New programs brewing to aid African families
Buying coffee from a local roaster will provide basic medical and educational needs to people in Tanzania.
Velvet Sunrise Coffee Roasters, on Ringwood Drive, and the Stouffville Igoma Partnership have come together for the One SIP At A Time initiative.
For every pound of freshly roasted SIP-labelled coffee for home, $2 will be donated to SIP. Commercial establishments serviced through this initiative will have 5-per-cent of their gross purchases donated to SIP.
SIP is a humanitarian effort that provides health care needs and educational training to the residents of Igoma, Tanzania.
“We love the fact that the donation from each purchase for home or business directly helps with Igoma’s medical and educational growth since the SIP is 100-per-cent volunteer driven,” said Fraser Sullivan, Velvet Sunrise Coffee Roasters’ vice-president of marketing and client services.
SIP was initiated in 1998 by a group of people from a number of Whitchurch-Stouffville churches who travelled to Igoma to build a medical clinic.
“This will enable us to continue providing basic medical, educational and we hope with the help of this type of initiative, the provision of clean drinking water for the people of Igoma,” said Arlene Raymer, local resident and SIP board member.
SIP has also recently taken over a child sponsorship program – I-Care.
The program supports children through the purchase of uniforms and supplies, which allows them to attend school.
The $30-a-month program also provides them with a mattress, food and a mosquito net, which protects against malaria.
A team of 10 volunteers left for Igoma Jan. 28 to visit schools and children in the I-Care program. They will also distribute mosquito nets, clean and organize the medical clinic and assess Igoma’s greatest current needs. They return Feb. 14.
“We are excited for the possibilities of this new program and looking forward to hearing from our team, their experiences, the information they collect and the possibilities that the new year will bring,” said Justin Kerswill, a member of the SIP board of directors.
By Sandra Bolan
the Stouffville-Sun Tribune
