CITC, continued

CITC will meet various needs:

• Train and provide leaders for starting new Cities of Refuge (recovery programs) in Third World countries, acting as change agents for their own region.

• Educate and develop communities in Third World countries affected by the illicit drug trade.

• Provide alternatives to illicit drugs as a means of poverty alleviation.

• Train social entrepreneurs from the same communities devastated by the illicit drug trade to provide human services.

• Provide recovery classes and reconcile families affected by illicit drugs.

Viability of project:

In our opinion, the Cities of Refuge model for recovery programs is one of the most cost effective and easily transferable methods for curbing the epidemic of drug addiction and alcoholism in a community.  It has also been proven effective as a means of community development and poverty alleviation because it brings addicts into sobriety while instilling in them leadership and trade skills so they can help their communities. 

Our goal is to set up Cities of Refuge in Third World countries suffering from major alcoholism and drug addiction problems.  To successfully build these centers, the goal is to develop a cadre of leaders from the same men who have come to the recovery program for help.  This method has been well-demonstrated over the last 45 years in various programs in the United States, Colombia, Costa Rica, South Africa, and Estonia. 

Sustainability of project:

The Cities of Refuge that CITC will establish will include sustainable agriculture and region-specific industries that will help them become self-sustaining.  CITC will also implement leadership training programs in each one of these Cities of Refuge to continuously reproduce local leadership and allow them to be learning organizations.  CITC operations will be sustained by monthly donors, fees from workshops, seminars and training sessions in the communities, sales of agricultural products from experimental stations, sales of life skills manuals to the general public, and a percentage of net sales from products from other Cities of Refuge industries. 

Use of funds:

Funds raised are divided into two categories:

Capital Investment - $185,500 

• Housing for the training director and interns coming from other parts of Colombia and other countries ($20,000 more is needed -- $55,000 has already been invested).

• Duplex housing for families who completed the regeneration program and are opting to stay as trainees ($160,000).

• Office and classroom / lab facilities for training purposes ($2,000).

• Three desktop computers for virtual training and labor work for interns ($3,500).

Monthly Operating Expenses - $20,000

• Scholarships for underprivileged families in training ($3,000).

• Salary for the training director ($2,300).

• Curriculum development and Spanish translation ($2,900).

• Sustainable Agriculture Experimental Station and extension agents to conduct on-site training for other recovery programs ($9,000).

• Administration and travel costs ($2,800).

Intern Dorm and Training Facility

Family Duplex Housing

(click to see enlarged image)