Jack the Accountant + STEALTH

A few weeks ago when I went to file my taxes I met Jack the Accountant by coincidence. Jack helped set up John Dau Foundation - http://johndaufoundation.org - and he offered to work with us on getting the tax-exempt status. Just like that! Amazing, Jack the Accountant. We still have a lot to do before getting that status, but last night it became clear that we have to expedite the process.
Last night STEALTH from Belgrade and Rotterdam came to speak at Syracuse school of architecture:
http://www.stealth.ultd.net/stealth/
During the entire lecture I was writing down not what they were saying but what GAC can do right now. That's how good their work was. STEALTH is intelligent in their design economy and thinking methods. They are unafraid when they say architecture as we know it is on its way out, and they are genuine when they speak of its alternative form with much hope. Jack and STEALTH are inspiring.
This summer GAC would like to build a prototype home for the village in Rwanda. In order to use our own funds for this prototype it would be good to have the tax-exempt status. All this pro-prac stuff we never learned in school.
Yutaka

501(c)3, here we come!

We have began the process of obtaining the tax exemption status - 501(c)3. The Office of Clinical Legal Education at Syracuse University will be providing us the legal services for free. Thank you Akira and Ted for your help.

Fund Raiser Kick-Off

 

This morning, 700 high school students at CBA in Syracuse, NY, gathered in the gym to hear Yutaka introduce Dushyigikirane and our project in Masoro. They were tickled when the mechanism of bio-gas digester was explained.

Deborah J. Norden Fund

The Architectural League has a blog post about GAC. The Deborah J. Norden Fund of the Architectural League of New York grant brought Yutaka to Rwanda for the first time. Accompanied by Jamie and Amanda, the three socially-minded architects/artists traveled the country talking to people, made contact with Constance, and GAC started! More information about the grant here.

Fund Raising with Syracuse High Schoolers

Yutaka and Nora Hakizimana, a 16-year-old high school student at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, NY, will be launching a fund raising campaign with 700 CBA students on Wednesday, 2/10.
Nora was born in the Congo while her parents were in exile from Rwanda. When the violence in the Congo began, she moved to Rwanda to live with her relatives. Her parents, however, immigrated to Syracuse, and 8 years ago she moved here to be reunited with them. By a freak chance Yutaka met Nora, Nora convinced her school master to do a school-wide fundraiser, and those students are going to help build a community center for the ladies in Masoro. Seriously.