<div><strong>GRANCOMMUNITY PROVIDES A SAFE COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE NAMALIMWE WARD OF BLANTYRE, MALAWI. PLEASE HELP US GROW GRANCOMMUNITY TO ITS NEXT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT. YOUR SUPPORT, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, WILL MOVE US FORWARD WITH THE SHORT-TERM EFFORTS NEEDED TO TAKE GRANCOMMUNITY, INC. TO ITS NEXT LEVEL. THIS WILL ACTUALIZE OUR MISSION TO SERVE THIS VASTLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.</strong>
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<div>GranCommunity is a 501c3 organization In conformity with US Federal tax laws, we acknowledge that contributions to this project are voluntary donations for which no goods or services are received and, therefore, the entire amount of your donations are tax deductible.
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<div>HERE IS OUR STORY: In 2016 the co-founders of GranCommunity, Inc., Marjorie Bride and Gertrude Chirambo, met at a Harvard Kennedy School program in Cambridge. They formed an immediate friendship, and when Gertrude returned to Malawi and found an important footbridge in her district had been washed out, Marjorie and her husband Terry McEnany donated the funds to rebuild the bridge.
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<div>At the ceremony celebrating the bridge opening, one of the grannies in the community said to Marjorie, “Don’t forget us; we have nothing to do”.
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<div>To follow the story until 2019, GranCommunity was formally born, and the 4,000 sq. ft. Chem'balira Hall was built to support its mission of providing the grannies a gathering place to impart their wisdom to the younger generation. In nutrition, early marriage, sexual understanding, career opportunities and advice. In addition, Chem'balira Hall is designed to offer regular programs in partnership with local nonprofits to improve area education, health, and women's issues. The Hall can also be rented out for area events such as weddings. The building is a rare asset among other nonprofits as it is an income-generating facility with sustainability built in from the start. Many of the early envisioned events such as meetings, schooling, health advice and community gathering took place from the very start and the building has continued to be used for programs.
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<div>In 2019/2020, two unfortunate events led to a downturn in the growth of GranCommunity. COVID19 hit the world and Blantyre, making it hard for any events to happen there, or to fundraise. At the same time, Gertrude Chirambo had to leave Blantyre due to health issues that required treatment in London. The project understandably languished.
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<div>Now, in the spring of 2024, with the help of The Philanthropy Initiative, we have devised a plan to strongly grow GranCommunity and its service to the people of Blantyre. (1) We have identified a number of other nonprofit partners we will reach out to use the hall and provide income, and (2) we need some basic improvements made to the hall, such as flooring, before it can be used. To enact these plans, we will need three to four months of funding to support administrative expenses and salaries of Gertrude, and others who will be interviewing potential partners, and planning much needed improvements for the hall.
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<div>We are asking you to help us bridge this gap, so we can conduct interviews with partners, and set in place the programs needed by the community. This is particularly important at this time, as the current climate in Malawi is dire. Inflation is 150%, starvation is at an all time high, and the President has declared most of the country’s districts as Disaster Areas.
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<div>Thank you for your consideration; we are so appreciative. Please feel free to visit our (somewhat outdated) website, <a href="https://www.grancommunity.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.grancommunity.org</a>
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<div>Our mission at GranCommunity is three-fold.
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<div>1. Provide grandmothers with roles to impart their knowledge with their community, specifically <em>at-risk school-aged girls </em>- This includes, but is not limited to nutrition, fitness, early marriage and pregnancies, and HIV protection.
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<div>2. Support the implementation of regular programs - These programs will sustain employment and feed the vast under-served community. The organization aims to eradicate illiteracy, fight against food insecurity and gender-based violence, and facilitate women empowerment through entrepreneurship.<em>*This is critical for the current climate, where inflation is at 150% and starvation rates are at an all time high. </em>
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<div>3. To provide a center where families and individuals can gather, that will benefit the community as a whole. We strive to support the community in which our Grannies live.
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<div><strong>With your support, we will be able to raise funds for the administrative expenses needed to plan for these programs and oversee the further developments of the building in which we will provide them. </strong>
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Lucy Liddell

Kathryn Lunney

Richard Richter

John Bride

Cheryl Mazaik

Leigh K Phillips

Garrett Zevgetis

Joseph Walsh

Anonymous

Jean Hoblitzell

Adrienne Hoffman

John Tenny

Molly Baldwin

Tricia Swift

Carol Epstein

Nancy Coolidge

Support The Revitalization of GranCommunity

Support The Revitalization of GranCommunity

Still $19,300 to go. Help us build momentum.