Tag Archives: child

Shelley Callahan | September 20, 2022

Lebanon is located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Israel to the south and Syria to the east and north. This country of six million people acknowledges eighteen religious groups, the largest being the Shiite and Sunnite Muslims; there is also a large Christian population in the country.

Up to the end of World War I, Lebanon was part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1920, the League of Nations issued France a mandate allowing it to govern Syria and Lebanon. Twenty-three years later, Lebanon gained its independence.

Since 2006, Lebanon has been politically divided into two almost equally-strong camps, whose conflict has prevented the political institutions in the country from functioning. The internal struggle between the two groups is mostly based on social and economic clashes of interest, linked with religious differences.

Other factors also play a huge role in the strife that exists in Lebanon. Internal disagreements over the conflict in neighboring Syria play a part, as well as foreign countries’ involvement and interests in the Syrian War. Both internal and external arguments on how to handle the crisis in Syria only worsen the current situation in Lebanon. Today, more than a million Syrian refugees have been registered in the country.

Although Lebanon has been rebuilding itself steadily, the well-being of children has largely been undermined by these geopolitical circumstances. The country still has a long way to go before reaching an ideal situation, where the protection of children’s rights is taken into full consideration.

Facts about child poverty in Lebanon

Almost 30% of the Lebanese population lives below the poverty line
About 10% of children in Lebanon do not attend school
Roughly 7% of children are still forced to work to support their families
Some children in remote villages are still not guaranteed drinkable water
More than 10% of young Lebanese women said have been married before the age of 18
Children from Iraqi, Syrian, and Palestinian refugee families in Lebanon especially face difficulties living in poverty as their rights are not protected

How you can help children in Lebanon

You can help a child living in poverty in Lebanon in a few different ways. One way is through our child sponsorship program. Sponsorship provides an underprivileged child with basic and education-related necessities such as food, clothing, healthcare, school supplies, and school tuition payments.

Sponsors positively impact the lives of the children they sponsor through the knowledge that someone cares about their well-being.

This vital support allows impoverished, vulnerable children to develop to their full potential — physically, emotionally and socially. Sponsors positively impact the lives of the children they sponsor through the knowledge that someone cares about their well-being. This gives children in need hope, which is powerful.

Our policy has always been to consider the needs of each sponsored child on an individual basis. We work closely with our volunteer coordinators at our project sites in Lebanon who are familiar with each individual circumstance and the needs of every child in their care. Sponsorship donations are sent to our projects — orphanages, homes, community centers and schools — at the beginning of each month in the form of subsidy stipends. Our on-site volunteer coordinators use those funds to purchase items for children in our program, to ensure that they have what they need to do their very best and succeed in school.

SPONSOR A CHILD IN LEBANON

You can also help children in Lebanon by donating to one of our special funds. Our special funds offer a variety of giving options for sponsors who wish to further their support, as well as for donors who wish to make a difference without making a commitment. In the past, thanks to donations to our Hope In Action Fund and our International Feeding Program, we have been able to further support our projects in Lebanon beyond sponsorship.

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Children at FAID use sign language to greet our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet.

Shelley Callahan | September 18, 2022En Español

Letters from our volunteer coordinators around the world are one of our favorite ways to show the impact that our sponsors have on children in our program. Today, we hear from Traci about how our sponsors help children throughout the school year at Valle Crucis Elementary School in North Carolina.

A warm thank you from Traci

“This year, Children Incorporated helped our school give extra support to the special children who are a part of this wonderful program. Last winter, we were able to send specific winter clothing, shoes, and holiday wish items to their homes.”

A sponsored child poses with a box of food he received thanks to his sponsor.

“Each child also received a holiday reusable bag of stocking stuffers which included a Valle Crucis School t-shirt, a water bottle, socks, toothpaste and toothbrushes, hats, scarves, gloves, candy, gum, Band-Aids, hair ties, body wash, wrapping paper and scotch tape.”

A trip to remember

“Their families were ecstatic to pick up these extra stocking stuffers at the school that were already bought and ready to go for their children. It made their holiday so much brighter. Our two 8th grade students who graduated this spring each received a Valle Crucis School yearbook with a slip inside that told them that Children Incorporated provided the book and wished them well as they transition to high school.”

“Children Incorporated also paid the cost of their 8th grade field trip to a whitewater center. They had never gotten to whitewater raft before so it made for an experience they will never forget!”

Ready for the summer break

“This spring, we also did a round of spring and summer clothing orders, shoes, swimsuits and a few outside summer toys that were sent to their homes. We also were able to purchase for each child a plastic tote they can reuse and filled it with summer fun and hygiene items that included a beach towel, hypoallergenic sunscreen and lip balm, a hairbrush, laundry detergent, flossers, Clorox wipes, granola bars, water balloons, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, board games and craft sets depending on their ages. It was a really nice gift to send off with them the last week of school to get them ready and excited for summer break!”

“The families are always so appreciative of everything Children Incorporated is able to help with for their children.”

“The families are always so appreciative of everything Children Incorporated is able to help with for their children. During this time when the cost of everything is rising, this program is becoming even more important and valuable for everyone. They grow out of clothes so quickly; I have seen that the most requested items from our families are clothing and shoes because it’s hard to keep them in the right sizes.”

“Thank you so much to all the sponsors who make this program possible! You make an incredible difference in our children’s lives!”

Best,
Traci

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How do I sponsor a child in North Carolina?

You can sponsor a child in North Carolina in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in North Carolina that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | September 4, 2022En Español

As our Floyd County, Kentucky virtual visit series comes to a close, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, tells us about our newest affiliated site in the area, Betsy Lane High School, and how valuable so many of our programs are to its Family Resource Center coordinator, Anita.

As our Floyd County, Kentucky virtual visit series comes to a close, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, tells us about our newest affiliated site in the area, Betsy Lane High School.

“Betsy Lane High School officially began partnering with Children Incorporated in October 2020, with a few kids transferring in from other affiliated schools. Our Volunteer Coordinator, Anita, added more enrolled students in November of the same year. Around this time, we also sent some start-up funds from the Warm Clothing Fund so the teens could have warm coats while they were waiting to be matched with sponsors.”

“The school is one of three public high schools in the county. It is located between the communities of Betsy Lane and Stanville, and is south-southeast from the county seat, Prestonsburg. The school serves about 372 students in grades 9-12. School officials are rightfully proud of its 98% graduation rate. However, this achievement is hard won, as most of the students fall below the state average on test scores. About 77% of the students come from low-income families.”

Anita pictured with one of our sponsored children.

“During our “virtual visit” via FaceTime, Anita shared she was a former Family Resource Youth Services Center coordinator who retired early to help care for her grandchildren. When they got older, she decided to come back to work and was thrilled when there was an opening at Betsy Lane.”

“Anita is very enthusiastic about working with Children Incorporated. In March 2021, there was a severe flood in the county and surrounding areas. Our organization was able to send funds for flood relief to our affiliated schools that were impacted, including Betsy Lane High School. Anita bought and delivered supplies ranging from bleach to mops and buckets to laundry detergent. The families were so appreciative.”

“This school year, Anita asked for help to establish a weekend backpack feeding program. Thanks to our U.S. Feeding Fund, we were able to respond to this need.”

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How do I sponsor a child in Kentucky?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in Kentucky that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | August 29, 2022En Español

This week’s edition of Stories of Hope continues with our “virtual tour” of Floyd County, Kentucky. Our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, visits with our volunteer coordinator, Michelle, at James D. Adams Middle School, to tell us more about their school, community, and the power of working together to help children and their families.

Renée’s visit

“Adams Middle School is a rather small school located in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. It has the capacity to accommodate around 335 students in grades 6^th through 8^th. The poverty rate here is 64% — not as high as some other surrounding areas, but still significant and crushing for many families trying to make ends meet.”

Michelle is very proud of how quickly and well everyone worked together to create lesson plans and navigate continuing to communicate with the children while they were at home.

“Our Volunteer Coordinator at the school is Michelle. She is a long-serving coordinator for both the Family Resource Youth Services Center and for Children Incorporated.

Michelle told me during our virtual meeting that at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, the entire staff and administration of Adams Middle scrambled to figure out how to educate and to serve the children. She is very proud of how quickly and well everyone worked together to create lesson plans and navigate continuing to communicate with the children while they were at home. The school buses even transported food to students’ homes rather than them coming to the school for bagged lunches – which prevented so many children in this community from going hungry.”

challenges for students at home

“Michelle told me that most students were able to get online to do their work, and many stayed with grandparents during the day while their parents worked. But, a sizable portion of students did not have internet access at home. The Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg was one of the first local businesses that invited families to park in their parking lots during the day and sit in their cars to access the WIFI from inside the building, which for some students was their only means to connect and learn.”

“Additionally, as with many other schools in Eastern Kentucky, and around the United States, the 2020-2021 school year was delayed due to rising infection rates but had since started back fully in-person. Then sadly, things got bad again.”

Consistency in uncertain times

“When this new 2021-2022 school year started, and all the kids were together playing sports and having activities and club meetings, there was a quick uptick in cases. Infection rates and hospitalizations jumped in August and September and then declined slowly through December of last year. There was another surge in January and February of this year, the highest the area had seen yet. Cases have since declined again but remain high. There is without a doubt a lot of ‘COVID fatigue’ amount students, faculty, and parents.

Despite the difficulties, Michelle has been working hard to provide for the children, and she is deeply grateful for the sponsors’ support, which offered her, and the children in our program, some much-needed consistency during such uncertain times.”

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How do I sponsor a child in Kentucky?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky in one of three ways: call our office at
1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in Kentucky that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | August 26, 2022

From the snowcapped Himalayans to tropical beaches, India is truly a nation of contrasts. It boasts a rich history spanning tens of thousands of years. In fact, the earliest known civilization in South Asia once called India’s fertile Indus Valley home. Today, with the world’s second-largest population, India includes a staggering variety of ethnicities, languages, religions, and cultures. Its wealth of natural resources and vibrant cultures, however, belie the abject poverty in which so many of India’s citizens live.

Thanks to caring people like you, Children Incorporated has helped thousands of impoverished children in India, offering them a chance at a better and brighter future.

According to the World Bank, even though India has made remarkable strides at reducing poverty over the years, today, 22% of the population, or 270 million people live below the poverty line.

Challenges for Children in India

In India, children’s very lives and futures are at risk, as they struggle with poverty, and lack of educational resources. Right now, Children in India need your help.

30% of the world’s extremely poor children live in India
Each year, 1.4 million children in India die before their 5^th birthday
Nearly 25% of children have no access to education
4% of children are stunted and suffering from malnutrition
Child labor persists within the country, keeping school-age children from going to school
Children from rural areas, urbans slums, scheduled castes, and tribal communities often suffer
from malnutrition, access to quality health services, child marriage, lack of sanitation
facilities, hygiene, and access to improved water
India is highly prone to flooding, droughts, earthquakes and refugee flows that
impact children’s lives and ability to access basic resources

Our Work in India

Thanks to caring people like you, Children Incorporated has helped thousands of impoverished children in India, offering them a chance at a better and brighter future.

We work with our volunteer coordinators in local communities to provide health and nutrition, education, hygiene items, clothes, shoes, and other basic needs that help children and families rise above the poverty in which they live.

Our strategy is to focus on individual children through our sponsorship program, ensuring they are receiving exactly what they need on a regular basis.

Your support makes it possible for us to help India’s children in crisis.

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How do I sponsor a child in India?

You can sponsor a child in India in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in India that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

SOURCES:

https://www.worldbank.org/en/search?q=india+poverty&currenttab=4&currentTab=1

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/in-child-poverty-india-next-only-to-sub-saharan-africa-report/article26196097.ece

https://www.unicef.org/india/children-in-india

https://www.soschildrensvillages.ca/news/poverty-in-india-602

Children Incorporated | August 15, 2022

When children are living in poverty, they have fewer resources than children who come from more affluent households. Resources missing from impoverished homes include nutritious food, adequate clothes, and hygiene items — but also educational resources such as school supplies, computers, books, homework activities and learning games — which help equip young children for success in school.

Poverty has a determinate effect on childhood education and a child’s chances at success in school.

Additionally, families that live in poverty also often have parents that work long hours at multiple jobs, leaving them without the time or energy to help their children with homework. Without the proper resources and support to keep up with their studies, children living in poverty fall behind, feel inadequate about themselves, and no longer have a desire to stay in school and get an education, which is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty in which they live.

How Poverty Effects Children’s Education

Poverty has a determinate effect on childhood education and a child’s chances at success in school. Statistically, children from families with lower incomes have less developed vocabulary and communication skills than other students and have a harder time concentrating in school.

-1 in 7 children in the United States is growing up in poverty

-40% of children living in poverty aren’t prepared for primary schooling

– Children from low-income families are seven times more likely to drop out of high school than children from affluent families

– Children living in poverty have a higher number of absenteeism because they are more likely to have to work or care for family members

How Children Incorporated is Helping

Children living all over the world need our help to receive an education and have the chance to rise out of the poverty. Children Incorporated works in 20 countries, including the United States, to provide children living in poverty with school supplies, tuition, and other educational resources so they can go to school prepared and ready to learn.

Thanks to our caring donors, Children Incorporated has helped thousands of children in the United States since 1964.

Your support makes all our work to help children receive an education possible.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Sources:

https://www.nassp.org/poverty-and-its-impact-on-students-education/

https://www.insightintodiversity.com/povertys-long-lasting-effects-on-students-education-and-success/

https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/blog/covid-deep-poverty-struggle-education-equity

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/what-is-learning-poverty

https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-education-and-poverty-america

Facts about child poverty in Lebanon

Read more about our affiliated projects

How you can help children in Lebanon

A warm thank you from Traci

A trip to remember

Ready for the summer break

How do I sponsor a child in North Carolina?

How do I sponsor a child in Kentucky?

Renée’s visit

challenges for students at home

Consistency in uncertain times

How do I sponsor a child in Kentucky?

Challenges for Children in India

Our Work in India

How do I sponsor a child in India?

SOURCES:

How Poverty Effects Children’s Education

How Children Incorporated is Helping

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

Sources: