Saturday, 16 April 2011
Friday, 15 April 2011
Building Commences at House of Joshua
At long last, after more than two years of planning, fund-raising and applying for permits building work is properly under way on the House of Joshua site. When complete the house will provide a secure and loving home for up to 28 orphaned and abandoned children.
We have just donated £10,000 to the Lifenet Children's Foundation (the Philippines charity responsible for building and running the home) to pay for the foundations. In all the first phase of construction will cost about £40,000, of which we have raised just over half. If you would like to donate please click on the Paypal button on this site.
We have just donated £10,000 to the Lifenet Children's Foundation (the Philippines charity responsible for building and running the home) to pay for the foundations. In all the first phase of construction will cost about £40,000, of which we have raised just over half. If you would like to donate please click on the Paypal button on this site.
Digging foundation holes by hand
Steel reinforcing rods tie support pillars into the foundations
Wooden scaffolding shows the size of the building
and will support shuttering whilst the support pillars are formed
Making up the steel rebars that will form the cores of the support pillars
Concrete 'Hollow Blocks' will infill between the pillars to form the walls of the house.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Still Stuck With Tax Exemption
Following our previous posting ( A Strong Piece of Paper) we have submitted all the relevant paperwork to the Philippines Department of Finance only to be told that, although we have the endorsement of the Bureau of Customs, without also the endorsement of either the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) or NEDA (National Economic Development Agency) there is no legal basis to grant our request for tax exemption on the shipment of tools and medical equipment that would bring help and relief to many thousands of Filipinos trapped in a cycle of poverty.
Unfortunately DSWD and NEDA cannot endorse our application because not all our beneficiaries / aid recipients fit the exact criteria for one or the other of these agencies (i.e. NEDA doesn't deal with charities and DSWD doesn't deal with District Health Centres). We fall between the two stools!
What can we do? Is there nobody who can make this possible? Must the poor always remain poor or will someone intervene on their behalf?
It seems that piece of paper is as strong as ever, and just as elusive!
Unfortunately DSWD and NEDA cannot endorse our application because not all our beneficiaries / aid recipients fit the exact criteria for one or the other of these agencies (i.e. NEDA doesn't deal with charities and DSWD doesn't deal with District Health Centres). We fall between the two stools!
What can we do? Is there nobody who can make this possible? Must the poor always remain poor or will someone intervene on their behalf?
It seems that piece of paper is as strong as ever, and just as elusive!
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