnationwide.AlloftheproceedsfromtheeventwillbedonateddirectlytoADIandtheeventwillfeatureaslideshowandanADI2011previewfromoneofourco‐founders.Afterthisinitialevent,theNewYork,Boston,andundergraduateteamswillkickofftheirfundraisingeffortsinpreparationformeetingouroperationalgoals.Weappreciateyourcontinuedsupportandlookforwardtoyourinvolvementinhelpingusachieveourgoalsofimprovingsanitationandcontinuingtoimprovewaterqualityandquantity.IfyouareinterestedinbecomingaDistinguishedsponsor,pleasefeelfreetocontacteitherSanguDelle,[email protected],ormyself,ADIChiefFinancialOfficeratndubuisi.okereke@morganstanley.com.Sincerely,NduOkerekeChiefFinancialOfficer,AfricanDevelopmentInitiative,Inc.

GOALAMOUNT:$50,000

AWordfromourChiefFinancialOfficer:

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ChiefExecutiveOfficer,DarrylFinkton

[email protected]

ExecutivePresident,SanguDelle

[email protected]

Forgeneralinquiries,[email protected]