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June 2012 

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In This Issue
Bartering Bananas
Strategic New Partnership
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Bartering Bananas
All in a day's work: A 10-year-old Congolese girl harvests bananas and takes them on the road.
This young girl walked
hours from her isolated home to the Sisters' compound in Pelende, Democratic Republic of Congo, because she had heard that the Sisters support local merchants and farmers. She was not disappointed. The Sisters purchased her entire basket of bananas and distributed the fruit to their students during a mid-morning break.

Sisters look for ways to provide nutrition to their students, who frequently eat only one meal a day. They also look for ways to  support financially the local community.

Reducing Reliance on Buckets and Baskets
Wake up. Walk to the river. Draw the water. Collect the wood. Make the fire. Boil the water. Tend the garden. Walk to the market. Barter for food. Cook the daily meal. Go to sleep. Repeat. water buckets on kids' heads Daily survival tasks are shouldered by impoverished women and children in rural Africa. These tasks compromise their health and personal safety while draining time and energy away from educational or employment opportunities. Putting systems in place that allow for greater access to educational and economic opportunities for women and children is at the heart of the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.   

Sisters Partner with Procter & Gamble
P&G safe water packet The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur recently entered into a landmark partnership with Procter & Gamble -- makers of the P&G water purification packets.The Sisters will buy the packets at a reduced cost from an in-country P&G distributor and truck the packets to their missions in rural areas of Congo and Nigeria. The Sisters will then educate local women about proper usage of the packets. This initiative will bring clean and safe drinking water to thousands of impoverished people. Each 10-cent packet purifies two-and-a-half gallons of water -- enough water to quench the thirst of one child every day. Please help the Sisters purchase water purification packets from P&G.
Sister pouring clean water
Teaching young women the concepts of proportion and percentages is crucial for understanding how to use P&G's water purification packets safely and effectively.
For more than 200 years, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have pursued creative collaborations. Whether it's bartering for bananas with a young Congolese girl or forging a relationship with a multinational corporation, the Sisters work to alleviate the minimizing effects of poverty. Our partnership with Procter & Gamble is the first of its kind for both of our organizations. This unique collaboration was forged from the shared desire to improve public health, eradicate poverty and alleviate suffering. Please join forces with us

In Peace and Gratitude,

Sister Leonore Coan 
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Congregational Mission Office