Bolivia is a country known for its tumultuous history, dating back decades, in which a series of coups and countercoups have made the country unsafe for residents and tourists alike. And although in more recent times, with a democratic ruling party, Bolivia has seen less civil unrest than previously, the country is still facing problems with violence due to modern-day political interference.
For now, our sponsors help them with school fees, such as funds for books and meals, as even public-school education in Bolivia isn’t always free.
Being smaller in size than the larger Bolivian cities of La Paz and Santa Cruz, Sucre has a feeling of being sheltered from many dangers of the outside world. With its small cobblestone streets, colonial buildings and quaint atmosphere, Sucre is the polar opposite of a major metropolitan city.
Giving families peace of mind
Having been to La Paz and Santa Cruz before on a previous trip with Children Incorporated to Bolivia, Sucre felt manageable and easy to navigate comparably. The city was bustling with families, tourists and students walking around at all times of day and night with an obvious feeling of security that might not be present in a more major city.
And — for families living in poverty, where employment might not offer parents the opportunity to be available to escort their children to school, or be at home when the school day is over — this sense of security is so valuable in giving them peace of mind when they already have to worry about providing for their children on limited incomes.
On our third day in Sucre, Luis and I were scheduled to visit our affiliated site, Colegio Don Bosco, a short walk from our hotel in the city center, where boys and girls from impoverished backgrounds attended school in a large, two-story building with forty classrooms, a dining hall, kitchen, and laboratories for physics, chemistry and computer classes. After taking a tour of the school, we met with our sponsored children as our volunteer coordinator explained to us that the school was very prestigious, and many of the students go to study in universities after graduation.
A well-rounded way to help children in need
For now, our sponsors help them with school fees, such as funds for books and meals, as even public-school education in Bolivia isn’t always free. This support helps to reinforce the feeling of security that these students need to grow up healthy and happy — physically, mentally, and emotionally.
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.
Our volunteer coordinators, Alicia and Marlena, at Eden Elementary School in Kentucky are well aware of just how much our donors do for the children they support. Today, we hear from Alicia and Marlena about the particular projects that Children Incorporated has been able to fund at their school, and how our thoughtful donors are making big changes for families in need as a part of our December 2023 Impact Report.
“We want to give you many thanks for helping us better our community by offering support to those in need.”
An amazing amount of accomplishments
“Nestled in the hills of Appalachia is our school, Eden Elementary. Here, in our small town of Inez, our families are strong, proud and tough. In our area, when coal was king, our citizens and communities flourished. But as our country moves away from the resource that is so abundant in our area, it has left our families to struggle. We lost steady high paying jobs and coal severance tax, both which have impacted our area negatively. It is both an honor and a blessing to help our families make ends meet. Children Incorporated has allowed us to serve our families in a way we would not have been able to otherwise.”
“As we approach the end of the 2023 school year and we look back, it is amazing what we have been able to accomplish with the support of Children Incorporated. One of our pride and joy projects made possible from our Hope In Action grant is ‘Planting Seeds of Hope.’ With this project we are able to supply over 75 families with the knowledge, how-to, and supplies that allow them to grow organic food at home. Gardening increases family involvement as well as encourages self-sufficient skills in growing and home food preservation, skills that can be passed down from generation to generation.”
Alicia is pictured with one of our sponsored children, who is beaming from the gifts she received from her sponsor.
“Another project made possible by our Hope In Action grant is our outside classroom ‘Wildcat Korner.’ We purchased metal outdoor benches, umbrellas and garbage cans to match the metal tables previously purchased. This outdoor classroom supports positive student social interaction and provides a space for hands on activities like the ‘Gaga Ball Game’, which promotes inclusivity, motor skills, and self-perception skills. Our kids love getting to spend time in our Wildcat Korner. It gives them a break from the traditional classroom setting and provides an alternate learning environment.”
“The Bedder Homes Project has continued to fund our families in need with beds, washers, dryers, furniture, etc. This year we have provided a number of beds to our little community, but one family in particular sticks out. Twin boys who are being raised by their aunt were so thankful to receive beds for their room. They are in 6th grade and had been sharing a bed. As you can imagine, these growing boys were thrilled to be able to have their own place to sleep. We also were able to purchase bedding, curtains and a rug to complete their room.”
A huge impact on many lives
“In our area, we have an abundance of grandparents raising their grandkids. Hope In Action allows us to host monthly meetings to bring these grandparents together for support. We provide a meal and share it together; we also involve the grandparents in discussions and games where we give prizes as an incentive to participate. We also highlight resources made available to them that they may not know about. The Spence family in particular, has learned of resources available that truly help their family make ends meet. This is a family of six, and the grandparents are disabled. These programs have been a blessing to this family, as we also have enrolled the Spence children into the Children Incorporated sponsorship program. They have one of the most kind and generous sponsors. He regularly sends large directed funds to this family for health and general needs.”
“The grandmother tells us and writes the sponsor to let him know just how thankful she is, and she honestly does not know how they would make it without his generosity. It truly makes a huge impact in their lives. His sponsorship helps this family buy additional food, cleaning supplies, and other household items. It is so touching to see this family have a better life because of Children Incorporated and this kind sponsor.”
“As part of our Hope In Action grant, we also participate in our ‘Snack Attack’ program. This allows us to provide a consistent food pantry with food items for weekend backpacks or in case of an emergency; it also assists students with snacks during and after school, and is also used for student activities. As you can see, we are forever grateful for Children Incorporated Hope In Action grants. We put all allocated funds to good use to make an impact in our community. We want to give you many thanks for helping us better our community by offering support to those in need.”
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.
December is an important month. For some, it is the end of yet another year, a time to wrap up loose ends and bring matters, personal and professional, to closure. For others, both religious and otherwise, December is the season of advent, of fresh starts, of hope, peace, joy, and love. Sprinkled throughout the month are all sorts of days of special recommendation. For example, December 4th is “Wear Brown Shoes Day,” December 6th is “Bartender Appreciation Day,” and December 13th is “Ice Cream Day.” Of course, the majority of us celebrate Christmas on December 25th.
Children Incorporated, as a business, operates on a fiscal year calendar (July 1 through June 30), so December is definitely not a month of endings for us, though the end of the calendar year is crucial for us as far as contributions go. As our financial supporters bring their annual contributions to an end, we always anticipate the generosity of those wishing to support our work with monetary gifts before the close of the calendar year.
Our Annual Fund is what drives our mission and vision and allows us to plan for the future of our organization — one in which we can help more and more children each and every year.
This year is no different. As always, we need your support and ask that you seriously consider what you may give to help us continue our life-changing work around the world. The needs of those we serve are ever-present and ever-real as children and families struggle with food insecurity and poor nutrition, the high cost of education, a lack of adequate clothing and hygiene items, and sub-par housing and shelter.
We do all that we can with the funds we receive from sponsorship and general contributions, and our honest efforts are recognized by the major charitable monitoring groups — Charity Navigator recently awarded Children Incorporated a score of 99 out of 100! — but the needs always seem to outweigh the dollars collected. This December, we ask for your help once again by considering making a donation to our Annual Fund. Our Annual Fund is what drives our mission and vision and allows us to plan for the future of our organization — one in which we can help more and more children each and every year, while keeping up with meeting the needs of the children we already support.
Yes, December is an important month. I’d like to designate it as “Children Incorporated Thanks Its Incredible Sponsors and Donors Month” and share my gratitude to each of you for allowing our small but dedicated staff and me, personally, to do the work of helping and improving the lives of children and families. You make it all possible. Thank you.
For many families of children in our program, holidays can be a time of stress instead of celebration because money for food or gifts just isn’t available to make Thanksgiving or Christmas special.
Today we hear from our volunteer coordinator, Anne Marie, at Alleghany High School in North Carolina, about how our sponsors are helping to ensure that families have a reason to celebrate Thanksgiving together, all thanks to donations to our Feeding Programs Fund.
“Thank you so much for all that your organization does to feed familes during Thanksgiving!”
A letter from Anne Marie
“Dear Children Incorporated,
I have always been amazed at how much the Children Incorporated sponsors help and support our students. Alleghany County is located in the northwest corner of North Carolina and is very rural. Christmas trees are grown here and shipped all over the world. Alleghany High School has approximately 19.5% of the student body enrolled in the Children Incorporated sponsorship program – over 70 students in total!”
Thanks to our donors, families are receiving full Thanksgiving dinners this holiday season!
“All of our sponsored children have their instructional fees paid and school pictures and yearbooks purchased for them to help out their families. Each year, a few weeks after school starts, each student is allowed to pick out and purchase $100 worth of school gear such as shirts, sweatshirts, pants and hats, and all of our seniors have their cap and gowns paid for with Children Incorporated funds.”
Countless thanks from families in need
“Several years ago, our school noticed a need for the holidays for our families. The last day of school before Thanksgiving break, each staff member signed up to personally deliver meals to our Children Incorporated families. The school also partnered with Food Lion and Lowe’s Hardware. Lowe’s donated cooler bags and Food Lion prepared the bags for us to pick up and deliver. The meals consisted of turkey, ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, rolls and an apple pie. Over the years, we have received countless thank-yous and even tears from our families when they receive the meals. Some families have told us that they did not know what they would have to eat over the holidays otherwise.”
“Thank you so much for all that your organization does to feed families during Thanksgiving!”
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.
We recently received a letter from our volunteer coordinator, James, at the Dandora Center in Nairobi, Kenya, who writes to us to express his gratitude for Hope In Action funds that have allowed him to improve and expand the school, which is all to the great benefit of the children we serve there.
“I look back and appreciate with gratitude how much we have been able to achieve at the center through your support.”
A letter from James
“Dear Children Incorporated,
Receive warm greetings from us all at the Dandora Center, and we hope that this finds you well! The children are fine and getting on well with their daily school activities in this rather short but very busy term. Soon, national examinations and assessments will be setting in, and afterwards, the children will be entering the long December holidays.”
“At this juncture, I look back and appreciate with gratitude how much we have been able to achieve at the center through your support, which has made the environment for the children so conducive to learning.”
“I am glad that the boys’ restroom that I mentioned to you during my last communication is now complete and only needs to be painted. We have now begun constructing the girls’ restroom hoping that it will be complete by the beginning of next year. Upon completion of these restroom blocks, we hope to renovate the current room being used as toilets and convert it to a more spacious computer room that will be able to accommodate all the children with ease.”
“I appreciate the support you gave us to construct the first floor of the new classroom block which is currently being used by the children in the junior secondary school. We hope that next year we can manage to do the final floor and roofing of the block to prepare for ninth grade classrooms. Your love for the children at the center gives us hope as we make this request.”
Finally, it’s my great pleasure to share with you a few photos of the children carrying out different activities together with a few structural developments. We forever remain indebted to you as well as all the Children Incorporated sponsors for all the things you do for children.”
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.
After spending a few days in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, visiting with a few of our affiliated sites in the area, it was time for our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, and myself to take the short trip by plane to Sucre, where Children Incorporated supports seven schools, helping hundreds of children living in poverty every year.
The students beamed with pride as we made our rounds, and Gabriella explained to Luis and me that our donors had purchased the equipment, refrigerators, kitchen tools and utensils necessary for the culinary program to exist.
I had not visited Sucre the last time I traveled to Bolivia in 2016, so I was especially excited to see the town and get a chance to meet with our volunteer coordinators and sponsored children at each of the sites. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre sits at a high elevation, which gives it a nice and cool temperature all year long, which I looked forward to after a few very hot days in Santa Cruz. Beyond the cool climate, Sucre is also recognized as the constitutional capital of the country, and is home to dozens of government run local schools and privately-run language schools for foreign visitors.
But, upon our arrival, before I even had the chance to really get to see Sucre itself, Luis and I ventured about twenty minutes outside of the city on our first day, to the small agricultural community of Yolata. I noticed immediately how incredibly narrow the cobblestone streets were, as we bounced down the road in the taxi. I gazed out the window, realizing just how very quaint the town was, only taking up a dozen or so city blocks in total, which made walking very convenient. Yolata is home to many farmers who struggle to grow enough food to feed their families and sell in markets, as the area is prone to drought throughout the year. This makes it difficult for them to get out of poverty — and makes it even more important that Children Incorporated is able to provide support for children growing up here.
Visiting the school
When we arrived at the front gate of the Santa Rosa School, a small group of children held a hand-made sign which read “Welcome” in Spanish. They were all dressed in traditional Bolivian clothing, ones that looked similar to the outfits we saw at the Montero School, where children had performed dances to celebrate our arrival. Luis and I stepped out of the taxi, and were greeted by our volunteer coordinator, Gabriella, who escorted us inside the school’s compound and into the courtyard, where dozens of children and their parents were seated under a small pavilion. After we were introduced to the group, the students performed songs and dances for us as a way to say “thank you” to their sponsors for all the support they receive throughout the year.
This is a large affiliation for us — 53 children are enrolled in our sponsorship program and, according to Gabriella, many more could use support from a caring sponsor. As we talked in her office after the children’s presentation, she explained that many of the impoverished families in the community didn’t have any plumbing or running water, and they did their best to sell small food items as street vendors in Sucre, but overall making ends meet was hard for them, even if both parents were able to work.
We continued talking as Gabriella led us on a tour of the school, showing us the classrooms for the middle and high school age students, and a new edition to the school that would accommodate younger students in the upcoming year, as more and more children were coming back to school after the pandemic and additional space was needed for them.
A wonderful treat during our visit
As with many of the other schools in Sucre, Gabriella explained, the Santa Rosa School is run by the government, but not funded fully by the government, so Children Incorporated has been a huge help in filling a gap when children’s parents can’t afford school supplies, clothes, food and hygiene items. And, she added, without our donors, they never would have been able to complete the culinary building that she was excited to show to us.
As we turned a corner to enter through a large doorway, to my surprise, we came upon the culinary classroom, which was filled with students in their chef’s uniforms, all lined up around counter tops filled with baked goods they had made for us! As Gabriella introduced us to the students, we had a chance to try Bolivian pastries and cakes that were not only beautiful, but absolutely delicious. The students beamed with pride as we made our rounds, and Gabriella explained to Luis and me that our donors had purchased the equipment, refrigerators, kitchen tools and utensils necessary for the culinary program to exist.
At least at the Santa Rosa School, she knew her children were being provided for.
Visiting homes in Yotala
After we said goodbye to the students, Gabriella wanted to take us to visit a few of the homes of our sponsored children before we returned to Sucre for the evening. We piled into her car and made our way out of the small town and up into the hills, where we first visited a family with two small children in our program, living in a two-room building with electricity and little else. The father told us he makes his own version of yogurt which he sells in the city, but it is a lot of work, and his pay is very low.
Their well-kept house was very bare, and I wondered how they stayed warm at nights when the temperature dropped. There was no means to heat the home, and the concrete walls offered no insulation. Shortly after, we visited another home on the side of a small mountain, where a family of three was living in one small room with no electricity or running water. The mother expressed her gratitude for her children’s sponsors, who took worry away from her while her children were at school receiving an education. At least at the Santa Rosa School, she knew her children were being provided for so they could focus on getting an education, which gave her the peace of mind she really needed.
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.
