Archives

Closure of Casa Alianza Guatemala

Unfortunately, 2009 got off to a bad start, as we learned in January that Casa Alianza Guatemala was closing. The parent organization, Covenant House, decided to close this center due to financial difficulties that had become insurmountable in the context of the global economic crisis.
As for the children in the care of Casa Alianza Guatemala, Covenant House took steps to ensure they were affected as little as possible. To date, they have all been placed in facilities where they can continue their rehabilitation process or have been reunited with their families when their circumstances allowed. Pierre-Yves Binz, a former volunteer in Guatemala, traveled there in January to assist with the transition and keep us informed of the situation. Casa Alianza Guatemala officially closed on May 30.
However, this unfortunate event does not mean that Casa Alianza is abandoning Guatemala. We hope that Covenant House will open a legal aid office for minors and a children’s rights advocacy office as soon as possible in this country, where such services are essential for children.

 

Annual Field Mission by the Executive Director

As she has done every year since 2006, Marjorie traveled to the field to maintain the link between the Central American programs and the Swiss office.
This year’s focus was specifically on determining how to allocate funds received at the end of 2008 and identifying projects to support for the current year. The needs in 2009 are significant, as the crisis is being felt in Honduras and Nicaragua as well as in Mexico.

Members’ Reception

A members’ reception was held on Tuesday, February 10, 2009, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Casa Alianza office. As always, these gatherings provide a great opportunity for members to meet and get to know one another. This early-year get-together was primarily an opportunity to update our members on the situation in Guatemala and answer their questions.

2009 General Assembly

On April 21, Casa Alianza held its annual General Assembly, attended by nearly 30 people. As it does every year, the Board presented its annual report and put the financial statements to a vote for approval.
Finally, Marjorie closed the meeting by showing some photos and sharing the latest news from the field.
As for 2009, the year looks set to be rather difficult due to the global economic situation. However, we hope to overcome these challenges and achieve our goals. We also hope to be able to count, as always, on the generosity of our members.

3rd Annual Casa Alianza Golf Tournament

Once again this year, Gerry Crompton is doing us the honor of organizing his now-famous golf tournament, which takes place today, Wednesday , June 3, at the Bonmont Golf Club. Tee times begin around 11:30 a.m., and the format remains the same as in previous years: a portion of the green fee is donated to Casa Alianza, and each penalty stroke results in a 5-franc donation to the Association.
We look forward to seeing the golfers in action, as well as non-golfers at the cocktail reception following the tournament, during which the association will be presented.
All that’s left is to hope for sunny weather, and we’ll of course keep you updated on the event’s results in our next issue.

Casa Alianza at the Sustainable Development Festival

As part of the Sustainable Development Festival from June 3 to 7, 2009, the International Solidarity Service (SSI), which is part of the Office of Human Rights within the Department of Institutions, is organizing a day dedicated to development cooperation on Saturday , June 6 , 2009 .
On this occasion, some thirty Geneva-based organizations, supported by the Canton of Geneva and working in fields such as education, health, and the defense of human rights, will present their projects carried out in various countries (Latin America, Asia, and Africa).
Casa Alianza will be present from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the Pont des Bergues and looks forward to welcoming you to its information booth on this occasion.
You can also find the day’s program at the following web address: http://www.ge.ch/solidarite/doc/news/06-06-09-programme-fdd-village-de-la-solidarite-internationale.pdf

Casa Alianza at the Fête de la Musique

After a two-year hiatus, Casa Alianza is returning to the Fête de la Musique with its legendary caipirinhas and raclette portions!
This excellent news, especially in this year of economic crisis, will allow us to rally together to raise funds that will be used this year, in particular, to strengthen our organization’s advocacy work for children’s rights here in Geneva!

The festival will take place from Friday, June 19, through Sunday, June 21, 2009, and sign-ups are open for anyone who wants to help us run the bar and serve our caipirinhas, raclette portions, and homemade pastries. The Casa Alianza booth will be located, as it was in 2006, on the Promenade Saint Antoine.

Please feel free to contact us to sign up to spend a few hours behind the bar. We really need motivated and friendly volunteers...!

Marjorie’s Maternity Leave

The Casa Alianza Switzerland family is growing, as Marjorie is expecting a baby girl in July. During her 16 weeks of maternity leave, the Casa Alianza Switzerland office is delighted to welcome Vanessa Dejardin, who will be filling in for three half-days a week.
We’re thrilled to welcome Vanessa!

Would you like to get more involved?

We always need our members’ time and ideas to support street children. If you’d like to become an active member, you can:

• Join a Casa Alianza Switzerland team. Please email info@casa-alianza.chou or visit our website (www.casa-alianza.ch).
• Help with stuffing envelopes? For our mailings, we’re looking for a few people who are available to help with stuffing envelopes. Please sign up at info@casa-alianza.ch
• If you have ideas for activities, please contact us by writing to info@casa-alianza.ch.

Thank you for your support!
Que Pasa No. 9 edited by Marjorie Granjon and Fanny Bauer.