Press Releases

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
(Lao Tzu, Chinese Philosopher, 570 - 490 BC)

Press Release I
2002

In addition to donating your cell phone, The South East Asian Rural Development Fund, Inc. (SEARDF Ind.) would be grateful for year-end donation for tax purposes. All donations are tax deductible and any amount, large or small, is greatly appreciated. Receipt of donations is promptly acknowledged.
Dedicated to rehabilitating land mine amputees who have lost their livelihood due to injuries sustained by exploding land mines, SEARDF, Inc. is dedicated to financially assist organizations providing housing, employment and education to the targeted population by building an Eco-village for approximately 300 families. Many of these families are headed by woman and a good number of child victims are included. The goal is to rehabilitate the handicapped and have them actively involved in the process of making the village self sufficient, sustainable and reproducible. The use of the Integrated Bio-System as a model will create a foothold for sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. It will eventually finance the replication of the successful ECO-Village with exponential growth, raising the living standard of Cambodia’s most vulnerable, the very poor disabled. The long term goal is to expand the ECO-Village to provide enough land for housing, ECO-Farms and businesses for up to 900 families.
SEARDF, Inc. was incorporated in the State of Florida on May 2, 2002, as a not for profit public charity, under Chapter 617 and has a 501(c)(3) classification from the Internal Revenue Service as a not for profit public charity. SEARDF, Inc. is also listed in the "Global Mine Action Registry," James Madison University. You may obtain more information under the web site: www.seardf.org
SEARDF, Inc. is not seeking to redistribute wealth, but to make maximum use of the aid, using it as an "investment" to build the ECO-Village, which is based on the grass-roots concept of community development and using appropriate technology. However, recipients must "earn" the support. To improve the lives of amputees now living in misery, they are retrained to produce low-cost products that are marketable in their community and surroundings. Again earning a living, part of their earnings will be applied towards paying off the house and land they live on in the village, before they are given title, to prevent borrowing against this property before they have learned how to manage their resources, especially money.
As a newly formed charitable organization our resources are very limited. We have no employees and all board members are volunteers. We believe that assisting in building the ECO-Village SEARDF Inc. provides humanitarian assistance very much needed in Cambodia. Its success will serve as a model. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Anna Guagliano, President

Training and Occupation for Disabled Association (TODA, Poipet)
(2002-2004).
Photos by Peter Guagliano

Pictures of typical families of landmine victims who are members of TODA.

(left picture) This man's life was violently shattered when he stepped on a land mine and lost both his legs (above the knee).
(right picture) Picture of disabled man (who lost a leg) making garments

Literacy Group children learning to read and write Khmer. The teacher is at the far left.

Picture of Executive Director of TODA Mr. Sen Soventha (second from right), advisor Mr. Peter Guagliano of Care Consultants Group (far right) and two TODA staff in front of the TODA office in Poipet, Cambodia.

Typical houses for families of the target group.

land purchased in 2000 by TODA for its members and for the creation of an Eco-Village for Disabled Families.

Medical Advisor Mr. Tout (background: Ankor Wat).

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                                                    Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day:
                                         Teach him to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.

Dedicated to rehabilitating land mine amputees who have lost their livelihood due to injuries sustained by exploding land mines, South East Asian Rural Development Fund, Inc. is in the process to collect funds to build an Eco-village for approximately 300 families. Many of these families are headed by woman and a good number of child victims are included. The goal is to rehabilitate the handicapped and have them actively involved in the process of making the village self sufficient, sustainable and reproducible. The use of the Integrated Bio-System as a model will create a foothold for sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. It will eventually finance the replication of the successful ECO-Village with exponential growth, raising the living standard of Cambodia’s most vulnerable, the very poor disabled. The long term goal is to expand the ECO-Village to provide enough land for housing, ECO-Farms and businesses for up to 900 families.

SEARDF, Inc. was incorporated in the State of Florida on May 2, 2002, as a not for profit public charity, under Chapter 617; SEARDF, Inc. complies with Chapter 496, Florida Statutes, the Solicitation of Contributions Act; and it has a 501(c)(3) classification from the Internal Revenue Service as a not for profit public charity. SEARDF, Inc. is also listed in the "Global Mine Action Registry," James Madison University. Additional information may obtained under the web site: www.seardf.org

SEARDF, Inc. is not seeking to redistribute wealth, but to make maximum use of available resources, using them as an "investments" to build the ECO-Village, which is based on the grass-roots concept of community development and applying appropriate technology. However, recipients must "earn" the support. To improve the lives of amputees now living in misery, they are retrained to produce low-cost products that are marketable in their community and surroundings. While again earning a living, part of their earnings will be applied towards paying off the house and land they live on in the village, before they are given title, to prevent borrowing against this property before they have learned how to manage their resources, especially money.

As a newly formed charitable organization our resources are very limited. We have no employees and all board members are volunteers. We believe that assisting in building the ECO-Village SEARDF Inc. provides humanitarian assistance very much needed in Cambodia. Its success will serve as a model. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

To create the ECO-Village and to implement its phases, as well as the projects which will greatly improve the lives of the most vulnerable in Cambodia, donors are desperately needed. Only with generous support will the ECO-Village become a reality. Gifts of any size are appreciated. All gifts and donations are deductible as charitable contributions. Humanitarian an/or philanthropic sponsors are needed desperately. It would be wonderful if a sponsor could be found to name the whole ECO-Village after.

Following is a list where the need is the greatest:

US DOLLARS       HOW MANY     ACTIVITIES
US$ 1,000.00         30                       Clearing of Land and Building of Roads (not paved)
US$ 300.00            300                     House for one Family (A plaque will give donors name)
US$ 12,000.00       1                         Five-Room Schoolhouse. Donor may name school.
US$ 1,700.00         1                         Solar panels to be installed on school to power donated computers.
US$ 1,200.00         36                       Deep Well Water Pumps
US$ 100.00            500                     Prosthetic Limbs
US$ 100.00            300                     Solar Room Light Systems
US$ 25.00              300                     1 Baby Goat or 1 Piglet
US$ 10.00              300                     Ten Baby Chicks

With YOUR support SEARDF, Inc. will be able to lighten the burden of some Cambodians in their struggle to survive.

Sincerely,

Anna Guagliano, President

Response Memorandum

Yes! I will help the poorest of the poor in Cambodia, the landmine amputees and orphans.
I want to sponsor (Please indicate from the list above): ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

A check with my most generous tax exempt donation of US $__________ is enclosed.

_____ I will wire transfer US$ _________,the amount needed to sponsor the above indicated items to:

Fidelity Federal Bank & Trust, Lake Worth Branch, 412 Lucerne Avenue, Lake Worth, FL 33460

Name: _________________________ Telephone: __________________

To ensure the security of your gift and to give proper credit, please Do Not send cash.
PLEASE MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: South East Asian Rural Development Fund, Inc. or SEARDF, Inc. and return the response memorandum, along with your generous donation to: SEARDF, Inc., Anna Guagliano, President, 3000 Lake Osborne Drive, Suite10-102, Lake Worth, FL 33461-5965. Tel.: 1-561-533-5066.
Due to security concerns the bank account information cannot be listed here. Should you wish to wire funds directly into the account please contact us at the above address and/or telephone number. Thank you.

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Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day:
Teach him to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.

Programs for Landmine Amputees and the Very Poor in Cambodia
Cambodian Landmine Amputees and the Very Poor desperately need your help.

SEARDF, Inc. is dedicated to again give meaning to the lives of these destitute and handicapped people. SEARDF, Inc. relies on your support, your willingness to share and help our fellow humans and neighbors.

Contrary to the mode of operation of many aid programs, SEARDF, Inc. does not hand out donations free to the very poor and landmine amputees. The reason: substantial experience has shown that the benefits of free aid handouts are only temporary. Free aid handouts directly cause idleness and, instead of using the aid and working hard to better themselves, people search for additional free handouts, and the cycle continues. The Tsunami disaster and aid distribution in recent history had this effect in many places. People sit back and wait for more free aid to come their way.

SEARDF, Inc. focus’ is on basic housing, training programs, financing worthwhile business ventures, and promoting sustainable livelihood for the very poor and amputees.

Today, the average income in Cambodia is still one of the lowest in the developing nations, approximately $25.00 per month and is non existing for most landmine amputees. Amputees, as well as the very poor who live in rural areas, have very limited access, or no access at all, to social program to assist them. Landmine amputees depend solely on their families.

Cambodians have had a difficult past, especially under the despotic rule of the communist Khmer Rouge, which turned the country into a forced labor commune, where the vast majority of people were forced to either work as farmers or become soldiers. At least 1.7 million people (mostly the educated and wealthy) died from execution, starvation, overwork, and disease from 1975 to 1979. Decades of civil war followed, further devastating the country. Cambodia has made progress. But even today, injuries or even death of the bread winner, often come by courtesy of land mines, of which there are uncountable millions in Cambodia. So many "enemies" have planted millions of anti-personnel mines that nobody knows where they are. They keep farmers from their fields, orchards and homes. There are more mines in Cambodia than in Afghanistan, killing or maiming men, woman and especially children indiscriminately.

SEARDF, Inc. believes that there is really only one way to improve a community's standard of living, and that is through a combination of education and hard work. An in-depth analysis of what is necessary for long-term growth has shown that vocational training, basic literacy skills, as well as personal financial management must be promoted.

Please support SEARDF, Inc. All donations are fully tax deductible and are used 95+ % for the benefit of the targeted groups.

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