Welcome to the Launch of the Scopa Group blog! 

I will use this forum to talk about adventures in non-profit start-up and management, sustainable community development, successes, failures, concerns and other things I am learning on this journey. 

What has finally pushed me to start the blog? My upcoming trip to Haiti. Here's the lowdown:

One of my clients, Elevate Destinations, which I have designed sustainability immersion trips for, is sponsoring my trip to Haiti. I will be assessing conditions and logistics for two trips in August in November during which 20+ volunteers will come down to Haiti to help rebuild schools that are earthquake and hurricane-proof with Make a Difference Now , Hearts With Haiti and other organizations on the ground in Haiti. 

In addition, I will be assessing where and whether there is room for Scopa Group to help the community (a collaboration of citizens, ngo's and others) to envision their goals for a sustainable long-term future. Basically what that means is that I will be asking what ideal environmental, economic, social and cultural conditions the community wants for themselves and their future and then helping to create a plan  and then implement it using internal assets of the community (skills, organizations, networks, etc.) and outside resources to make it happen. I am hoping this work will be in one of the communities or tent cities in and around Port-Au-Prince or Jacmel, but I will wait to see what is needed and whether there is the need and desire for my skills. The most important part of the process is to help people feel empowered to create their own community vision and goals, and that begins with me not imposing my own goal of providing a process! For this project, I am at the very earliest stages of development, I will be going in to meet with NGO's like Lambi Fund , AIDG, and SOIL, and members of the community. 

As long as I have internet and blackberry access (may be splotchy), I will be tweeting through www.twitter.com/andreadatkinson and updating this blog while in Haiti. 

Mesi! Konbit Pou Ayiti! 

Andrea