Tag Archives: Children Incorporated

Shelley Callahan | March 30, 2016En Español

Today, Children Incorporated announced the launch of its inaugural blogging series: On the Road. Starting this week, the international child sponsorship organization will take readers on a real-time, virtual journey to actual sites as far as Bolivia and Kenya and close to home as Kentucky.

“We have an extensive volunteer network of trusted educators and child care professionals who are native to the communities they serve. They know the children well and see them often.”

– Ron Carter, CEO
Children Incorporated

“We rely on the support of sponsors and donors to provide the basic essentials to children in need around the globe,” said Children Incorporated president and CEO, Ron Carter. “We want people to see the true impact of their support on the ground.”

Children Incorporated staff will be traveling through Bolivia from March 30-April 8,2016 and Kentucky from April 11-15, 2016. A summary of the project will be presented at an open house at the organization’s new headquarters in Richmond, Virginia on April 28.

In Bolivia, Children Incorporated’s Director of Development, Shelley Callahan, and Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, will live-blog their way from La Paz to Montero, introducing the world to the children they serve and the extensive network of in-country volunteers who administer the program.

The duo is also expected to chime in regularly on social media platforms with insights and images from the experience, including a live-streaming broadcast or two.

The Itinerary

The Kentucky blog series will follow Shelley Callahan and U.S. Project Specialist for U.S. programs, Shelley Oxenham.

Upon their arrival in Montero, they will help inaugurate a school expansion funded by Children Incorporated donors and overseen by architect Roberto Andrade, who was once a Children Incorporated sponsored child himself.

Immediately after her return from Bolivia, Shelley Callahan will hit the road again, this time driving to Kentucky to work with families financially devastated by the coal mining industry’s decline.

The Kentucky blog series will follow her and project specialist for U.S. programs Shelley Oxenham, as well as the family resource coordinators who serve as Children Incorporated volunteers at the schools. Stops are planned in Whitley, Breathitt County, Wolfe County and Jackson County.

Children Incorporated relies on sponsors and donors to provide opportunities to children around the world. For $35 a month, a sponsor can provide food, clothing, healthcare and education to a child in need.

“The day-to-day life in these towns is always a story of triumph over adversity,” said Ron Carter. “We hope the series shines a spotlight on the challenges of childhood poverty and how we can build a better future for children here and abroad.”

Visit www.childrenincorporated.org/ontheroad to follow the journey. Follow Children Incorporated on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for additional updates from the On the Road tour.

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Shelley Callahan | March 21, 2016En Español

Imagine you are a parent and your little boy has had a fever off and on for days now; he is always tired, and his body aches. You think he has malaria. All he needs is medicine, but you are poor and can’t even afford to take him to the doctor — much less get him the medicine he needs to get better. But if he doesn’t get help soon, he could end up having breathing problems for the rest of his life. Or worse, he could die. You are desperate and feel helpless.

Trained professionals run the Dandora Clinic in Kenya.

This is a reality for too many families in and around Kenya’s capital and largest city, Nairobi – but the community clinic at the Dandora Community Center is making a difference. With your help, they can reach even more families, preventing unnecessary health problems, and even death.

Offering services for everyone

Right now, the center looks after the well-being of over 400 kids and counting. Most of its patients have malaria, intestinal parasites, or upper-respiratory infections — or they are pregnant women looking for prenatal care.

The Dandora Community Center wants to offer more health care services, and it has space and the staff with the know-how to do so — but the clinic isn’t in good enough shape. They would like to add family planning, long-term treatment of illnesses, lab services, minor surgeries, and early childhood care to the list of services.

With your help, they can reach even more families, preventing unnecessary health problems, and even death.

In need of more supplies

But they need an estimated $8,000 to make repairs and improvements before these additional services can be offered and they can reach an even wider area. The clinic must buy an autoclave, kits for dressing wounds, a microscope, a machine for testing blood, and a scale for weighing babies. There is plenty of space for the clinic to expand, but the building is in need of repair; the inside needs to be painted, walls need to be redone, and the floor needs tiles.

The location of the Dandora Community Center is also ideal for reaching a large number of people in Nairobi, as it is surrounded by slums, which house more people than less poor areas do.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENYA?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | March 11, 2016En Español

The Pinagpala Feeding Program is a project started by Children Incorporated at the Pinagpala Children’s Center in Tagaytay City, Philippines. In 2000, the center was founded by a local church to provide educational assistance to local children in need. Like Children Incorporated, the Pinagpala Children’s Center operates on the mindset that the cycle of poverty can be broken – and it begins with children.

The Pinagpala Feeding Program

The Children’s Center primarily serves first-through tenth-graders in a small, one-room structure that still belongs to the church that established it over fifteen years ago. In addition to the Pinagpala Feeding Program, the center also offers tutorial assistance and an educational curriculum, including daily group activities and workshops.

Feeding programs in the Philippines help ensure children in our program have nutritious food every day.

Almost half of all Filipinos earn less than $2.00 a day, which limits their access to food, particularly nutritional food. There are 25 children who are currently enrolled in and benefit greatly from Children Incorporated’s Pinagpala Feeding Program, which provides them with a nutritious meal before and after school each day.

Helping children to be their best

Funds raised for the program are used by the Children’s Center to purchase vegetables, meats, grains, and cooking supplies; a contribution of just $15 a month will feed a child two meals daily. Without adequate meals and proper nutrition, children are unable to perform at their best, especially in an academic environment. Hunger can be overwhelming and incredibly distracting – and so can wondering when the next meal will be.

Poor nutrition may also result in malnourishment, which in turn often stunts emotional and psychological growth. With a full belly, children are better able to concentrate in school; they are more alert and are better able to retain information.We have already seen a dramatic difference in the physical growth and overall performances of the children who are enrolled in the Pinagpala Feeding Program.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN THE PHILIPPINES?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | March 3, 2016En Español

Children Incorporated works in collaboration with the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID) in Riad El Solh Beirut, Lebanon.

Among the students who attend this school are many Syrian child refugees who have been hearing-impaired since birth. Their families must face the enormous challenge of adequately accommodating the special needs of a deaf child while fleeing their home country in search of safety.

The need for more sponsors

These refugee households are particularly lacking, since without any support from the Lebanese government because of their immigration status, it is incredibly difficult for them to provide their children with the equipment, care, and nutrition they need to get an education. More child refugees continue to enroll in the Children Incorporated program
at the school, so your support is very desperately needed.

Through our association with the FAID and the generosity of our sponsors and donors, many children are already receiving medical and psychological care, food, speech therapy lessons and clothing. The need is still great for so many others, who, if sponsored, would experience a dramatic positive change in their lives. Without support, the odds against children at FAID will continue to be stunting, and they will miss a chance to overcome insurmountable obstacles.

the high cost of helping children

Powerful hearing aids alone cost between $400 and $600 each, and they are essential for a deaf child to have – especially in school. Hearing today will give these kids the promise of a brighter, more vibrant tomorrow – a tomorrow in which they have the potential to succeed, even as refugees.

Additionally, the school needs a generator, equipment for the science lab for making ear molds, materials for the speech and language departments, and school supplies. The estimated cost of fulfilling all of these needs exceeds $15,000.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN LEBANON?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | February 19, 2016En Español

Children Incorporated’s Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, recently received a report from our affiliate Colegio Vida (Life School) at the Juan Apostol School in Villa Nueva, just outside of Guatemala City. With the help of contributions from our sponsors and donors, 103 high school graduates of the Juan Apostol School graduated in 2015 with Colegio Vida certifications that will help put them on the path to professions with a future.

Cross-culturally, one of the greatest challenges to graduates is the practical application of academic knowledge. With its motto being “An Institution Created to Make a Difference,”Colegio Vida addresses this challenge by offering Computer Repair and Maintenance, Graphic Design, Culinary Arts, and Cosmetology.

From elementary school to high school levels, students interested in Computer Equipment Repair and Maintenance learned a variety of skills, from indentifying parts of a computer to cleaning and maintenance.

Many programs for many kids

Each of these vocational training courses emphasizes personal and academic formation for individual achievement. This training is a requirement for certain types of high school diplomas in the Juan Apostol School. Last year, 50 Computer Science students graduated with Computer Repair and Maintenance certification; 25 Arts and Science students with Graphic Design certification; 13 Tourism graduates with certification in Culinary Arts; and 15 Bilingual Secretary and Administrative students with certification in Cosmetology.

From elementary school to high school levels, students interested in Computer Equipment Repair and Maintenance learned a variety of skills, from identifying parts of a computer to cleaning and maintenance.

Students teaching one another

Students help teach each other skills they have learned.

School staff administered cooking classes which allowed for personnel to spend time with students outside of the scholarly setting. One student assignment was to prepare food for the quinceanera of female students. (The quinceanera is a birthday celebration for girls who are turning fifteen and is considered to be a rite of passage from childhood to womanhood in Latin America.)

Already certified Cosmetology students instructed high school students interested in Cosmetology and the relationship between the two groups proved to be a mutually-beneficial one. The current students received skills training from the graduates, and the graduates were able to practice their trade by instructing the students.

In addition to these programs, Colegio Vida offers a variety of summer courses for children, from cooking lessons to cleaning techniques. All classes focus on following instructions and helping out at home so that these children may take full advantage of their school break.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN GUATEMALA?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | February 16, 2016

Recently, the Children Incorporated staff in North Chesterfield, Virginia welcomed some visitors from Page, Arizona.

Our guests were Elouise Goatson and Evonne Yazzie, the Children Incorporated volunteer coordinators for the Page Unified School District, which includes Page High School, Page Middle School, Desert View Elementary School and Lake View Elementary School. They brought along with them a local parent representative, Stanley John.

The home of some of our sponsored children in Arizona

We were reminded in a very special way of the incredible importance of our sponsors and donors, and what their contributions mean to underprivileged children and families. We were humbled to hear the heartwarming story that Elouise so graciously shared with us that day, tears welling up in her eyes.

Not long ago, Elouise was contacted by a desperate mother of three who was struggling to provide for her kids what is often taken for granted — restful sleep. This family of five was sharing one bed in their tiny and dilapidated home, and the bed had become infested with bed bugs. Elouise contacted Children Incorporated, and our Hope In Action Fund provided new beds and mattresses to all three children.

Due to the urgency of the situation, the merchants at the mattress store provided Elouise and this mother with a huge discount, and Page school employees chipped in to purchase new comforters, blankets, and sheets for each bed. Elouise and her husband purchased new pillows for the family, and they delivered the mattresses to the home themselves.

There are so many children living in poverty, and it is difficult to begin to imagine all the hardships they face as a result. Sometimes, something as simple yet as necessary as restful sleep can get overlooked.

There are so many children living in poverty, and it is difficult to begin to imagine all the hardships they face as a result. Sometimes, something as simple yet as necessary as restful sleep can get overlooked. This is where Children Incorporated’s additional funds come in. The generosity of donors to our Hope In Action Fund has fulfilled such essential yet often forgotten needs.

The three kids are sleeping more soundly now than they have in years; they have more energy, and they are better able to concentrate in school. All of this is thanks to you. Your gifts to our Hope In Action Fund have changed the lives of countless children and have given them hope for a brighter future.

Thank you, sponsors and donors, for making stories like this one a reality, for helping us remember that it only takes one – one gift, one helping hand — to respond to a request for help. Your contributions called a community to action. What so many of us take for granted — restful sleep — is no longer a worry for these three children who have the world at their fingertips — and now, sweet dreams, too.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN Arizona?

You can sponsor a child in Arizona in one of two ways – call our office and speak with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD