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CW Asia Fund
Q&A with Nina Bains Cassils, Fund Advisor
When Cyclone Nargis devastated Burma-Myanmar in 2008, Nina and John Cassils, along with their friends Susan and Wieland Wettstein, responded quickly. They raised over $700,000 and coordinated the delivery of donated food, medicine, and emergency supplies to communities ravaged by the devastation. They then launched their 5 for 5 campaign to feed 500,000 Burmese families affected by the destruction. Friends and family were asked to contribute $5 to feed a family of 5 for 5 days.
The CW (Cassils Wettstein) Asia Fund at Tides Canada supports selected NGOs in Southeast Asia, providing education, improved health care, agriculture and hope to needy children and their families.
Tides Canada enables the CW Asia Fund to carry out its fundraising activities by providing a range of gift and grant management services, including online donations.
What compels you to give?
We have been fortunate to be born in a country where so much is provided – clean water, education, healthcare, electricity, roads, shops stocked with food.
We give because:
- 30,000 impoverished children die each day
- 1/3 of the children in developing countries are malnourished
- 1.5 million young children die each year due to lack of safe water and sanitation
- 100 million children are growing up today without an education
People give for so many different reasons. Some people feel strongly that it’s something they should be doing. Others give because they have more than they need, or they’ve grown up in a family that gives and it’s a part of their culture. But regardless of their personal motivation, they are all caring, giving people.
How did your philanthropic interest start?
During business trips and adventure travels in Southeast Asia, my husband and I would make side trips to remote villages rarely visited by tourists and were exposed to malnourished and sick children. We knew we had to do something.
Can you share some of your favourite success stories?
In a mountain village in Laos we came upon a shaman performing rites on two small children lying on the floor, one partially blind and the other unable to walk – both victims of vitamin deficiency. After a month in the local hospital both children fully recovered. The cost for two children in hospital for one month including doctors fees, medicine and food for their father: $100.
Khai Hin was born with several birth defects including a malformed leg, a direct result of Agent Orange. In 2002 we provided for a new prosthesis for his leg, which allowed him to run and play ball with the other children. Today, he climbs trees, fences, plays soccer, and roars around faster than others with no limitations.
What are your future plans?
To assist other donors to set up similar programs for funding. It’s so fulfilling to watch our concept become this project that has changed the lives of children. Imagine how many more children can be helped if there were more of us doing this.
