Stitch Uganda Together is developing in many positive directions......

Most of all... please VOTE for the Opok Farm proposal at Givemeaning.com -- www.givemeaning.com/proposal/OpokFarms

Opok Farm... read their story: www.omidyar.net/user/u618296607/news/18/

Opok Farm group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php

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Lisa Lynam in Victoria BC will soon be in Northern Uganda to volunteer with Watoto Villages and will report back to this group with her experience. See her successfully funded project at Givemeaning.com: www.givemeaning.com/project/Watoto
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Siena Anstis, a former volunteer in Uganda with Concordia University, has created a new organization and website: www.intheirshoescanada.org

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Funds raised thus far from hammock sales purchased 100 yards of rip-stop fabric and 2700ft of webbing. Now, %100 of hammock sales will go toward building a bamboo dome at Opok Farm and buying sewing machines to set up a workshop where hammocks will be made to help the farm be sustainable.

You can get one of these ultra-light travel hammock for $50 at www.actionheronetwork.net

Tanya Whitney, principal of Forest Hills Middle school here in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada is helping set up a sewing workshop for her students to get involved in this project sewing hammocks.

I wrote Tanya today saying, "The hammock design is very simple and your older kids shouldn't have a problem. It will be a good test to know what kids in Uganda may be able to do. I could even take the hammocks they make to Uganda with me and take photos of kids using them there to show the students who make them. I'm sure your students would like that better than selling them. For me the issue is luggage. We can work on it. I just need to manage creating a product that is safe. We can make them in time for Christmas gifts also. The materials are around $10 per hammock, which I have already paid for using the funds generated from the project thus far. If the kids are taking hammock home they will need to pay for them, but if they are going to Uganda, that's fine... I got it covered!"

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I've done presentations in a couple Saint John schools sharing the need for attention in Uganda to get students thinking about what can be done to build communities for the orphaned children. I plan to create sewing workshops in several schools where students can help raise funds for Opok Farm village by making hammocks. I hope to partner with The Marimichi Uganda Foundation and do a presentation at the youth prison in Marimichi, and get youth there doing the same. I worked for John Howard Society last year, so they are willing to help me get into the prison.

We need markets for the hammocks we are making. Anyone could use a travel hammock, so they are perfect gifts. Organizations or companies could buy quantities of these hammocks to sell to their members or give to their employees. The plan is to set up a hammock making business in Uganda. To do this I need investors and people to buy the hammocks before I go to Uganda. This could be a big step toward making the farm sustainable.

This is a 3000 acre farm, which will be made into a village for 150 child-headed families. It is a very exciting opportunity for these youth, and those who get to work with them. The farm also has huge potential for being an eco-tourism destination to foster a culture of caring and sustainable development.

Currently the Opok Farm team has a proposal that needs votes on Givemeaning.com and it would be very helpful to have your support: www.givemeaning.com/proposal/OpokFarms

Our facebook group: www.facebook.com/group.php

This link talks about my project to build a bamboo dome to serve as a community center, dorm and workshop at Opok Farm: www.ned.com/group/opokfarms/news/2/

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A survey will soon be sent to the Action Hero Network Google Group to create a data base of members, like a phone book, listing the activists in our circle and the organizations they are associated with and areas of interest, including business, so that we can better find each other, communicate our action plans, calls for support or voice concerns. This network is not just for when things go wrong... but to create the world we want.

This new listing will be forwarded to everyone in the Google Group. I know most of the people, and they are all doing great things, but they don't know each other. If you are not part of this circle already and would like to be, join and feel free to post: groups.google.com/group/Act...ro-Network ...we all make it what it is!

The Action Hero Google Group has recently been open up so all members can message to the entire group. The purpose of this group is to promote what activists are doing everywhere, and to foster more connections, because we are all on this adventure in humanity together. It will be interesting to see what you are all working on.

Feel free to use any of the Action Hero groups to post information promoting your work... or inspiring stuff from other heroes.

Razoo.com: beta.razoo.com/groups/act...ero_network
Facebook.com: www.facebook.com/group.php

Again...please VOTE for the Opok Farm proposal at Givemeaning.com -- www.givemeaning.com/proposal/OpokFarms