Green Magazine

Oxfam is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. We can support them through their fundraise oxfam unwrapped. If a special ocassio is approaching, then we can give something unique to our family, friends or loved ones. A gift that really makes the difference.

How does Oxfam Unwrapped works:

-You select your gift from their Oxfam Unwrapped online catalog.

-A personalized card is delivered to you or your friend or loved one – it shows how your gift is making a real difference.

-Your donation becomes a gift for those who need it most.

From water jugs to school books to goats, all Oxfam Unwrapped gifts benefit those living in poverty.

Here some examples of their gift ideas:

Cooking stove

plant vegetable garden

Pair school uniforms

Building tools

School desk and chair

Donkey

Make the difference, buy these special gifts.

Vitagoat

The “VitaGoat” is a food processing system that can be used to create value-added products from cereals, grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables, enabling local groups to increase food security, improve health and create micro-businesses and employment. Primary foods can be processed into flours, pastes or wet slurries and used “as is” or further cooked with steam, as for soymilk and its various derivatives. The key feature of the VitaGoat is that all of these foods can be made without the need for electricity. The grinding is provided through “pedal power” while cooking energy is provided by an innovative and fuel-efficient steam boiler.

Aside from the humanitarian and nutritional benefits, the vitagoat enterprise does have serious environmental benefits not the least of which replacing fields used inefficiently by cows who produce methane with fields that grow oxygen producing soya that reduce greenhouse gases.
Here below your will see some some pictures that heve been provided by Rick Chase, who has been working in freelance projects with differentes NGO’s like Dusty Sandals, Mann Ministries in India, etc. Pictures are refered to the pilot project launched in November 2008 in Mae La Oon refugee camp.  The machine was set up in partnership with Sheelo Baptist Church in the camp and is intended to be run partially for profit in order fund the other social activities of the church.The cost for setting up this kind of enterprise is roughly between US $12 000 to $15 000.  Once the machine is set up, is sustainable. Let’s contribute to fight childhood malnutrition , Let’s support the Vitagoat Project, you can give your contribution online through Dusty Sandals
If you like to get more information contact Rick Chase ( rickchase@hotmail.com)
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Vitagoat: aiuta crescere migliaia di bimbi
“VitaGoat” è un sistema di trasformazione dei prodotti alimentari che possono essere utilizzati per creare prodotti a valore aggiunto a base di cereali, grani, noci, frutta e verdura, permettendo ai gruppi locali di aumentare la sicurezza alimentare, migliorare la salute e creare micro-imprese e occupazione.
Gli alimenti primari possono essere trasformati in farine, paste e usati così come sono oppure ulteriormente cotti a vapore, come il latte di soia e suoi derivati vari. La caratteristica fondamentale del VitaGoat è che tutti questi cibi possono essere fatti senza la necessità di energia elettrica. La macinazione tramite la forza di “una pedalata”, mentre la cottura di energia è fornita da una caldaia a vapore innovativa.
A parte i benefici umanitari e nutrizionali, l’impresa vitagoat ha ancora seri benefici ambientali dato che questo proggetto sostitiusce campi utilizzati in modo inefficiente da mucche che producono metano con campi che sviluppano ossigeno producendo soia, riducendo la produzione di gas serra.
Qui di seguito troverete delle foto inviateci da Rick Chase, chi ha lavorato e lavora come free-lance con diverse ONG come Dusty Sandals, Mann Ministries in India, Hands of Compassion, ecc. Le foto fanno riferimento al progetto pilota avviato nel novembre 2008 nel campo profughi di Mae La Oon. La macchina è stata montata in partnership con la chiesa Sheelo Baptist Church nel campo ed è destinata in parte per raccogliere fondi per sviluppare altri attività di carattere sociale della Chiesa. Per avviare una VitaGoat si richiedono circa da US $ 12000 a $ 15 000. Una volta che la macchina è montata è sostenibile. Aiutiamo a combattere la malnutrizione infantile sosteniendo il Progetto Vitagoat. Puoi dare il tuo contributo online tramite Dusty Sandals.
Per ulteriore informazioni potete contattare Rick Chase (rickchase@hotmail.com)

VitaGoat

Soymilk

VitaGoat products

Children drinking Soymilk

Oro Verde

The Oro verde (Green Gold) program in Chocó – Colombia is the first project of its kind in the world, which looks to reverse the devastating processes done to these unique ecosystems, caused by out of control large scale mining of one of the most bio-diverse eco-regions of the world. Currently the initiative is being implemented in 12 Afro-Colombian communities, within the municipalities of Condoto and Tadó, the project seeks the active participation of the population, who are represented by the community councils, to ensure the successful development of the area. Oro Verde demands compliance with socially and environmentally responsible practices, by imposing a rigorous certification process on all mining methods, this then puts an added value on the metals produced, whether they be raw materials for jewellery making, environmental souvenirs, or as ready made jewellery.
Oro verde miners use green mining tecniques passed down from their ancestors. Chemicals such cyanide or mercury has not used. The Oro Verde program supports the entire supply chain from mine to market.

The Facts
-Since the begining of 20th century, large areas in Chocó have been contaminated  and damaged becasue of the pollution, sedimentation and the deforestation caused by mining activity and agriculture practices. As a result 36 species of wildlife are in danger. Fortunately actually there ia a growing social conscience of teh urgent need to protect and preserve teh region for future generations.
-A miner works more than eight hours to extract, on average, two or three grams of gold (87 pesos). A work that is developed with water up to
their knees in full sun and with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees.
-Today Oro Verde have customers in Europe and North America, who sell them without the pressure of the middlemen who used to keep the profits. Oro verde Gold and Platinum is paid 15 percent above the market price. In this case, the surplus generated by the sale abroad belong to the communities and those resources are reinvested in what they decide by consensus. In Europe it is highly valued jewel that is marked Oro Verde , which is also supported by the Fairtrade Labeling Organizations (FLO)

Make the difference:
When you buy Oro verde you are raising the incominmg level of the mining families that protect a strategic ecosystem and self-manage the development of their own communities. Oro verde metals from the Chocó Bioregion are safely and sustainable picked up by the families who have collectively owned the land for generations.

Oro Verde miner

Choco (Colombia)