Wilmer's Special Needs Gift

An update from Victor:

As you may remember, I picked up a new kid back in March or April; a five year old named Wilmer who is being raised by a single dad (and, as it turns out, granny, too). I sent down $250 and got back some pics (included) and a note. Here is what they got with the dough.

1 Full Size Bed

1 Fan

1 Pair of Sports Shoes

1 Shirt

1 Short

1 Uniform Pant

2 Suits

2 Underwear

1 Pair of Socks

The CI people indicated that he was especially happy about the bed because prior to this, he was sleeping in a hammock. I have noticed with all of my kids, the first things that always get bought are a bed and a fan.

This is what granny wrote:

Dear Sponsor,

I hope you are in good health along with all your family. I tell you that Wilmer is doing good. He and us recieved your help and we bought one full bed for Wilmer and his sister to share. He is very happy because before he slept in a hammock. Also, we bought clothes and shoes and one fan and now thanks to you the child will be more comfortable. We say thank you for this special donation and we hope may God bless you so much and recieve from your sponsored child kisses and hugs. I say good bye to you with affection

Maria (She's the granny)

They sure look happy!!!

Saying Goodbye to Yessica

One of the many pretty pictures that Yessica has drawn for me

Yessica and her family in front of their home

Yessica in the doorway of her home in Guatemala City

Yessica and her family. Her father was at work at the time of the photo.

Yessica with her 2008 Christmas package

The first photo I saw of Yessica on the CI website. I chose her because of her sweet smile & that her family of 6 was living on $76 a month!!

Yessica's 2009 sponsorship photo

Two of the many photos that Steve took of Yessica when he visited her earlier this year

Yessica and her mother

Steve (our Google Group angel that visited several sponsored children along with his own in Guatemala), Yessica, & Yessica's mother

I haven't heard from Yessica in a while. Her last letter was in May. This is what it said:

Dear Heather:

I thank you for the letter and three pictures that you sent me. I am very happy with all that you have sent me. I feel very happy that you work in the hospital, and I like the babies. I pray that God allows you to go on with your work. My family and I are fine, and so is my education. I am fine thanks to the support that you send me. I will have time off at school soon. I say goodbye with a strong hug.

Yessica

Yesterday, I went to my CI account to see what I owe & figure out how much I can pay. I found an exclamation point next to her name, and I followed the exclamation point to the bottom of my sponsorship list. This is what I found:

(!) Forming a friendship with your sponsored child can be one of the most rewarding experiences of sponsorship. Unfortunately, there are times when children leave the program earlier than expected.

We just learned that your child has left the program due to unforeseen circumstances. A letter with details about this is already on the way and should reach you soon.

For your consideration, we've also sent you a photograph and personal profile of another child who needs your assistance. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like to choose a different child to sponsor. Your sponsorship means a great deal to us. but it means even more to the desperately poor children whose lives can drastically change with your support. You can reach us by calling 1-800-888-3089 or sending an email to children@children.org. Our Sponsor Services department is available from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Central time, Monday through Thursday and 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

For more information about why sponsored children leave the program, visit the Child Departures section of our website.

If I had to take a guess I would say that she left the program because the family doesn't need the services any more. When I first started sponsoring her, the family of six lived on $76 a month. More recently, they were making $234 a month. They turned out to be the family with the highest income of all of my sponsor kids.

I had just sent her a birthday package a couple of months ago for her birthday that is August 8th. Now, I am not sure if she will ever get it. I am not sure when exactly she left the program.

I hope this doesn't happen any time soon to any of my other kids!! I can't take too much heartbreak at one time!

Three children in need of a sponsor

Tomasa age 6

Erickson age 10

Danilo age 7

Good news!!!! Maria Cristina now has a loving sponsor!!!! Thank you Sarah!

The boys that I featured with Maria Cristina are still in need of sponsors. Here are the post for each of these children:

Danilo: http://childrenaretheworld.blogspot.com/2009/07/meet-danilo-child-in-need-of-sponsor.html

Erickson: http://childrenaretheworld.blogspot.com/2009/07/meet-erickson-child-in-need-of-sponsor.html

At the top of this post is a picture of Tomasa. Tomasa is Paola's sister. You can learn about the family by clicking on the tag "Paola" in this blog. Paola was recently featured on the Children International Blog. She was in desperate need of a sponsor. A group of 13 of us got together to sponsor her as a group. Mack went to visit Paola and her family a few weeks ago in Mexico. She brought back lots of news and pictures.

It was discovered that Paola's siblings do not have sponsors. Tomasa is six years old. Unless she gets a sponsor, she will not get the medical and other benefits of sponsorship that Paola gets.

If you have room in your heart for one or all three of these children, please e-mail me and tell me which one you would like to sponsor:

heatherlecount@yahoo.com

Paola's Family... How can we help?

Tomasa age 6

Since I'm so slow about making these blog posts, I guess I'll skip straight to the important stuff - ideas on how our group can help Paola and her family:

I asked, of course, what they needed most, but didn't really get an answer. So, here are my thoughts ....

STARTING POINT:
I would first recommend that we do a simple $125 fundraiser and designate that the money be spent on (at least) 2 sets of drawers. Right now, the family's clothes, etc. are piled in heaps along the walls. Once cleared of clutter, these spaces could be occupied by dressers or other better forms of storage.
Also, I believe that Paola's 6-year-old sis, Tomasa, is still in need of a sponsor. Marcela thought so, but wasn't entirely sure. She said she'd let me know (but not HOW she would let me know!), but no word yet. I looked, and did not see Tomasa 'advertised' on CI's site - but that does not necessarily mean she's been sponsored. A call could be made to CI to find out for sure.
I'd hate to see Tomasa not getting the same medical care, schooling, and other advantages that her sister enjoys. We should be on the look-out for a sponsor


THE HOUSE:
By local standards, I'd say Paola's house is quite adequate. It's made of bricks, dry, and sturdier than most I've seen when traveling. Maybe something could be done about the flies buzzing around? My only worry would be the health risk to the children if any sort of pesticides were used. Also, the interior is dark. A project to install light fixtures is a possibility (which would attract more bugs!), or the same effect might be accomplished by adding a plug-in lamp to the dresser request.
One issue with the house (as explained by an uncle, or someone like that) is how their courtyard area floods whenever it rains. I asked Marcela, "What can be done about this?" and she replied, "Oh, nothing can be done." I don't think that's true ... ditches, drains, sandbags, SOMETHING ought to fix the problem! We could ask for a field worker to do an assessment; I think things like home repairs just aren't Marcela's area of expertise.
Installing indoor plumbing is a possible - but expensive - project.

AN IGP:
I don't think we would get anywhere with this idea. I learned that Rosa's job is making bricks with the other adult members of the family 6 days a week. Since they all live together as a community, I imagine her reported income is simply a "guesstimate" of her family's share of the profits.
I asked if there was a way to help the family's brick-making trade be more profitable, but Marcela said, "Not really." Making bricks is making bricks, and there isn't any equipment to help things along.
Even if we could think of a career path that would generate more money for Rosa, I doubt that she would be interested. Her family would be reluctant to lose her, I'm thinking, and she probably wouldn't want to leave them short-handed of brick makers. Also, since the brick business is located just across the dirt road from their house, Rosa does not need to worry about childcare. I suppose the kids just play in the brick dust all day (until they reach school age?)

The brick firing ovens down the road. Paola's family makes the bricks in molds, the neighbors do the firing.

On to Project #13!!!

Nsenzeni is 6 years old and lives with her loving grandmother Lontia's extended family in one multi-purpose room and 1 bedroom. The house has brick walls, a concrete floor and corrugated metal roof. Without any electricity their only light is from candles; their only water source is from the community faucets and their sanitary facility the community latrine (these latrines often spill over after heavy winter rains).

Last year I donated a small amount to fund a micro-enterprise business for Lontia to sell dried fish, produce and beans. Though this small business has helped the family, it has not generated enough income to provide for emergencies and other unexpected expenses that come up.

One such unexpected expense happened last year. Lonita's home was flooded inside and out, and the roof blew off of the home. Lontia is one of those strong, proud African grandmothers who would rather work herself than accept charity. Because she wants to provide for her family, I thought it would be better to provide her with an additional IGP selling second hand clothing which is always needed in the community. That way she can pay for any further damages to their house and get a sturdier roof.

Nsenzeni, like many children living in poverty, has had a rough start in life. Her mother was 14 years old when she became pregnant, and not in a position to care for an infant. Nsenzeni's grandmother Lonita took her in, and has raised Nsenzeni like she were her daughter ever since.

I have been sponsoring Nsenzeni since she was two years old and have endeavoured to make her feel special by sending numerous direct packages of good clothing (for her self esteem), age appropriate books and educational toys as well as dolls and other toys just for fun and to give her some happy childhood memories. A bed was provided for her by a friend's legacy instead of flowers' donation and Nsenzeni was very pleased to be able to sleep comfortably instead of on the floor. Evidently, she sleeps with my letters under her pillow.

At first I despaired of ever putting a smile on her sad face because she glared at the camera even when holding the dolls I sent her. However, both Lontia and the CI staff assured me that she was delighted with her gifts. For her 5th birthday I sent her a sensitive doll which she must have used because Lontia said she learned enough from it to care for her new baby cousin. Another time she received two parcels on the day before her birthday and Lontia said in her quaint English that she "was smelling full of jolly."

Both Lontia's and my efforts seem to have paid off because she is evidently a very happy child. She loves attending church and singing gospel songs and dancing. She also enjoys running errands and helping her grandmother with her produce business. Nsenzeni is also doing very well in school and her favourite subjects are Math, Reading, Grammar, and languages particularly English. She says she wants to work hard at school and who knows one day she might become a teacher, an interpreter or work for the U.N.

I hope that some of our generous sponsors will consider donating to Nsenzeni's fundraiser so that she can continue to 'smell full of jolly.''

Many thanks Barbara

http://www.firstgiving.com/igp4nsenzeni

Only $25 more needed for a bed!!

Jhonalyn's fundraiser only needs $25 more to get her a bed!!! Let's make it happen as a graduation present!! I a going to put in $5, can I get 4 more people to commit to $5 to make this happen by the end of July? Don't forget that Tamara is, also, doing a raffle for this fundraiser to win a gift valued at $100!!! This is how the raffle will work:

You will received 1 raffle ticket for every $10 you donate to either fundraiser (11A or 11B). After both fundraisers have hit the goal amount, she will draw a name from the raffle tickets collected. The prize is valued at $100, and can be chosen from any of the 40 gifts found here: https://www.ordermygift.com/74625500000_distinctive.aspx

You will find items such as watches, digital photo frames, MP3 player, digital camera, cookware set, a grill, a knife set, a couple of luggage sets (perfect for when you go to visit your sponsored child), a tent, and more! Take a look around at the prizes, and then, make sure to get your name in the hat. :0)
Here is the link:
http://www.firstgiving.com/graduates

Diego's Fundraiser Update

This week, Diego's fundraiser did not get any donations. I know I should be sad and upset that his fundraiser went a whole week without a donation... BUT, I am not sad... I am filled with hope that little by little he will get the things that he needs. I wanted to update everyone on where the first batch of money has gone. I originally thought that the money would go to nutritional supplements and school. However, the field has determined that he needs a bed sooner than the school items.

The money raised to date has gone to:


Food Supplement (Pediasure)~ $150
Single bed with mattress~ $210
Uniforms~ $73

Right now he could use:

Bed sheets & pillow for his new bed~ $18

Textbooks~ $70
Electric fan~ $42
Clothing~ $200


Total for those 4 items: $330

And, for everyone who helps Diego, I am doing a raffle of $100!!! The winner will get their choice of one of three things:
Microsoft 4GB Zune MP3 player
$100 Visa Gift Card
$100 Donation to Children International to provide a special needs gift to their own child

You will receive 1 raffle ticket per $10 donated. My daughters will draw a name at the end of the raffle (and I will videotape the drawing & post the video). Donations are monitored via a spread sheet that Children International sends with the donors' names & amount donated.

Here is the link to his fundraiser: http://aurashouse.com/2009/06/emergency-project-for-diego-of-columbia/

Fundraising Project #1~ Pictures & Thank You

A note from Robyn, Janet's sponsor:

In total, Janet and her family received:

1 – Rice, Mealie Meal, Cooking Oil, Sugar

1 – Blanket

1 – Bed

1 – Uniform, Bag and shoes

1 – Beans, Flour, Groundnuts

1 – Kapenta (sardines)

1 – Transport

I'm very happy Janet now has a bed frame to put her mattress from a previous donation. I had wondered at the time if they already had a bed frame, or if the mattress would be on the floor. I suspected floor, but of course I was hoping otherwise. :)

Janet's Mother, Susan, also wrote the thank you letter- which I've included below.

Dear Sponsor,

How are you, and how is your holiday there at Alaska? Here we are all fine as a family. We are very much glad for, what you have given Janet. We have received a bed, mealie meal, cooking oil, sugar, rice, etc. We are so glad that your big heart that you have, may god himself bless you. And may god bless you more in your life. We thanks a million.

Yours faithfully,Susan

*There were a few words I couldn't make out what was written, but that was most of it, anyway. :)

I would also like to thank everyone who donated to Janet’s First Giving project!Many thanks to Heather M, Susana, Ryan, Efrain, Chrystal, Karaya, and the 5 people who chose to be anonymous. You all are wonderful!

Special thanks to the following donators:

4/17/2009
Jennifer Hasson
$33.00

4/15/2009
stephanie wahl
$10.00
can't wait for the photos!

4/15/2009
Chrystal Torres

$20.00
Can't wait to see the photos with their gifts

4/15/2009
sarah burgess

$15.00

4/13/2009
Heather McLaughlin
$10.00

4/12/2009
Mckenzie Fritch
$20.00
Happy 'Back to school', Janet!

4/11/2009
Efrain Caro
$27.00

4/10/2009
Ryan Smith
$20.00

4/9/2009
Barbara Rogers
$10.00
Good luck on the first fundraising effort

4/9/2009
Heather McLaughlin $15.00
I am cheering for you!

4/9/2009
Robin Melon
$25.00

4/9/2009
Susana Boavida $9.00
Good luck with this project!

6/28/2008
Heather McLaughlin $1.00

Three Children are Waiting for Someone to Care

Erickson

Maria Cristina

Danilo

I showed these 3 children separately earlier in the month. All 3 of them are still waiting for a sponsor. Please look back at their individual posts to see if you are interested. Can you take one more? I hope so!! I am giving them visibility here in the hopes that this will be a post read by their future sponsor. If I don't have sponsors for them by August, I will have to let Ashley at CI know that I wasn't able to accomplish my goal. Then, the children will go back into the dark hole where waiting children sit until someone comes forward. If you can help, just post your comment to this post, and I will get you set up. Thank you!

Paola's Home

Paola apparently lives in Casa Numero Ocho, which acts as somewhat of a commune. The small block of connected abodes is occupied by various members of Paola's extended family. The allotment of space for Rosa and her children seems to be an entry way, which also serves as the kitchen, and a single bedroom. I wasn't shown any of the rest of the house(s).

I imagine that all four of them sleep on the one bed, which is workable for right now while the girls are very small. I wonder what will happen when they start to outgrow the single bed? (which, from what I could tell, was a box spring and mattress held up by overturned buckets. The bedding seemed as clean as it could be in a room with a dirt-covered floor. I couldn't tell the size of the bed for purchasing sheets, but perhaps someone else can eyeball it?)

The sink-like thing in the bottom picture seems to be where the family washes. It didn't have any sort of spigot, so I think they fill it manually by drawing water from their well.

I keep saying "seems like" and "I think" because I didn't ask an abundance of questions. First, because the few questions I DID ask weren't really answered, and secondly, because nobody was expecting the Spanish Inquisition. I asked Marcela to explain to the family that I didn't mean to be rude by poking around and taking pictures of everything - I just wanted to show Paola's other sponsors what improvements were needed for the home.

Mack's Regret #2: I wish I'd used my GPS to mark the latitude and longitude of Paola's house so that we could look at it on GoogleEarth. But if anyone from CI noticed me doing that, they would probably freak out, thinking I planned to return and see her without a chaperone.

July Fundraiser Update

Project #11~ Jhonalyn & Angelito (Tamara)***STILL ACTIVE***

Project #12~ Mercy (Mack) complete!!!

Project #13~ Nsenzeni (Barbara) ***STILL ACTIVE***

Project #14~ Wilmer (Robyn) ~ The field asked for an extension, so this one may be delayed

Project #15~ Jonathan (Heather)

Project #16~ Nisha (Jennifer) #(Jennifer, please see my e-mail about this one and let me know what you want to do~ The field came back with a quote of over $2,000!!!)

Project #17~ Crystal & Gema (Su)

Project #18~ Maila (Steve)

Project #19~ Johel (Candace)

Project #20~ (Stephanie)

Project #21~ Yamileisy & Jose Manuel (Dee)

Project #22~ Jerry (Wilfredo)

Project #23~ Joyce (Heather G)

Project #24~ Maria (Holly)

Project #25~ Ariela (Camille)

Project #26~ (Tamara)

Mack delivers our pictures and letters

I apologize that Paola doesn't look happier in these photos. We were working fast at this point, as we needed to get on the road, and I don't think she understood why things were being shoved into her hands one after another! I tried to explain, but I'm sure she'll "get it" better once her mom has a chance to read her the letters from everybody.

Mack meets our group child Paola!!

Mack (above) and her husband Mike (below) with Paola
For those of you who are not part of the group sponsorship, here is the story and pictures from Mack:

I thought we might meet Paola first at the community center, as that is how it been done in Honduras. Instead, we were joined by another CI rep, Alfredo, who directed Fernando (our driver) to Paola's residence. When we pulled up, I expected to find everybody ready and waiting - with the kids scrubbed, polished, and dressed up in their best clothes for our day out. Not the case. The only people home when we arrived was an older gentleman (whose relationship was never explained) and a small child sitting in a wheelbarrow. Rosa, the mother, wandered up from somewhere behind us ... but where was Paola? Nobody knew. Everyone began circling the area calling the little girl's name, and eventually she came scampering over from who knows where.

Paola behaved exactly the way I would expect from a 4-year-old girl bombarded by strangers and gifts. She was sweet, but a little shy at first - dividing her time between satisfying her curiosity and burying her face against Mama's leg. Once she'd recovered from her initial bewilderment, Paola quickly warmed to being the center of attention and the primary subject of 10, 000 photos.

I was startled to find our little Paola and her sisters in such filthy condition! On the one hand, it's good to be aware of what must be their "usual" level of hygiene, but I'm shocked that Rosa didn't bother to clean up her brood in anticipation of our visit. The girls had a week's worth of dirt build-up on their faces and hands, and their hair was stiff and matted, like it hadn't been washed in a long time. Zoom in on any of the photographs, and you will see the dirt and grime covering the girls' clothing. On a brighter note, none of the kids smelled like dried urine, as I've encountered in other poverty situations.

We had brought diaper wipes for the family, so I could have easily cleaned the children's faces off ... but I didn't think that would be polite. Don't believe for a second that I'm bothered by filthy children, or that I was reluctant to hug the girls for free of getting my own clothes messy. I really don't care. I would have happily collected just as much dirt under my fingernails as a kid, if I didn't have parents dunking me in a bathtub every time I turned around. And I don't necessarily blame Rosa for not keeping her kids clean. I don't have kids of my own for various reasons (mostly involving laziness and selfishness), not the least of which is avoiding the responsibility of keeping them filth free - even with my advantage of indoor plumbing. It must be very hard to keep kids, clothes, etc clean in an environment like Rosa's. Still ... none of the equally poor children that I observed at the community center were dirty, so the other local mothers are managing.

It's important to note that aside from the hygiene thing, Rosa gave every sign of being an excellent mother. She was very affectionate with her girls, and delighted in watching them have fun at the zoo. She was always smiling and cheerful, and I think her happiest moment was when I gave her a copy of Paola's CI photo. She obviously loves her daughters very much!

Package for Jonathan

I sent Jonathan a small package with black dress shoes and 2 shirts. I know it was something small, but he was grateful for it anyway.

I wish I could do much more for my sponsor kids. The reality, though, is that I am very limited. I am earning minimum wage (very different from my $75,000 a year job I had 2 years ago). When the economy took a turn in the wrong direction, I was in the mortgage business. I was working for the company that many people blame for the economy's crash and the housing crisis. My husband and I were laid off within the same 2 week time period. There have been many changes in our life style since then, but we are still struggling to get back on our feet completely.

Until we have more income, I will have to just do the small things as I can. I am VERY grateful we have our fundraising group because there is no way I would be able to afford to start up businesses for my kids' families otherwise.

Here is Jonathan's letter:

Hello Heather!'

I greet you very attentively and am glad that you and your family are fine. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for the gift you sent me. The shoes and shirts are nice. My vacations are over and we have been in classes for 2 months now. I do live with my cousins, grandma and aunt. At school, my classmates and I play a lot. We get along pretty well. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for being such a wonderful sponsor! I say goodbye with a strong hug,

Jonathan