Tag Archives: education

Shelley Callahan | September 13, 2016En Español

In 1964, Jeanne Clarke Wood traveled to Guatemala and met 95 impoverished children, all struggling bravely through the harshest of circumstances. She founded Children Incorporated so that she could make an impact on those who need help the most — poor, often abandoned or orphaned children in countries without government services to provide even the basic necessities of life.

The organization now supports eight separate programs in Guatemala, which Children Incorporated’s Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, visits often. The rampant poverty in his native country is difficult to witness. While Guatemala attempts to clean up corruption within the government, many organizations have to go without funding, which means the citizens have to go without the services that the organizations provide.

Luis watches as a student practices her cosmetology skills on another student.

This year, a massive drought will deprive 1.5 million of basic staples, further slowing the government’s efforts to turn their economy around.

Songs in the key of hope

Luis finds his hope in the schools and programs he visits, where volunteers and donations from global organizations like Children Incorporated have, over the years, transformed the lives of hundreds of children. One school in particular, Juan Apostol School in Guatemala City, brings hope, strength, and inspiration to children in a very specific way. Though its students come from the heart of the Guatemala City slums, they make up one of the country’s best and brightest school bands.

Our Volunteer Coordinator, Tita, had to convince Luis that supporting the band was in line with Children Incorporated’s mission. As she spoke, it became clearer to him that the band was a unique academic motivator for Juan Apostol’s children. To participate in the band, you have to be an A student. And this isn’t some side project — the 85-student band and its two smaller bands of 45 and 30 are the school’s pride and joy. It’s by design — the coordinators understood that the band had to be something truly special to get these kids’ attention.

One school in particular, Juan Apostol School in Guatemala City, brings hope, strength, and inspiration to children in a very specific way.

Not only do the band members learn creative expression through music, but they also learn how to function as part of a very close-knit team, both musically and practically. The students and their parents have to raise funds for every trumpet, every drum, and every trip they take. The result is a group of families that are truly invested. “Every student wants to be in the band,” says Luis. “It’s just incredible.”

“They’re taught responsibility, coordination, administration, and they have to be good academically,” he continues. “So I thought we needed to support that.”

This year, Children Incorporated delivered enough brand-new instruments to replace a large percentage of Juan Apostol’s. Luis was able to attend a student performance as they blew their new trumpets and beat their new drums. He remembers feeling the children’s excitement as it grew and grew. “This is not a school that has a lot of money, and seeing those 85 kids playing felt like 20,000, all so proud of what they’re doing and showing that.”

Hands-on training now for a better tomorrow

Along with helping with the school’s band, which travels all over the region, Children Incorporated assisted in implementing a skills training program at Juan Apostol. Participating children train for more than a year in computers, graphic design, or even cosmetology, and when they’re finished, they receive a certificate from the government. So not only are Juan Apostol graduates earning a step up because of academic training, but they’re also going out into the world with skills they can use to do meaningful work. The program’s effectiveness has grown with its popularity, and now almost every child gets to participate.

It’s innovative programs like these that help children distance themselves from the challenges they face at home. Guatemalan children are often pressured into the drug trade or have to find legitimate work to help their families. Making sure that both students and parents understand the value of learning the skills taught in band or the skills training program, and keeping the process engaging for all shows these children, and their families, a glimpse of a better life.

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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 Guatemala that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | September 6, 2016En Español

Most parents are familiar with the ubiquitous school-supply shopping list: two boxes of crayons, nine jumbo pink erasers, 47 glue sticks, one box of tissues, three boxes of markers.

But when your children run out of pencils halfway through the year, you just buy more. When the backpack inevitably falls apart by January, you buy a new one.

One of our sponsored children creates a thank-you card for his sponsor.

In Eastern Kentucky, few have that luxury. As we hand out school supplies for Children Incorporated’s back-to-school program, we’re faced with a distressing reality — these are the only school supplies most of these children will get this year.

If the backpack breaks, there won’t be another one. If they outgrow the shoes, they’ll wear too-tight shoes until (hopefully) they get another pair next September. If they run out of tampons, deodorant, toothpaste.

All of those hygiene items are necessary too for middle-schoolers and teenagers. For the youngest school children, it’s pants, leggings, and underwear for when they come to school lacking those items or in need of new ones.

Hand-me-downs

The extra clothes aren’t always new, of course. Almost nothing here is new except for what comes from Children Incorporated. School resource coordinators and guidance counselors collect hand-me-downs from the community — but in most of the schools here, Children Incorporated is the only major benefactor.

Over the last 15 years, we’ve put between $125,000 and $150,000 into each school in Kentucky that we affiliate with, and tough reality is that it’s never enough. For every child we give a bag of brand new school supplies, there’s another in the same classroom who gets nothing.

Back-to-school season is somewhat like Christmas here. It’s the time of year when donors shower kids with new shoes, clothes, notebooks, backpacks, pens, pencils, and markers. But for children not enrolled in our program, there won’t be much left and the school resource coordinators will be scrounging in their supply closets for a hand-me-down pair of shoes to trade for the too-small ones they’re wearing.

Middle school is the age when they start to realize the truth about why they don’t get new clothes or school supplies when other kids do.

The luckiest children have ongoing sponsors who keep them supplied. James, a fifth-grader at one of our affiliate schools, gets clothes, school supplies and stuffed animals from his sponsor, Vicki. He told us that Vicki sends him letters asking for what he wants and then sends him gifts. He’s a happy kid who wants to be a farmer and who loves his animals — especially his pig, which he mimics for us.

Fortunately, James and the other sponsored children have received funds from Children Incorporated through the years, and they need it badly. Of the 350 or so children enrolled here now, many more would qualify to receive help from Children Incorporated.

Bad times at home

One of the kids who is getting help is Brian, who lives with his five siblings. His stepfather is in jail and his mother is in rehab, so their grandmother takes care of them. Brian knows where his parents are but doesn’t seem to get yet that the reason he’s in worn-out clothes and never has quite enough to eat is because his parents didn’t come through for him.

Over at Morgan County Middle School, resource coordinator Donna told us that the elementary children generally don’t understand that yet.

“Middle school is the age when they start to realize the truth about why they don’t get new clothes or school supplies when other kids do — because the reality is their family doesn’t have the money, maybe because their mom and dad bought alcohol or something else,” she said.

Two of the kids that Donna helps are Billy and Dennis. The two boys had been living in a small trailer with six adults, but then their parents divorced, and their father was killed in a car crash. Now, they live in a trailer with their mom. The family is living on food stamps, which keeps them fed but doesn’t cover the bills or clothes, hygiene items or school supplies.

What they and most of these kids need, Donna said, isn’t just physical help but emotional support. They need to be told that they’re doing well and trying hard and that they can succeed — it’s not something they often hear at home.

For many of these kids, school is the safest place to be and the place where they are ensured a full meal and attentive adults who are devoted to their wellbeing.

“I am always ready for school to start back after the summer because I worry about these children when they are not in school,” Donna said. “A lot of them don’t have a safe place to be.”

For the holidays and weekends, Children Incorporated students get food packs to take home with them — cans of SpaghettiOs, chicken noodle soup and other easy-to-make foods to ensure they’re getting fed something.

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

And yet even here, there is a way out.

At Morgan County High School, as many as 70 percent of the 600 students may go on to some type of higher education.

“I am always ready for school to start back after the summer because I worry about these children when they are not in school,” Donna said. “A lot of them don’t have a safe place to be.”

Caroline is one of them. A junior at Morgan County High, she’s already getting nursing certifications and is planning to finish her nursing education at Pikesville University after she graduates. Caroline’s coordinator said her home situation is bad but that Caroline’s determination and the Children Incorporated clothes and supplies she’s been receiving over the years have enabled her to always look good and walk with confidence.

Another one is Barrett, who’s had the same Children Incorporated sponsor since he was in kindergarten. He’s a senior now, and he’s hoping to go to college to study computers or engineering and to one day move to Lexington and buy a house and a truck. It could very well happen — his older sister is already in college at nearby Morehead State.

He’ll finish school in June and be off to college, leaving a spot open for another Children Incorporated child. For every child we send off successfully, there’s another one waiting for help.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

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

DONATE TO OUR BACK TO SCHOOL FUND

Shelley Callahan | September 1, 2016En Español

Eastern Kentucky is a hotbed of hand-me-downs. We do a lot of work in the region, and this time, we’re here to drop off school supplies and check on the children as they begin the new school year. The thing I’ve noticed most is that children here have nothing new – unless it’s something we just handed them.

When you’re handing out school supplies to children whose parents couldn’t provide them, there are a lot of difficult moments, as well as poignant ones. As they come to the resource centers to collect their things, it’s the children’s clothing that jumps out from a distance. Pants are too short, shoes are too tight, hems are frayed and holes are apparent – they’re wearing clothes they’ve outgrown that have clearly been handed down one too many times already.

Finding style on a budget of $0

But they’re trying hard. Children with too-short jeans and missing buttons have obviously spent time and effort styling their hair just right, and they’ve got all the mannerisms and body language of their peers on TV. They’re doing their best to be normal, cool and style-conscious even when there’s no one at home to help them do it.

But all of that cool falls apart in the face of a new backpack.

The three sisters

At one of our affiliate elementary schools, volunteer coordinator, Kim, introduced us to three sisters who live with their father. Becky and Amber are 10-year-old twins, and Jordan is 8 years old. Their father hadn’t provided any school supplies, so Kim showed them to her supply closet, which she’s stocked with items from Children Incorporated and a few local donors.

Becky trying to decide which bookbag she wants to take

Inside the closet, the girls were overwhelmed. It’s not that there was so much — it’s that there was anything at all. The sisters had clearly never been given the chance to pick out something for themselves — ever.

Amber and Jordan managed it fairly well — they viewed the selection and honed in on the backpacks they wanted.

Becky, however, was a different matter. She kept staring, picking up one and then another, paralyzed by having any options at all. Eventually, we had to encourage her to choose so she could get back to class, and she finally walked out with her favorite.

For days, I’ve been picturing her face, staring in stupefaction and trying to comprehend the message: “You have a choice. You can pick the one you want. And it’s new – not someone else’s reject. You can pick out the brand-new backpack that you like the best.”

What an amazing and terrifying thought for a 10-year-old who’s never been told anything of the sort before. And what a heartbreaking and yet touching moment to witness – at the age of 10, she’s offered the chance to pick something and it’s a brand-new something. It’s taken 10 years for that to happen.

Something old, something new

That’s a moment we ended up witnessing over and over again on this trip, watching the faces of children being presented with new shoes, new backpacks, new magic markers – and often even a choice in which ones they wanted.

In many towns where we work, Children Incorporated isn’t the only major benefactor. But in eastern Kentucky, we are. Children Incorporated has donated $125,000 to 150,000 in supplies to each school here since we started, and for most of these children, the only new items they’ll ever see come from our sponsors.

“You have a choice. You can pick the one you want. And it’s new – not someone else’s reject. You can pick out the brand-new backpack that you like the best.”

And that doesn’t cover all of them. Our volunteer coordinators estimate that 80 to 90 percent of students at each school could qualify for help. But there isn’t enough help to go around, so every year we have children like Amber, Becky and Jordan who are getting support for the very first time.

We’ve seen a lot of moments when children first realized they were being gifted something brand new. But it’s Becky who stands out in my mind. She’s had that backpack for more than a week, and I have no doubt it’s the best thing she’s ever been given — not just the backpack, but also the freedom of choice.

What’s in your backpack?

It’s not the backpack – it’s the ownership, the agency and the knowledge that you’re good enough for something of your own and not just what no one else wants.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

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

Shelley Callahan | August 25, 2016En Español

“Back to school” is a phrase that, to many of us, conjures up images of shopping for a new pair of jeans or a new backpack, and getting as much as we can out of the last days of summer. To retailers, it means a jump in consumer spending on clothes and supplies.

But for the 15 million children living in poverty in the United States, the phrase “back to school” is just another reminder of how challenging it is to have their basic needs met.

But for the 15 million children living in poverty in the United States, the phrase “back to school” is just another reminder of how challenging it is to have their basic needs met. Children Incorporated’s Director of U.S. Programs, Renee Kube, knows these challenges all too well. She and her team are about to leave for Eastern Kentucky to deliver school supplies to a number of communities there, something she’s done more times than she can remember during her 20-year tenure in this position.

In the past 10 years, the cost of school supplies and extracurricular activities has gone up 88% for elementary schools, 81% for middle schools, and 68% for high schools, according to a report by Communities in Schools in partnership with Huntington Bank. In Eastern Kentucky, where poverty spreads as coal mines continue to close, this uptick has turned a difficult situation into an almost impossible one.

“What if you don’t have that warm coat that you need to wait for the school bus,” says Renée. “Or if you don’t have the shoes you need because you’re sharing them with your brother, and it’s his turn to go to school that day. If you don’t have the supplies you need, then you’re not as apt to do your homework or classwork. These are real, significant, actual barriers.”

A little can do so much

Though backpacks, paper, pencils, glue sticks, crayons, colored pencils, weather-appropriate clothing and shoes don’t seem like much, these items play a huge part in supporting a generation’s future. “They promote attendance and build self-esteem,” says Renée. “Kids who are in our program are some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our communities.”

An amount as small as $25 would go a long way towards getting a child the supplies they need. The volunteer coordinators have made it their mission to be as savvy at stretching a dollar as they possibly can. And the reaction from the kids is something Renée wishes every donor could see personally.

“I love what I do,” she remarks with much enthusiasm. “The highlight is definitely going out to the communities and meeting the kids.” From younger students who want to know everything about their sponsors to teenagers who take a little while to open up about their hopes and dreams, Renée can see so easily how these children are affected, just by knowing somebody cares for their future.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | August 16, 2016En Español

The glamour of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio is a day’s drive away from Uberaba. But, to the children who live in this small neighborhood on the outskirts of Curitiba in dilapidated shacks on unpaved roads, the Olympics might as well be on another planet.

Children Incorporated sponsors five separate projects in Brazil, helping 170 kids gain access to necessities and opportunity. While each program has a place in Andreia Beraldo’s heart, it’s Recanto Esperanca in Uberaba that has left the most lasting impression.

Andreia is Children Incorporated’s Project Specialist for International Programs, and the first time she saw the center, which now serves 64 children, the building barely had a second floor. Two years later, she could barely recognize the place. With three floors, which includes a gymnasium, Recanto Esperanca is by far the nicest and most solid structure in the neighborhood, Beraldo says.

“Both times I went there,” says Beraldo. “You can see the children are so happy. Even the volunteers shared that they didn’t like going back home because they were so happy to be there. Some of them even wished they could come back for the weekend, because it’s so nice and safe and clean.”

Far from home, one couple shares a vision

But of course, the building is only the gathering place — the real Recanto Esperanca is the people behind it, namely Erika and Thomas Bleiker. The two relocated to Brazil from Switzerland on a mission to do what they could to help impoverished children.

Like many poor areas in Brazil, Uberaba presents challenges to its residents. The drug trade thrives here, and children, most of whom are left alone while parents try to earn a living, are especially vulnerable to negative influences. Abuse and violence are an ever-present danger, as are contagious diseases like dengue and zika, and children struggle to stay healthy.

In 2004, the Bleikers built their center around the idea that the neighborhood could be changed by fostering a sense of pride and self-worth in its children. Recanto Esperanca provides a safe space, where kids can sharpen their minds, participate in recreational activities, build ties with their neighbors, and just play. Before or after school, children busy themselves with computer skills training, sports, art, religious classes, or drama classes.

This summer, the theme is all about the Olympics — practicing new sports and learning more about the countries that are taking part.

The legacy of support

“Both times I went there,” says Beraldo. “You can see the children are so happy. Even the volunteers shared that they didn’t like going back home because they were so happy to be there. Some of them even wished they could come back for the weekend, because it’s so nice and safe and clean.”

Though children are the focus, the Bleikers want Recanto Esperanca to engage parents as well, to support the entire family. The neighborhood mothers also find themselves at the center, learning new skills, like art, jewelry-making, and more. With this beautiful handmade jewelry as a testament to the impact of Recanto, Thomas and Erika Bleiker have been successful in raising funds from all over the world.

Children Incorporated was struck by the dedication of Recanto Esperanca’s founders and the impact it was all clearly making on the children. It decided to sponsor children in the program, donating shoes, clothes, school supplies, cleaning products, and even food. These basic resources are not easily accessible for many of Uberaba’s children and teenagers, but Children Incorporated was able to work with Recanto to improve the lives of 59 of them.

Beraldo imagines a near future for Recanto that involves a trained teacher to help with tutoring in the way that a similar hire kicked another center, Caritas, into high gear. She’s already seen that Recanto’s children, who range from six-year-olds to older teenagers, flourish as part of a supportive community, and she knows that more opportunities for academic study will only motivate these kids more.

And something Uberaba greatly needs is educated adults forming a community that looks out for each other. As these children grow up practicing the Swiss sport of floorball, putting on a play with their peers, or learning that someone cares enough to give them some help with their homework, they’re collecting the tools they need to rise out of poverty, perhaps bringing their community along with them.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN BRAZIL?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | August 10, 2016En Español

When I boarded the plane to Africa, I thought I knew at least a little about what to expect. My experiences in Bolivia and Kentucky had shown me how impactful our programs could be on the lives of children in poverty, the poverty in Ethiopia and Kenya far surpassed what I ever could have imagined.

I returned knowing so much more about what children need to thrive—not just food and shelter, but education, respect, identity, and opportunity.

The Rainbow Amid the Addis Ababa Slums

I now find myself wishing there was a way to really give people at home an idea of what it’s like in some of the city slums in Ethiopia. Words and even photos only paint some of the picture — the eight-by-ten-foot homes with no windows or floor, the constant hunger, the desperation. But with that picture I’d want to show how even a small school,which so many Americans take for granted,can change the course of a child’s life.

Words and even photos only paint some of the picture—the eight-by-ten-foot homes with no windows or floor, the constant hunger, the desperation.

The Rainbow Center, one of Children Incorporated’s volunteer partners, showed me the benefits of providing an education to children like Luele and Abel. Fasika, the program’s manager, coordinates volunteers to provide not just tuition but uniforms and supplies, following it up with personal visits and support. While their parents are busy earning money to pay for their exorbitant rent, it means the world to these kids to have someone personally invested in their well-being.

Growing a future in Shashamane

Even when thinking about the burdens placed on shoulders so small, it’s hard not to smile when I remember how delighted the children of Shashamane were to see their faces on my iPad screen. Their rural lives are easier in some ways than their urban counterparts, but in others, the poverty has hit harder. Families tend to have more room to breathe out here, but transportation is difficult with less infrastructure and more land to traverse.

We spoke with Bisrat Sime, who oversees Kids Hope, about how Children Incorporated can help with the most basic need —food. Our 17 sponsored children in the program receive tuition, uniforms, supplies, and transportation to school, but the community is in desperate need of even seeds and fertilizers to help their field produce crops. I recalled the Ethiopian famine of the 1980s as I noticed just how thin everyone is in Shashamane.

A path forward for Kenyan girls

The Materi School for Girls is a living reminder of how just one person can make a tremendous impact, even after their death. Brother John Konzka founded the school in a village called Taraka to give opportunities to Kenyan girls, and now, two years after his passing, it’s easy to see the results of his tireless efforts. I think about how peaceful it seemed to watch students studying in the shade, singing songs together, knowing that these young women have so many more opportunities ahead of them than their mothers did.

I’ll never forget the joy and tenderness with which Vero, a young student, and her mother embraced after a long separation. It’s not easy for these families to live apart while their children are at school, but many of them jump at the chance to give their daughters a good education.

Learning to be self-sustaining

Perhaps the most alarming circumstances I saw were in Nairobi, but it was also where I witnessed the most hope. Msamaria is a community center for street children with a primary school that educates 268 students—a mix of boarding and day students. Being on the beautiful, lush grounds was a reminder of how these centers are quite a literal oasis for children from Nairobi’s slums.

The slums haunt me. During our home visits with our social worker, Caroline, I’d never seen so many destitute children in one place, so many of whom were orphaned or abandoned. I feel more determined than ever to help Children Incorporated grow its number of sponsored children at Msamaria.

It makes me smile to remember Naomi, the Msamaria School’s director, who is someone who works incredibly hard every single day. She’s turned the school into a self-sustaining wonder, with a successful bottled water business and a growing agricultural program.

I’m coming home with clear eyes, having seen for myself the difference that we can make, and I’m ready to get to work trying to make that difference for more and more children who need it. And so many do.

Every child I’ve met confirms Children Incorporated’s mission for me, but it’s the adults who are working so tirelessly so that these kids can have a better life—they’re the ones who keep coming to mind as I think back on my trip to Africa. They seem to have almost a superhuman ability to take a small amount of support from each of us and turn it into something bigger than the sum of its parts. The resourcefulness, the dedication, and the love that these men and women embody on a daily basis are a testament to how much we can do for future generations of Africans.

It’s tough to leave these children behind, but it’s been an invaluable trip. I’m coming home with clear eyes, having seen for myself the difference that we can make, and I’m ready to get to work trying to make that difference for more and more children who need it. And so many 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