The Program

I have just been informed of my acceptance into the Foundation of Sustainable Development’s (FSD) internship program in BOLIVIA! FSD is an organization based in the United States which offers a variety of volunteer or internship opportunities in various development organizations throughout the world. Please visit the FSD website for more information on their mission.

http://www.fsdinternational.org/about


WHEN - I will be starting up on September 13th, 2008 and finishing as late as July 18th, 2009. The final date is contingent upon how much money I can generate through fund raising and foundation-based grants. The longer I am working in the country, the better I will be able to integrate into the Bolivian culture and ensure proper development of a sustainable program.


WHERE - I have been tentatively placed in the non-governmental organization (NGO) Centro de Promocion Rural "Jesús Maria" (CEPRUJEM), in Cochabamaba, Bolivia. CEPRUJEM works in three rural Bolivian villages through and there respective boarding schools to create development models that other regions of Bolivia can implement with limited funding and resources. The models focus on integration of primary and secondary schools with public health, community support services, agricultural development and the maintenance of organic greenhouses. I will be participating in the management and maintenance of greenhouses.

WHAT - I will be working in the "Organic Agriculture Cultivation" program of CEPRUJEM.

This program was created as an “organic production model”, designed for boarding schools to utilize a resource for student meals as well as teach students more about food, nutrition and agriculture. CEPRUJEM has installed many greenhouses about the three villages they work that have resulted in a large system of production. These greenhouses create high quality organic produce and provide food for the students who reside at the schools. These greenhouses also serve as training centers for local youth, where they can participate in intensive participative agriculture lessons once a week. Students that participate in this program spend one day per week learning from a technician in the classroom and another day of the week working hands on in the greenhouse. Community members are also welcome to participate in the maintenance and technical training in farming and agriculture that takes place in the greenhouses. The ultimate goal is to have students bring their knowledge back to their homes and communities where they can construct their own greenhouse and cultivate their own produce. In most communities, there is very little production other than corn, wheat and potatoes—so integrating other nutritious vegetables is essential in the battle against malnourishment.

Interns in this program:

• Work in the greenhouses, assisting in the cultivation and harvesting processes.
  


• Produce and utilize organic fertilizers.
  


• Design a structured work plan for greenhouse and production activities.
  

For more detailed information on the CEPRUJEM and their other programs, please visit: http://www.fsdinternational.org/node/view/438

HOW MUCH - I will work with the program a minimum of 8 weeks, but if funding allows, I will remain in Bolivia with CEPRUJEM for up to 44 weeks. 8 weeks in the Bolivian FSD internship program will require $3,300 (which I am paying for out of my own pocket). Additional time becomes considerably cheaper as 42 weeks requires a total of $6,650. This fee includes housing with a host family, three meals per day, all operational fees required by CEPRUJEM, FSD internship training, and health insurance. This fee does not include air-fare, which will cost about $1,400 round trip (which I will also cover). When the costs of all factors are added together, the minimum I need to generate for a two month program will fall around $5,500. Any extra money that I generate will be directed toward my extension with the program.

Funding

Participants in FSD's internship program must provide their own funding for this opportunity. It may be surprising that I am required to pay and am not being paid for such service work, but keep in mind that this is a service based internship that focuses on providing development resources to the poorest country in South America, CEPRUJEM has no resources to allocate to the developed world, and FSD exists to allocate resources from the developed to the developing world. The fees paid to FSD go directly to funding my expenses:

1. Room and Board
2. In-Country Support and Administration
3. Program Maintenance
4. Health Insurance
5. Legal and Logistical Costs

It is these fees that the host organizations cannot afford to pay. FSD makes every effort to ensure that these costs are minimized. By funding my own trip I will benefit a host organization most effectively while gaining the experience of a lifetime.

Because I need to generate all funding for the project, any financial assistance would be of great help. Since FSD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID/EIN: 56-1938284), those who file taxes in the United States may claim any donation made out to FSD (in my name) as a tax deduction.

If you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation, you can pay through the FSD website via PayPal, or you may write a check payable to the Foundation of Sustainable Development, with my name ("Nicholas Stanich") in the check's memo. Please be sure to include your return address so that FSD may acknowledge your contribution. All checks must be in US dollars.

In order to contribute directly to FSD through PayPal. Please follow the following instructions:
1. Visit the website address is: http://www.fsdinternational.org/?q=donate

2. Locate the phrase “To pay internship/volunteer application fees, program fees, or to make a donation toward a participant's program fees” and click the icon “Make a Donation” This will take you to the FSD PayPal site.

3. At the top of the main page, enter the amount of your payment.

4. Scan down the page to a series of credit card icons (Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, etc.), located below the phrase “Don't have a PayPal account? Use your credit card or bank account (where available).” Click “Continue”

5. Enter your credit card information on the following page.

6. Click “Review Order and Continue”

7. On the following page, you can choose to “Continue by Logging In” (if you have a PayPal account, enter your email and password) or “Continue Without Logging In” (if you do not have a PayPal account. You are not required to create an account to complete the transaction.) Select how you will proceed and click the appropriate link.

8. You will have a chance to review your payment details before completing the transaction. IMPORTANT: Below your payment details, you will see a small link that says “Purpose of Payment.” Click the “+” to expand a text box. Enter the purpose of your payment, noting where the funds should be directed (Write - "Program fees – Nicholas Stanich project in Bolivia.") Completing this step ensures that the payment is assigned to the correct recipient.

9. Once you have included comments on the purpose of your payment, click “Pay now”This completes your payment. Please save a copy of your PayPal receipt. You may be asked to provide the receipt to FSD for verification.

If you would prefer writing a check, please mail it to:

Foundation for Sustainable Development

517 Potrero Avenue, Suite B

San Francisco, California 94110, USA

Again, please be sure to include my name and your return address on both mailed and paypal contributions!

If you are interested in making a donation directly to me (without tax-deductible receipt), you may do so through my PayPal button on this site, or by mailing a check directly to me at:

2615 Open Bay Ct.
Galena, OH 43021

Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or questions.

Thank you!

Nick