Poverty Threatens not Only Children’s Health, but also Their Education

When children aren’t healthy, they are at risk of missing school and falling behind

As a child assistance organization, Children Incorporated understands well the correlation between children’s health and their ability to receive an education. We often hear from our volunteer coordinators at our affiliated projects in the United States and abroad that children living in poverty are at risk of falling behind in school. Our coordinators often note that children haven’t eaten over the weekend, so they are too hungry to concentrate in class; or sometimes that kids […]

Good Nights Are Good Days

Our partner, the Pajama Program, helps children get cozy for bedtime

At Children Incorporated, we think a lot about the basic needs that children living in poverty are going without. Providing kids with items like food, shoes, school supplies, toiletries, and clothing are at the forefront of our mission as a child sponsorship organization. Sometimes, however, when we think about ensuring that children have appropriate clothes to wear, we don’t think about how important pajamas are for kids while growing up. Introducing the Pajama Program The […]

Growing Vegetables at Home in Brazil

Gardens at the homes of our sponsored children help their families in many ways

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world — both geographically and in terms of population. It is truly massive, sharing borders with every other country in South America except for Ecuador and Chile. The Amazon rainforest – recognized for having the greatest biological diversity on the planet — sprawls over the country’s northern half, and there are rugged mountains to the south. Despite its wealth of natural resources and beauty, Brazil suffers from […]

An Invitation of a Lifetime

A sponsored high school student in Brazil gets the chance to play professional rugby

Not long ago, we received a letter from our volunteer coordinator at our affiliated project CADI (Centro de Assistência e Desenvolvimento Integral) in Brazil about one of our sponsored children, Celia*. Celia, an avid rugby player at her high school, was invited to play professionally, and was in need of support to purchase a new uniform, proper shoes, and to cover her travel expenses to and from matches. Her coordinator asked Children Incorporated if we […]

Rarely Enough Food on the Weekends

Children in New Mexico face food scarcity at home

The remote town of Crownpoint, where our affiliated project Mariano Lake Community School is located, is in northwestern New Mexico, near the Arizona border and the vast Navajo Nation. Many of the American Indian families in this area generate income by making and selling jewelry, kachinas (traditional, carved figures that represent deified ancestral spirits), and pottery. Some families maintain small herds of livestock. Others, who can’t find work in this region of the United States, […]

Helping Kayla to See

A special student in Kentucky was desperately in need of glasses

When I met Kayla* while traveling last year with Children Incorporated’s U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, it was the beginning of a new school year for her. Almost right away, I noticed that she had an issue with her eyes: one of them was slightly crossed, its pupil leaning in towards her nose. When I asked our Volunteer Coordinator, Sharon, at May Valley Elementary School where Kayla attends, in Floyd County, Kentucky, if Kayla had […]