Tag Archives: sponsors

Shelley Callahan | May 24, 2017En Español

When we first met our volunteer coordinator, Marta, at the Costa Rica Center in San Jose, I could tell she was full of energy. A small Costa Rican woman, she walked quickly down the sidewalk away from our hotel, as Andreia, our International Site Specialist, and I tried to keep up. When we got to her car, she shuffled us in, having a busy agenda for the day.

Ricky, Marta (left), and Ricky’s mom, outside of their home

In the morning, we would be visiting the houses of four of our sponsored children, and then we would be meeting the eighteen children enrolled in our program at the community center, which Marta uses as their monthly meeting spot. There, the mothers and the children had something special planned for us.

A Second Mother

The Costa Rica Center has been a Children Incorporated affiliate site for more than thirty years. Our founder, Mrs. Jeanne Clarke Wood, originally started working with this place when it was an orphanage. At that time, it had a school attached to it, which Marta’s son, who is now grown, attended. Marta worked as a volunteer with our former coordinator at the school, and eventually took over for her. She has been our coordinator at the Costa Rica Center for twenty years now.

Today, the orphanage is no longer there, and Marta has found another location at which to meet with the children in our program. Our program could have disappeared with the closing of the orphanage and the school, but instead, Marta happily took over all the responsibilities that go along with sponsorship, acting in many ways as a second mother to these children, which she isn’t really far from.

She has seen many of the children grow up in our sponsorship program, having been enrolled in primary school, and going on to graduate. A lot of the children have been in the program for ten years or more, which says a lot about Marta. She has used her abundance of energy to help keep these kids in school for many years.

The Importance of Longevity

Marta happily took over all the responsibilities that go along with sponsorship, acting in many ways as a second mother to these children, which she isn’t really far from.

All the Costa Rica Center children live in the city of San Jose, in various impoverished neighborhoods, and they attend the local schools. Many of them are in high school, or are just graduating and moving on to college or trade school. I was so impressed with Marta — her personal dedication to helping these kids was amazing, and the fact that so many older children, mostly between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, are enrolled shows me that she understands the importance of longevity when it comes to sponsorship.

Keeping children in the program as long as possible, and keeping up with their home lives and families is a big job — and Marta is obviously doing it well. She not only meets with the children on a monthly basis to provide them with food baskets, but she also plans holiday and Mother’s Day activities to give the children and their families a chance to get together and celebrate. She also has monthly meetings with the mothers to discuss whatever concerns they may have.

Helping Children Become Teens

Theresa and her mom in their house in San Jose

Our first stop was Ricky’s home, which was a small house down a narrow alleyway in the city. In his early teens, Ricky is a ninth-grader who lives with his parents and two siblings. His mother talked to us about how much sponsorship helps the whole family — with Ricky receiving support, they have less to worry about, and it also motivates Ricky to do well in school so he can stay in the program.

Marta also took us to Theresa’s house. Theresa was born five months prematurely and has had health issues ever since she was an infant. She is now nineteen, has always needed a wheelchair to get around, and has had multiple complications throughout her life that have lead to long stays away from home — sometimes even months — in the hospital. Theresa’s single mother receives very little help from the government to cover health care costs, and the government prevents her from working because she must care for her daughter full-time.

Theresa’s sponsor sends additional gifts to help with her special needs, which has been a great help for the family, who never knows when Theresa might end up back in the hospital — and her sponsor has even visited a few times over the years. As I look around the house, I notice a picture of Theresa on the wall, holding a violin. Her mom told us that one time, when Theresa was hospitalized for four months, the staff there gave the children musical instruments so that they would have something to do. Theresa learned to play while she was recovering, and plays all the time now.

The Joy of Laughter

After our home visits, Marta took us to the community center where she meets with the mothers and children. The center is large, with a stage in front, and benches lining a wall. The mothers all brought homemade dishes for lunch, as well as homemade crafts to show us. Ceramics, paintings, and knitted garments lined a long table that was against a wall. Marta explained that she encourages the mothers to make crafts to sell, so they can earn additional income.

After lunch, the children had a special performance planned for us. They did an interpretive dance, which was very well choreographed, considering these teens do not see each other very often at the center, nor do they live close to one another or attend the same schools. They had taken the time to get together to practice, and it was apparent that they enjoyed being together as a group, because they worked really well as a team.

It was great to see that they have become close – more than friends – over the many years they have had sponsors.

After their performance, Andreia and I spoke with the mothers, while the teenagers sat on the stage and chatted, laughing excitedly, and enjoying the desert their mothers had prepared. I kept getting distracted by their laughter, and my eyes wandered over to them, one different giggling face after another coming into my view.

I love knowing that these children have gotten to know each other because of our program, since they probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. It was great to see that they have become close — more than friends — over the many years they have had sponsors. These teens are like family, with Marta acting as an additional mother in their lives, all supporting each other as they grow up.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN COSTA RICA?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | May 18, 2017En Español

In so many countries around the world, drought is a constant worry, causing problems for crop cultivation and keeping impoverished people from having access to drinking water. In San Jose, Costa Rica, in the slum neighborhood that surrounds our affiliate site, La Milagrosa, a welfare center that supports more than seventy sponsored children, families have the opposite problem. Instead of the rainy season bringing relief from arid conditions, it causes those families to fear losing their homes to the mudslides that often come with it.

Sister Vielka is pictured with a mother and daughter outside their home.

Costa Rica, with a population of about 4.5 million people — nearly a quarter of whom live in the metropolitan area of the capital and largest city, San Jose — is one of the most stable and prosperous nations in Latin America. Because of that, it’s not cheap to live there and everything is expensive, especially food. But despite the high cost of living there, the country attracts a lot of migrant families.

Costa Rica is surrounded by nations that are much worse off than it is. Nicaragua and Panama have higher poverty rates, less stable governments, a lack of employment opportunities, and violence is more rampant there. This leads families, desperate for better lives for themselves and for their children, to migrate to Costa Rica in search of employment and a safer environment in which to live.

Unfortunately, what they find when they arrive is low-paying jobs for men in construction or field labor; and the only land they find to build on as undocumented immigrants is government-owned and in the hills of San Jose, which is subject to frequent mudslides. The rainy season lasts from May to November, so for half the year, work can be inconsistent, and families are concerned about losing their homes and all their belongings.

The Sun Shines on La Milagrosa

At La Milagrosa, which is run by our volunteer coordinator Sister Vielka, children receive food on a monthly basis, as well as educational support, mostly in the form of encouragement from the Sisters. Most of the children live with their single mothers who struggle to find support in a foreign country. Some receive food stamps from the government, but most are trying to get by on their own, away from their home country and extended family.

Six Sisters live at the home, and they not only make sure the children are fed, but they also offer emotional support to the mothers, who might find work cleaning houses or doing laundry. But those jobs fill only for a few hours a week, which isn’t enough — and it causes them a great deal of stress. The Sisters talk with the women about their issues, and counsel them through tough times.

Instead of the rainy season bringing relief from arid conditions, it causes those families to fear losing their homes to the mudslides that often come with it.

As we visit with the children at the home, Sister Vielka explains that they have to turn in their report cards and show passing grades in order to stay in our program. She says that this rule has been working really well to not only motivate the children, but also to keep their mothers engaged in their learning.

The Sisters would love to one day run an after-school tutoring program so that the children could receive additional support; that would require funding to hire a teacher to work with the kids. La Milagrosa is currently not receiving any support from the government or elsewhere, and there are few resources outside of Children Incorporated sponsorship to do more to support the kids’ education.

When It Rains, It Pours

We left La Milagrosa in the early afternoon to walk through the neighborhood to visit the homes of some of our sponsored children. It was a bright and cool day, and there was not a cloud in the sky. We walked with Sister Vielka and her assistant Gisela down a steep hill, and then down a dirt path covered by giant, lush tropical plants, taking us off the main road into what felt like a jungle within a city.

Gisela told us that seven years ago, rain took five houses from families in the middle of the night. Luckily, the occupants were able to get out safely in time, but they all lost everything they had in the mudslide.

Andreia Beraldo, International Project Specialist, outside the home of a family who lost their bathroom to a mudslide last month.

We walked up tightly-packed dirt steps that had been carved into the side of the mountain to reach our first home, where a woman greeted us in the doorway. When we walked into the living room, she pointed to the floor with one hand, as she held her small baby in the other arm, and told us that the floor used to extend further out — but rain had washed part of it away, exposing the ground below and leaving a huge hole in their home.

It seems like only a matter of time before the rest of the floor will go sliding down with the rain, leaving this family homeless. Last month, rain took out their bathroom, which had been on the side of the house. When we walked outside to leave, we could see what was left of a small structure where there was no longer a toilet, but only another hole left in the ground on the property.

With each home visit, we seemed to go further and further up into the hills. Since the land is owned by the government, the families risk not only having their homes wash away in the rain, but also being removed at any point. Gisela explained that when it rains a lot, the children aren’t able to get to school, because it becomes too dangerous for them to be walking around.

After visiting four or five houses, we could see why so many of our conversations with families and the Sisters were about the rain. Each house was barely clinging to the blanket of dirt beneath it on a dry day like that day — looming on all of our minds was what will happen when the rain inevitably comes.

As we walked back to La Milagrosa, the clouds started to come in heavily; and in the distance, we could hear the rumble of thunder. By the time we reached the Home, it had started to pour.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN COSTA RICA?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | May 4, 2017En Español

If any organization can attest to the power of small things making a big difference, it’s Children Incorporated. We understand just how important a notebook, a pencil, a new shirt, a toothbrush, or a pair of socks can be for a child who doesn’t have these basic necessities in their life.

By April, donations to the Shoe Fund exceeded $35,000 — meaning more than 1,500 children will be receiving new shoes this year.

There is nothing like a new pair of shoes for a child, especially when they have never had new shoes – ever.

It’s a small gesture, but it is so impactful, and we know that our donors understand this. At the end of 2016, we launched a Shoe Fund campaign to provide as many shoes as possible to children in 2017, and our supporters stepped right up to the challenge.

By April, donations to the Shoe Fund exceeded $35,000 — meaning more than 1,500 children will be receiving new shoes this year.

One way we ensure that kids get shoes is by disbursing funds to our projects so that our volunteer coordinators can purchase pairs for children in our program. Another way we have decided to get shoes to kids in need is by partnering with an inventive already-existing organization to take shoes directly to our kids at our projects.

I first heard about Because International when they sent a pair of their famous Shoes That Grow to our office. I was in awe when I opened the box – two small shoes sat inside, covered in fasteners that allowed them to be adjusted up to five shoe sizes. I reached out to them immediately to talk more about their special shoe.

Photo: Because International

I spoke with Andrew Kroes, President of Because International, and he explained that their organization worked strictly with established non-profits just like Children Incorporated to get shoes to kids living in poverty. We also talked about how our goals as organizations were similar – to provide children with basic needs so that they can overcome obstacles and have the opportunity to be healthy and get an education, as well as be positioned for success in life.

A few weeks after we spoke, a bag of fifty shoes arrived to our office from Andrew. This week, I will be traveling with International Programs Specialist, Andreia Beraldo, to Costa Rica and Nicaragua to visit our affiliate sites, and we will be taking The Shoes That Grow with us. Before departing for our trip, I caught up with Andrew to talk more about why Because International feels that shoes are so important – and how shoes and education go hand-in-hand.

SC: What is Because International, and how did it get started?

AK: The Shoe That Grows started when our Founder Kenton Lee was living and working at an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya in 2007. One day, while walking with the kids, he noticed a little girl in a white dress next to him who had shoes that were way too small for her feet. That led to the question, “Why?” — and finally, an idea: “Wouldn’t it be great if there were a shoe that could adjust and expand – so that kids always had a pair of shoes that fit?”

Kenton returned to the U.S. and told some friends about his idea. A non-profit called Because International was born, and its team devoted themselves to an idea they call “Practical Compassion” — coming up with small things that make a BIG difference for children living in poverty. Their first project was called The Shoe That Grows; and finally, after five years of hard work, their idea became a reality.

SC: Why shoes?

Photo: Because International

AK: In addition to being an “Aha!” moment for our founder, shoes are a simple everyday item that can be easily overlooked. But a pair of shoes can make a world of difference for a child in poverty. A new long-lasting pair of shoes can mean increased
mobility, protection from the environment, better health, more happiness, and it can help put a child in a position to succeed.

In some cases, a simple pair of shoes is what keeps a child from having the full uniform they need to attend school. A pair of shoes doesn’t solve every problem for a child, but it’s a piece of the puzzle. It’s our part, and we’re committed to it.

Kids’ feet grow, and parents know all too well how difficult it can be to keep their kids in a pair of shoes that fit and last. The Shoe That Grows is a practical solution for kids living in poverty. It’s a shoe that is functional and super durable, and it’s designed to keep a child in the same pair of shoes for years. It’s a shoe that grows health, happiness, and dignity, and that puts kids in a better position to succeed.

Instead of reinventing the wheel and trying to reach kids on our own, we know there are already many groups that serve kids in need all around the world. We partner with these groups to help make the shoes and then get them sent. In short, we couldn’t fulfill our mission without this support.

SC: Why work with existing organizations like Children Incorporated?

It’s a shoe that grows health, happiness, and dignity, and that puts kids in a better position to succeed.

AK: As I just said, one of our guiding principles is to not recreate the wheel. We want to stick with what we’re best at, which is developing solutions and networking with other groups. Instead of spending time and resources finding children to serve, traveling, and distributing shoes, we know there are already groups who are doing this. These are groups that need long-lasting shoes for their kids; and in many cases, they source and pay for the shoes. Why not connect with these groups, and together, offer a better shoe?

SC: How many organizations has Because International worked with to date? What communities and people in the world have benefited from Because International?

AK: To date, we’ve worked with over 700 non-profits – churches, schools, clubs, individuals, and others – to distribute over 80,000 pairs of shoes in 84 countries across six continents. High concentration impoverished areas are in East Africa and Haiti, prompting us to source as many pairs as we can in these places. Production has begun in Ethiopia, and we’re in the beginning stages of arranging Haitian production.

SC: Do you have any special stories about the work of Because International?

AK: Yes. I would love to introduce you to Patrick.

Last year, we connected with a man named Eddie in Uganda. Eddie has helped coordinate testing we are doing for a new project. A few months prior, he was driving through a rural village in Uganda when he saw a boy climbing a tree trying to get an unripe jackfruit. The boy said he was hungry and wanted to have something in his stomach so he could sleep.

Photo: Because International

His name was Patrick, and he was thirteen years old. Eddie had compassion for Patrick, and taught him about farming so that he could earn a little money for his family.

When our Director of Operations Luke Goodman went to Uganda to check on the new project testing with Eddie, he took ten pairs of The Shoe That Grows with him. When Eddie saw the shoes, he immediately thought of Patrick. Patrick works on the farm and also walks long distances barefoot through harsh terrain to get to school.

As Eddie and Luke drove around, they decided to make a final stop at Patrick’s farm. He was there working in the cabbage field. Eddie handed him a pair of shoes. Luke helped him adjust the shoes to his foot size. Luke noticed how weathered his feet had become, even at such a young age.

Eddie shared a story that occurred after Luke left: The day after they gave the shoes to Patrick, he went out and fetched twenty liters of water, and then he sold them for 500 shillings ($0.14 USD). He used this money to make a phone call to Eddie. Eddie answered the phone, and Patrick only wanted to say thanks for the shoes, because it was the first pair of shoes he had ever owned. Since he is going to start school soon, he was so happy to have a pair of shoes to wear to walk the long distance.

SC: What are the future goals of Because International?

AK: We want to squeeze every ounce of impact out of the shoes that we can; this includes making the shoes as functional, durable, and comfortable as possible so that they truly are the best shoes in the world for a child living in poverty. From there, we want to bless people through the production of the shoes by making more and more of them in areas where they are being distributed the most. We’re also committed to keeping our eyes open for additional innovations and ideas that can make life a bit easier for kids living in poverty.

And finally, we want to come alongside those locally who have their own ideas and dreams, and help them make their dreams a reality. Innovation will continue to improve living standards for those living in poverty, and many of the most impactful solutions will be dreamed up by those living in the closest proximity.

Shelley Callahan | May 2, 2017En Español

It has been fun to reminisce about my trip to Bolivia last year now that Luis has returned from his visit there just a few weeks ago. When I caught up with him to hear updates about our projects, there was one in particular I couldn’t wait to ask about. While we were in Bolivia together last year for the inauguration of the Montero School, Luis had just been to Santa Cruz for yet another inauguration – the completion of homes built for women and their Children Incorporated-sponsored children, who until now had been living at Villa Emilia.

A Shining Light in the Dark

Sister Pilar pictured outside of a home constructed by Villa Emilia

When Luis and I visited Villa Emilia last spring, we were greeted by smiling children and mothers who lined the driveway leading to the community center, where the kids sang songs and read poems to welcome us.

Villa Emilia is a special place; our volunteer coordinator, Sister Pilar, and the other Sisters that run the home pull women off the streets of Santa Cruz. They give them a safe place to stay, and offer them a job in the garment factory on the property, where they make school uniforms that are sold to generate money to run the home. It is really an amazing place – well-kept grounds and small dorm-style living facilities offer the families refuge from tough street life; and the children are able to attend local schools and receive support from Children Incorporated sponsors. As a result of living in a stable environment, the children at Villa Emilia are some of the best in their classes, we’re told!

Villa Emilia isn’t set up for women to stay there permanently; once they are able to save money, the Sisters help them find housing close by, so that they can continue to work at the factory, and their children can stay in the same schools. But even more than just helping the women find housing outside of the compound, the Sisters also help the women purchase their own property, on which they can eventually build a home – offering them a real, sustainable living situation.

Sister Pilar’s Mission

The Sisters also help the women purchase their own property, on which they can eventually build a home – offering them a real, sustainable living situation.

About thirty minutes away from Villa Emilia, Sister Pilar took us to a neighborhood where she pointed out a few modest homes.

They were sturdy brick structures, and she explained that each of the homes had separate bedrooms, which was something we hadn’t seen often in smaller houses in Bolivia. Across the street from the completed houses were other homes that were still under construction.

According to Sister Pilar, the Sisters purchased the land from the government, and then the women paid the five-year mortgages on the properties, after which point they owned them outright.

Along the way, they also saved money to build homes on their properties. The timelines for the start construction varied for each family, depending on how much they could save each month. If Villa Emilia received any funding from an outside source, the Sisters would pitch in to start of construction so the women could move into permanent housing more quickly.

Luis outside of a newly built house, ready to cut the ribbon

Another ten-minute drive away, we arrived at a field where grass grew as tall as our knees, and power lines were strung above our heads. Peaking up above the grass were pipes, a sign that water lines had already been laid in the ground. Sister Pilar told us we were standing on eight plots of land, already purchased by Villa Emilia.

Eight women had been selected to pay the mortgages on the land, and they were already more than two years into their payments — but far from being able to afford to build their homes. The cost of each house would be roughly $7,000, which would take the women a long time to earn. Once they had the money, though it would take only about six months to construct the houses.

We left that day, having been touched by Sister Pilar’s mission to give these families better lives in permanent homes, and a chance to raise their children off the streets.

The Right Thing to Do

After we returned from our trip, Luis decided the right thing to do would be to have Children Incorporated support the building of the houses.

If the women were left to make the money to afford the homes on their own, it might be ten years or more before they moved in. By then, most of the sponsored children will have grown up and moved on, never having a chance to live in homes that their hardworking mothers owned.

Luis talked to Sister Pilar about sending over plans for the construction, and told her that he would like for the project to get underway as soon as possible. Knowing he would be returning to Bolivia in almost exactly a year, Luis encouraged Sister Pilar to get the project going quickly so that he could share the success with Children Incorporated supporters upon his return.

A Celebration of Home

Three weeks ago, Luis returned to Villa Emilia, and was once again greeted by a loving group of boys and girls and their mothers, as well as Sister Pilar. When he entered the community center, he saw a large bulletin board on a wall that was covered in paper hearts. Each heart had the name of an individual Children Incorporated sponsor who was helping the children at Villa Emilia. After meeting with the children, it was time to go see the new houses.

The always-ambitious Sister Pilar told Luis she would love to build more houses. There were enough plots in this new neighborhood to build fifteen more houses if they could find the funding to do so.

When Luis arrived, he no longer saw an empty field; he saw eight concrete houses making a new small neighborhood where no buildings had stood before – and the families were already there waiting for him.

The first person Luis greeted was a grandmother who has two daughters, both of whom have children in our program. They stood in front of their new home, excited that the day they had waited for a long time was finally here. Luis cut the ribbon that had been gently tied across the front door, and Sister Pilar handed the grandmother the keys to her new home. She was overwhelmed with happiness, and tears streamed down her face.

Luis spent the afternoon cutting one ribbon after another, welcoming families into their new homes. He toured the beautiful new homes, which had two separate bedrooms, a large living area, a kitchen, and a bathroom each. They had electricity, running water, sewage systems, and large windows to allow for air and light to come in.

As they left that day, the always-ambitious Sister Pilar told Luis she would love to build more houses. There were enough plots in this new neighborhood to build fifteen more houses if they could find the funding to do so; and she would even love to see a community center in the area so that the neighborhood could really flourish. She was excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the lives of these women and their children, and she was feeling so uplifted by the day that all she could talk about was doing more.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN BOLIVIA?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | April 25, 2017En Español

Jennifer is a former program manager with Communities In Schools of Washington, D.C. During her time in this position, she became very familiar with the Children Incorporated sponsorship program, and the impact that it has on students and their families.

Jennifer took some time to write to our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, with special stories about just how our sponsors and donors are changing the lives of children enrolled in our program for the better.

We work with Communities In Schools (CIS), a school dropout prevention organization, not only in our nation’s capital, but also in Richmond, Virginia; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Detroit, Michigan. Thanks to our partnership with CIS, we are able to support sponsored and unsponsored children in four schools in Washington, D.C.

Jennifer took some time to write to our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, with special stories about just how our sponsors and donors are changing the lives of children enrolled in our program for the better.

Jennifer wrote, “Thanks to your remarkable network of sponsors, we were able to provide required school uniforms, socks, underclothes, and winter coats, hats and gloves to children in need. We also provided a countless number of school supplies, personal care items, emergency food and more.”

Hope In Action working for kids

Thanks to Jennifer, so many children are receiving help in D.C.

Jennifer continued, “In addition, through the Hope In Action Fund, with which Children Incorporated provides additional help in education and health matters, we were able to do three very different and significant things: At Lucy Ellen Moten Elementary School, where the neighborhood streets are not deemed safe enough for trick-or-treating, the volunteer coordinator was able to provide an in-school Halloween celebration, featuring a visit from a clown, and a pumpkin for every student.

At Charles Hart Middle School, a family lost their medical coverage during a government shutdown, and one child could not receive her life-saving kidney medication. Children Incorporated stepped in and made it possible, and after several sleepless nights from worry, her mother wept with relief, knowing her daughter would be alright.

At the Cardozo Education Campus, a bright student could not read the board, and her grades were suffering. Her mother was struggling to make sense of the system that would not allow her to get eyeglasses. The coordinator worked with the teacher and nurse to clarify the extent of the vision impairment, and through Children Incorporated, the coordinator was able to get the student a proper eye exam and a pair of glasses.”

So many children getting support

Jennifer had even more stories to tell. She continued by writing, “This generous and consistent support provided to our students by Children Incorporated has literally been the factor that made the difference in their lives when it came to basic needs — and so many children are impacted in such positive ways by the sponsors in their lives. We were able to assist with student fees for individual students so that three fifth-grade students could join their classmates on a trip to Philadelphia.

Thanks to Children Incorporated, four high school students were able to get their caps and gowns for graduation, and four eighth-graders had their class dues paid so that they could attend a boat trip and a picnic. Participation in these events is so important for kids to feel involved and connected.

“At the Cardozo Education Campus, one of our eighth-grade students was repeatedly being put out of school for not complying with the uniform policy; but with Children Incorporated’s support, we were able to provide him with three school uniforms —and he had excellent attendance for the rest of the school year. Two of our students at Charles Hart Middle School were removed from their biological families this year and placed in foster care. Without the support of Children Incorporated, which provided them with uniforms, socks, underclothes, and coats, as well as school supplies, their return to school would have been significantly delayed.”

On to higher education

“I cannot overstate the tremendous impact of Children Incorporated on our work, and most importantly, on our students. Thank you so much to the amazing sponsors and donors who make this possible.”

Jennifer concluded with a few more heartwarming stories. Jennifer said, “At the Cardozo Education Campus, two students were literally able to graduate because of the generosity of and care from the Children Incorporated program. Nick* and Leslie* both had huge personal obstacles to overcome. Nick had been caring for his ill mother — on his own — and money was extremely tight.

Without support, he could not pay for consistent transportation to get to and from school, and he could not afford uniforms, school supplies or weekly food. But thanks to your program, he graduated and was awarded the Strive for Success scholarship and the Pure and Perfect Empowerment Ministries Award, and will be enrolling in Virginia State University.

“Leslie also faced significant challenges. She and her mother had unstable housing, so their address frequently changed – and her mother could not afford the school uniforms. We were able to get Leslie shoes, basic clothing items, and her first pair of pajamas. We also provided her with a backpack full of school supplies, and checked in regularly with her teachers. Now, Leslie looks forward to beginning an Associate Nursing program in Baltimore as a high school graduate!

“I cannot overstate the tremendous impact of Children Incorporated on our work, and most importantly, on our students. Thank you so much to the amazing sponsors and donors who make this possible.”

*All names changed for individuals’ protection.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN WASHINGTON, D.C?

You can sponsor a child in Washington, D.C. in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | April 25, 2017En Español

It’s hard to believe it has already been a year since Luis and I were in Bolivia together, visiting projects in La Paz and Santa Cruz.

Although Luis has been traveling to visit sites for many years now, it was my first trip with Children Incorporated, and it marked the launch of our On the Road series. Looking back, it was incredible to have had the chance to visit our affiliate projects in Bolivia, and to meet with our volunteer coordinators, such as Sister Josefina at the Pedro Poveda School; and to spend time hearing stories from our sponsored children, like Carla, who grew up in our program and is now in college. Even more importantly, I feel privileged to have had the chance to be a part of something very special during that particular trip – the inauguration of the completion of the Montero School classrooms. The construction of the classrooms was hugely important not only to the students at the school, but it was also important to the whole community – and I didn’t realize what it meant to people until I was there to see it.

An Educated Proposal

Students in their classroom at the Montero School

In late 2015, Luis spoke with Sister Geraldina, our volunteer coordinator at the Montero School in Okinawa, a rural community a few hours outside of Santa Cruz. Geraldina mentioned that she wanted to add additional classrooms to the school so she could enroll more students. The town has a lot of poor residents, and educating the kids is really the only way to help them get out of poverty, as it is in so many places in the world. Sister Geraldina’s proposal wasn’t just an idea that she casually mentioned to Luis; in fact, the foundation had already been started. But she didn’t have any funding to complete the classrooms, so what was there was nothing more than a flat outline of a building on the school property.

Luis liked the idea of expanding the Montero School in order to educate more students; and thanks to our incredible supporters, only a few months later, construction was underway. The proposal was to add seven additional classrooms to the Montero School, which would allow 200 or more students to attend classes every day. By April of 2016, when Luis and I visited the school to celebrate the completion of the classrooms, everything except the two bathrooms was complete. By the time we arrived, desks for the students were in place, and the building was ready for students to start learning there the very next day.

Impacting an Entire Community

The construction of the classrooms was hugely important not only to the students at the school, but it was also important to the whole community.

For me, the most memorable part of being at the inauguration of the new classrooms at the Montero School was getting the chance to celebrate with the community. Nearly 600 people came for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and I loved how festive all of it was; starting early on in the day, children and their mothers hung crepe paper and blew up balloons to decorate the new classrooms before the afternoon ceremony.

I couldn’t believe how many local people showed up to the event, and it seemed that everyone was participating in some way – decorating, dancing, singing, or bringing food to share.

For Luis, before leaving for Bolivia once again, the memory of the inauguration called him to reflect on how incredible it is to see the projects that Children Incorporated supports work to provide for the educational needs of children beyond sponsorship. What struck him was more than just knowing the families were grateful for the new classrooms — it was also knowing that the school would help many generations to come.

I agree with Luis: sponsorship is the core of Children Incorporated‘s work, but when we have opportunities to do more — like build schools, homes, or dormitories — we can reach more people and change the lives of entire families for the better.

Luis and I enjoyed the inauguration immensely and were even able to stay in Okinawa an additional day to see the children start classes the next day.

Back in Bolivia

Just a few weeks ago, Luis returned to Bolivia to visit twelve of our projects, this time traveling to La Paz, as well as Sucre and Santa Cruz — including the Montero School.

The grounds of the school outside the new classrooms are now landscaped, thanks to the help of the students.

Upon arriving in Okinawa, Luis was greeted by Sister Geraldina, who had the same enthusiasm and energy as she did the year before when it came to showing Luis the new classrooms.

The first thing Luis noticed that was different was the new concrete walkways leading to the classrooms; only gravel had been there the year before. Surrounding the walkways were plants and flowers, both in pots and buried in the ground, lush and green, and well cared for. Grass had grown all around where once only dirt and remnants of the construction site had been. Sister Geraldina explained that the students were completely responsible for beautifying the area around the new classrooms; and they also maintain the grounds, making sure the foliage gets watered and trimmed as needed.

She then showed Luis the completed bathrooms, which were covered in white tile and were in perfect condition, clean and functioning well. She then took him to visit the students in the classrooms. Since last year, air conditioning units had been installed, a gift from students’ families — something they did to show that they care a great deal about having the new classrooms at the school. Sister Geraldina explained that nearly 400 children are taking classes now during two separate shifts during the day, and there are even adult reading classes being held at night.

Every single one of them have benefited from the new classrooms.

Luis was more than impressed by what he saw a year later at the Montero School. Not only had the classrooms and the grounds been kept up and even improved in ways, but the community continued to invest in the new building, and it didn’t seem like they wasted a second of the day in using the classrooms for educating children and adults alike. Knowing he saw the community using the building to its full potential, it makes all the sense in the world to me now why so many people came to the inauguration. Every single one of them has benefited from the new classrooms.

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