26 July 2008

The Team is in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil!

Saturday 26 July 2008

I spoke with Marina this morning. She sounded great - full of energy. The entire team is doing well. They are out buying supplies and will construct their first spring box today. They'll leave Rio Branco for Assis Brasil, Acre, Brazil mid-day Monday. 

TBS

25 July 2008

July 2008 Implementation Trip underway

Friday 25 July 2008

I spoke with Dan in Sao Paulo today. The JFK to Sao Paulo trip was fine. They are scheduled to arrive in Rio Branco, the state capital of the state of Acre, late this evening. I will attempt to contact them on Saturday AM.

- Prof. T. B. Soules
EWB UMass Amherst - Amazon Team Faculty Advisor

13 July 2008

Team Prepares for July 24th Departure

The Amazon Project Travel team, comprised of two professionals and three students, are preparing for their 10 day trip into the Brazilian Amazon beginning on 24 July 2008. During this implementation trip, the team will implement improved springboxes which have been designed and prototyped for the community of Assis Brasil. To follow the teams progress while in-country, visit our blog and show your support for the EWB UMass Amazon Project!

10 April 2008

Meeting Notes - 4/9

Implementation Trip Movie – Amanda and Johnny

Diaphel needs to email Pro/E drawings to gmail account

Tom – harvesting Brazil nuts can assist rubber tappers economically. It’s common for rubber tappers to harvest and sell the nuts.

Brian designed procedure for constructing springbox.

Tom and Brian are submitting a summary of the local resources.


Brazil Night
- Diaphel got portable toilet for Brazil Night - $60 delivery/pickup
- We have – DJ, Barn
- We don’t have - Food

Items
• Kayaking Trip ($75)
• 1 hour massage ($40)
• 4 Movie Passes ($20)
• Broadside Book shop gift certificate ($15)
• Skera Gallery ($10)
• iTunes ($25)
• Happy Valley ($30)
• African Recycled Plate ($20)
• Einstein/DaVinci ($20)
• Wool Scarf Knitting Kit ($12)
• Running Kit ($25)
• Custom Welcome Sign ($20)
• EWB Spring Cleaning (3 hours / 7 people)

Fundraising Trips
• Tuesday morning (4/15) 10am – 12pm
• Wednesday afternoon (4/16) 2 – 4pm
• Friday afternoon (4/18) 12 – 3pm

Wednesday April 23
• Meeting at Craft Center to make decorations

08 April 2008

Meeting Notes - 4/2

Sorry it took me so long to post these...

Seattle Conference

Café Solar
  • help coffee-producing countries in Central America produce coffee more sustainably and affordably
  • Café Solar sells the coffee these countries produce and uses the money to further assist the people
need to economically develop communities in need, so that they can provide themselves with the capacity to get out of poverty
  • view them as customers rather than charity cases – focus on creating wealth as opposed to eradicating poverty
Social
May 3rd – Brazil Night
  • need to do more fundraising
  • currently only have 10-12 items
  • Dr. Ergas donated Kayak Trip for Two with Gourmet Lunch
  • Caitlin working on invitations for professors
  • Julie working with Western Mass Professional Chapter
  • Johnny going to see barn on Saturday and will send estimate of numbers of round and long tables to Luzia
  • Luzia contacted a table/chair rental place who offered to donate the tables/chairs for free, but we have to provide transportation
  • We’re going to Northampton this Saturday to do more fundraising. We will be meeting in Perrell at 1:00. All are encouraged to come.
  • Johnny and Amanda will be working on the video, which will be presented at the event.
  • Dave and Tom are working on contacting food places.
Things left to do:
  • set up teams (tiki torches, tables/chairs, items)
  • group to go get the food right before the event
  • donation baskets/posters (for small items)
  • non-alcoholic drinks
  • MANY other things
Technical
Implementation Report due April 20
Plans for trip:
  • implementation of two new springboxes
  • water testing
  • education component (pamphlet)
  • new health assessment (re-evaluate the community’s needs)
Economic aspect
  • possibility of helping community to sell their brazil nuts in order to make a profit (along the lines of wealth promotion rather than pure charity)

26 March 2008

Brazil Night -quick meeting

This Saturday at 1PM, Theda, Dan, Clara, Caitlin and Colin will be going to Noho for more donation requests. We already have some stuff from last time( which we'll combine into small packages), but we're looking for some big ticket items, if there's anything you can contribute with, like your family's timeshare, please let us know!

PR
-Dan has finished the brochure which will be printed soon. He's almost done with the fliers- those will be on display at the Engineering video screens. Lorraine Robideaux is printing a blurb about the event at the faculty newsletter.
-Theda has kindly volunteered to contact local radios and papers (ie. WMUA and the Advocate) about an announcement of the event.
-Caitlin is going to design invitations so we can target faculty across campus.
-The week of the event we will plaster fliers across town and selected places.

TO DO!
We are getting our things together so next week we can act. It is VITAL that everyone has their tasks done by next week so contracts and/or tax deduction forms can be filled out. Here is a reminder of what needs to be done:
Theda- Contact Papers/radio stations, jewelry update.
Caitlin- Brazil Night invitations, flight tickets.
Tom- tax deduction paper to Noho business, implementation report section on pumps.
Johnny-decorations, implementation report section, finish company list and send to Marc.
David- food, contact Noho companies.
Dan- finish flier, brochure.
Brian/Luzia- research tables+ chairs.
Patty- call businesses.
Amanda- work on video.
Diaphel- call businesses on list, bertuccis kid!, pro-e modeling.

Have a good weekend,

Clara



06 March 2008

Meeting Notes - 3/5

Brazil Night

Name
  • we need a creative, awesome, cool, catchy name for this event that “lets people know that they’re helping Brazilians with their water, and is clever at the same time”
  • Thoughts??
Tasks
  • Tom and Dave - list of local caterers – call and find out price
  • Clara - DJ
  • Prof. Soules will be making a fun Brazil trivia game
Fundraising
  • we need items for the silent auction
  • when asking businesses for items, include that the audience will be professors – lets them know that it will be good marketing
Ideas:
  • Brazilian cooked dinner
  • In home massage (Greenfield Community College)
  • Big Y/Stop & Shop gift card
  • free/discount tickets (STA travel)
  • free Gym Membership (Gold’s Gym)
  • free concert tickets (Calvin Theater)
  • 1 year pass to UMass sports
  • local restaurants
  • local theaters (Amherst Cinema, Pleasant St. Theater)
  • Six Flags
  • Springfield Symphony
  • Hall of Fame
  • Brazilian Jewelry
- We're going to split the places that we ask for donations between Amazon Project and Kenya Project
- Barn probably holds around 20 8-foot tables