February 2005
Update
"Compassion is not
helpless pity, but an awareness and
determination that demands action." -- Dali Lama
Not a day goes by that we don't receive an e-mail or two about a new need or an opportunity to work in a new area. I wish we had the time, resources and volunteers to take on every one of them and see to it that every child's needs are met. Unfortunately, as you are aware, there are millions of orphans around the world, and all the organizations which focus on these children aren't able to meet the basic needs of all the children. A truly sad reality. But, one child at a time we can make a difference. I want to tell you three incredible stories of some of these children.
Story #1
As I was sitting at my desk a few days ago, I received an instant message about a very urgent problem in Nairobi. In this message I heard the story of a young lady who was in desperate need of help. She is an orphan, like many due to the AIDS pandemic that remains uncontrolled in so many areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Her parents died last year. She is 12 years old and since the death of her parents has been living with her older brother who is 16. It is quite common for the children to be the care takers of their parents as they die, and then to be completely alone to care for themselves and possibly younger siblings. As you can imagine, this is not always possible, especially for young children. Her brother has been working a job as a night watchman, but his earnings are not enough to always feed them. His working at night means she is at home alone during the night. Homes in the slums of Nairobi are generally some sheet metal that form a small room. No locks on the doors. Not exactly the safest place for a 12 year old girl to be alone. She was only kept safe one night by neighbors who heard her calling for help. Additionally, her brother frequently uses part of his income to buy drugs. The stress of caring for two dying parents and his sister is too much for him. I was asked if she could be moved into Holly House, the orphanage in Nairobi we support. The problem is Holly House is already full with children whose stories are very similar. The Holly House staff would like to take her in anyway, but there were no extra beds and no money to take care of another child.
I said the only
thing I could when met with her story. "Move her
in, NOW! I will take care of the bed and costs as we
search for a
sponsor." She now lives in Holly House and is extremely happy to
be there. She receives three meals a day, something she hasn't
had for quite some time. Two wonderful people have
stepped up to help sponsor her and will make sure she can stay there.Story
#2
Another young man worked very hard to complete his studies for 8th grade and he wanted to attend high school. This requires that he pass a national exam and score well enough to be accepted. He is an orphan, and was living with his older sister. Last August she abandoned him as she felt like he was a burden. Since that time he has been living on his own. A neighbor would give him some money for food and others would help pay the rent. The friend who has giving him money for food does not always have a job, so he goes without food at times. Also the rent wasn't always paid so he lost his home. Through all of this he continued with school and took the
exams at the end
of November. He passed the
exams and qualified for high school. High school costs money and
is not readily available. He came on his own to Waddington
High School, the new high school that was just opened so that the
students who attended Galilee Primary School in the Soweto slum would
have a chance at a high school education. It costs $12.50 a month
to attend high school. Fortunately, the director of WHS saw the
wonderful potential in this young man and he has also been moved into
Holly House
and added as a student at WHS.Story
#3
I've talked before about the needs of deaf children in Kenya. Deafness isn't understood. Children are abandoned, thought to be cursed because they are deaf. This was the case with the youngest of children who attends Humble Hearts. Left by her mother, Caroline was living with her father and grandmother until her father left. However, the school was too far away, and her grandmother needed help. Caroline is now living with Beatrice, the director of the school. With deafness being so misunderstood, parents don't learn how to communicate with their children. The frustration of not being able to communicate can lead to abuse. Children frequently come to school with bruises and wounds.
Because of this we
have established Angel Cottage, a boarding home
for the deaf children who need it. Angel Cottage is a place where
they can live
and be safe, allowing them to be close to school, with people who can
communicate with and understand them. Currently Angel Cottage has
two rooms; one for boys and one for girls, and four residents. Beatrice
reports that the changes in the children are tremendous. They are
so happy to live in a place
where they are understood and can communicate with others. Their
behavior and health are improving!But, it's not enough. A woman with three deaf children showed up last week. She had heard about the school. She has never had the finances to send her children to school. Through tears and on her knees, she has asked Beatrice to take her children in for boarding and school. She came from a town that is an hour and a half drive away. What do you say to a mother who advocates for her children in such a way? The director will be adding the children to Angel Cottage and the Humble Hearts school in the near future.
Now
What?
While it's wonderful that these children are being helped, it is all at risk due to a lack of funds. Starting Angel Cottage means an ongoing need for rent, a caretaker, food for the children, and supplies. We are purchasing beds, mattresses, sheets, etc. for the children to sleep on, but growth is inevitable and will require more funds. The director is searching for a caretaker, but paying this person and providing for his/her daily needs means we need to have the children sponsored. Additionally, NONE of the teachers at Humble Hearts receive a salary. It has been a completely volunteer effort from the teachers and the director. This has made it very difficult for the director to maintain teachers. If they find paying jobs it is hard to stay a volunteer in such an economically challenging environment. This needs to change!
To insure a future of opportunity for these deaf children who come from poverty stricken families, staff for Angel Cottage and Humble Hearts must start receiving salaries. This will happen in two ways: 1) by finding monthly sponsors for these children, the school and home will be insured monthly income to help meet basic needs. 2) creating income generating projects which will help the school and home be more self-sufficient. It will take the combination of these two avenues to insure success. We have already been working with the director to establish a chicken program, which will help with food and ongoing income, and are discussing other potential income programs. We need more sponsors for children at Humble Hearts, and willing sponsors for future students who want to continue their education at WHS.
In addition we want to announce two new sponsorship programs. The first, a teacher sponsorship program for the teachers at Humble Hearts
and Waddington
High School. While the teachers at WHS receive a
salary it is very small, and retaining teachers to make this a quality
school is
important. For $15 a month, an individual or a group can sponsor
a teacher. The sponsorship fee for the teachers will go into a
pool
for that school. The pool will be distributed to all teachers at
the school at least every three
months as a bonus. Sponsors will receive a biography of the
teacher and at least three letters a year. Sponsors will also be
able to write to and encourage their teacher and send small gifts
if they would like. This is a wonderful way for anyone interested
in education to get involved. A group of teachers in the US would
find this to be a fun and inexpensive way to make a difference and
develop a
relationship with a school overseas.The second new sponsorship program we are announcing is for Galilee Primary School. There are 650 children at Galilee. Approximately 400 of these kids have sponsors. This pays the teachers salaries, and buys very limited amounts of school supplies. As sponsors come and go, money doesn't always reach the school when it should, and it is a struggle to pay teachers salaries. Needs like school supplies, textbooks, and improvements to the school go unmet. For $18 a month you can sponsor 12 students. You will receive letters three times a year
from the students
you sponsor and a group photo of the kids once a
year. This money will be used to enhance the overall education of
the students and some will be put aside to help pay for needed
improvements. While I haven't written about the primary school
for some time, the children from Holly House attend Galilee and it
shares a
location with WHS. Improvements to Galilee will also have a
direct impact on the high school. Sponsors would be able to write
to their students and send small gifts if they would like. This
would be a great way for an individual to make a difference in the
lives of many needy children. It would also be a wonderful
sponsorship program for a school or classroom at a school that is
working to teach students to value other cultures and understand the
diverse needs that exist in the world.In addition to sponsorship programs there are many basic needs that need to be filled for these schools. WHS opened in January and does not have enough desks and chairs to accommodate the students. A donation of $50 allows us to purchase another desk and chair. At Galilee the ratio of students to textbooks has decreased, but we still have classes in which 7 students share a single textbook. With class sizes of 65 or more students for each teacher, we still have a long way to go in making the teachers' jobs and the students' opportunity to learn the best it can be. For most classes, a donation of $25 will purchase a complete set of textbooks for students. Many students come from families who cannot always afford food. These students often do not eat for more than 12 hours at a time, making learning exceptionally difficult. The feeding program has been greatly expanded, but it needs to be expanded further to feed all of the children. A donation of $40 will provide lunch for a student indefinitely.
So often when we see pictures of the children and hear about their situations we easily brush it aside with a phrase like, "Those poor kids, I wish there was something we could do to help them." There is! By moving beyond our pity for the situations and gaining insight and understanding of their world and needs, we can forge ahead with true compassion and make changes to the circumstances that shape the world in which these kids live. The sponsorship programs are an effective way to make a difference, and they cost just pennies a day. You have the ability to touch the life of one or many children directly or indirectly through these programs. UNICEF reports that the way to help children break the cycle of poverty is to focus on the children and not the parental generation. By establishing education programs for the most vulnerable children, we are trying to do just that.
Please take the time now, to help us, help these children. Even if you are unable to commit to a sponsorship, a one time donation towards these programs will enable us to make a greater impact.
a student at Humble Hearts for $20 a month
a teacher at Humble Hearts for $15 a month
a teacher at WHS for $15 a month
a group of 12 students at Galilee Primary School for $18 a month
Purchase a desk and chair for WHS for $50
Purchase textbooks for $25
Feed a child indefinitely for $40.
I can't sponsor right now, but I want to help!
If you are interested in sponsoring a student at WHS for $12.50 a month please contact me directly.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this newsletter. I truly believe, together, we have made great differences in the lives of thousands of children around the world.
Sincerely,
Kari
co-founder Angel Covers
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I couldn't end this letter without our Child of the
Month. He is another young man who needs urgent action on the
part of a family. It is important to take
note of his age, as when he turns 14 he will no longer be available for
adoption. WACAP has
many beautiful waiting children.
Here
is a bright boy who aspires to
be a scientist! Though a little introverted at first, once he warms up
to you,
you will see a smart and curious child emerge. He is a quick learner,
an
independent thinker and receives excellent grades in all of his
subjects. He
has good language skills and can articulate well beyond his age.
He is
talented
at math and writing stories. This young man has so much to offer and
his dreams
are big. He was
burned
badly as a young child and has scars on some parts of his body.
With the love and support of your family you could help this
young man
realize his dreams.
This
child is from Asia and was
born in November of 1991.
Due to this child’s age, finding an adoptive family for him and processing the adoption in a time-sensitive manner is critical. WACAP has made a special commitment to finding a family for this child—all agency adoption processing fees will be waived for an adoptive family and an interest-free loan will be made available.
Family Finders Program, (206) 575-4550, as soon as possible if you or someone you know would like to receive further information on this special child.
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