Integra Group

Integra at the Pohoda music festival

"I heard that this is the place where you can get the best coffee at Pohoda." - was what we were told over an over by many visitors at the Pohoda festival who stopped by our fair trade stand. We are glad that we were able to contribute to the relaxed and fun atmosphere with our fair trade coffee, chocolate and other goodies from around the world. We would like to thank the organizers of the festival and Pontis Foundation for allowing us to participate in the Idea market of NGOs. We would especially like to thank Lasky, the lead singer of the Para band for announcing the winners of our contest at their concert. We believe that fair trade will remain fresh in the memories of the people we met until we meet again at Pohoda 2009. If you stopped at our stand and took a picture with the "disgusted faces" of our campaign, you can find our photo at www.niejenampotpochuti.sk

To watch the video from this event, click here

Filming the fair trade documentary in Kenya

On May 9 - 19, together with the film crews of Slovak television and Imagine Communications, we visited Integra's projects in Kenya. One of our first destinations was Children's Garden Rescue Home. The crew filmed stories of children many of whom are sponsored by individuals and families from Slovakia. This orphanage also received emergency assistance from the SOS Kenya appeal, initiated by Integra and three other Slovak NGOs. We were able to interview tea growers from Michimikuru and Kiegoi in northern Kenya about the impact of fairtrade on their lives. Their tea companies have been fair trade certified for several years. It was amazing to see how the social premium allowed the communities to build a school, a road, a hospital and even a water system. We also met with the macadamia nut farmers and learned about their hope to gain the fair trade certification and export macadamia nuts to Europe. Reports from this visit were broadcasted by Slovak TV on the evening news. The project on media cooperation about Millenium Development Goals was supported by the European Commission and UNDP. You can watch the reports from the STV evening news here.

Watch the report

Child sponsorship

Watch the report

Education in Kenya

Watch the report

Fairtrade and tea growers in Kenya

The fair trade campaign launched

One of the squares in old town Bratislava turned into a gallery with the opening of an exhibition of photos by the photographer Tana Hojcova. Photographs of various known and less known public figures are a part of a campaign entitled "We Don't Like the Taste of Injustice". The campaign's main objective is to raise awareness about fair trade in Slovakia. To learn more about the campaign, click here

Training for the deaf

On March 9 through 15, the Integra staff provided trainings of business skills for the deaf in Bešeòová, organized by the Pontis Foundation and T-mobile. The trainings were attended by 9 participants. Seven of them subsequently received approval for their business plans and received the support of 150,000 Slovak crowns ($7,500 US dollars) from T-mobile to launch their own enterprises. We believe that we will continue to work with this target group in the future. In Slovakia, there are over 7,000 people who are hearing impaired. Minimal access to information about education and job opportunities cause isolation from the larger society and a limited opportunity to realize their dreams.

Women for women, a fundraising event in the Avion Shopping Park

On March 8, we organized a fundraising event in cooperation with Oil Partner, a quick oil change company, to support the microenterprise program for women at risk in Slovakia. A fun and rich program at the Avion Shopping Center, including the Beauty salon, the concert of Zuzana Smatanova, and a charity auction was very well received and attended by a few hundred visitors. The whole program was moderated by Ludwig Bagin whose dynamic persona and charisma entertained both children and adults. The event was also supported by the actress Viki Rakova. Her sincere, charming and down to earth interaction with the audience helped to create a great atmosphere

Oil Partner, which has been a long term supporter of Integra's programs - changed oil for free for all female drivers who came to the station that day. In return, these women were given the chance to support Integra's program for women.

The event helped to raise the total of 40,000 Slovak crowns ($2,000 US dollars). This amount will be used to support the program for women at risk. Thank you for your support.

SOS Kenya

To help the people who lost homes and livelihoods in the post-election conflict in Kenya, Slovakia raised almost 1.6. million Slovak crowns ($80,000 US dollars). At the beginning of January, four Slovak NGOs (Integra Foundation, People in Peril, eRko, and the Slovak Catholic Charities) issued a public appeal entitled SOS Kenya. Through April 24, the appeal received funding from the Slovak public in the amount of 1 592 954 Slovak crowns ($79,648 US dollars). Almost 4 months after the outbreak of post-election violence, the public appeal was closed. Further donations will be used to support projects of The Good News initiative of eRko to help the people in Kenya.

Local partnership organizations are used to address the difficult situation of thousands of people through food aid, distribution of hygiene items, temporary housing and reconstruction of homes as well as for activities aiming to reconcile the opposing sides and to facilitate a peaceful return of the displaced. An estimated number of 1200 people were killed in the conflict and over 350,000 Kenyans became internally displaced.

On behalf of the all the recipients of the help from Slovakia, we would like to thank all of those who contributed.