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If you couple this with the fact that cost of living in many places is quite low, you could be looking at a very comfortable way of life while providing a valuable service to an overseas community. So the next question is: how to make this happen? Choosing The Right Location While the preliminary legwork may be more involved, there are some major advantages! In many cases the costs of building in foreign countries can be 1/3 or less of the costs in the U.S. and the land for development can be far easier to procure. I could go into the pros and cons of different countries in terms of their suitability, but these change frequently, and what is a boon today can be a closed door tomorrow. The big things to look for are support from the host nation and a strong financial base. A few years ago, Mozambique was giving away beach front property to anyone with a good plan for developing it. Today, there are many countries interested in foreign business, even the youth industry. Nicaragua for example, has reduced residency and investor requirements in an effort to stimulate foreign business within their borders. This reduced red-tape is extremely beneficial for those looking to start a program with reduced government interference and oversight. Since much
of overseas youth outreach will be humanitarian in nature, it’s important
to connect with local social service functions to give you inside help.
Often they will go out of their way to support you in your efforts to help
them. An example I often go back to is Belize. A children’s
home was started in the southern portions of the country by a gentleman
with a heart for young people. He expressed his interests to the
local government, and they provided him several free acres and a machete.
The fact that Belize is an English-speaking country certainly aided his
efforts. Today, the program has developed into a full-fledged campus
complete with everything the government requires for placement. Now
he receives approximately $8000/month in support from private donors and
government compensation to manage the home for about a dozen children (including
his own).
Thirdly, take advantage of the top 5 government giveaways for overseas youth programs. There are several programs within the State Department and the Department of Defense, which could be of specific use to your program once it is in place: Excess Property Program Program: Easily one of the most useful to any organization, this program permits the Department of Defense to make available, prepare, and transport non-lethal excess property to nonprofit organizations when requested. Examples of excess property that are typically provided are clothing, furniture, medical and school supplies, vehicles, tools, and construction equipment. The majority of these excess items are given in priority order based on needs within other state agencies. However, a large portion of unused equipment is frequently passed on to nonprofit agencies working in humanitarian environments. Application: If your program could qualify as a vocational school, it is entitled to receive excess property from federal government sources and put them to work in a humanitarian setting. Since the goal of educating young people within foreign countries could include the development of computer skills and literacy, application to this program should be one of the priorities. As of this writing there are over 700 Pentium III computers and over 1000 monitors in holding waiting to be claimed by appropriate agencies. Contact the Educational Institutions Partnership Program (EIPP) Team for policy and procedural guidance on the Defense Computers for Schools Program, and the use of the DITMS application when participating in the school program. Also, contact the EIPP Team for information on the Minority Institutions Technology Support Services (MITSS) contract. * 703-681-2406
-- EIPP Team Lead/MITSS COR
While it is important to maintain independence in the operation of your own nonprofit charter, timing is crucial when determining where to develop a new project. Although humanitarian situations in many areas are critical, the type of program that you might provide may be best suited to a follow-on approach. Not only will this type of approach provide physical security, it generally signals an open door and massive influx of humanitarian efforts within the region. The significance of this type of scenario is best seen in the current situation within Iraq. Conflict in the region is subsiding, and opportunities for educational nonprofits are flourishing. In many cases, the education of people groups who previously could not be educated, such as women and girls, are now possible. Added to this, a modicum of security is present and will continue to grow in the region as order is restored. In terms of the Denton program, the best means for a youth program to take advantage of such a program would be with a follow-on strategy. The reason for this is that humanitarian efforts are generally in the interest of the U.S. Government if operations are taking place there. Additionally, the onset of a military operation also means that there will be massive amounts of airlift within the region, whereas this may not be the case in other random areas you may choose to operate. Once a suitable project location has been determined, you could easily register as a customer on the Humaintarian Assistance Programs Internet (HAP-I) site and take advantage of this program by arranging for the shipment of youth center supplies. Funded Transportation Program Program: This program is similar to the Denton program except that transportation is not limited to military airlift. This program authorizes nonprofit organizations to have the shipment of their property funded by the Department of Defense. Transportation is limited to surface modes only due to the decreased cost involved, and the cargo is limited to basic humanitarian needs such as medical, food, shelter, and clothing. Application: Since you might frequently be working with poverty-level street children, it’s likely that this program could be of significant value to you in many countries. In this case, this particular transportation mechanism is not reliant on military airlift, so its usefulness is expanded to any region that you might operate in where the program is available. This could make this program of particular value in Russia where there is no military airlift, but a great need for humanitarian supplies to further the organizations efforts toward education. With over 1000 homeless children in Vladivostok alone, educating them and teaching them a trade is difficult without adequate shelter. This program would be useful in this or similar regions such as Brazil. While it would not provide for the shipment of educational supplies, food, clothing, shelter, and medical are in dire need for many of them. This program can be applied for on the same site as the Denton program but orchestrated by Global Transitions Incorporated. Early application is recommended with both programs, as the wait time from request to transport generally runs 9-12 months. Humanitarian And Civic Assistance Program: This is a program designed specifically for the military which enables them to accomplish rudimentary construction and repair of public facilities, well drilling, roads, bridges, and schools. In addition, they are also authorized to provide basic humanitarian relief such as medical, dental or veterinary care in an effort to increase their training and operational readiness for overseas assignments. Application: This program could be of great use to you depending upon the region you choose to operate in. In most cases, a recent conflict is not a requirement for submission and nominations for projects can be made directly to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. http://www.dsca.mil/programs/ha/ha.htm The actual contact person and application procedure varies based on the region in which the activity is proposed to take place. The site also lists recent activity by the Agency and shows the diversity of locations in which projects take place. The general scope of projects runs from $100K to $200K and are almost exclusively for school construction but only occur approximately 2-3 times per year Displaced Children and Orphans Fund Program:
Sponsored by the State Department through USAID, this program seeks to
fund projects that work with children affected by war, orphaned by AIDS,
street children, and children with disabilities. Since 1989, the
program has contributed more than $74,000,000 in 28 countries. Most
of the funded projects are carried out by nonprofit organizations that
develop projects designed to strengthen the capacity of local communities.
Displaced Children
& Orphans Fund
It’s clear that overseas youth development can be challenging, and isn’t for everyone. But it can be extremely rewarding! Less government interference, greater benefits, lower costs of living, and meaningful community impact are just a few of the many advantages to starting a new program overseas. With some homework and about 9 months effort, you can be fast on your way to a new career in a beautiful land. To contact
Rich Click Here
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