Meet Cindee Rood of FORMIDABLE JOY in Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindee Rood.

Cindee, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We’ve all been told to Do What You Love, and one thing I really love is Travel (59 countries and counting – from Sri Lanka to Syria, Oman to Myanmar, Jordan to Japan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda… you name it). The more off the beaten path, the more I loved it! But, the more off the beaten path I got, the more poverty I began to see (especially the living conditions of children). Somethings you just can’t “unsee,” and I felt compelled to do something to give back.

I started getting more and more involved with different charities – large & small, local & international. But it was a trip to Malawi several years ago to volunteer at an orphanage that changed my life forever. Malawi had a pull on me, I couldn’t explain. I knew I would be back but never knew when/why/how.

About a year later, a friend bought property in Malawi for her own nonprofit and needed water. I linked her up with a water charity and returned to Malawi to join in on a variety of meetings, that included the drilling team we selected that would drill for water. I had a great rapport with the driller and, in so many words, I said to him, “How about if I fundraise back at home, you drill, and together we help people?” That was 35 water projects ago, impacting over 30,000 people.

After years of volunteering and fundraising on behalf of other charities, I decided it was time to start my own nonprofit. In August 2017, Formidable Joy was granted 501c3 status as a public charity, with the sole mission to provide access to clean water in Malawi, Africa.

We personally assess, spearhead, and ultimately provide access to clean water at schools, villages, health centers, etc. And just last month, we added three new water points at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp – the largest government-run refugee camp in Malawi.

My goal is to complete 20 new water projects in 2018. I will return to Malawi for my 9th trip next month! I never planned to be on the path I am, but I am so grateful to be on it. Like many other activists, I am more of an “accidental philanthropist” – I saw a need, saw a way to help, and the rest is history.

Has it been a smooth road?
Formidable Joy provides access to clean water in Malawi, Africa. We accomplish this by drilling new boreholes (water wells) and/or repair old broken ones (that were installed by other NGOs and/or the government). We work with local partners, international organizations, and Malawian-owned drilling companies – all who help us identify areas in need. Every project is assessed, reviewed and monitored.

I am proud of every single project to date, but the true pride comes when we return to the community for the celebrations that ensue once an area receives their new clean water source. You have never seen such joy – dancing, singing, acting out plays, reciting poetry, presenting gifts (usually a bag of nuts). I was even asked if I would name a couple’s baby, as a way of saying Thank You. If they only knew, that to be able to do this work, the honor and pleasure is all mine!

Clean Water can literally transform a community – women regain their time, girls can go back to school, health improves, and the vitality of an entire village can begin to be restored. Some of our projects impact as many as 1,000 people!

What sets Formidable Joy apart is that 100% of all donations go straight to the projects. I personally spearhead each project, do not take a salary, and cover the overhead costs. We prove every project back to our donors with photos, GPS locations, testimonials, dedicated donor plaques, etc. We are also an all-volunteer, female-run board of directors – we are women helping women.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the FORMIDABLE JOY story. Tell us more about the business.
There’s a great African quote – “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go further, go together.”

I wish I could mention every single person by name that has supported me and our efforts in Malawi. Every project accomplished to-date is thanks to friends, family, acquaintances, strangers, neighbors, word-of-mouth, schools, people I’ve met at speaking engagements, in airports, at parties… all who dared to care and trust me.
The kindness of strangers has been in full effect since our very first project.

People who give up their birthdays and instead ask for donations to Formidable Joy hold a very special place in my heart as well, that’s one of the ways I myself continue to fundraise each year. I am WELL aware that none of what I do is possible without the support of so many people right here in LA. We live in a city of such abundance. We have so much, we should share.

My husband and 2 teenage boys deserve a lot of credit as well. They support me and sacrifice, so I can do this work. It takes a special kind of man to understand why their wife/mom travels to Africa solo 4 times a year. I’ve also been so fortunate to form some amazing partnerships in Malawi – from my drilling teams to other NGOs that I partner with on the ground.

This is a grassroots movement. Formidable Joy runs on a shoestring budget, we do not have a celebrity spokesperson (but we wouldn’t mind one :), no advertisement budget, no fancy offices, no corporate partners (but we wouldn’t mind some. 🙂

I’m not sure one person can change the world, but I am certain that one person can start a movement. And, I am grateful to everyone that has joined me on this movement. We are proof that you really can change the life of someone who will never be able to thank you or repay you.

What I know for sure… It truly is better to give than receive. It’s Formidable Joy! 😉

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think the industry of philanthropy will only continue to get bigger and better – both locally and internationally! How can giving ever go out of style?!

Pricing:

• The cost of drilling a borehole for a school or community in Malawi is just $4000 and can impact as many as 1,000 people

Contact Info:

• Website: www.formidablejoy.org
• Phone: 323-333-4718
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @formidablejoyorg
• Facebook: Formidable Joy

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.