TeamSoft Donates to Armando Rusindo Mission Foundation
TeamSoft recently donated to the Armando Rusindo Mission Foundation’s Clean Drinking Water Project via an employee grant request from Lisa Quam, who works in the TeamSoft office. In her own words, here is her story of why this organization is important and how the donation will make a difference:
About 2 years ago, I went on a mission trip to Cuba. The main purpose of the trip was to work at a youth camp and share culture between Cuba, The United States, and Canada. I love to travel, and my family and I often veer out of tourist areas to try to get an idea of the true culture and lifestyle of wherever we are. I thought I was prepared for my travels and work in Cuba, but I could not have been more wrong. Cuba is an extremely beautiful country, not only in the landscape but also in the architecture in Old Havana and, of course, the cars. However, most Cubans live in extreme poverty and subsist on rations from the government for their food, clothing, and gas. This was very shocking to me and most of the other people on my trip.
While at the youth camp, I became extremely ill and ended up in the hospital. After I returned home, I continued to get sicker and sicker, and my doctors could not figure out what was wrong. It was finally determined that although I was very careful to not drink any of the water, I somehow ingested dirty water through the food and contracted a gastrointestinal illness that I will live with the rest of my life. I learned about the amazing work the Armando Rusindo Mission Foundation’s Clean Drinking Water Project (www.armfcuba.org) is doing in Cuba earlier this spring, and I knew I had to ask the TeamSoft Charitable Committee for a grant.
Before I went on the trip, the thought of my water being unclean never crossed my mind. I did not have to worry about diseases like chorea, E. coli or other gastrointestinal diseases. For Cubans, this is a daily concern, especially for those living in the rural areas. Their wells are very shallow and often only a few feet from a septic system. The water is highly contaminated with many bacteria including E. coli. At least 10% of the people there have contacted cholera, children and the elderly being the most vulnerable. Children often miss many days of school from drinking unclean water. The Armando Rusindo Mission Foundation (ARMF) installed a small water system in a village. After having the water tested, both in Cuba and in the United States, the results proved that it was completely clean of all germs, including E Coli. This system currently will serve some 20 to 25 families.
Their next step is to install a permanent and much more complex system, which should serve some 100 families. This will allow villagers to get clean, fresh drinking water for their use and hopefully eradicate the dreadful diseases they face. After installation, the ARMF will continue to monitor the use of the system and review test analysis. A system of this size is very costly, running at least $5,000.00 USD. ARMF’s goal is to complete this installation by year end. Thanks to the TeamSoft Charitable Grant, along with other valuable partners, the ARMF will attain this goal. The Armando Rusindo Mission Foundation is extremely grateful to the TCGC for the grant money.
