Microfinance - Feed the Hungry

The line for lunch

happy children eating

the school

The "street kids" only get a chance to eat with the school kids if there is enough to go around. Otherwise, they stand on the other side of the fence, watching the others prepare for lunch.

As a part of yet another group I run, I recently met an amazing person (via e-mail), I will get to her in a minute. The youth Philanthropy group that I am over, I started about 2 years ago. It is called Kids Can Change the World. The purpose of the group is to get children to see that they can make a difference in someone else's life. When I started this group. I contacted CI and asked if they could provide my group kids with pen pals. I had, also, contacted CI regarding other things that my youth group could do for the sponsor kids. Unfortunately, they did not want our help (for various reasons).

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not easily deterred. I contacted CI again around the holidays last year to see if we could provide a Disney DVD to every center that CI has. Unfortunately, they do not have the DVD players, nor did they want to take on the task of hunting one down for the kids to use. I sure could not provide the player, but I think that even if I could, that would not be welcomed either. At any rate, Jaden, Morgan & I made use of the DVD's by giving them in gift bags to local children who are battling HIV/AIDS. They welcomed us with open arms, and even published us in their quarterly magazine. They said that the children were especially grateful that someone that didn't even know them cared enough to give them something at Christmas. Most of those children would not have received a gift from the agency because while there are usually plenty of toys for the younger kids, most of the older kids do not get anything.

Now, back to my story of not being stopped... I received an offer of a grant to help the hungry. I have to submit the paperwork & get approved, but here are the details:

Kids Care Clubs Microfinance for Kids– Feed the Hungry

Kids Care Clubs has added the component of microfinance to Kids Care Week 2009 because we were inspired by the children’s book, One Hen -- How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, written by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes and based on the story of Kwabena Darko of Ghana, The book and the website http://www.onehen.org/ offers kids (and adults) an exciting, fun and interactive opportunity to learn how a small loan can make a big difference.
Microfinance is the practice of providing small loans to people living in poverty who are unable to access bank credit. Microfinance helps families build and grow businesses, feed their families and pay school fees for their children. All clubs receiving a grant for a Microfinance for Kids project will receive a copy of the One Hen book.

Goals :
To educate kids about microfinance and world hunger
To implement a service project to feed the hungry, locally, nationally, or globally
To explore finance and philanthropy on a kid-friendly level

Now, faced with the prospect of a Microfinance Grant, that could turn the project into hundreds of dollars worth of food... I started meditating my next move. First, the children have to make something & then sell it as a business. What will they make? After hours of thought, it came to my head to have them decorate sturdy reusable grocery bags to sell. Now, I am in search of a place that can provide me with around $200 at $1 a piece (or less). They need to be sturdy & blank in order for the kids to decorate them.

Second, who would receive the funds? Well, Barbara has been talking about this Ugandan school, and to be completely honest, I try to block out any news of more children to help because I will naturally be drawn to helping them. I never asked anything about the school over the months that Barbara persisted in telling me about the school kids she was helping. It just so happened that she mentioned it again, right at the time that I was looking for someone to help... and BAM!!! That is how I met Kate... (to be continued)