We plant trees for you and for our world - TH!NK ABOUT IT
We are the first generation that has the knowledge and means to collaborate globally to solve poverty while ensuring respect for the environment and the dignity for the people. Web is the ideal tool to cooperate together and solve the crises that the world is facing today.
During eight weeks, supporters of NGO Vakanala have conffirmed the power of social networks and its effectiveness in the fight against climate change, proving the importance of individual action and how individual actions when multiplied can make a difference to the planet.
On behalf of the local community, my team (Vakanala) would like to thank all its fans for their support during the tournament "Humanity Calls". Indeed, the local community of Manambolo through the NGO Vakanala received 1,098 votes at the friendly competition for the environment sponsored by Ebay Green Team. Thank you very much!
This result gives us the 10th place out of 145 participating non profit and has raised U.S. $ 2,351.73 equivalent to more than 5 million Malagasy Ariary.That was possible with the great support of my fellow TED fellow, Tin Ho Chow and his team at Big New Ideas who worked on the design of Humanity Calls, a social giving platform that helps raise funds for nonprofits through an online tournament.
As we are pioneering the system of "Fundraising/voting" competition in Madagascar, we are also thankful for the advise and personal donation from my fellow TED fellows Darius Weems and Logan Smalley. Logan took time to share with me his experience and tips from DGW ( Darius Goes West). Their experience on "fundraising 2.0" helped us so much.
Photo: TED Fellow Darius Weems and Me at TED 2009
Thanks to all of you, more than 1,800 trees will be planted in the south part of Madagascar, for a total target of 10,000 trees for the year 2010. The use of these funds will be communicated transparently on Vakanala website. The first trees will be planted arround September, when the first rain drops.
Today I am thrilled to announce that Vakanala have been chosen to participate in the GlobalGiving Green Open Challenge for July 2010.
Between July 5 to July 30, 2010, Vakanala will be working to raise a minimum of $4,000 from at least 50 donors to fund a plant nursery, which will guarantees the sustainability of our reforestation project in Manambolo. Check out our project design: http://goto.gg/5824
This amount will ensure a permanent spot on GlobalGiving’s website, which would allow us the opportunity to grow greatly and expand as an organization.
With all the economic sanctions that our country "Madagascar" is facing, especially from European Union, from African union and from US , plus the economic recession, we have planned to succeed our project with "crowd funding" approaches and mobilize resources outside institutions. We have also worked on the scales and will work from small but sustainable developement project at the time.
How Can you help ?
We know that you can introduce us to a program or people that helps/ fund startup organisations or simply donate to us via our Global Giving web page.Your help is very much needed ... and will be appraeciated greatly. In addition the project that gets most support or from the most donors will win up to $ 10 000, so every donation counts! And I am counting on you all!
What is GlobalGiving?
The website Global Giving allows philanthropists to establish a direct contact with organizations in developing countries to effectively participate in their activities either through donations and / or expertise.
GlobalGiving is an organization that helps organizations like Vakanala to mobilize supports for their work in communities worldwide by offering a Web page and online tools to help them raise funds online.
About NGO VAKANALA
"Vakanala" means " Pearls of Forest" in Malagasy language.
Vakanala, is a nonprofit organization based in Antananarivo that has set a goal to preserve the many little fragments of primary forests of Madagascar with sustainable reforestation.
These fragments, the last remnants of natural forests which covered the Island before our era, are of paramount importance : it is first real sanctuary for the unique biodiversity of Madagascar, which is it last refuge, but it is also a natural resource vital to the survival of rural communities to which they provide many services, natural raw materials, natural storage of rainwater, soil fertility, fight against desertification, and many others.
Follow Vakanala on twitter @vakanala, join Vakanala Facebook Group or contact us by email. Thank you all for your continued support.
Vakanala's team invite you to Friend, Follow and repost/retweet any of the announcements we make in the coming weeks. We have plenty in store as entertainment during the tournament on 
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