Sister Cities International Mission Statement: “Promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation — one individual, one community at a time.”

Dennis Roberts Chairman, USCC507 E. Green StreetUrbana, IL 61802

Urbana Sister City Committee 400 S. Vine Street Urbana, Illinois 61801 U.S.A.

Quarterly Reports2012

(October / November / December)

Hello Dace,

I an sending you the Fourth and final Quarter Quarterly Report for the Urbana Sister Cities Committee AUPAP project covering October, November, and December of 2012. The other activities of the Urbana Sister Cities Program during the same period follows.

Dennis RobertsChairman, Urbana Sister Cities Committee

4th Quarter Report

In October two members of the Urbana Sister Cities Committee, Scotty Dossett and Dennis Roberts, flew from Urbana to Africa to view the African Poverty Alleviation Program projects coming to a close in Zomba, Malawi—the Ablution Block at the Zomba Central Hospital and the VIP Pit Toilets at three primary schools. The visit’s purpose was to take a final inspection of the project and complete the Monitoring and Evaluation required at the end of the grant. AUPAP Project Manager Dace Mahaney to Zomba (October 8–17, 2012) to join this final site visit. We enjoyed meeting Dace for the first time.

A final Technical Inspection and Payment Certificate were requested (including a late fee penalty) from Martin Kumbani by Tom Connolly. However we learned that Martin was no longer in Zomba. He was in Turkey working on a Master’s Degree. Ian Dolosi informed us that Knox Makonyola, Procurement Officer, was doing the requested paperwork. This was completed Oct. 17, just after Dace left Zomba.

The October visit by Scotty Dossett and Dennis Roberts brought mixed feelings. The Ablution Block at the Guardian Village was an obvious success: well built, attractively designed, functional, and servic-ing great needs in the immediate community. The VIP Toilets were 95% completed when the funding dried up. Inquiry as to why the buildings were not 100% finished resulted in a discussion centered on the changes to the original plan, additions suggested by Tom Connolly during his January visit, and the contractor running out of estimated materials. Unfortunately we were not apprised of this earlier, which might have allowed for a revision of the contract and funding. Additional funds, that might have been diverted to the project, could not be transferred until the issue of a late fee penalty was settled. Unfortunately this never came about. Certain final detailing and hanging doors on some school toilet stalls remained incomplete. However Dace Mahaney brought $1200 to spend on supplies for the Ablution Block and this money was spent during a shopping trip in downtown Zomba.

Frank Malfeni, representing Kelvin Investment, at first told us he had received payment for the work done at the VIP toilets at the Primary Schools. Final payments for Kelvin and to DHB and NCB for work done at the Ablution Block brought a series of communications. Due to disagreements over penalty clauses related to delayed work schedules in the project Zomba lost the remaining $13000 of project funding which might have gone to finish and even add to these projects. The possibility for building an additional set of toilets at Sadzi Primary School with money not utilized by the Zomab-Urbana account was lost.

On October 18, 2012 Urbana received word it had been awarded participation in the new Sino-African Initiative grant from Sister Cities International. This tri-lateral project will involve Urbana, Zomba City, and Haizhu District, Ganzhou City, China, as the third partner in that application. Christopher Stohr agreed to head that project for the Urbana Sister Cities program.

October 19, 2012: Urbana is named “Illinois Sister City of the Year” by the Illinois Sister Cities Associa-tion at the Illinois Municipal League annual meeting in Chicago. Mayor Laurel Lunt Prussing received the award for the Urbana Sister Cities program.

On November 2 Dennis Roberts was informed by Adam Kaplan, SCI Membership Director, that Will Williams, a freelance reporter for GOVERNANCE magazine, was doing a report on Sister Cities Interna-tional and the AUPAP Project, and that he would be contacting us in Urbana in the near future. The phone interview occurred on November 4, 2012, and the article was printed in their first international topic issue, February 2013, pgs. 60-61.

On November 14 we received word from SCI that Urbana would be allowed to take responsibility for final disbursements to the contractors of the AUPAP projects. This agreement involved payment of the final retention funds by Urbana rather than SCI. This totaled $3023.86—owed to NCB Company and Kel-vin Investment ($1,206.89 and $1,816.97 respectively) and held as guarantee of completion of work.

We soon learned, however, that SCI had made an overpayment error to both companies. As these contractors did not heed the request to return the overpayment, their retention payments were voided and these amounts, having been sent to the City of Urbana, were requested to be returned. Urbana agreed to do so.

In early December Scotty Dossett was still unable to get confirmation that the AUPAP facilities were in use or that the doors had been installed on the VIP toilets.

December 12, 2012, Scotty Dossett submitted his final report for the AUPAP project.

I prepared my final Quarterly Report in January. I have waited until the return of Urbana’s 4-person delegation’s visit Zomba in late January, part of the Sino-African Initiative project (traveling January 23–February 3, 2013) to add their most recent field photos to this report.

Successful completion of the African Urban Poverty Alleviation Program and the first trip of the Sino-African Initiative team was announced at the January 28 meeting of the Urbana City Council.

End AUPAP Summary

The Guardian Village Ablution Block. Shown, from left to right: Knox Makonyola (Zomba City Procurement Officer), Ian Delosi (Zomba City Engineer), Mr. Dickson Vuwa Phiri (ZLCC Chairman), Mr. Umba ______ (Ablution Site Manager), John Dimit (USCC), Mr. Chris Stohr (USCC, SAI Project Director), Mr. Xiaoyuan Tang (SCI SAI Chinese Representative), Scott Tess (Urbana Public Works, Environmental Sustainability Officer), Alic Chima (Zomba City Desk Officer) and Chelsea Kreiger (Peace Corps Volunteer). Foreground: Ablution Block maintenance employee.

Zomba Central Hospital Guardian Village Ablution Block – January 2013

Men’s bathroom showing urinal and water flush pit toilet stalls.

Alick Chima at entry gate to the Guardian Village Ablution Block.

Men’s bathroom urinal feature.

The clothes drying area adjacent to the Ablution Block and perimeter fence.

Ramp entry to the Men’s toilet facility over the water run-off channel surrounding the building.

Zomba Central Hospital —Ablution Block Completion — January 2013

The rear of the Ablution Block showing the entry to the showers for Men and Women.

Entry to the showers.

The laundry basins and water taps built in the laundry area next to the Ablution Block.

John Dimit points out the shower head in the Women’s unit.

Doors in place at the VIP Pit Toilet.

The VIP toilets at Chikamveka Primary showing adjacent Girls (left) and Boy (right) units.

Girls and Boys toilet blocks are clearly labeled along the cap to the brick privacy wall at Chikamveka Primary.

School sign at Chikamveka Primary.

VIP Toilets at the Schools — Chikamveka Primary — January 2013

Chris Stohr, Scott Tess, Busta Chiona, Sam Smith, Mr. Amon Chimbalanga, School Headmaster, and Mr. Tang Xiaoyang.

Grafitti on the walls and shoe print on the walls at the VIP Pit Toilets at Chikamveka Primary. This indicates the toilets are in use but it also indicates lack of administrative oversight of the facility.

VIP Toilets at the Schools — Chalomwe Primary — January 2013

Sliding bolt locks for security were installed in the Girls VIP toilet stalls at Chalomwe Primary School. The inspection team found the sliding bolts were missing; sticks were being used to secure the doors.

Students from Chalomwe Primary School.

Student entering one of the new toilets at Chalomwe Primary.

Inspecting doors and stalls at Chalomwe Primary.

Solid doors installed on the VIP toilets, Chalomwe Primary School.

John Dimit inspects conditions at VIP Pit Toilets at Thundu Primary School. This toilet block is still unused, the drop pit is capped. The school has not yet installed the stall doors.

Sam Smith and John Dimit inspect Thundu VIP toilets

VIP toilet block Inspection tip at Thundu School.

One of the toilet units built at Thundu Primary

VIP Toilets at the Schools — Thundu Primary — January 2013

View of campus at Thundu Primary School

Urbana Awarded — Illinois Sister Cities of the Year, 2012

Dear Mayor Prussing,

I am pleased to congratulate and announce that the Illinois State Sister Cities of the Year Committee has selected the Urbana Sister Cities Committee as the 2012 Illinois Sister Cities of the Year.

The Urbana Sister Cities Committee has demonstrated a commitment to improve the lives of the residents of its sister city Zomba, Malawi, Africa as well as to introduce the Zomba/African culture to the Urbana community. The Committee participated in a grant to improve water conditions in Zomba and also was invited by Sister Cities International to apply for a Gates Foundation grant promoting the Sino-African initiative.

The Urbana committee is in the process of establishing a new Sister City in China. The Delegates have traveled to both places and recently hosted Zomba guests to promote mutual cooperation and cultural understanding. The Urbana city has also promoted a community outreach through library activities, a Farmers Mar-ket, church visits, a mixer with African food and music, and public school involvement.

There are plans for the coming year to donate hospital materials to Zomba, continue with the support to improve water conditions there and to develop the relationship with Haizhu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Provence, P.R. of China.

It is awe-inspiring to consider that so much is being accomplished in these exchanges with a small core staff.

The Illinois Sister Cities Association is proud to welcome the Urbana Sister Cities Committee as the 2012 Illinois Sister Cities of the Year.

Congratulations Frank E. Lateano, President Illinois Sister Cities Association

Alderwoman Diane Marlin, USCC Chairman Dennis Roberts, Mayor Laurel Prussing, ISCA President Frank Lateano, Urbana CD Director Libby Tyler, and ISCA member Nancy Devereux after the award ceremony.

Urbana – Zomba – Haizhu District Representatives — Sino-African Initiative Project Visit to Zomba, Malawi

January, 2012

Sino-African Initiaive team.From left to right: Christopher Stohr (USCC, SAI Project Director), Busta Chiona (Zomba City Public Health Officer), Ian Dolosi (Zomba City Engineer), Fatima Bhima Naliwa (Education and Community Outreach Officer), Knox Makonyola Zomba City Procurement Officer), Dickson Vuwa Phiri (ZLCC Chairman), Chealsy Krygier (Peace Corps Volunteer), Scott Tess (Urbana Public Works, Environmental Sustainability Officer), John Dimit (USCC), Sam Smith (USCC), Xiaoyuan Tang (SCI SAI Chinese Representative), and Alic Chima (Zomba City Desk Officer).

Visit to Zomba City human waste treatment site.

Sino-African Initiative —Sewage Treatment Facility and Solid Waste Collection Site Visits

Scott Tess and John Dimit observe conditions at the treatment site.

Group photo including employees at the Zomba City human waste sewage treatment site.

Composting fields associated with the sewage treatment site.

Solid waste collection is a serious problem in the urban area of Zomba. Addressing trash accumulation and removal will become the main focus of the new SAI tri-lateral grant project.

Kindling wood being fed into the Rocket Stove.

After a demonstration on how to light and use the stove, Guardian Village women soon have a meal cooking on the new Rocket Stove.

Scotty Dosett’s Rocket Stove — Guardian Village Cooking Hut — January 2013

The Rocket Stove was not in use when the team first arrived.

The installed Rocket Stove with a good fire going and in full use.A family meal being cooked using the Rocket Stove.

Urbana–Zomba Sister Cities Outreach Programs: Wiley School and The Urbana Presbyterian Church

Left: Sam Smith holds up a Wiley School banner below the Sister Cities plaque on the Zomba City Building as Scott Tess takes the photo and John Dimit looks on..

Memorial to Rev. Don Mason, pastor of Urbana Presbyterian Church, who did so much to establish community ties with Domasi Village, Zomba District, which led to the creation of the Zomba–Urbana Sister City Partnership, including the Shallow Wells project. Jeanes Church, built through the partnership between Urbana Presbyterian and the Domasi congregation, is the site of this memorial.

The City Crest of Zomba, Malawi and the Sister Cities Partnership sign, presented to Zomba in 2010, are affixed to the Zomba Civic Offices and City Council Building and are clearly visible to all who come to the building.