Tag Archives: education

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Making sure young people have positive influences around them is crucial to their development.

This is especially true for children coming from difficult circumstances like the orphans and children from impoverished backgrounds living at the Kang Nam Children’s Home in South Korea.

After a visit to the home, our International Director of Programs, Luis Bourdet, reported that the sixty children living at this Children Incorporated affiliated project meet with local university students every week. The college students not only help the kids with their homework but also serve as role models and mentors.

Apart from having more than twenty-six staff members, the local university volunteers spend their free time at the home tutoring and participating in sports activities with the children.

These interactions with caring adults outside of their supervisors and teachers help the children learn valuable life skills and teach them behavior that will prepare them for the outside world once they are grown up.

Kang Nam Children’s Home

Located on the south side of Seoul, the Kang Nam Children’s Home provides orphaned and underprivileged children in this region of South Korea with a safe, nurturing environment, nutritious food and medical care.

Children are often placed in the home after having been through the country’s welfare system. Many of them are coming from broken homes or have only lived in an orphanage, having no living parent. Because of this, many of the children we support have already had very challenging lives considering their young ages.

Thankfully, the administrators of the Kang Nam Children’s Home, with help from our sponsors, make sure the children receive food, clothes, housing and an education.

College students help kids at the Kang Nam Children’s Home with their homework and serve as role models and mentors.

“On top of support from sponsorship funds, the local government provides money to cover staff salaries and building maintenance. The Korean Welfare Foundation also supports the home for any incidental expenses,” says Luis.

The home also has some corporate sponsors and individual local sponsors. Because of all this, Luis reports that the physical buildings in the home are in great shape, and the children are well cared for by many different individuals and groups.

“To further support the children’s psychological development and give them a sense of family life, the facilities have been divided into ‘houses’ where six to nine kids share the house along with a housemother, who is always a university-educated social welfare worker,” continued Luis.

Volunteer to give back to kids

Apart from having more than twenty-six staff members, the local university volunteers spend their free time at the home tutoring and participating in sports activities with the children, helping with psychological evaluations or leading field trips to local parks.

Combined with the knowledge that they have a caring sponsor, the university students and the fantastic staff of the Kang Nam Children’s Home ensure that our sponsored and unsponsored children are surrounded by dozens of encouraging adults who are helping the youth of today grow up to be influencers of tomorrow.

***

How do I sponsor a child in South Korea?

You can sponsor a child in South Korea 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 South Korea that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

We know well that sponsorship support is valuable to children living in poverty both physically and psychologically.

That was especially apparent for our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, while he was visiting the Sung Ae Children’s Home in South Korea.

According to our volunteer coordinator, Ms. Cho, who oversees all of our projects in South Korea, the support received from Children Incorporated sponsors is valuable in many different ways.

While at the home, which is located outside of Korea’s capital of Seoul, Luis found that the support children receive from their sponsors is utilized not only to provide clothing and shoes for them but also for educational needs that government funding does not cover, such as funds for fields trips.

But while there, Luis also found that many of the orphaned children who are living at the Sung Ae Children’s Home are learning for the first time in their lives what it means to be loved and looked after.

Helping children achieve their goals

According to our volunteer coordinator, Ms. Cho, who oversees all of our projects in South Korea, the support received from Children Incorporated sponsors is valuable in many different ways.

“Ms. Cho indicated that our partnership is significant not only in its financial aspect, but in its psychological effect on children as well. The orphans appreciate that people from far away and unknown to them can help them achieve their goals,” said Luis.

That caring love from sponsors goes a long way in encouraging children to do their best, especially for children who do not have parents of their own to encourage them. 

The Sung Ae Children’s Home

Like many South Korean orphanages, the Sung Ae Children’s Home traces its origin to efforts to address the postwar crisis after World II.

Caring love from sponsors goes a long way in encouraging children to do their best as they grow.

The home is in the suburban town of Incheon, just 30 miles from Seoul, where orphaned, underprivileged children in the region are provided with a safe, nurturing home, nutritious food and medical care.  

The home serves children ranging in ages from four to eighteen. The home itself consists of large, attractive dormitories, offices, an auditorium, a dining hall and a kitchen.

“Many of the buildings are new, updated only a few years ago,” said Luis. “I was very pleased to see the government had funded the updates so that the children have a beautiful home to live in.”

While living at the Sung Ae Children’s Home, sponsored and unsponsored children attend local public schools, where they receive instruction in core academic subjects and rudimentary English. Children receive three nutritious meals each day, with kimchi (the peppery cabbage-based staple of the Korean diet) occupying a prominent place on the table.

Working hard and having fun

In addition to rigorous schooling and education-related activities, the children perform a variety of assigned chores at the home, but they also get to have fun.

It is the priority of the administrators of the home to make sure that the children grow up in the safest places possible where they are encouraged to succeed and continuously feel loved and looked after until they reach adulthood.

Recreational activities in the afternoon and on weekends include flying kites and playing sports like soccer and volleyball. Field trips into Seoul are a special treat, where the children get to visit parks, shrines and museums. Picnics are also popular.

Protecting Children

According to Luis, Children Incorporated currently sponsors 19 of the 58 children living at the home.

In addition to assistance from our program, the home also receives a large amount of help from the Korean government, which covers costs such as housing and educational expenses to make sure the children have everything they need.

While Luis met with Ms. Cho, she expressed to him that the home overtly emphasized the protection of the children. Because they do not have a family of their own to protect them, she makes sure they are safeguarded from any harm at all times. It is the priority of the administrators of the home to make sure that the children grow up in the safest places possible where they are encouraged to succeed and continuously feel loved and looked after until they reach adulthood.

***

How do I sponsor a child in South Korea?

You can sponsor a child in South Korea 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 South Korea that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

The Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf, or FAID, is one of the few schools in Lebanon that provide an education to hearing-impaired children. A long-time Children Incorporated affiliated project, FAID supports about 100 students every day, many of them refugee children from neighboring countries – primarily Syria.

FAID’s mission:

 To act as a caring institute for the deaf and hard of hearing, which reflects a healthy balance of academic goals and building self-esteem, self-awareness, and life skills.

During a trip to Beirut, Lebanon, our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, visited FAID and met with our Volunteer Coordinator Ms. Shawish. She explained to Luis that the most challenging aspect of her job is that the school receives less and less support from the Lebanese government each year. Yet every year, the need to help more and more children continues to increase. Currently, the school’s funding comes from various local and foreign partners, including Children Incorporated. Our sponsors help to support over sixty students at FAID alone.

A history of FAID 

FAID was founded in 1957 by Anglican clergyman Reverend Dr. Arie J. Andeweg. Reverend Dr. Andeweg, known as “the father of deaf people in Lebanon,” first started his work in 1956 by meeting with deaf adults at local coffee houses in Beirut. He was soon able to communicate with them and decided to establish a club for the deaf so that they could meet on a regular basis. In 1957, with younger deaf children in mind, he founded FAID. Today, FAID is one of the most prominent education centers for the deaf in the Middle East. 

 A leading comprehensive center

Sponsor a child in Lebanon to change their life for the better

Many deaf and hearing-impaired students at FAID could still use the help of a caring sponsor.

FAID provides an education to children from preschool to high school, ages three through eighteen. There, they learn to develop language to support memory and learning, achieve their academic and vocational potential, develop tools for safety and confidence in the modern world, create happy memories of their childhood and lasting friendships, and have a place to be healthy and resilient both physically and emotionally.

While in attendance at the school, students learn the Lebanese national curriculum and sign language. They are provided with much-needed audiology services, including supplies of hearing aids, hearing aid batteries, and ear molds; hearing tests; and hearing aid maintenance. The children also attend speech therapy sessions twice a week; auditory training with methodologies for listening and learning to hear; and they receive psychological and emotional support.

Enabling kids to reach their full potential

While they were meeting, Ms. Shawish explained to Luis that the aim of FAID is for every child and young person that attends to develop into the best possible version of themselves. She stated that the earlier hearing loss occurs in a child’s life, the more serious the effects can be on the child’s development. Similarly, the earlier a problem is identified and intervention begins, the less serious the ultimate impact is likely to be. 

While in attendance at the school, students learn the Lebanese national curriculum and sign language. They are provided with much-needed audiology services, including supplies of hearing aids, hearing aid batteries, and ear molds; hearing tests; and hearing aid maintenance.

As they toured the school and met with some of our sponsored children, Ms. Shawish told Luis that because of the special circumstances that the children are in — especially the older refugee children who attend the school — FAID has created group classes to meet the needs of the students who had never been to a specialized school.

The school also offers a theater class. Ms. Shawish feels that drama is an important tool for preparing students to live and work in a world that is increasingly team-oriented rather than hierarchical. Drama classes also help students develop tolerance and empathy.

Looking towards the future

Although having enough funding to provide for all the needs of the children is an issue, Ms. Shawish is confident that the school will continue to grow and add new programs. She talked with Luis about how FAID is piloting an outreach program among the Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon and the Lebanese community in order to raise awareness regarding deafness and the importance of education for those affected. Ms. Shawish is also hopeful that she will find a means to offer assistance to students who want to continue on to universities or technical schools once they graduate.

Before Luis left, Ms. Shawish assured him that without Children Incorporated’s support, the school, which is incredibly valuable to so many children, would not survive. She also mentioned that there are many deaf and hearing-impaired students at the school who could still use the help of a caring sponsor to ensure that they are equipped to fully participate in the world around them.

***

HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN LEBANON?

You can sponsor a child in Lebanon 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 Lebanon who is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

After many years of not being able to visit Lebanon and South Korea, where we support hundreds of children through our sponsorship program, our International Programs Director, Luis Bourdet, was finally able to visit both countries at the end of last year.

Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing stories about Luis’ visits to our projects in Lebanon and South Korea.

“In recent years, great turmoil and many political issues have created instability in countries neighboring Lebanon and South Korea. As a result, previous plans to visit the two countries have had to be postponed,” said Luis.

“Thankfully, last year it became safe enough for me to travel to both countries to see first-hand the positive effects that our sponsors are having on impoverished children.”

Our affiliated projects

sponsor a child in lebanon

In Lebanon, Children Incorporated is affiliated with three projects.

In Lebanon, Children Incorporated is affiliated with three projects: The Armenian Evangelical Schools (AES) and the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID), both located in the country’s capital, Beirut; and the Armenian Evangelical Secondary School in the small city of Anjar.

We have a large number of projects in South Korea – eighteen in total, all of which are homes for orphaned children. Our affiliated sites are located all over South Korea, including in the cities of Seoul, Busan, Iksan, Daegu, and Gwangju. Thanks to the help of our Korean Volunteer Coordinator, Ms. Soung Ok Cho, who oversees all of our projects in the country, we are able to work with so many homes.

“Since most of the homes are located in cities with large populations of more than 1.6 million people, and they are far away from one another, it would be truly difficult to coordinate and visit sites on a regular basis without the help of Ms. Cho,” Luis stated.

A Brief history of Lebanon

Located in Western Asia, Lebanon borders with Syria to the north and east, and with Israel to the south. Cyprus is west of it, across the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the country’s location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland, Lebanon has a rich history and cultural identity evincing the influence of such illustrious civilizations as the Greek, Roman, Arab, Ottoman Turk, and French.

However, Lebanon’s wealth of diversity has also contributed to its turbulent history. Lebanon continues to suffer the repercussions of a history riddled with wars – both civil and international. Unemployment, underemployment, and the ever-present threat of war are tragic realities there. These are, perhaps, most pronounced in Beirut. Settled over 5,000 years ago, this historic city is Lebanon’s largest and primary seaport, but it is also afflicted with dire poverty and its subsequent socioeconomic effects.

About South Korea

Comprising the lower half of a mountainous peninsula in East Asia, this populous nation, with a population density ten times higher than the global average, is today renowned for its future-oriented advancements in technology.

Although it emerged as an autonomous country in the aftermath of World War II, more than half a century after the Korean Armistice Agreement, South Korea is still haunted by the ghosts of its turbulent past. The Korean War, from 1950 to 1953, devastated South Korea, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives – both military and civilian – and leaving thousands of children orphaned. As a result, a number of orphanages were constructed – orphanages that now house children enrolled in our sponsorship program, ensuring that they have the resources they need to go to school.

More stories to come

Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing stories about Luis’ visits to our projects in Lebanon and South Korea. Seeing these two diverse countries through his eyes, we hope you will catch a glimpse of how – thanks to our affiliated projects, volunteer coordinators, sponsors, and donors – we are able to make a huge a difference in the lives of children in need.

“Children Incorporated support is essential in these countries for the purchase of clothing, food, and shoes, so that children living in poverty can attend school,” said Luis.

***

HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN LEBANON OR SOUTH KOREA?

You can sponsor a child in Lebanon or South Korea 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 donation portal, create an account, and search for a child in Lebanon or South Korea that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Our President and Chief Executive Officer, Ron Carter, recently accepted a generous contribution in the amount of $1,000 from the employees of ADUSA Food Lion Distribution Center in Disputanta, Virginia.

The funds will go toward supporting the Children Incorporated International Feeding Programs, wherein children and their families receive healthy and nutritious meals and food assistance.

Introducing ADUSA

Food Lion Associates supporting Children Incorporated through t-shirt and food sales

ADUSA Food Lion Distribution Center is the only distribution center for Food Lion Grocery Stores in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The facility, which employs approximately 600 associates, serves nearly 200 stores across Virginia as well as a few select locations in North Carolina.

In June of 2018, a group of the associates from the distribution center formed the charitable unit of ADUSA Food Lion Distribution Center with the goal of giving back to organizations they see as having positive impacts on children and families.

Helping kids in need

To raise money for this purpose, the staff of ADUSA sells lunches to its associates every Thursday and occasionally sells T-shirts and other items. All profits are set aside for charitable purposes. In the first year of the program, ADUSA supported an organization that helps children who are struggling with cancer. Children Incorporated is the second aid organization to receive a $1,000 gift from ADUSA.

According to Ms.Rojas, after finding out about Children Incorporated, she felt it was a natural choice for her and her associates to make.

Ms. Orquidea Rojas, the Engagement and Communications Coordinator with ADUSA Food Lion Distribution Center, explained that when it was time to select a recipient organization for the 2019 gift, she did a great deal of research to find a charity with a proven record of making a difference and changing the lives of children for the better.

According to Ms. Rojas, after finding out about Children Incorporated, she felt it was a natural choice for her and her associates to make.

About our International Feeding Program

The purpose of our International Feeding Programs Fund is to feed children who would otherwise go hungry so that they can be alert at school and ready to learn. The fund supports programs in the Philippines, Kenya and Ethiopia to buy grains, meats, vegetables and cooking supplies. Every year, Children Incorporated provides meals for thousands of kids.

We are very grateful for the generous donation from all of the associates at the ADUSA Food Lion Distribution Center. Thank you for your support of children in need!

***

How do I donate to Children Incorporated’s International Feeding Program?

You can donate to our International Feeding Program 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 donation portal and donate to our International Feeding Program via on secure online donation process.

DONATE

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Prior to the summer of 2017, Children Incorporated had yet not worked in Puerto Rico.

Over the years our President and CEO Ron Carter has been asked by supporters of our organization if we were considering expanding our programs to include sponsorship in Puerto Rico. But because we didn’t have a partnering organization on the island to connect with, we weren’t able to.

Then Hurricane Maria hit.

In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria ravaged much of Puerto Rico. In the wake of the storm, the U.S. territory’s governor estimated the damage from the storm at more than $8 billion.

Incredible damage done

In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria ravaged much of Puerto Rico. In the wake of the storm, the U.S. territory’s governor estimated the damage from the storm at more than $8 billion. Approximately 80 percent of the island’s agriculture was lost due to the hurricane. Eighteen million coffee trees were destroyed.

The hurricane decimated the island’s power grid, leaving all 3.4 million residents without electricity. Local authorities predicted that it would take four to six months to restore power to all of Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, as of February 2019, a year and a half later, there are still remote areas of the island where families don’t have electricity.

Today, thousands of homes in Puerto Rico have not yet been repaired, including those that had a complete loss of their roofs in the aftermath of the storm. Those families rely on blue tarps provided by FEMA to protect them from the weather.

Relief arrives in Puerto Rico

In the months following the hurricane, many relief agencies and organizations began to work in Puerto Rico, helping to rebuild and restore the lives of those affected by the damage done.

Help us rebuild homes in Puerto Rico.

Today, thousands of homes in Puerto Rico have not yet been repaired.

One such group was a team of volunteers from Grace Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. In February 2018, nine volunteers from the church’s congregation traveled to Carolina, Puerto Rico, a township just outside of San Juan. When they arrived, they worked under the guidance of Pastor Jesus Garcia, the head of the Iglesia Bautista de Metropol, to help repair houses.

One month after they returned from their trip, Mr. Carter attended a forum at Grace Baptist Church where he heard from the congregation’s volunteers about their rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico. Their stories deeply moved Mr. Carter. He immediately contacted Pastor Garcia to learn ways in which Children Incorporated could get involved.

Our Hope In Action Fund

In June of 2018, Children Incorporated sent an initial contribution of $10,000 to Puerto Rico, thanks to our Hope In Action Fund, to help with rebuilding efforts in and around San Juan in conjunction with Pastor Garcia.

Much to Mr. Carter’s delight, the funds were used in diverse ways beyond just repairing homes — personal belongings were also replaced, and food was provided to many children and families. It was apparent to Mr. Carter that Pastor Garcia was a great leader and very well connected to the needs of his community.

Providing a helping hand

In February 2019, Mr. Carter got personally involved with Pastor Garcia’s work in Puerto Rico. Along with another group of volunteers from Grace Baptist Church, he participated in a home rebuilding and re-roofing project near the Iglesia Bautista de Metropol.

Mr. Carter also spent time with Pastor Garcia discussing possible ways that Children Incorporated could provide additional aid, especially for children whose families were still recovering from the hurricane.

As we help those who are recovering from a natural disaster, we not only hope to support them in mending their lives, but we also hope to help families and communities come back stronger and more connected than ever.

When they met in person, Pastor Garcia presented the perfect opportunity to Mr. Carter. He explained that the grounds around his church are spacious and fenced in. The property is also under regular adult supervision to keep children attending the church safe.

For this reason, the churchyard has become a gathering place for kids in the community to play even when the church is not open. Pastor Garcia expressed to Mr. Carter that he would love to raise funds for the constitution of a proper playground on the bare church grounds.

More projects in the works

As they continued their conversation, Mr. Carter and Pastor Garcia also discussed the possibility of starting a child sponsorship program in Puerto Rico.

Additionally, Pastor Garcia presented an opportunity for Children Incorporated to work with a home for physically and emotionally handicapped adults in San Juan. Mr. Carter visited the center with Pastor Garcia before his trip ended and saw an obvious need for support.

When Mr. Carter returned to our office in Virginia, he immediately approved funding for Pastor Garcia’s playground.

Over the next months, we look forward to updating our supporters and donors on our continued work in Puerto Rico. As we help those who are recovering from a natural disaster, we not only hope to support them in mending their lives, but we also hope to help families and communities come back stronger and more connected than ever.

***

How do I get involved in helping children in Puerto Rico?

You can get involved with our work in Puerto Rico by contacting our office. Call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.