if you want to catch a lot of rain, put out a lot of teacups...
MOSTE (Motivating Our Students Through Experience)
Our second grant was won by MOSTE (Motivating Our Students Through Experience). MOSTE is a Los Angeles based program that mentors underserved middle and highschool girls from some of the poorest neighborhoods as they prepare for college. MOSTE had been the runner-up to the Panzi Hospital/HHI in our first grant cycle. During that voting round, which was exceedingly close, MOSTE impressed many of our group with their passionate, grass-roots approach to their work as well as their gracious acceptance of their loss in a nail-biting finish.Here is what Alejandra Valenzuela, the Board President of MOSTE, wrote as the voting came to a close...
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My Dilemma with the most current voting results...
I'm so torn with the results. I know all too well about the atrocities occurring against women and children in the DRC. I plan on getting an MBA with an emphasis in non-profit and believe it or not, my first project will be in the DRC.
I work with a client who is one of the largest cell tower landlords in the country. Virtually every technological gadget needs the mineral coltan to function. The DRC has this natural resource in abundance and wars escalate and perpetuate because of this. I plan on introducing a platform of social and corporate responsibility to my client's company, as it relates to the wireless industry. I want to help the DRC, no question. However, the problems in the DRC are so convoluted. It will need a collaborative effort of social infrastructure and public policy to fundamentally make a difference. That's how I want to approach it and I will Sun Tzu the issue to the best of my ability.
I'm sooooo torn!
Because on the other hand you have a non-profit like MOSTE, grassroots to the core. We have NO employees or even a set annual fund raising event. Our April 8th event is the first time in over 20 years to have a benefit directly supporting the organization. It's unprecedented and $5k would really make a difference for our girls, and our humble bank account. Our girls enter the program on an educational and socio-economic cusp: to go or not go to school and how to pay for it if they do, that is their teetering fate. MOSTE is the difference and the LA community barely knows we exist.
I want to have the money directed to MOSTE, but obviously, I will be happy to send another doctor to a region where medical attention is desperately needed.
If anything, I take comfort in knowing we are all activists leading the way for change,
But gosh darnit I will fight to the end for our girls here!
Thanks for reading this post.
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Website: http://www.moste.org/
Location: Los Angeles, CA USA
All our members work as volunteers not paid employees. All the money we raise goes to the girls. We are a 501C3/non-profit group (tax i.d. number, 94289410).
Here are some photos from various MOSTE EVENTS...
Find more photos like this on 5 for Fairness
Last updated by Anna McDonnell Oct 27, 2010.
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