Hope Multipurpose, Inc.

Q. How do I know Hope Multipurpose Incorporated (HMI) is a credible organization?

A. HMI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fully registered and compliant with all applicable federal and Minnesota laws. Its Board of Directors meets monthly and publishes its minutes. HMI is also registered as a non government organization (NGO) in Uganda with a Board of Directors that meets three times a year and also publishes its minutes. In less than four years, HMI has raised over $100,000 through individual donations, an annual African dinner, grants and craft sales. Of that, $30,000 has been spent on operations, $45,000 is held in operating reserve, and $25,000 is dedicated to the Capital campaign.

Q. What is the organization trying to do?

A. Beatrice would say we are giving girls their childhood. In Uganda, hundreds of thousands of children are orphaned and vulnerable due to AIDS and other diseases. Many are living on their own, often caring for younger siblings. The children, especially the girls, are unable to go to school, and, without intervention, are destined to lives of poverty, early parenthood and poor health. She would also say we are keeping vulnerable children with nothing to lose from turning to crime, even terrorism. The children we help will be stronger, more productive adults, expected to give back to the community and to raise healthier, better educated, more resourceful families.

Q. Where is the Blue House?

A. The Blue House, a small and temporary home for 12 orphaned and vulnerable girls, is located in Kazo Parish, Uganda. This rural area, still without electricity, water and sewer, was the childhood home of the late Beatrice Garubanda. Kazo is about 50 miles north and east of Mbarara, which is 150 miles south and west of Uganda’s capitol, Kampala.

Q. Who is eligible to live at the Blue House?

A. Blue House residents are young girls who are alone and vulnerable. Most are orphans. One was abandoned by a single parent, but none have relatives able to care for them.

Q. What does the Blue House provide?

A. The girls are given a safe home, nourishing food, clothing, and health care, and live in a family-type setting with a housemother. All expenses for their primary and secondary education are paid, and vocational education will also be supported. The girls attend church, celebrate the holidays, and have time for chores, study and play.

Q. Will you help boys?

A. If the Blue House “campus” continues to be developed, HMI hopes to offer assistance to boys as well as girls.

Q. How much does the Blue House cost to operate?

A. When we started, expenses were about $50 per girl per month. Food costs and school expenses have increased as the girls have grown and moved on to secondary school, but the Blue House operations budget for 2008 is just under $10,000, or and average of $70 per girl per month.

Q. What about administrative expenses?

A. Because most of our work is done by volunteers, we have very modest administrative expenses. In 2008, we expect to spend $8,000 or less. This includes a $2,000 allowance for a site visit to Uganda and $1,200 for better display boards for outreach. Most of the administrative expenditures are for printing and mailing. At this time, only the housemother receives a small salary. While this will change with the new Blue House, we will continue to keep administrative costs as low as possible.

Q. Is there an estimate for annual operating expenses for Phase One?

A. In very rough numbers, we estimate that it will cost at least $35,000 and perhaps as much as $45,000 for program operations in our full first year at capacity (40-44 girls). Among the factors that will influence costs are inflation, age of the girls, number in secondary school, and staff.

Q. How do you expect to raise this money?

A. We will continue to tell Beatrice’s story, thereby adding individual donors, more communities of faith and other groups to our base of support. We will continue to hold fund raisers, and encourage other benefactors to sponsor events for HMI, as they have in the past. We will continue to publicize our efforts on our web site and accept donations online as well. With a successful history of operations, we can demonstrate our efficacy to corporate sponsors and foundations and look to them for help. We intend to establish an endowment fund within the next three years. When up and operating, the primary school and health center are expected to produce income to help with the cost of dormitory operations. Finally, it goes without saying that we will pray quite a lot.

Q. What will it cost to build the rest of the campus?

A. At this time, each dormitory with a cooking shed and a latrine costs about $100,000. A primary school with seven classrooms and an administrative/staff area and an outdoor play yard would be about $125,000. The estimate for a small health center/dispensary is $32,000, and a four bed infirmary would be an additional $8,000. There will also be some expense for roads and landscaping, and additional costs for furnishings and equipment. We are looking at a total campus cost of $1,000,000.

Our next challenge: Getting ready to expand to about 42 girls.

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