Dear All for Africa friends and supporters!

Thank you again for all your support in 2009.  With your continued support our Palm Out Poverty Initiative will allow 700 community projects/organizations in Africa to have greater long term impact by providing 30 years of operational funding. As we all know, many such projects/organizations constantly struggle to meet operational expenses thus affecting their stability and capacity to provide valuable services to the communities they seek to assist.  Our POP Initiative will avoid the “here today, gone tomorrow problem of philanthropic funding”

Last year All For Africa was able to award 11 beneficiary organizations trusts that will cover their operational expenses for 30 years.  These organizations were Georges Malaika Foundation (Congo), FACE AFRICA (Liberia),  Youssou N’dour Foundation (Senegal), Batonga Foundation (Benin), Christian Solidarity International (Southern Sudan), Little Sisters of St Francis (Uganda), Shine On Sierra Leone (Sierra Leone), The Zara Center (Zimbabwe), Miracle Corners of the World (Sierra Leone) and Our Reading Spaces (Kenya)

Let me share some thoughts about the POP Initiative from some of our beneficiaries

“The Palm Oil Trust that has really helped push the project forward. The security of knowing that our annual operating expenses, such as school maintenance, school supplies, curriculum elements, computer equipment, meals, etc. will be covered gives the organization a tremendous peace of mind in terms of the sustainability of the project. Thus, our focus can be placed on what matters most: development of a strong academic program and teachers, development of community skills and development of young minds, as opposed to fundraising. This assurance has been of tremendous influence in our subsequent fundraising efforts as the Palm Oil Trust stamps the project with longevity.” Noella Coursaris Musunka, Founder, George Malaika Foundation

“I believe there are two types of non-profits in the world. Those who have extensive resources and investments and those who are in an endless chase after donor dollars. Sadly, since we established four years ago, Youth Action International has been stuck in a position of being dependent on donor funding year after year. I’d like to see that changed, and the Palm Oil Trust through All for Africa presents the first major opportunity for us to do that.  With support from the Oil Palm Trust, YAI will become self-sustainable. Energies now used for an endless cycle of fundraising will go towards deepening and enriching our existing programs.”

Kimmie Weeks, Founder Youth action International

You can continue to support us by donating to our Palm Out Poverty Intiative.   Your donation of $20 will plant one oil palm tree. This oil palm tree will generate $20 of revenue every year for 30 years.  Your donation keeps giving !

Have a great 2010 !

Bruce Wrobel

Founder & Executive Director,  All For Africa

Thank you All For Africa supporters for wonderful 2009.   With your support we are making a great strides with our  Palm Out  Poverty Campaign.

Here is an update on the progress if our oil palm trees.

In 2008 All for Africa planted the first oil palm seeds in Ghana, West Africa. These seeds represented the first crops in All for Africa’s campaign to plant one million oil palm trees on approximately 17,000 acres of land in Africa. These germinated seeds or seedlings were planted in Nkwanta district in the Volta region.

These seedlings were planted in small black polybags. The polybags were kept well watered prior to the commencement of planting. This stage is known as the pre-nursery stage. These polybags were put under a shelter for 3 months. After 3 months, these plants were moved from the shelter to the field replanted into larger polybags in a specially prepared field nursery. The batches of seeds that were planted in October 2008 will be planted in their permanent field locations in the next few months.

In 2009 All for Africa in collaboration with its corporate partner, SG Sustainable Oils have managed to plant an additional 150,000 seeds at our Volta region location. The first production of palm oil is scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2012.  To date the nursery operation in Ghana has created nearly two dozen jobs.

In 2009, we also had a successful International Poverty Week.  The week was marked with various  fundraiser events  in New York city and around the country.  We were have also grown our Associate board.  We  are pleased to announce that we have five new Associate  board members.

In 2010 we look forward to All For Africa ‘s feature in  Fortune Magazine in March,  the monthly Africa After work mixers, All for Africa’s participation in the New York marathon and  International Palm Out Poverty  Week !

Thank you again for a wonderful 2009.  Happy holidays and prosperous New Year

Bruce Wrobel,

Executive Director