Help Kristan Fund her Greenhouse in Lesotho

Peace Corps Partnership: Donate Here!

A Message from Kristan (CHED '08-'10):

Khotso (Peace) to all the good people out there that I've met along my journey so far!

I'm working with a group of farmers here in Lesotho to build a greenhouse so they can grow vegetables in the winter. Its a great project and the greenhouse has a really cool design thanks to my brilliant architecture family and friends. The hold up as always is the money so I am fundraising through peace corps which is actually the only way that 100% of the money you donate goes directly to the people on the ground, no overhead or advertising costs to cover!

To donate, go to the Peace Corps website (www.peacecorps.gov) and click DONATE NOW in the left collumn. Then search by my project number which is 632-065. The name of the project is Community Greenhouse.

My time is short and I only have about a month to raise about $5000 so please please, if you can give anything, 5 bucks, anything the people in the village of Menkhoaneng and I will greatly appreciate it. Lets help the people of Lesotho grow their own, local, organic foods!

With Peace and Love!

Kristan

P.S. More information about the project:

The farmers I'm working with are some of the most forward-thinking farmers I've met in Lesotho and are already growing a wider variety of vegetables than most Basotho. The idea for the greenhouse design was a collaboration between one of the farmers, an lecturer at the Agriculture college in Lesotho, my sister, her boyfriend, and another volunteer (architects). The structure is going to be an arc of fiberglass extending from a stone wall. The fiberglass will increase the lifespan of the initial greenhouse giving them a longer time before they need to invest in repairs. The stone wall will be painted black to absorb heat during winter days and release it at night so summer vegetables like tomatoes can last thoughout the cold Lesotho winters (yes it does get cold in Africa!). The farmers are currently meeting with the community's support groups to agree on the best way that the greenhouse seedlings and produces can benefit the communitys many (200+ out of about 600 children) single and double orphans. In addition to directly assisting the orphans and vulnerable children, the greenhouse produce will be sold at a discount to community members and act as a valuable agriculture resource to encourage diversification of home gardens.

Being a community in the country with the 3rd highest HIV prevalence, people living in Menkhoaneng face the impacts of the HIV/AIDS pandemic daily. Having a more affordable, more nutritious, local source of food will improve the nutrition everyone but especially people living with HIV and AIDS to help their bodies fight of the virus and other diseases.