MoringaCommunity Newsle�er No. 9 - - - THE MCSOT REBOOT ISSUE / January 2018 PAGE 1

2017 - A REMARKABLE YEAR FOR THE MORINGA PROJECT!

As many of our project supporters are aware, our West African

project co-founder, Abu returned to Schwenksville, USA in fall

of 2016 to make a project update presenta,on to supporters

that were able to a�end the recep,on hosted here on the Lohr

Farm on September 24th. Among those in a�endance was

Moringa Supporter, Chris Blidan who brought along two project

founders from Life,me Wells Interna,onal David Powell, and

Jim Devine. (See Chris & David in picture above) .

As all who have met Abu can

imagine, Abu along with the

presenta,on he made about his

Moringa School of Trades

(MCSOT), connected well with

Mr. Powell and Mr. Devine.

Following the recep,on, it was

arranged for a Life,me Wells

project manager in Ghana to do

a site inspec,on and feasibility

study for a well to be drilled on

our Moringa—Owned Project

Farmland annex in neighboring

village of Assin Kurwa. .

Excited as we all were, upon

site inspec,on, it was clear that

egress to our land would not

permit safe access for the drill-

ing rig from the main road to our

more remote loca,on so the

project was ini,ally rejected.

But as I oen say in jest:

“BUT THEN A MIRACLE OCCURRED”

By way of “miracle” to help secure our well opportunity, it

came to pass that upon returning to Ghana post his 2016 USA trip,

Abu came across a 1994 JBC Tractor for a very reasonable asking

price of $18,000. It would need some addi,onal funding to make it

work well but all should know such a machine in Ghana is rare,

plus the asking price was be-

yond good. This Tractor/

Loader/Backhoe would enable

MCSOT to not only cut a new

road to our farmland annex

thus enabling the drilling rig to

get to our site, it would also be

invaluable for maintaining the

miles of road we are solely re-

sponsible for that lead to both

our school and farm proper,es.

In addi,on, this tractor-loader would be able to help cul,vate our

farmland, remove stubborn tree stumps, plus improve our ability

to build pour-flush sanita,on systems throughout the region.

Although the reality of coming up with $18K for a single capital

purchase by the Moringa project was remote, a donor that sup-

ported Moringa even before we had our name, before we had our

501C3, and even before we were even able to secure our PA State

Charity License, “Mr. D.J.” came up with the generous and chal-

lenging idea of sponsoring a Matching GiD Tractor Fund Grant.

Specifically what Mr. D.J.”s offer came down to was that he would

match any Tractor Fund Dona,on up to $9,000 dollar for dollar.

And the rest, we shall say, is Moringa history to be revealed in

the live Tractor video link below and the revealing Moringa Water

and Well Drilling Video Story that follows on page 2 .

By Jeffry Lohr

MORINGA COMMUNITY AND LIFETIME

WELLS INTERENATIONAL BRING HEALTHY

CLEAN WATER TO ASSIN KURWA IN 2017!

Imagine living without running water. Worse yet, imagine

not only living without running water but having to physically

endure the burden of carrying a (10) ten gallon container

weighing 80lbs a distance of two to four miles twice a day just

to provide for your and your family’s daily water needs.

Doubling down on those cruel reali,es, now imagine your

only source of that very water you struggle so hard to secure,

more oDen than not, comes from a stagnate surface water

source oDen loaded with disease causing bacteria that can

s,fle the development of your children’s bodies and worse.

Thankfully through your financial support of Moringa Com-

munity, our hard work, the sweat equity of Ghana staff, and

the good fortune of our NGO connec,ng with Life2me Wells

Interna2onal in September 2016, our project’s neighboring

village of Assin Kurwa as of March of 2017 now and forever

will have free access to a clean, reliable, deep aquifer, pure

and 100% healthy source of water.

Folks, I did my best with this video produc,on below given

the limited ,me and resources available to me to get it done

so please don’t be too harsh in judgement of the quality. It is

what it is but, in the end, I hope it will connect the viewer

with how this 2017 Moringa Water project became a reality.

The 2018 Reboot of Moringa

Community School of Trades 2.0

Introducing the new Moringa Community Board of Directors

Le8 to Right: Abu (laptop) Jeff Lohr, Dave Akers, Ben Dove, & Linda

I am honored to introduce our new 2018 Moringa Community Board of

Directors. Joining us effec,ve August 2017, we have brought Dave Akers

and Ben Dove on board. Dave and Ben are replacing John Frymyer and

Sharon Bracke� who have faithfully served on our US 501C3 Board since

2008 & 2010 respec,vely.

John H. Frymyer - Director 2008 to 2017.

John was instrumental in assis,ng our fledgling Charita-

ble Nonprofit secure our Federal 501C3 status and ad-

vising on business management in addi,on to fulfilling

our Federal responsibili,es in addi,on to our significant-

ly more challenging PA Board of Charitable Organiza-

,ons licensing.

Sharon Bracke@ - Director 2010 to 2017.

From early in 2010, Sharon, along with other director

du,es, managed the task of geMng our MCSOT Satel-

lite Network at our school in Bremen Baako up and

online. Currently MCSOT is the only organiza,on in

the district we serve in Ghana to have a full independ-

ent Internet Connec,on via satellite service. Sharon

con,nues to serve the project in a volunteer capacity for our IT specialty

needs. Our deepest gra,tude is extended to both John and Sharon for

their years of dedicated and always reliable service! Thank you!

Our New Board of Directors as of August 2017

In August of 2017, it was decided by mutual consent that as our

previous Board members lived 100’s of miles apart, the distances

and respec,ve work schedules were prohibi,ve to having much

needed regular Moringa USA BOD & Planning mee,ngs. Now with

Dave A., Ben D., and Jeff & Linda L. living in close proximity to one

another, we can call mee,ngs and interact very effec,vely as a

BOD. Addi,onally, per the banner image at the top of this entry,

we can now also include our Ghana project director and co-founder

“Abu” in all mee,ngs via a SKYPE connec,on.

Under our new Moringa USA BOD guidance, the Moringa Commu-

nity School of Trades (MCSOT) will be undertaking a totally new,

and significantly more accountable management structure effec,ve

January 2018. For more, see “MCSOT REBOOT” on Page 4

PAGE 2

GREETING FROM ABUBAKAR ABDULAI (Ghana)

Gree,ngs to you all! This is Abubakar Abdulai

also known as Abu the headmaster of MCSOT

and the co-founder of the moringa community

organiza,on. I want to thank you all for all the

great support you have giving us throughout all

these last eight year for building our moringa

community school. As of today, it has been the

best benefit not just to the Bremen Baako Village

where we are located but also the many sur-

rounding communi,es. So many people have

benefit from educa,on through our trade teach-

ings. We own our American friends gra,tude for

giving us hope. The wonderful giD of hope to

build our future on our own. This alone is more

than enough. We will forever appreciate all our

American friends have given to create the

Moringa Community School of Trades. (MCSOT)

Just as I am happy person today with my family,

so are those who have been part of the Moringa

Project in Ghana. Their lives all have been

changed for the be�er as trade skill and provid-

ing for yourself and your family is the joy of life.

There are many who have dedicate their life to

see the wellbeing of others and the Moringa Project to achieve our

goals. I am sure there are others I am unaware of from here in Ghana

but specially thanks to Mr. Dave, Mr. Joseph, Mr. Milt, and Mr. Dick

as well as Mr. & Mrs. Hentz, Koenig, Smith, Deck, Kahler, Jaeger,

Schaudel, Dr. Tom and also Madams Chris, Debbie, and Jody. Also

the Saint James, and Conyngham Churches. Mr. Jeffry has told me

MoringaCommunity.Org (USA) has had (26) people give support in

this 2017 year. I thank these I speak the names of here because of

direct contact knowledge and of course all I do not know that have

given support. Thank you. But most especially I thank Mr. Jeffry and

his wife Madam Linda. If I am to speak about them I will forever

speak and never get ,red of speaking of how well they have provided

and enabled me, my family and all those touched by Moringa Project.

Moringa Community Project makes it main priority to achieve its

goal to become self-sustain so in future it will no longer depend on

American donor’s fund but for MCSOT and the Project to feed itself.

That has been the vision. The vision of you give a man fish you feed

him a day you teach him how to fish you feed him for life. We will

con,nue in all we are able to work hard of achieving that goals.

Recently, the idea of the Moringa REBOOT system suggested by the

Moringa USA mentors has been the best solu,on for us to resolve the

challenges we experience in achieving the goals of self-sustaining the

project. We are determined to reach this self sustaining goal by year

2020. God bless us all to achieve our goal.

Dave’s Thoughts

I am rela,vely new to the Moringa Community School of

Trades, having started to work with the team in August, 2017.

Much of the really hard work to start the school has been done-

the school buildings, the work shops, the dormitory, the bridge,

the flush toilets, and the well are all done. My focus has been to

help the leadership in Ghana build a sustainable budget. Today,

the school is largely dependent upon scholarships and dona,ons

from US donors.

Over the next year we plan to move the school to a self sus-

taining plaRorm- using a combina,on of tui,on payments, schol-

arships, and sales of goods produced by the school to provide

the income necessary to cover all the costs. We have a budget

for 2018 that depends upon scholarships (at $405 per student) to

cover the costs. We are fortunate that we have six months of

our 2018 costs covered, and expect to meet the rest of the year’s

costs through a combina,on of tui,on paid by students, US do-

na,ons, and product sales.

Major equipment purchases for the school for 2018 include a

Jointer for the wood shop, and possibly a copier.

I have been impressed by the quality of work already done to

build the school, by the dedica,on of volunteers and board

members, and by the solid financial condi,on of Moringa Com-

munity School of Trades. I am adding Moringa to the list of or-

ganiza,ons I support, and look forward to visi,ng the school in

Ghana in 2018. Dave Akers

Moringa Community / Board Member

PAGE 3

AbuAbuAbuAbu

Thanks to Our Moringa Project’s best asset! All in,mately involved with the nuts and

bolts of running the USA end of the Moringa

Community Project will unfailing point out

our volunteer bookkeeper, Jody Chris2anson

as that one hero whose help has been most

essen,al to enabling Jeff Lohr, and now our

new BOD to actually run the project.

The hours are long and pleasures are few

but at the end of the day, its our dear Jody who keeps us all on queue.

Rocket Stove design intended to

support MCSOT food canning opera2ons

Mechanical Engineering students at the University of North

Dakota (UND) are working on a senior design project that

could increase the efficiency of the current Moringa School

canning opera,on. The UND stu-

dents are prototyping various de-

signs for a rocket stove – which gets

its name partly from the fuel and air

intake tube that creates a nozzle

effect, and partly because when in

use it makes a really neat “roar”.

The efficiency of the water boiling

process is also increased by adding

a metal skirt that surrounds the lower por,on of the pot. This

design can almost triple the amount of heat transferred from

the burning fuel to the water contained in the pot. Addi,onal-

ly, the students are conduc,ng tests using bamboo as a fuel

source, which would reduce the need for more expensive liq-

uid propane gas.

A primary design constraint is to ensure all materials and

steps necessary for assembly are available on site in Ghana.

The local MCSOT team’s skill and inge-

nuity (e.g. -welding and masonry) have

greatly benefited the UND students by

increasing the number of feasible

op,ons.

The project implementa,on will be

finalized in the spring of 2018 with a

full demonstra,on at the UND campus.

Construc,on and opera,ng instruc,ons

will be sent to MCSOT once the project

is completed.

University Of North Dakota to

Partner with MCSOT Teaching Staff

Con,nued increase in the quality and variety of courses of study

offered to prospec,ve tui,on paying students is considered a key

part of the plan for long term Moringa Community School Of

Trades self sustainability. This objec,ve is at the heart of the

MoringaCommunity.Org USA’s BOD proposed ‘REBOOT” of the

Moringa Project on the ground in Ghana.

Crea,ng access to professional development for the new MCSOT

teaching staff is one way of enabling this objec,ve. To that end

the US Moringa board members have partnered with two experi-

enced members of the University of North Dakota faculty.

Professors Walker and Iiams have agreed to travel to the MCSOT

campus in Ghana in May 2018. Their areas of exper,se are English

and Math educa,on. They will spend two weeks working directly

with the MCSOT teachers, focusing on teaching methodology op-

,ons intended to benefit both the staff and students.

In the short period of my associa,on with the Moringa Commu-

nity I have been tremendously impressed with the progress this

rela,vely small team has achieved since their incep,on. Con-

nec,ng this group of high performing, passionate individuals with

other organiza,ons which I have affilia,on has been exci,ng, and I

hope add value to all involved par,es. I encourage readers to un-

leash their imagina,ons and consider ways to leverage their re-

sources or abili,es in a manner that furthers the success of our

friends in Ghana.

NEWS FROM BEN DOVE

New Moringa Community

Board Member (Aug.2017) PAGE 4

UND students

are conduc�ng

tests using

bamboo as a

fuel source

“MCSOT REBOOT” (cont. from. Pg.2)

You will find the word “REBOOT” throughout this newsle�er.

Our choice of the word is not arbitrary. We literally are reorganiz-

ing the en,re project to bear down on achieving our goal of mak-

ing MCSOT self sustainable. Make note of anywhere you see the

word “Reboot” as it will be used to highlight specific line items,

habits, or policies that are being changed throughout the project

that we believe will effect the sum of the whole. We will be work-

ing hard in 2018 and with your help we will succeed.

RECAPPING WHY 2017 WAS A BANNER

YEAR FOR THE MORINGA PROJECT !

Late Aug. 2016 — Abu returns to Lohr Woodworking and Farm in

Schwenksville PA. Re-Connects with mul,ple key supporters.

Sept. 2016 - Lohr Woodworking Volunteer Robert Spiece

produces Abu’s Moringa and the MCSOT Story Video.

h@p://moringacommunity.blogspot.com/2016/11/abus-video-

report-to-moringa-community.html

Late Sept 2016 - Though Mr.Jeffry, Abu connects with Chris Blidan,

of Phila.Founda,on /DapplecroD.Fund and David Powell and Jim

Devine at Life,me Wells Interna,onal for well feasibility.

Oct. 2016 - Lohr Woodworking Volunteer Larissa Huff works with

Abu to produce the MCSOT Web Site www.MCSOT.ORG .

Nov. 2016 - Abu finds an available JBC Loader/Backhoe/Tractor in

Ghana and Mr. DJ. helps create a funding campaign for purchase.

Dec 2016 — Rusted out 2011 Kia Moringa Project Truck restored.

January 2017 - JBC Tractor is purchased and immediately goes to

work on daily Moringa Farm projects and Village Road Work.

Feb 2017 - American Volunteer Teacher Guest Suite Quarters is

built on MCSOT campus with Refrig. Shower, Flush Toilet & WYFI.

March 2017 - Well drilling at Moringa Farmland annex in village of

Assin Kurwa regains momentum enabled by Tractor Purchase.

May 2017 - Joe Katz (American Teacher) volunteers is first USA

Exchange Teacher to MCSOT and creates new DraDing Program.

June 2017 - Moringa begins to irrigate its Assin Kurwa Farmland.

July 2017 - Mr. Jeffry closes on purchase of industrial planer from

Taiwan to greatly increase MCSOT Woodshop’s produc,vity .

Aug 2017 - New Moringa USA Board Of Directors forms and new

concept of a total MCSOT REBOOT of project is created.

Sept 2017 - University of North Dakota engineering students take

on affordable heat sourcing for MCSOT canning Project.

Oct 2017 - UND professors commit to yet another USA Teacher

Exchange Program with MCSOT in Ghana.

Nov 2017 New Industrial Planer arrives at MCSOT Woodshop.

Dec 2017, Oh No ! Major Engine failure develops with our new

1994 JBC Loader/Tractor/Backhoe. Ok folks, this is bad news but

Moringa Community is a group of survivors and God Willing we will

recover from this hopefully temporary catastrophic loss.

See Page 6 “TRAGEDY STRIKES” for more tractor details

PAGE 5

Much effort was made in

2017 to expand on second-

ary income producing

ac2vity to help support our

school program offering

expenses. Our exis2ng and

new machinery secured in

2017 has enabled much of

this new income source.

All should know that great care is taken to maintain all MCSOT equipment!

If you missed the achievement for October

in “RECAPPING OUR 2017 BANNER YEAR”

(Page 5), here is a noteworthy update.

Students learning basic computer

skills on our 7 working laptops

PAGE 6

TragedyStrikesOurBelovedJBCTractor/Loader/Backhoe12/4/2014

Abu & Larissa crea2ng

www.MCSOT.org

During Mr. Abu’s October return visit back to the Lohr Farm in Penna.

Abu was fortunate to have the help of JD Lohr Woodworking associate and

now Co-Owner Larissa Huff. Larissa worked with Abu throughout October

to create a Ghana-Internet- Friendly web site for MCSOT. The intent of

the new web site is to help solicit more tui,on paying students whose

parents have the where-with-all to seek out Internet Access via Internet

Cafés. Such parents we believe will be more likely to have enough money

to pay our $405 annual tui,on cost for their high school age child. The

Tui,on paying students, along with the sale of Moringa Made Goods and

Services added to US Donor Backed Scholarship Sponsorship we hope will

adequately offset the cost of funding our need based scholarship students

which currently make up 80% of the student popula,on. The new MCSOT

site is s,ll under development but check it out at: WWW.MCSOT.ORG

Working a village excava,on project in early December, our 1994 JBC

Tractor started making a worrisome internal engine noise that quickly

developed into a load clanging sound. While some noises in diesel

engines are acceptable, this noise exceeds that of good engine health.

It could be anything from a valve train problem to ,ming chain, or even

something even more serious as a thrown rod.

Luckily the tractor is disabled next to a currently unoccupied shelter

that can be used to house a qualified Diesel Mechanic we’ll have to

bring in from either Cape Coast or Kumasi. This is something currently

being inves,gated. And while our beloved machine we depend on so

heavily is upseMng, I just remind all that I am also a survivor of mul,ple

major surgeries and I’ve been returned to opera,ng condi,on.

As our JBC is just made of steel, cast iron, springs, rubber, and wire,

we are hopeful if not confident it will be fixed. The stressful part will be

securing parts. That, I know will be difficult for Abu. Regardless, all we

can do is what we are able. Just trust geNng our JBC fixed is a Priority!

By Jeff Lohr

Weeds grow around broken down tractor.

A message from MoringaCommunity.Org

president & co-founder, Jeffry Lohr

This past March of 2017 marks the Ten Year anniversary of the

month “Abu” first emailed me from the Ocean View Internet Café

in Ghana. Abu was asking to a�end my woodworking school here

in Schwenksville, PA to enable him to improve the open air shack

carpentry school Abu founded to teach abandon street youth.

Like the other dozens of 3rd World email requests I get annually, I

really felt I had no choice but to turn Abu away. But my wife Linda,

in learning about this correspondence said, “Jeff you really have to

step up and help this young man because if you don’t who else will?”

Too many things in life are like that. For example, we’ll see

trash when walking along the road and don’t bother picking it up

thinking someone else will do it. We don’t volunteer or donate to

good causes because we say, “I don’t need to do that because some-

one else will do it.” The truth is someone else unusually doesn’t.

For me, the road traveled to help Abu with his dream of figh,ng

the extremes of African poverty by crea,ng a trade school was not

something I went looking for. It was a simple ma�er of seeing that

if I didn’t step up to help, nobody else would. However, when you

commit to take on a project like helping create the Moringa Com-

munity School of Trades, you can’t just say “shove it” when you get

,red of it, or when the demands of the project starts ea,ng its way

into your personal life, your own livelihood, the needs of your local

community, and especially when it interferes with your family and

home life. You somehow have to find a way to juggle it all without

short changing any one group or individual, especially your family.

I am not divulging this informa,on for sympathy nor for a pat on

the back even though the Moringa Project has indeed been signifi-

cantly more successful than many African humanitarian projects.

The reality, however, is that aDer ten years of oDen feeling like

“Sisyphus”, the mythological figure forced to roll the immense boulder up

a hill, only to watch it repeatedly role back and hit him, That said, I am

forced for my own well being and that of others near and dear to

me to formulate an escape plan to either prop up the Moringa

bolder so it does not con,nually roll back over me or others or find

some way to pass the torch onto someone be�er suited for this

rewarding yet truly demanding volunteer service job.

Given my current failing health that I’ve been ba�ling for the last

five years with monthly chemotherapy plus significant health prob-

lems my wife Linda is suffering, I need to put both our faithful US

Donors as well as our Boots-On-The-Ground Ghana Staff on no,ce

that I must end my service as President of Moringa Community on

December 31, 2019. I believe this to be fair warning and good and

will work out well. The fact is that with the current and prac,cal

path we have put MCSOT on for 2018, coupled with the helpful

guidance of our ac,ve Board of Directors, the never failing dedica-

,on of Abu, and if blessed with support from our Donors, MCSOT

will have reached its goal of reasonable self sustainability by 2020.

Blessings and thanks to all for the gi" of trust. Jeffry Lohr

We value all Monetary Donations in any amount and send personalized thanks for all donations.

Please save us the cost of postage by supplying your email address for sending receipts.

We do not share your info with any third party ever and promise to not bombard you with email!

We encourage donation by CHECK so we do not loose 3% of your donation to credit card fees.

However if Credit Card is your preferred method find our PayPal link at:

http://moringacommunity.org/SupportUs/Donate.html

Dona2ng by CHECK in the regular post saves us the loss of 3% of your dona2on in credit card transac2on fees!

USPS Donation Information Form

WAYS YOU CAN HELP THE MORINGA COMMUNITY PROJECT

#1. VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME - TEACH! Do you have a teachable skill you feel can benefit the 14 to 19 year old students at

Moringa Community School of Trades? We need Sex Educa,on Teachers, Health Teachers, All Mechanical Trades, Computer Skills,

Photography, DraDing, Auto and Machine Mechanics, Small Engine Repair, Video Tech Training, Art, Music, Business Ed. Marke,ng,

Adver,sing, Restaurant & Hospitality Trades, History, Wri,ng & Composi,on, Web Site Development via SquareSpace.com PlaRorm.

FOR MORE VOLUNTEER TEACHER DETAILS SEE: h@p://moringacommunity.org/Events/Event0909Summ.html

Email your proposal to Mr. Jeffry at JeffryLohr@aol.com

#2. Make a castoff (or be@er yet) a NEW digital hardware dona2on.

Moringa Community School of Trades needs digital s2ll & video cameras.

(please only donate devices with working ba@eries & memory. Thank you )

Laptops / Notebooks , Per page 6, MCSOT is in significant need of Laptops

While we would love desktops , Laptops are the only thing we can afford to ship. You can s2ll declare a reasonable

used market value for your used Laptop for deduc,on purposes. Well at least on your 2017 tax return (2018 who knows?)

As it costs an average $97 to ship a laptop to Ghana, maybe ask a friend to make a dona,on to help cover shipping.

Please ship your equipment to MORINGA COMMUNTIY C/O JEFF LOHR / 242 N. Limerick Rd. / Schwenksville, PA 19473

By checking this box, I acknowledge that I am not receiving any goods or services in return for this charitable dona,on.

Moringa Community

C/O - Jody Chris2anson

PO Box 3007

Bozeman, MT 59772-3007

Donor Name: _____________________________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________State_______________ ZipCode ______________— ____________

My Email Address Is: ______________________________________________________________________________________

(please PRINT your email address above)

Moringa Community will never bombard you with email solicita,on nor do we ever, for any reason, share your email with others.

Please make your CHECK payable to MORINGA COMMUNITY and mail to our volunteer bookkeeper Jody per address below.

Note: Trust Jody keeps

Jeff Lohr and our BOD

regularly informed of all

suppor2ng gis received.

Thank you for the trust of your dona2on.