Jan 30 2012

The gift of clothing to boost self-esteem

Posted on January 12, 2012 by admin

Think back to your high school days when all you wanted to do was to fit in and make friends with your classmates.

Now imagine going to school with a badly worn, patched-over uniform because your parents couldn’t afford a new one for you.

Gladness, a sponsored youth from Tanzania, faced this situation every day. But no longer, thanks to some help from a CFCA social worker, her mother’s diligent budgeting and a tailor’s magic touch.

Read the rest of Gladness’ story.

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Jul 6 2011

School starting for Indian schoolchildren

Posted on July 6, 2011 by admin

CFCA sponsored children go to school in India

Remi, a CFCA sponsored child in India, leaves for school as her mother, Jyotsna, waves goodbye. CFCA has provided Remi with new school supplies.

Many U.S. schoolchildren are still enjoying summer vacation, but CFCA sponsored children in Hyderabad, India, resumed classes in mid- to late June.

(See school calendars around the world in an earlier blog post.)

Sponsorship support allows parents to pay school fees due at the beginning of the academic year, and to buy shoes and textbooks.

The project supplies school bags for the children, and notebooks made by a CFCA bookbinding livelihood program.

In livelihood programs, parents of sponsored children form small groups to develop creative and practical income-generating ideas.

Because of the program, the project can supply the books at a lower price while maintaining quality, as well as providing families with much-needed income.

CFCA-Hyderabad deposits a portion of the sponsorship funds in child accounts at local banks.

Mothers of sponsored children withdraw funds from the accounts to pay school fees and buy uniforms, textbooks and shoes.

This model helps give families a greater sense of dignity as they are actively participating in, not passively receiving, increased access to education.

A mother of a CFCA sponsored child in India withdraws funds for school

A mother of a sponsored child withdraws money from her local bank.

“With this money I am able to send my child to a high-quality school, thanks to CFCA,” said Jayamma, whose daughter, Nagalaxmi, is sponsored.

Vijaya Rani, another mother of a sponsored child, says that school fees and other school-related costs have increased.

“With the amount which we are getting through CFCA, we are able to bear these expenses,” she said.

For many sponsored children, education is opening doors to a realm of new possibilities.

“My ambition is to become an engineer,” Nagalaxmi said. “For that I need to work hard.”

Go for it, Nagalaxmi! We wish you and your family all the best.

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Mar 18 2011

Spanish class raises $100 for sponsored child in Guatemala

Posted on March 18, 2011 by admin

By Kristin Littrell, freelance writer

Students in St. Joseph Academy’s Spanish class raised $100 for CFCA in one day through a bake sale. The inspiration came from their teacher, Lauren Marquis, who sponsors a child in Guatemala.

Teaching Spanish to middle school students can be challenging, but teacher Lauren Marquis knows how to engage her students.

During a letter-writing unit, Marquis assigned the students a task: write a letter ñ in Spanish ñ to her CFCA sponsored child, Ana, in Guatemala.

As the students worked on their letters, they began to ask questions about Anaís life. They looked at pictures Marquis received and noticed that Ana was standing near a trash heap. Ana’s parents didnít have shoes.

This was eye-opening for the students of St. Joseph Academy, a small rural school in Walton, Ky.

As they learned more about Anaís living conditions and international poverty, the St. Joseph Academy students wanted to help Ana and her family build a better life.

So, on their own initiative, the sixth-grade students organized a bake sale during lunch.

They contributed baked goods and raised $100 for CFCA in one day.

ìI was amazed,î Marquis said. ìI took the money to the bank and it was about seven cents short of $100, so I contributed the seven cents. Iím in awe of these kids.î

Now, theyíre anxious to hear back from Ana. Even the tough eighth-grade boys canít wait to receive a letter back from their new friend in Guatemala.

ìIíll definitely do this assignment again,î Marquis said, ìand maybe next year weíll have another bake sale!î

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Nov 11 2010

Gift of hearing aid “changes everything” for sponsored youth

Posted on November 11, 2010 by admin

By Regina, a sponsored youth in Legazpi, Philippines

I have always been a simple and quiet girl. I usually sat right in front of my teacher during class discussions, not because I am a ìstarî pupil but because I am different.

I conversed with others believing that it was a calm, low voice I hear but in reality they are shouting at me, for me to hear and understand them. … Itís because I have a hearing problem.

At the age of 7, it was not a question of finding a solution to my hearing problem. My family, friends and teachers showed enough sympathy and support, except for those who would choose to make my day miserable rather than study lessons.

Regina

They would play and laugh with me and then publicly show to me their whispering sessions, emphasizing that it was impossible for me to hear them.

I would usually go to one corner, where only very few pass by, sit with my knees drawn up close to my body and my face tucked between my drawn knees and chest, and cry my heart out at the cruelty of others.

I would usually give myself a minute or two to compose myself, a big pat on the back to boost my depleted morale and then go back to my assigned seat in class and forget as best as I could what had just happened.

In high school, I remained the ìdifferent one.î People conversed with me like normal but sometimes, I saw their silent laughs and pitying looks when they turned their backs from me. Well, I was used to it. It was like an ordinary thing for me.

I was in high school when I became a CFCA beneficiary. My sponsors are Mr. Rich and Sarah Deien. From the start this generous couple had never failed to support me. I have received so many beneficial things that I will be forever thankful.

They wrote letters to me and I wrote back. With this, they donít have to shout for me to hear. I easily understood what they wanted to tell me. It felt so normal.

Until I graduated from high school, Continue reading →

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Sep 7 2010

New York students meet their Salvadoran counterparts

Posted on September 7, 2010 by admin

Kayleigh Macchirole visits with children from El Salvador during her mission awareness trip.

Kayleigh Macchirole, a student from McGann-Mercy High School in New York, recently went with other students on a CFCA mission awareness trip to El Salvador. Here is her reflection on the experience.

I recently went on a missionary trip to El Salvador with a few people from my school. I went into this experience thinking that we were just going to go down there and help a few people, but after the first day I realized that we were doing so much more.

During our time in El Salvador we celebrated Mass with sponsored children and their families, visited homes, built a home for a family in need, met with our sponsored children, visited a school, and played a soccer game with some of the scholarship students.

We had the chance to interact with people from all age groups, and learn about all of their lives and the difficulties they face. On our final day in Santa Ana we got to interact with local teenagers while playing soccer. Afterwards we had the chance to have a group discussion with them.

Soon after the conversation started we realized that these teenagers werenít that different from us. Like American teenagers they are faced with the pressure to do drugs. They have the threat of gang violence, or even joining a gang, and also like us, they have hopes and dreams of being successful.

The big difference between us was money. They were all so thankful to be sponsored because otherwise there is a good chance they would be on the streets working rather than going to school, which will give them so many more opportunities to become successful and give themselves a better life.

Looking back on the whole trip, the thing that stands out to me the most was how grateful everyone was. On the day we got to meet our sponsored children the families were so appreciative. We heard things like ìI thank God for you every morning,î ìI consider you a sister to me,î ìGod bless you for the rest of your life,î and ìI thank God through the heavens and back.î

It shocked me that doing something as simple as sponsoring a child could change their lives so much. The people there have so little and yet they would help you with anything and always had a big smile on their face.

As Americans, we let something so small ruin our entire day. Meanwhile the people in El Salvador have so many more problems and always seem to have a positive attitude.

My trip to El Salvador was life-changing and I cannot wait to go back.

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