Update on Jonathan in Ecuador Part 2

Jonathan's report was updated on 4/15/10. It appears that his grandmother is still earning a nice income with their bedding IGP. The income is at $180, which is 3 times what their income was this time last year. I am so happy for them, and I know they are enjoying the benefits of not having to live from pay check to pay check.

Here is the update:

Age: 11 Gender: M Date of Birth: 1/20/1999
Height: 4 Feet 2 Inches Weight: 61 Pounds Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Black
2. Attends School: Yes
3. Favorite School Subjects: Art, Mathematics
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing soccer
Chores at Home: Sweeping, Running errands
Talents or Hobbies: Singing, Dancing
Languages Spoken: Spanish

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
4. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $180.00
5. Name of Father: Jonathan Age: Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
6. Name of Mother: Cacilda Age: Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
7. Brothers and Sisters:

8. Child now living with: Relatives

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
9. Description of Home: Two multi-use rooms
Cooking Facilities: Portable gas stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Metal beds
Home Construction: Walls Roof Corrugated metal Floor Concrete
10. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity:
Sanitary Facility: Latrine

Update on Nestor in Honduras

A post from Sara S:

Hi! CI sent an update on Nestor's family's IGP (a home-based grocery store) and I wanted to share it with everyone. The pictures show the attachment that was built onto his house. The CI rep says construction of the store is almost complete and "Nestor and his faily are very excited to know that their store will open soon!"

The little girl in the picture is Nestor's 4-year-old sister Itzel, who my parents have just started sponsoring. Coolness!

**Do you have some great news about your sponsor child that you would like to share? If so, please send the write up, pictures, and child details to macandmic@gmail.com

Meet Sara's Child Nancy P in Ecuador

Post from Sara S:
Hi everyone! I would like you to meet Nancy P. Nancy lives in Ecuador and just turned 14 earlier this month. She was the first child I started sponsoring. She’s been part of my life for two years come Friday. She (and my other sponsored kids) are definitely a positive influence for me. The more I learn about them the more inspired I am by the things they overcome on a daily basis.

Last year I sent funds for an IGP for Nancy’s mother. Her mother already worked as a vendor and the IGP was to buy additional supplies and a vending cart to make the work easier. There were some delays in getting the project completed (due to things in the vending cart manufacturer’s control, not in CI’s control), but when the letter pictures came today it was definitely worth the wait!

Nancy’s letter reads:
“Hello. I greet you with affection. The donation received was a blessing for me and my family. We will use that cart to sell our delicious white corn with fried pork. Before, my mom had to carry that in baskets and it wasn’t hygienic. It was also very heavy for my mom and it was affecting her health. Now we have a pretty cart to sell our food the right way. My mom won’t have to carry baskets around. Thank you very much for the cart for my wellbeing and my family’s. I will reach my goals and objectives thanks to you. I hope from all my heart that there is peace and happiness in your home. Goodbye, warm hugs, Nancy”

Meet Sara's Child Peter in Chile

A post from Sara S:
I’d like you to meet Peter from Chile. Peter is 11. I’ve been sponsoring him for just under a year. He lives with his mother (father abandoned the family) and two older sisters. Late last year I sent some IGP funds so that Peter’s mom could run her own stand/shop at the market, selling soap, toothpaste, detergent, etc. (She was previously sharing a stand with Peter’s aunt … hopefully having her own will increase the family’s income.)

Peter’s letter reads:
“I hope this letter finds you very well. I would like to tell you that summer recess has not ended yet, so I have gone fishing and to the beach with my family. I really like soccer and specially Colo-Colo team.
I would like to thank you for all the help you have given to me and my family. My mom is very happy about your help.
I send you a kiss, I am very grateful.”

Fundraiser #7~ Photos & Thank You

FINALLY! After months of waiting, then searching, and wondering where Jester's photos and thank you letter could have gone- They have finally been located (the scanned versions, anyway). As you can tell by the letter, Jester is very gratefull for the IGP. All of the stuff in the photos, along with the tropical background, makes me want to head to the beach!

What is going on at Make a Change?

Today I decided to break down and tell every one a few of the things that are coming up and some things that are already going on at Make a Change. This is very important, especially for those who do not follow the group regularly. There are so many things going on at one time, it can be hard to keep up.

For those of you who do keep track of the group, you have seen a lot happen in less than a year's time. I am sure it will surprise you to know that what you see is only the tip of the iceberg!! Here is a list of things that are going on/are in the process of being started:

1. The fundraisers have been a huge success. As you can see by the posts, we have helped many families and continue to help more and more. Numerically, we are on fundraiser #19, but we have had emergency fundraisers and an A&B fundraiser that make us over the #20 spot in fundraiser completion. The exciting part is getting the pictures and thank yous back from the field. When you get a chance, take a look at the complete projects page of the web-site. I would like you to take a close look at the faces of the children and their parents. Pause for a minute & really look at them. Then, try to put yourself in their shoes and imagine just how they might be feeling. It is truly AMAZING!

2. The summer reading packages are in full swing. A package is going to almost every community center that CI services. In each package, there are smaller packages for each child whose sponsor wants to participate. I would say an average would be about 10 children will be serviced by one package (as more sponsors begin to participate). That means that as the packages arrive to their destinations some time in the spring, they will be given to those children they are destined for... And, THEN, by summer we will have lots of photos & thank yous from some very happy children. Each sponsor will get their own pictures & letters, so it will be up to the sponsor to forward the correspondence to me to be shared with the group. I have a feeling I will have to post more come summertime! (right now I only post 2 times a day). To participate, and send your sponsor child items, check out the web-store. Any excess funds made from the purchase of the items in the web store goes directly to our fundraisers!!

3. We have done a reading program for CUS in Uganda as well. Two large priority boxes full of books were sent last year (over 100 books were sent!). One of the big boxes has already arrived along with a package full of bead bracelets & necklaces. These bix boxes of gifts will be given to the children when they return to school in February.

4. Shortly, I will be providing some information on how you will be able to help in a mass IGP (income-generating project). I am gathering information now on setting up several women with a group business. The business will provide these women with the life skills they need to survive & take care of their families. They will receive training in a craft, and will participate full time in the business. The products they produce will be brought here to the US & sold. Once sold, the money will be divided with the group of business women- We will have constant feedback & pictures. I will tell you about the women, and we will get to see first hand the items they are making. Then, we will make the business happen for them, and watch their lives transform!!!

5. Some of you have been following this group long enough to remember what I said about 1 year ago. It would be great to have a group of volunteers to go out to these poor communities & help (hands-on!!!) Some of you expresses interest in this as well. The good news is that despite the nay-sayers (which, by the way you can always find one if you are looking for them), I will soon have more information on this aspect of the group. I will be speaking with a representative of an organization I have worked with in the past. I am supposed to catch up with him next week, since he is presently in the Dominican Republic. I will be speaking with him about how we can get our sponsor children's communities in to their projects & how we can participate. The realization of the dream will probably not happen until 2011, as it will take a lot of time to plan. BUT, it is great news all the same!!

Those are the 5 bullet points I wanted to get out there, so that you all will know what is going on. It is much more than you see (as you can tell), and I try not to think about it all at once- It is really overwhelming what all we have the potential of doing. It is the purpose of the group- Make a Change is about making an everlasting change in people's lives and the world. The group is not about me- It is all of you making a difference together!!

This has turned into a full-time job for me, though I don't get paid to do it. I do it because it is exciting to see the difference it makes, and I would hope that someone would do the same for me if the roles were reversed. I do many things behind the scenes to get the projects completed, and I can always use some help (no matter how small). I will have some ideas for those who wish to help coming up this afternoon... So, stay tuned!

Diego's aunt needs your help!

Diego's aunt stepped in a few years ago to take care of him after both of his parents passed away. She has struggled to provide Diego with the things he needs to stay alive. Several terrific folks have stepped up to help her with that. Through his fundraiser, he received cans of pediasure, a bed, amoung other items.

Now, we are in the last leg of the fundraiser. We need approximately $1,100 more to assist his aunt with her business. The money will be used to buy food items, a refridgerator, and pay off her debt (the loan that she received to start the business).

I have been told that there is a company match donation of $500 coming to his fundraiser soon~ which means we would only need $600 more!

To help Diego's aunt, please visit Aura's House:
http://aurashouse.com/2009/06/emergency-project-for-diego-of-columbia/

Don't forget- There is something in it for you, too (besides the great feeling of helping someone)- I am holding a raffle at the end of the fundraiser for $100! Here are the details:

For every $10 donated, you will receive 1 raffle ticket.
At the end of the fundraiser, I will get a spread sheet of the donors.
I will use this spread sheet to print off the raffle tickets.
My daughter Jaden will draw a number out of the hat to determine the winner.
The winner will receive a brand new black 4GB Microsoft Zune Video and Music MP3 player or $100 USD gift card!!

A Look Back 2009 Part 3

#8 This project provided money for Wilfredo's child Alia in the Philippines to buy:

food

pots and pans

shoes

bike

and an IGP to sell fish!

Amount raised: $225.00

Project completed by 6/14/09


#9 This project raised money for Holly's child Yoselyn in Honduras and her family to buy:

1 Full size bed
1 Gas stove
1 Gas tank
1 Food basket
5 Pairs of sandals
3 Underwear
4 Pairs of socks
2 School supplies
2 Girl's suits

Amount raised: $215.00

Project completed on 6/20/09

#10 This project raised money for the following items for Heather G's child Diego in Ecuador:

1 Twin size mattress
1 Plastic chest of drawers
1 Mosquito net
2 Bed sheet sets
2 T-shirts
2 Jean pants
2 Shoes
1 Mattress transportation
1 Hand towel

Amount raised: $215.00

Project completed: 6/29/09

A Look Back 2009 Part 2~ All IGP's!

#4 Henry is my child (Heather M), and he lives in Cartagena, Colombia. His family has struggled to keep employment and a steady income. When I first started sponsoring him, his family was living on $25 a month!! Now, his family is at $105 a month. This is extremely low, so this fundraiser was very important for the family.

Amount raised: $215 by 5/6/09

What the family received:
Items needed to start their own restaurant
1 set of 12 pieces of cutlery
4 plastic tables
16 plastic chairs
1 can opener
1 pitcher
1 fryer
1 blender
1 grater
1 fan

The amount needed to start the business was way more than what we could raise at that time. For this reason, I have requested an update from the field to see how much more the family needs to get the business off the ground.

#5 Alejandra and Fabiola are Su's children in Mexico. They wanted to start a business selling small items in order to add income to the household.

Amount raised: $290 by 5/12/09

Items bought for the business:

toys

plates

cups

bowls

and more! (take a look at the picture to see just how much they were about to buy to sell)

#6 Brenda is Chrystal's child in Guatemala. They family was in need of income to provide for their basic needs. This fundraiser set up Brenda's family to have an ice drink business.

Amount raised: $265 by 5/20/09

Items purchased for the business:

A machine to make ice drinks

A juice extractor

6 glasses

200 oranges

Do You Care? $9,002.70 worth!

Absolutely! If this doesn't speak for just how much each of you care about these children, I don't know what does?!?!

We have reached the $9,000 mark and surpassed it, and we still have 10 days left in 2009.
If any one had asked me back in February & March when I was still working to get all of the ideas and things together how much I thought we would raise for the year... I may have said $1,000. I don't know. I can tell you that I never expected you all to come through like you did.

Why didn't I think that a group of people could raise so much money? Well, first of all, in this world it seems like most people are focused on themselves. It is all about how much they can get for themselves, or "What's in it for me?" These fundraisers give nothing physical to the donor except feelings that they are helping someone else.

With that much money having been donated in 9 months, we should have a whole lot of people walking around with those "feelings". It's not a new car that you can parade in front of your co-workers or a multi-million dollar mansion to show everyone "you have arrived". It is only the feelings that you have inside for what you have done. I am sure they are shining through and rubbing off on those around you!

There is a song that we sang in church when I was growing up. It is very appropriate here. This is how it goes:

"Because I have been given much, I too must give,
Because of Thy great bounty Lord each day I live!
I shall divide my gifts from Thee
With every brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care,

I cannot see another’s lack and I not share-

my glowing fire, my loaf of bread-

my roof’s safe shelter over head,

that he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by Thy great love dear Lord,

I’ll share thy love again according to thy word.

I shall give love to those in need.

I’ll show that love by word and deed,

thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed."

And, nothing more needs to be said- You ALL are living it!

A Final Plea before Christmas

We are already only a few days away from Christmas! I don't know about you all, but it has been crazy around my house all month long!! Some things that I have been meaning to do have fallen through the cracks somehow. I will have to run out this week and do the last of my Christmas shopping (and I am not a last minute shopping kind of person). It scares me that I won't be able to find the "perfect gift" for the 3 people left on my list!

Oh, the worries we have!

I have been thinking about Dee's children Jose Manuel and Yamileisy these past few days. Mostly because their fundraiser hasn't gotten a single donation. I am trying to internalize exactly how it would feel to be in their shoes.

Until recently, they were using a community latrine! Those are just words, but I want you to think about it for a minute. Have you or your children (if you have any) ever woken up in the middle of the night needing to run to the rest room? Would you feel comfortable having your kids go out to the community latrine at 3AM?

Then, I thought of my husband's grandmother. His grandmother built her own home, and it is quite a piece of work (considering it was done by people who had never built a house before in their lives). However, it is laking a few things. There is one toilet, but when there are 10 people in the house inevitably, you are going to need to go and being waiting impatiently outside the bathroom door for the person inside to finish. Imagine if you have to share a toilet with a whole community!!!

The family finally got the bathroom they needed, thanks to Dee's hard work and determination. That is one less thing to worry about. I am sure the family is very happy to have that!

Their income is only $70. I am not sure how they are able to buy all of the food and other necessities. I imagine there are a lot of necessities that they have to go without.

The family is not asking for a handout. In fact, they didn't ask for any thing. However, Dee saw an extremely poor family and wanted to help them change their situation. When approached by CI about an IGP, the family took us up on it. This business could easily help them double their income.

In the Dominican Republic, unemployment is high, and it is difficult to find and keep a job. This gives them something they can do on their own.

I know this is Christmas week, and every one has a lot going on. This is all I am asking of you...

If everyone could just donate $10, we could make a big dent in this fundraiser. And, I will leave you alone until after Christmas :0)

http://www.firstgiving.com/dominicanfamilyigp

Project #8 for Alia Thank you

The child together with her mother was SURPRISED on the gifts given by the sponsor. Accordingly, this is the 1st time that the child received this kind of assistance. The gifts given were already indicated in the previous inquiry memo sent by the sponsor. Thus the family was so very glad that the inquiry was granted and that their proposed IGP will be materialized. With this, they wished to extend their heartfelt thanks to the sponsor for sharing them this precious blessing.

The assistance given to Alia Rose’s family is very significant not only to the child but to her family as well. The income generating project which is the fish vending will give the father extra job taking into consideration that he only engages in an on and off construction works. With the fish vending activity this will augment the income of the family. In addition, the footwear of the sponsored child will be useful for her personal needs. This will also replace the old ones. On the other hand, the groceries will supplement the needs of the family for food for a certain period of time. So, the family was THANKFUL to the sponsor because the inquiry was realized into special donation

Alia Rose

“Thank you for sending this assistance to me and my family. This is a very big help that you can give me because it will really add on to the income of my family"

Welcome to Fundraiser #18!

You may remember these adorable 2 siblings from the Nov. 1st post. Dee was able to provide them with a toilet, sink, and the actual addition to the home of a bathroom!

Now, she needs our help. The family would like to start an IGP (my favorite!). They would like to sell clothing and beauty accessories from their home. The cost of the product they will sell is $500. They can use some of the profit from the business to buy more product to sell, and keep the business going indefinitely!

To help this wonderful family realize their dreams and be able to spend more time together, check out their fundraiser IGP!

And the winner for Day 10 is...

McKenzie Fritch (AKA Mack) and Jim Miller! They have won the gorgeous travel book about Lisbon, which is perfect because Jim traveled there last year!! I'm sure it will bring many great memories! Mack, please make sure to send Su your address, if she doesn't already have it.

I, also, wanted to mention that even though this raffle got off to a slow start, it gained $49 in donations! See why I always say you guys are the best?! Now, we are only short $91 to get this fundraiser completed!! You guys rock! Anyone hungry for ice cream? They should have their ice cream shop up and running by February... So, if you are planning a trip to Guatemala anytime after that, make sure to stop by and taste the delicious ice cream that you helped provide! Yum!!! Now, I am wondering how "mom" is going to keep the girls out of the ice cream & eating up profits! LOL!!!

On the 10th Day of Christmas...

my sponsor gave to me...

10 ice cream flavors!

Up for raffle today is this:

Tourist Guide of Lisbon with very nice pictures of the city and also travel tips (for someone who would eventually visit).

This is a great book to offer to someone who likes traveling and/or to know about other cultures.

$1 = 1 raffle ticket

The fundraiser being highlighted today is for Gema and her family to have an ice cream shop. This will help improve the family's income which plummeted after Gema's mother had a baby and was unable to work. We only need $140 to provide the family with this business!!

To enter the raffle, here is the link

And the winner for Day 6 is...

Steve!!!

On the 6th Day of Christmas...

my sponsor gave to me...

6 ice cream scoops!

This fundraiser is for the Guatemala Ice Cream Shop. We are getting very close to completing this fundraiser as well. Very exciting!

The raffle for today is a CD that ships directly from Portugal. Since, I don't know anything about Portuguese music, I have to refer to Su's email. This is what she said:


This raffle is for a "Fado CD named "The art of Amalia Rodrigues".


Amalia was the greatest fado singer ever in Portugal. Fado is a typical Portuguese type of music known all over the world.


This is a great gift for any music lover!


-------------------
Amália da Piedade Rodrigues, GCSE, GCIH, (July 23, 1920 – October 6, 1999), also known as Amália Rodrigues (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐˈmaliɐ ʁuˈdɾiɡɨʃ]) was a Portuguese singer and actress.
She was known as the "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado") and was most influential in popularizing the fado worldwide. In fact, she was one of the most important figures in the genre’s development, and enjoyed a 40-year recording and stage career. Rodrigues' performances and choice of repertoire pushed fado’s boundaries and helped redefine it and reconfigure it for her and subsequent generations. In effect, Rodrigues wrote the rulebook on what fado could be and on how a female fadista — or fado singer — should perform it, to the extent that she remains an unsurpassable model and an unending source of repertoire for all those who came afterwards. Rodrigues enjoyed an extensive international career between the 1950s and the 1970s, although in an era where such efforts were not as easily quantified as today.


--------------------
Fado (Portuguese:destiny, fate) is a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. In popular belief, fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. However, in reality fado is simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain structure.

The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade (that has no match in English but it could be understood as nostalgia felt while missing something or someone important), a word describing a sentiment.

Mainstream fado performances during the 20th century included only a singer, a Portuguese guitar player and a classical guitar player but more recent settings range from singer and string quartet to full orchestra. Known as the "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado"), Amália Rodrigues was most influential in popularizing the fado worldwide. Other famous fado singers include: Carlos do Carmo, Cristina Branco and Mariza."

To enter the raffle, it is 1 raffle ticket for each dollar donated. The donations for today need to go to the delicious ice cream shop.

And the Winner for Day 5 is...

Wow! Amazing turn out for this raffle. Thank you to all who participated & contributed a total of $97 today!!! Jonathan's fundraiser is only a few dollars short, so let's just call it complete :0)

Now, as you can see by the video, the winner is Bernie! Yay!

Check back in the morning for the next Portuguese style raffle!

On the 5th Day of Christmas...

my sponsor gave to me... 5 Comforter sets!

This raffle fundraiser is for Jonathan and his grandmother. It is VERY close to completion! With the money, Ms. Lidia (grandmother) will purchase several bedding items to sell as a street vendor. She will use some of the income to purchase other items to sell, and can therefore, keep the business going. This will provide the household will a steady stream of income which they so desperately need.

Remember, $1 is 1 raffle ticket, so the more you donate, the more chances you have to win! Here is the link to donate to today: Help Ms. Lidia

The item up for raffle today is one of the camera's pictured above. It is the black one you will win, should your name be drawn. Here are the details of this prize:

Warranty: 1 Year Digital Blue
Features:
 Easy to use: One-touch record with instant playback
 Flip-out 1.5” color TFT LCD screen
 Expandable to 2GB via SD card slot
 VGA video resolution
 1.3MP snapshot resolution
 64 MB memory on board
 Expandable to 2GB with SD card (not included)
 Magic Director storyboard scene mode with audio instruction
 TV output
 Built in microphone
 4x digital zoom
 Uses (2) AA batteries (not included)
System Requirements:
 USB port
 700MB free hard disk space
 Windows 2000 or XP, CPU: 800 Mhz or faster processor
 Vista: 800 MHz or faster processor
 128 MB RAM

I will draw and announce the winner tonight at 8:30PM CST, so make sure you get in your donations early! Good luck!

And the winner for Day 2 is...

Drum roll, please... Gema received $40 in donations yesterday! Thank you to all who participated!!! Now, I know you are anxiously awaiting the winner. First, I am going to tell you how Su drew the names... This is what she wrote:

"As a true computer engineer that I am, I did an excel file with numbers 1 to 40 (for the 40$ donated) and in front of them the name of the person who donated. For instance Dana had 20 tickets (for example, numbers 1 to 20), Kate had 4 (ex: 21 to 24) and so on.

Then I used a random number generator (http://www.random.org) to give me a number between 1 and 40 and it turned out that the number drawn out corresponded to one of Dana's ticket.

Ok, just in case you wanna know how I did it"

So, Dana is the winner!!! Yay!