Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Bill Geschwind" <geschwin AT email.unc.edu>]

No, you're not missing anything. The web site *is* after all still a work in
progress, and I will bring it to the attention of the project leader that
the Make a Pledge page still needs some serious work.

In the meantime, if you like you could email a pledge to the email address
in the "contact us" page.

On the other subject, you wouldn't be too far off making a joke about a 419
scam. Benin is right next door to Nigeria, and Lagos is no more than maybe
70 miles or so from here, although with the travel restrictions in place for
us it might as well be on the other side of the planet. Unfortunately a lot
of the perpetrators of those 419 scams spill across the borders throughout
the region, and most of the local ISPs here have been used by enough 419
scam spammers to be on lots of blacklists. As a result there are plenty of
websites I can't use with my home internet connection (Earthlink webmail or
PayPal for example). Ah, the never-ending joys of living in Africa! That and
no decent Hefe-Weizen.

- Bill

-----Original Message-----
From: internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Thomas
Beckett
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 10:03 PM
To: Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/
Subject: Re: [internetworkers] orphanage project

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I must admit that the second thing that occured to me was that there
must be a good joke to make involving the 419 scam.  And even though it
is in incredibly poor taste, my lizard brain is still trying to think up
that joke.

On a more serious note, I also want to make a modest pledge, but the
pledge page doesn't seem to be working.

http://abomeyorphanageproject.org/makeapledge.htm

There are only entry fields for name, contact info and a comment, but no
"submit" button or payment options.  I'm using Firefox 1.5.0.12 on XP
and enabled scripts for this site.  Am I missing something?

Thomas

Bill Geschwind wrote:
> As some of you who knew me personally may remember, last year I resigned
> my position at UNC to accept an offer to join the Foreign Service. After
> my initial training I found myself posted to Cotonou in the West-African
> nation of Benin for my first two-year tour of duty, and I have been
> living here since early January.
> 
>  
> 
> Before arriving here I was warned that the level of poverty that I will
> witness at times can be rather overwhelming and that I would need to
> resist the urge to try to personally "fix Africa" or to give money to
> any beggar who would ask for a handout. There are plenty of shady
> characters here who will take advantage of your feelings of charity and
> pose as beggars, only to turn around and spend your money on things like
> drugs and hookers. I have no sympathy for those types, however there are
> plenty of people here in genuine need and one is still left with the
> desire to do **something** to help.
> 
>  
> 
> Now, rather than blindly jumping on the first project that I would come
> across, I wanted to make sure that any efforts of mine would make a
> tangible and lasting difference. Shortly after I got here I found that I
> wasn't alone in this sentiment and it turns out that a colleague of mine
> who arrived here several months before I did has already organized a
> project with an orphanage in the town of Abomey, about a three hours
> drive from here. This colleague of mine, the Embassy's GSO (General
> Services Officer - in essence a facilities manager) organized a team of
> volunteers, performed a comprehensive needs analysis, and set up a
> project schedule to refurbish the facilities of this orphanage. The
> project team has even set up a web site describing the project:
> 
>  
> 
> http://abomeyorphanageproject.org/
> 
>  
> 
> Even though this web site is still a work in progress, please do take a
> look at it to see the desperate conditions in which these orphans are
> living. The word inadequate doesn't even begin to describe the condition
> of the facilities!
> 
>  
> 
> To move forward with this project we have now reached the fundraising
> stage. I'm not going to ask you to personally donate money, although if
> you would like to I'm sure you won't be turned down, however if you
> belong to a church, civic or other group that is looking for a
> fundraising project or if you have any connections to a business,
> corporation or maybe an alumni association that is looking for a
> charitable cause, I would very much appreciate it if you could bring our
> project to their attention.
> 
>  
> 
> Please note that this is not an official US Government, State Department
> or embassy project, but rather embassy employees donating their spare
> time, effort and expertise towards this cause. Also, not being a tax
> consultant, I cannot make any representations regarding any donations to
> this cause being tax-exempt.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for taking a look,
> 
> Bill
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> ---
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- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas A. Beckett, JD & MBA                  Business Law and Consulting
828-713-1668            <http://www.tbeckett.com>           919-824-5696
Authentication instructions: <http://www.tbeckett.com/verification.html>
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