Finances
For 23 years, MEPO has operated solely on donations from individuals. All donations go to the people in our projects, and NO donation funds are used for administrative expenses.
The annual budget for the Garden of Flowers is about $36,000. This covers every single material expense including nutritious and delicious food, medical care, and a strong Montessori-based education. It also provides the salaries for the compassionate and dedicated staff.
Monthly Budget of the Garden of Flowers (2024)
| Living expenses and children’s support (food, utilities/energy, communication, clothing, medical support, taxes, school and administrative supplies, house maintenance, educational supplies and Montessori materials) | $ 1050 |
| Rent | $ 450 |
| Salaries (2 teachers, 1 part-time admin/finance, 1 cleaning/cooking staff, 2 guards/assistants ) | $ 1500 |
| Total per month | $ 3000 |
Donations of Montessori materials have been critical for outfitting the classroom. If you are interested in donating materials or resources, please contact us.
Funds donated for Family Aid (Project #433 on Lantern Projects) have gone for providing food and energy (wood) support for dozens of destitute families in 2022 and 2023. It has also bought medicines and medical services for those who need it on a case-by-case personal basis. This is the flexible and responsive approach of MEPO, to be there for those who fall through the cracks and have no other support.
Since 2023, such support has included providing steady salary supplement for those struggling to make ends meet, including Zaki, Obaid, and Nadia. It has also paid for art supplies for a young artist, Farzana, recently forced to return from Pakistan.
