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Dear Friends,
On May 12, Founder and President Pasquale Pistorio had the great privilege of receiving the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award in New York for the work of the Foundation. The Award recognizes remarkable individuals who help "create a better world for all of us in the future by the work they do today" and who meet one or more criteria of selection including that of contributing a distinguished service to humanity in a given field. The United States House of Representatives and Senate have officially recognized the Ellis Island Medals of Honor and each year's recipients are read into the Congressional Record. Amongst past Medalists are six Presidents, Nobel Prize winners and leaders of industry, education, the arts, sports and government.
At the Awards Ceremony, Pasquale mentioned that "The Ellis Medal of Honor is the symbol of individuals offering other less privileged individuals 'hope, opportunity and freedom'. The last several decades have seen enormous advancement in economic, technological and social status for hundreds of millions of people, but unfortunately huge imbalances still exist in humanity with hundreds of millions of people suffering from hunger, disease, persecution and terrible forms of exploitation. 20 million people die every year due to starvation or diseases associated with malnutrition. The US is a model, both as a Nation, and with the many philanthropic organizations it nurtures, engaged to alleviate those problems. The ceremony is the recognition of some of those efforts that are made here and in many parts of the world."
The Award is a recognition to all supporters, Board Members, Country Managers and volunteers of the Foundation who continue to contribute resources as well as their time, work, ideas, and skills to further the Foundation's mission of providing educational opportunities to underprivileged children in the world.
Sincerely, Pistorio Foundation |
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Update Chiang Rai Village Project
Pasquale Pistorio and a number of volunteers and supporters traveled to Thailand in April to oversee the progress of the construction and renovation projects underway for the Chiang Rai Village Project: the Primary and Secondary School of a Karen Hill Tribe village in the province of Chiang Mai, and the Professional School Dormitory in Chiang Rai. The mission also included a visit to two Akha Villages in the Province of Chiang Rai to meet with local stakeholders and check the maintenance of the school infrastructure the Foundation has built there - namely a Primary School, Kindergarten, Teacher Accommodations and Dormitory.
 Pasquale Pistorio and local partner collaborators at construction site of new three storey Primary School for 200 students in Karen Hill-Tribe Village in Chiang Mai |
Future Secondary School after renovations will be done, facing the new Primary School.
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Pasquale Pistorio and Renato Sirtori in Akha Hill Tribe Village in Chiang Rai where the Foundation has built a Primary School, Kindergarten, Teacher Accomodations, and Student Dormitory. A new dormitory for more students coming from nearby villages is envisioned for 2013.
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At VBAC Professional School with local partner representatives and supporters in front of newly built two storey Boarding Facility for 90 Pistorio Foundation students attending VBAC.
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Audit Missions
Thank you to volunteers Francesca Ferrari and Paolo Bertolani for the audit mission in Burkina to meet with our stakeholders - beneficiaries, families of beneficiaries, teachers, village representatives and local partner representatives - and to oversee and report on the progress of the children on scholarship. The Foundation supports 100 children in the region of Boulkiemdé province.
Nibagdo Village |
From our Beneficiaries
Nibagdo village, Burkina faso
« My name is RAMDE Daouda of CM2 B (Grade 5) of the Nibagdo School. The scholarship has changed my life as I am able to have lunch to better perform in class. My family no longer needs to make economic sacrifices to send me to school. I am very lucky to be able to go to school and to learn how to read and write, as opposed to many other children of my age who do not have this opportunity. I want to become a school teacher when I grow up. »
From the father of Ramde' Daouda : «I am very happy and thankful to the (Pistorio Foundation and CIAI) intervention in our village ; the school is now composed of 6 classes (as opposed to 3), and we have a water well and a sports field for our children and youth. We have no more difficulties to send our children to school, as they now receive school supplies and uniforms and can eat at school thanks to the scholarship program. Ever since my son has been in school, there has been a big change in his behavior and in ours, as he tells us what he learns in school, such as washing our hands before and after each meal. »
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Singapore Chapter News
Yard Sale Many thanks to the Saliling family, John, Debbie, Angelina and Adam, who generously donated S$ 660 from the proceeds of their yard sales to the Pistorio Foundation to benefit the Chiang Rai Village Project. Awareness Raising Activities Thank you to the Mark Podmore, Charlotte Li, Mujahid Aleem, Hana Ito, and Nathan Jong, 6th Graders of the Canadian International School, for raising awareness on our projects as part of their Primary Years Program Exhibition. Sponsorships Thank you to Zoomedia for sponsoring part of the production of Pistorio Foundation postcards. The postcards are photos of the Chiang Rai Village Project taken by photographer Carolyn Strover and will be sold at upcoming events. 
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"On the way to school, on the way to life"
www.pistoriofoundation.org |
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