Hands Across the Water

Coco For Kids - Coconut Charcoal Project

I. Project Purpose and Background

The Coco For Kids Project is both a humanitarian and a “green” energy effort at the same time. The Coco For Kids Project will fund healthcare facilities in developing countries to combat maternal, newborn and child health problems, along with vaccine preventable diseases, and HIV/AIDS, while simultaneously harnessing the self-sustaining enterprise of coconut charcoal manufacturing.  Moreover, our detailed coconut charcoal production project is easily replicated in any coconut producing nation. Not only will this project help those in need, it will help stem the tide of deforestation in developing countries like Haiti, by providing a cheap and reliable “green” energy source from discarded coconut shells.

While living and working in the Philippines a member of the Hands Across the Water staff was approached by a regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippine government who encouraged Hands Across the Water to get involved in the sustainable, eco-friendly business of coconut-based charcoal production.  A detailed blueprint of the operation was given to Hands Across the Water that would involve a partnership with our NGO and the Philippine government.  This partnership would involve the mass production of alternative fuel solutions using discarded coconut shells (to prevent increased logging and deforestation) to produce “green” charcoal for local use and exportation into China, the Middle East and India.

To our knowledge, we would be the first non-profit organization to take part in this activity.  There are a few small for-profit companies who currently engage in the coconut charcoal manufacturing and distribution business.  Ours would be the first to funnel the proceeds from this highly profitable endeavor into health care for the disadvantaged.  This self sustaining project would involve local participation and create jobs,  as well as provide free health care and education to children in need.

* In order for children in need to receive free healthcare at our facility, the accompanying adult must complete our HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention program while the child is being seen at our facility.

II. General Approach

Commercial scale production of world-class quality, coconut shell charcoal with a monthly production target of 260 tons.  This would augment the income of coconut farmers by providing a stable market for coconut shells thereby creating awareness of its value and encouraging farmers to make use of it for additional earnings while preserving the ecological balance.

Use the proceeds from coconut charcoal sales to fund the day to day operations of the Hands Across the Water health care/educational facilities. In order to support the achievement of stated objectives we plan to:

1. Carefully monitor all aspects of the coconut charcoal production process.
2. Work in concert with DTI to ensure productivity levels are satisfactory.
3. Ensure that all employees are treated fairly and that safety standards are maintained.
4. Insure that the local population is employed and has access to eco-friendly energy sources and the local economy if self-sustaining.
5. Ensure that Hand Across the Water personnel will personally monitor and evaluate all activities of the coconut charcoal production.
6. Guarantee that all proceeds from the charcoal production be used to sustain the healthcare/educational facilities in the local community.
7. Maximize all available resources to provide maternal, neonatal, and child healthcare.
8. Increase community involvement in the health care facility.
9. Reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS treatment that exists in many developing countries by capitalizing on the fact that providing free healthcare to families in need obfuscates the actual adult’s need for HIV/AIDS education and/or testing and treatment.
10. Increase the number of personnel providers in the local community.
11. Ensure that personnel providers are educated with the most update information provided by CDC, WHO, UNAIDS, UNESCO, etc.
12. Disseminate information related to the benefits/necessity of prenatal/antenatal care through mediums such as local radio, pamphlets and word of mouth.

III. Major Assumptions

Hands Across the Water will have to deal with, negotiate through, and overcome the graft problem that is prevalent in most developing nations. We will do this by utilizing our staff’s knowledge of local norms and customs. We will ensure that all local persons and/or agencies will be familiar with our strict "no graft policy".                                                                                                          

Hands Across the Water will go to the extreme to only do business with and/or utilize personnel who are of reputable and/or altruistic intent.

Hands across the Water will carefully select individuals who are most capable of running and maintaining our facilities and operations overseas.  We will utilize a local project manager that we will carefully screen all personnel to ensure that all Hand Across the Water funds and resources be applied directly to our stated goals and objectives.

Hands Across the Water will make every attempt to understand the local customs, norms and morays in order to gain local favor and acceptance while working in concert with local authorities.

Where needed Hand Across the Water will retain individuals with the proper language and communication skills necessary for clear, concise and effective exchange.

It is highly likely that demand for health services will outweigh supply; therefore, we will make every attempt to provide services for the most needy and filter out those who attempt to manipulate the system.

Additional Support (in-kind or financial): Hands Across the Water maintains a completely pro bono staff of licensed attorneys (with local, state, and federal law experience), Webmaster, CPA, licensed Realtor, certified public school teachers and administrators, and a public health advisor from John’s Hopkins University Medical School.              

IV. Organizational Experience and Collaborative Partnerships

Among the Board of Directors and Executive Staff there is extensive business administration experience, local, state and federal legal counsel, and an extensive health and education background.  Also included are real estate management, general management, and foreign language experience – English, Spanish, French, Tagalog, Dioula, and Bambara.  Our Executive Staff has extensive knowledge and experience in HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, testing, and treatment.  The staff at Hand Across the Water not only has extensive international travel experience, and a multitude of years living and working overseas, but they have the support of family and friends with key contacts in the countries in which we plan to operate. We have a wide web of friends and business partners of various backgrounds positioned around the globe who are available for support. Staff educational backgrounds include degrees in International Business, Marketing/Advertising, Educational Leadership, Teaching, Public Health, Government, Law, and Foreign Policy.

Hands Across the Water works in collaboration with Let’s Go Africa – www.letsgoafrica.org - utilizing its vast web of resources both nationally and internationally.

Investment Opportunities

Interested businesses, NGO's, and individuals please go to the Contact Us page.

To donate to this highly efficient, "green" energy project please click on the link below:

Coconut Charcoal Project Framework