The change you made in 2015

In this, the last post in our 2015 ‘People Making it Happen’ series, we celebrate you, our donors, supporters, and partners. In 2015, your support changed over 1 million lives, unlocking opportunities and access to high quality healthcare for the poorest individuals, families, and communities in Tanzania. Each donation translated into a surgery conducted, healthcare worker trained and healthcare facility strengthened, all implemented by our sister organization, CCBRT.

Meet Goodwin

“At first we thought he was pretending but as time went on he started to bump into things around him. That is when we realized he had a problem with his vision.”  Mama Goodwin

Goodwin was born with cataracts on both eyes. Our supporters funded the life changing surgery he needed. Now 7-years-old, Goodwin’s sight is restored and he can return to school, unlocking his access to future opportunities and education. His parents can go back to work instead of staying at home to care for their son, and the community will benefit from the economic and educational contributions of the whole family.

Together, we are strengthening entire communities; one person at a time.

A Snapshot of What You Accomplished in 2015
This year, you found creative ways to support our work. Family and friends ran half marathons. A gourmet waffle restaurant donated proceeds from their Mother’s Day brunch. Donors gave cases of wine, Arsenal F.C. tickets, even a week in their own homes to support our silent auction.

The amazing Alison Cairns ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon raising $1,290

In May, you stepped up to make our Mothers’ Day online campaign the most successful in our history. The Fifth Annual Kupona Foundation Golf Outing raised $25,000, and a Cocktail Reception hosted by our Board Member, James Mann, brought in over $15,000 in donations and matching gifts. Donations supported our maternal and newborn healthcare program, allowing Tanzanian medical teams to be trained and mentored by highly skilled surgeons and doctors, ensuring that high quality care is embedded in the Tanzanian healthcare system for generations to come.

Guests at James Mann's Cocktail Reception

Friends and supporters showed their creativity, generosity, and commitment in extraordinary ways, and your support made 2015 Kupona’s most successful year to date.

We’ve been busy too!
In March, we traveled to Tanzania with two Executive MBA teams from MIT Sloan and UCLA Anderson. These academic collaborations strengthened the organizational capacity of CCBRT, and highlighted opportunities for the sustainable growth and development of life changing programs. We were also delighted to welcome Christy Turlington Burns and the Every Mother Counts team to CCBRT as they visited the new Maternity and Newborn Hospital construction site and toured the fistula ward. In June, we welcomed Dr. John Brothers to the Board of Directors, and were proud to enter into a partnership with Direct Relief. In September, CCBRT’s CEO, Erwin Telemans, and staff from Kupona Foundation attended side events during UN General Assembly week in New York, forging new partnerships and strengthening existing relationships. We published our first Annual Report this year, highlighting the work you made possible, and celebrating the impact your donations have on the people we serve. Finally, our Executive Director Abbey and her husband Mike became parents to a healthy baby boy in September!

2015 flew by, and 2016 is set to be another busy and fruitful year. We couldn’t do any of this without you!

Your support is the gift that keeps on giving.
A donation may feel like a small drop in the ocean but single drops create ripple effects. Your gifts enable people to access high quality healthcare, in turn unlocking their access to education and employment and empowering them to strengthen their communities.

In the last few weeks of 2015, join us for one final push, ensuring the impact you made this year continues to reach the communities that need it most. A one-time or recurring gift can be made through our website, or by mailing a check, made out to Kupona Foundation and sent to our mailing address below. Don’t forget to amplify your impact by asking your employer for a match.

Together, we can empower people and communities living in poverty in Tanzania to realize their full potential.

Happy Holidays!

The Kupona Team