School Equals More Opportunities

I was raised in a home that believes that education is very important. If I wanted to go further in life, then I had to seek higher education for better opportunities. In Chad, not everyone is given that privilege. There are homes where they make equivalent to $1 daily, which has to go to food in order to survive. This means in some homes education is not what is most important at the time. I saw families that were being raised in a single parent or grandparent household. The parent worked hard to give their child/children a brighter future, but money did not always add up. In other cases, when there were multiple kids only a few of them were able to go to school. Lastly, girls do not always continue until high school for various reasons. According to UNICEF, there are about one in five children that are not able to go to primary school. For those that do go to school, only one in three of them finishes primary education (2015).

Two years ago I asked anyone willing to donate money towards some kids in Bere, Chad. There was an overwhelming response from people to donate. All the money went towards their schooling, supplies, and uniforms. There were more than 30 kids that were given the opportunity to continue on with their education!! One of the individuals was a girl that wanted to finish up high school. Her mother was going blind and her brother did not want to help pay for schooling anymore. He said that she would probably get married soon, so there would be no reason. Because of someone's donation, she was able to beat the system that says girls do not need education.

This year, once again I am asking for your help in any way. There are some kids this school year that need money in order to attend school. Some of the kids in need are being raised by a single mother, Giselle. Her husband died earlier this year from a heart attack. Her husband was a well known respectable nurse that worked at the local hospital. He left behind four kids to a mother who does not make a lot of money. The ages of her kids are about 12, 9, and 6 years old. The price for school is about 10,000 CFA each which is roughly $17 and uniforms are 6,000 CFA each, which is $10.

Another family has a mother that collects branches in the woods, then walks miles to come home to make charcoal. After hours of making charcoal, she brings them to the market to sell. She has three children that are in need of attending school this year. The ones that need sponsors are 10 and 7 years old. For each child it's $17 for school and $10 for uniform. An extra $5 will give them money for their books and school supplies. A child that is in higher level of education has to pay 25,000 CFA which is about $42.

Please help these kids attend school at Bere Adventist School in Chad, Africa. Even if you only can give $17, that will give money for one child to attend school. Any amount of money will make a difference. The more that is given, the more that can be done. Thanks in advance for making your contribution!!

Here is a picture of some of the kids that showed their appreciation to donors two years ago.

~ The small things you do for someone else can make lifetime impressions on them. ~

Birthday giving

Birthdays are always a fun thing for me. For anyone who reaally knows me, they know it's a big deal. Weeks, even months before I am thinking of things to do. For the last two years, I spent my joyous days in Chad. For 2014, I had a party where all my friends were invited. We had food, games and fun. I invited some of my friends from Chad to join and they learned the three legged race, water balloon toss and limbo. Last year, I had more people from village come and I had a joint birthday with a missionary (but it was really for me haha). We had food, dancing and games. It was so much fun to dance with my girls and some of the ladies that I didn't normally joke with in that way. I am all about having fun with everyone. This year I will be having my activities in Florida, which is very far from Chad. I still miss the people, culture, language and food. My heart still feels a sharp pain when I think of those that I can't see. I wish I was rich, then I would send money to create more avenues for the hospital and community to thrive.

This year, I want to give back. I want to raise funds during the month of March for people in Béré area. I want to give back to those who gave me so much. I want to give to those who help others. Since I can't be there to celebrate, this is my gift to them :-). I want to raise money for Project 21, nutrition center, Michellen (lady who helps handicapped kids and elderly) and needy fund. Instead of this birthday being all about me, let's make it about others.

Help me make this a Great 30th birthday by donating money towards great causes. You can also by purses, shirts, skirts or woven platters from Project 21, which helps it to continue. Please pass this along to others! Thanks for celebrating with me!
I will update blog with my information, but till then just head to my donation button and make a contribution.