Welcome to Sahakarini
Local Effort for Global Challenges
Established 1979 Camrose AB
UPCOMING:
CONTRIBUTE TO THE ONGOING BOTTLE DRIVE
Donate your bottles at the Camrose Bottle Depot and give your profits to the Sahakarini Account at the Depot.
The Walk of the Sandals 
Did you know that you can book a week’s ‘walking’ adventure with the Sahakarini Sandals this year? As part of the 2022- 2023 “Loaves and Fishes Reimagined” we are inviting Camrosians to take these well-storied sandals along with you on your own travels. Whether it be to an exotic location or your backyard, you can document their travels with some photos for us to share on our social media. Suggested donation for each weekly rental is $100 and can arranged through Rajan or Margaret Rathnavalu (rajan.rathnavalu@yahoo.ca / megandrath@yahoo.ca)
Sahakarini Project Funding
Sahakarini has contracted with trusted partners in financially supporting their local projects. All funds raised from the annual “A Taste of Sahakarini” loaves and fishes fund raiser are crucial to meeting these obligations. Any additional donation for supporting our overseas projects is not only encouraged but much appreciated.
The Projects Sahakarini Donors Support
Education: India. Project Partner: Pipal Tree, Fireflies Intercultural Centre, Bangalore, India.
Project: Aid in the Upliftment of Tribal (Adivasi) Girls and Boys from Forest Communities.
The project promotes community empowerment through learning centres for Adivasi (Indigenous forest peoples) school age students. They develop a sense of self-identity and dignity and develop leadership skills, reducing school dropout and early marriages.
Water and Food Security: Kenya Sand Dams. Project Partner: Utooni Development Organization (UDO), Machakos, Kenya.
UDO supports self-help groups to increase food production through planting of drought resistant crops, improve water security through construction of sand dams which provide clean water for domestic use and for irrigation, conserve the environment by digging terraces and planting of trees, increase income and improve health as the sand dams filter and clean the water
.
Health: Nepal. Project Partner: Friends of Shanta Bhawan (FSB) Primary Healthcare Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Its Clinic provides primary health care services, at minimal or no cost, to over 30,000 marginalized and impoverished Nepalese in a poorer district of Kathmandu. Focusing on maternal and natal care, it regularly serves approximately 100 patients a day. The services provided deal with: general health, medical imaging and recording, laboratory and pharmacy needs, tuberculosis treatment and area health camps (free medical care).
Health: Kenya & Tanzania. Portable Ultrasound Training with Dr. Deirdre Duffy of Canadian Point of Care Ultra Sound Society (CPOCUS). Project Partner: Camrose Rotary.
Sahakarini’s contribution to be matched by Camrose Rotary funding. Since 2016 Camrose resident Dr. Deirdre Duffy has been training doctors in Kenya and Tanzania to use portable ultrasound machines for lifesaving diagnoses in trauma, labour and pregnancy settings. Sahakarini and both Camrose Rotary clubs are partnering to buy the necessary equipment to empower these centres to develop their own local training programs and outreach.
Education: Colombia Childcare Centre. Project Partner: Casa del Nino Rosita Sierra, Salamina, Colombia. 2021-2022.
The non-profit centre provides daycare to approximately 120 low income children. Extensive renovations to the 73 year old building were completed (timber structure, stucco, roof tiles, painting, etc.) Completed
New Project Partnership in Guatemala with Namaste Direct for Financial Support and Business Training Tools for Women Micro-entrepreneurs.
Sahakarini, with project lead Alan Fielding, has begun partnering with Namaste Direct to:
• Provide micro-loans to 24 women entrepreneurs. These women will receive US$312.50 each, in Year 1 to grow their businesses in Namaste’s program, and
• Finance the development and production of digital and video training tools for business advice and financial literacy education.
Beginning in 2004, the Namaste Direct’s goal has been to equip Guatemalan women with tools to carve pathways out of poverty by starting small businesses, despite overwhelming challenges. These include lack of access to capital, business and financial skills, without social security, healthcare, disability insurance, or retirement benefits.
Namaste provides culturally relevant, results-measurable programs that combine one-on-one business advising, financial literacy training, and micro-loans. To date, Namaste’s program has empowered over 4,500 women entrepreneurs to formalize their business models, manage their finances, and on average, double their profits.