The Solis Foundation

Solis Netherlands Supports Mobile Clinic in Delhi

2007-11-18T03:49:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 17 November, Solis Netherlands, in co-operation with Christian community Zolder50, raised support for a mobile health clinic in Delhi. At the Bollywood themed fundraiser “Bollywood50”, singer-songwriter Christel Meijer performed, as well as a Bollywood dance group, especially formed for the occasion. Todd Watkins, pastor of Zolder50, was among the dancers. In addition, the visitors danced to the beats of DJ Bernardo Partida and DJ Elisabeth, supported by VJ Avantia.

More than € 2000 was raised ($ 3000), which will be a good start for Solis’ partner organization in Delhi ‘Serve India’. Serve India will set up a mobile clinic and bring medical care where it is most needed: the slums. Hundreds of thousands slum dwellers live in poor conditions, without proper sanitation or sufficient health care. Unfortunately, some people are dying of diseases that are preventable or easy to treat.

It is still possible to make your donation by a bank transfer to Stichting Solis Nederland, Triodos Bank 784769397.
IBAN: NL39TRIO0784769397
NL39 TRIO 0784 7693 97
BIC: TRIONL2UXXX
Please indicate your gift is for Bollywood50.

fundraising,India,Delhi,health,slums

Congratulations to Muhammad Yunus

2006-11-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

Muhammad Yunus was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Grameen Bank, for "their efforts to create economic and social development from below." He is the first and so far only Bangladeshi to win the prestigious award. The award also marked a shift away from the conventions by awarding it to someone who worked to promote peace indirectly through economic upliftment of the masses.

The announcement read:

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006, divided into two equal parts, to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank for their efforts to create economic and social development from below. Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty. Micro-credit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and human rights."

The 65-year-old economist said he would use part of his share of the $1.4 million award to create a company to make low-cost, high-nutrition food for the poor. The rest would go toward setting up an eye hospital for the poor in Bangladesh, he said. The food company, to be known as Social Business Enterprise, will sell food for a nominal price.

SOLIS FUNDRAISING DINNER 2006 - Amsterdam

2006-06-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

SOLIS FUNDRAISING DINNER 2006

Friday 15 September

Leidsekade 50 Amsterdam

FREE ENTRANCE

Malnourishment, extreme poverty, and despair … daily realities for hundreds of million people around the world. Caught in a cycle of poverty, these people need access to training and capital and tools to lift themselves out of their poverty with dignity and determination.

Zolder50 and Solis Amsterdam want to act against social injustice by organising the first Solis Fundraising Dinner on 15 September 2006. We have two goals for this evening: sharing a great dinner and raise money for the Village Enterprise Foundation (VEF).

VEF enables the rural poor to create sustainable incomes by starting small businesses in Kenya. The programmes that Zolder50 and Solis Amsterdam support are: grants for group-based business ($100-150 start-up grants and $300 follow-up grants) and loans for community-based businesses (truck loan for farmers to reach key markets, loan for a bakery at a secondary school).

The dinner is for free, although you are invited to donate, to raise money for the VEF projects.

Find more information at: www.villageef.org and www.solisfoundation.org.

Solis Corporate Website Launched & General Update

2006-06-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

The corporate website (www.solisfoundation.org) is launched. All of the information regarding the programs and how to get involved are posted on the site.

The Solis Foundation is sending a small team to Kenya August 24th to disperse community grants, provide clothing and medical supplies, and identfy new small business opportunities for Kenyans and to work with the Village Enterprise Fund on venture grant and micro-loan development.

General Update: We are happy to announce that 10% of our USD $40,000 goal has been secured and we are currently in a position to fund 33 new businesses in Kenya. We feel God is truly being merciful and loving to bless us with these funds. Thank all of you who have supported Solis thus far and we hope to continue to build our relationships and to help Kenya.

15 September: Solis Dinner , Amsterdam

2006-05-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

SOLIS Amsterdam is a Zolder50 initiative to help the poor. SOLIS is a non-profit organization focused on ending poverty and creating economic sustainability in developing communities.

I have mixed feelings about presenting SOLIS Amsterdam. On the one hand I’m excited to introduce you to a concrete project to help the poor. On the other hand I’ve been struggling with a sense of being overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the problems we’re talking about. We’re talking about poverty issues, hunger and social injustice.

I wondered how I should present this project. Should I perhaps use Bible verses, to convince you that it is good to feed the hungry? – I am sure many of you already know these verses. Should I perhaps invoke your compassion by speaking out emotionally? – But it’s not about us, it’s about what God has to say to us. This morning I struggled with these questions. I started to have an headache over all this thinking, I realised I could not really communicate what I wanted to communicate, because my mind was not at peace. So I switched on the TV.

There are moments when God seems to speak so clearly to me, and this was one of them. Our brothers and sisters of the Evangelical Broadcasting Company (EO) reported on the situation in Kenya. Persistent drought has caused food shortages. Now 3,5 million people need food aid. A woman working in Kenya for an aid organization told us about how people craved for food, how huge the needs were, not only for food but also for schooling, future prospects. The programme makers also reported on two kids who have lost their father. Elephants killed him, as they were competing for scarce water resources. Parents helplessly watch their children suffer sickness and starve...

I think it is important to understand that helping the poor is more than about giving money. We could for in instance commit time. We can also raise other people’s awareness for these issues, which is what we’ve been doing this month at our Church.

15^th of September we plan to organize a fundraising dinner at our church. All profit we make will be for business starting & community projects by the Village Enterprise Fund. Of course, we will have great food, but also performances and a DJ.

We hope to raise funds for the micro-enterprise fund and community grants.

Micro-enterprise funds help to create sustainable small businesses in developing communities in Kenya. The Micro-Enterprise fund will provide small loans to help people to start small businesses for instance metal recyclers, farms, taxi services, retail shops, etc.

Community grants are invested in community development. An example would be helping churches that have to take care of adopted aids orphans.

To organize this dinner we need your help. We need to fill the following tasks:

Food and Beverage: choosing recipes, preparing food, serving

Entertainment: performances (DJs, bands, …)
Decorations: tables, cutlery, etc.
PR: making and distributing brochures, making menu cards

Prayer

Sponsors: buy food and decorations.

In the orange room at the Zolder you will find lists where you can sign up I you want to volunteer the 15^th of September. Please sign up if you feel you could contribute something. For more information you can mail or phone me.

Long-term Commitment

Finally there are a couple of things I would like to mention shortly. This year some people in our church will visit Kenya, to see what happens with our projects. We want to build a long-term relationship between our Church and a Kenyan community. We think we will better understand the needs of people as we get to know them better. We also think a long term relationship will raise our awareness for poverty in this world. So, as we are ending our May Awareness month, the raising of awareness still goes on. In June we will organise Rich Man Poor Man dinners at the Home Groups of this Church. The idea is that the dining table represents the world, some people get food in abundance, others will have to do with a spoon of rice. Maybe you’d feel uncomfortable sitting at that table, but then again I think we should not feel comfortable about social injustice in this world.

Moving Ahead With Solis Amsterdam

2006-05-06T23:15:00.000-07:00

In September we plan to organize a fundraising dinner at our church, Zolder50. All profit we make will be for a business starting & community project by the Village Enterprise Fund. Of course, we will have great food, but also performances and a DJ.

In Autumn this year, one of the people on our team will join a study trip to Kenya. We believe that field visits will help us to raise awareness for equity problems in the world. Moreover, we hope to build a long term relationship with local communities, so we can help them to meet their needs structurally and substantially.

This month (May) we declared "raising awareness" week for social justice issues at Zolder50. The first week we'll have an introduction on social injustice issues. The second and third week are dedicated to local action (organising a night in an elderly home and redecorating a house of the Salvation Army), and the fourth week we'll talk about the Solis initiative.

The Amsterdam Connection

2006-02-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

The Solis Foundation is excited to be engaging with a group of eager and energetic individuals from Amsterdam. The individuals are members of Zolder 50, a Christian Church within the Great Commission Ministries (GCM) network of churches who have a heart for the world and seek to use their skills to help others. The Solis Foundation will be working with this group in determining the best and most effective method in serving developing communities in Kenya. I am excited to have the opportunity to be working with a great group of people.

/Genesis Capunitan

Moving Forward With a New Partner

2006-02-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

This past week has been an amazing time for the Solis Foundation. Both myself and JR Woodward traveled to the San Francisco Bay Area to meet with the Village Enterprise Fund (VEF). Established in 1987, the VEF is a highly successful and effective international economic development organization providing business grants and micro-loans to communities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. VEF will be partnering with the Solis Foundation on fund disbursement, business accountability, and training. We are also coordinating a missions trip with them this coming Fall. More information about this partnership and missions trip will be available on the Solis Foundation corporate website soon.

/Genesis Capunitan

Our Mission Story

2006-01-28T19:09:00.000-08:00

As we look at the world in which we find ourselves living, our hearts break over the fact that so many live without the basic ingredients needed to survive. We find it unfathomable to think that in our day of technology and wealth that we can allow over 30,000 innocent young children to die of preventable diseases or hunger each day. Yet we realize that there are forces at work that are much larger than us.

Fundamentally, when we look at the world, we see great evidence of a fall and when we read the scriptures we are able to discern some of the causes of poverty, corruption and injustice as well as some of the cures. Being shaped by the story of God and looking at the story of the world, we recognize that human ingenuity is not enough. For there have been people far more clever with far more resources who have been unable to deal the fatal blow to poverty.

In fact, when we look at who we are and the complexities of the problem of poverty, it overwhelms us and sometimes causes us to be cynical. The only thing that gives us hope for the future is Jesus. For he seems to be the only One who was able to live a life fully faithful to God.

Jesus wasn’t like most people who when they get power and resources “the ring” tend to use them to protect themselves and what they have. He was willing to entrust Himself fully to God, becoming poor to make others rich. And though he had all of the power and resources of God, he didn’t wave a magic wand to make everything better.

Rather, like the prophets of Israel who had come before Him, he tried to help the people see the way things could be and should be. He was willing to confront the fraud and hypocrisy that he found in the lives of the political and religious rulers of his day for the sake of the oppressed. As a result, he faced the same punishment every other political dissident faced, death on a cross.

So, if the best man who ever lived died trying to make the world a better place, what hope is there for us? Why bother doing any good?

We can do good, because God justified Jesus’ life and mission by raising him from the dead. So now through His life, death and resurrection we can be reconciled to God and experience new life and partner with Him in his project to renovate the world. Our hope is to become a bridge from the non-poor to the poor and the poor to the non-poor with the recognition that each party has something to offer the other.

Those of us, who tend to be rich with resources, tend to experience poverty in many other ways. And those who are without many resources, tend to be rich in many other ways. The hope of Solis is to build partnerships between the poor and non poor in such a way that builds a community of mutual respect, one in which we hold the dignity of humankind in high regard knowing that all of us have been made in God’s very image.

We will most likely awkwardly move forward in our mission, for it is one fraught with both dangers and joys, the known and the unknown. We will need much guidance from those who have gone before us, and most of all, we realize that apart from Jesus and all the resources He brings us, there is no hope to accomplish the task that is set before us.

We live in a messed up world, and the likelihood is that it will not become fully fixed until the only One who has lived a fully faithful life comes back to fix it. But we also believe that he has empowered us to partner with Him to do all that we can possibly do to bring the reality of heaven to earth.

So because He calls us to go on this mission to renovate the world, we go gladly. We realize that suffering and hardship are part and parcel of this mission, but we also know that this mission will be an adventure filled with joy and deep satisfaction. We believe that the journey is as important as the destination, so the end never justifies the means. What we do, we do because we love God and all people, no matter what happens to be their background, gender, race or religion.

How to Give / How to Help

2005-12-22T12:44:00.002-08:00

To give to the Solis Foundation grants, donate airline frequent flyer miles or to find out more about our upcoming volunteer and missions opportunities, please send correspondence or call to the information listed below:

Kairos (please write c/o Solis Foundation in the note section)
5419 Hollywood Blvd.
Suite C-729
Los Angeles, CA. 90029
USA

Contact: Genesis Capunitan at +1 626-390-2890 or e-mail at gcapunitan@gmail.com

About the Foundation

2005-12-22T12:44:00.001-08:00

Introduction:
This is the official blog of the Solis Foundation. This blog will provide comments and journal entries from Solis Foundation employees, volunteers, donors and partners. After the official website is launched in January of 2006, this blog will continue to provide updates. I hope you visit this blog and the Solis corporate website on a consistent basis to hear how the organization is helping others throughout the world.

Best Regards,
Genesis Capunitan
Solis Foundation, Managing Director

What we do:
Poverty exists in many forms throughout the world and the US. Launched in 2005, the members and supporters of the Solis Foundation understand that poverty is the root cause for many of the social, political and economic challenges that many societies face. The Solis Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides micro-loans, grants and donations to help people who live below the poverty line to create sustainable lives by providing support to create small businesses, food, shelter and medicine.

The Solis Programs and Grants

2005-12-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

Community Grants
The Solis Community Grants provides donors and supporters an opportunity to invest in community development either through Solis specific programs or programs from our partners. The fund invests into programs that helps schools purchase books and learning materials, vaccines for ailing patients, food supplies, and building materials for shelters and homes. Recipients of the fund are typically orphanages, hospitals, clinics, and religious organizations. We hope to provide 10 community grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 in 2006.

Venture Grants
This program is focused on raising funds to provide grants to small businesses in developing countries. These grants are not to be repaid back to the Solis Foundation but some of the proceeds may be reinvested in their respective communities. Currently, venture grants are given to small businesses in foreign countries. We hope to provide 100 grants ranging from $100 to $500 to small businesses in 2006.

Micro-Enterprise Fund
The Solis Foundation Micro-Enterprise Fund provides donors and supporters an opportunity to help create sustainable small businesses in developing communities. The fund will support Solis specific programs or programs from our partners. The Micro-Enterprise fund will provide small loans that when paid back will either be reinvested into their community or fund another small business. Typical small businesses are metal recyclers, farms, taxi services, retail shops, etc. Our goal is to provide loans to 10 small businesses in Kenya in 2006.