Children of the Nations: News & Updates

Thanks to You, Thirty-two Students Graduate in Uganda

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 10:20:01 -0800

On December 1, 2012, thirty-two of our youngest students in Uganda graduated from nursery school. It's because of your care that they have the incredible head start of early childhood education. With your continued support, they will continue on to primary school, and one day, they will begin secondary school and may even go on to university. This first step is a big accomplishment in this country. Education Consultant Lindsey Mueller was there for the exciting celebration of graduation, and wrote about it from Uganda:

Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to take part in the graduation ceremony of the students in "Top Class" in the Children of the Nations (COTN) nursery school. There are thirty-two students who have now completed three years of nursery school, and next year will begin their elementary school career. It was an amazingly beautiful day.

To start the ceremony, the children, who were dressed in tiny caps and gowns, marched to their seats. While they were marching, the mothers in the crowd started yelling and came to march with their children. The pride they had in their children finishing nursery school was evident. All the women were dressed in their best gomas (Ugandan dresses worn for special occasions) and they were all yelling and shouting as their children marched to their seats.

The ceremony lasted more than two hours, and those nursery students sat attentively the entire time. Of course they are children, so there was fidgeting, but they sat and listened to each speaker who congratulated them on their success. The speakers also encouraged the parents. They told parents to continue to send their children to school. They encouraged the parents to love their children, and to raise them to be good members of society. They reminded parents of the trauma this country has faced and that education is one of the keys to continuing in a positive direction.

After all the speeches, each child was given a picture of themselves and a certificate of completion. As each child’s name was read, their family members jumped out of their seats, ran up and grabbed their child, and carried them to receive their certificate. The smiles and expressions of joy were absolutely beautiful. The ceremony ended with a feast. All the children and parents were fed—around 500 people.

I have been here for six months and struggle to find an occasion happier than this one. The parents were so proud of their children, the teachers were proud of the children and community, and the children were glowing as they received their certificate. Six children who live in the Uganda Children's Village were among this graduating class and I have to admit I kind of felt like one of those proud parents. I have only been here a short time, but I was so happy for each child and pray that they continue to see success as they continue down the road.

You can give a child the chance to succeed. Sponsor a child today!

Your Meals Are Feeding Children in Haiti

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 10:58:16 -0800

Monday, November 25, was an exciting day in the community of Bellevue, Haiti. It was the day when all your work and support—the meals you packaged, the donations you gave, and the prayers you prayed—came to fruition. It was the first day Children of the Nations (COTN) staff in Haiti got to serve a hot, nutritious meal to the first seventy-five children in COTN's recently-launched Village Partnership Program in Bellevue.

Long, bright red tables were hauled under a large shelter of blue tarp—the community's humble offering for a place to gather. Seventy-five young children—all under the age of eight—clamored in and got busy lining up, drinking in the smell of warm rice and beans. Many of them hadn't eaten yet that day, making the smell even sweeter.

Each child had their plate heaped high with food. But before they took a bite, Marc Antoine Michel, COTN's Village Partnership Program Director, called them to attention. He reminded them that all the food they were about to enjoy was a gift from God, and led all the children in prayer. "It was a wonderful moment," Marc Antoine recalls. The children were so deeply grateful, and their prayers heartfelt.

The children finished their large plates of food faster than you could imagine. When everyone was fully satisfied, Marc Antoine called them into yet another time of prayer. Standing together, they praised God for his provision, and basked in the beautiful feeling of a full belly.

Until that day, a full belly was a rare feeling for seven-year-old Daphca. She says that most days, she didn't get enough to eat. "I am very excited to come into the program, because I know I will have something to eat," she shares. Daphca adds that her favorite part of the meal is the beans.

Mezilia, a mother of seven, shares her gratitude for your help in providing for her children. Before COTN began serving meals, she used to beg for food from her neighbors. Now her youngest daughter will receive one nutritious meal each day through COTN's Village Partnership Program, thanks to partners like you. She hopes that as the Village Partnership Program expands, more of her children will be able to benefit. But for now, she is excited to see the ways your support will change her daughter's life. "I am expecting a very great improvement in her life," she says.

Marc Antoine also has high hopes for the transformation your provision of meals will bring to the community. "To be fed has been, for our children in Bellevue, a great need," he explains. "That's why the feeding of COTN represents a great hope of transforming for the children." Marc Antoine says that most kids in Bellevue eat whatever they can find, simply for survival. He is excited to see them eating the high-protein, vitamin-packed meals that partners like you package and send to Haiti. "In the future,” Marc Antoine says, “we can be a good malnutrition fighter in the community.”

You can provide food for children like Daphca. Sponsor a child from Haiti today, and you will receive your child's information in the mail in the coming weeks!

Or, help provide a permanent shelter for Haitian children to eat their daily meals.

Four Ways to Shake Up Your Christmas Routine and Bless Others

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:22:08 -0800

At Christmas, as we celebrate Jesus’ birth, most of us take time to be with our loved ones and give gifts to those who are close to us. But it can also be fun to add some Christmas activities that bring blessings to others. Here are four ways to shake up your Christmas routine and bless children in need!

1. Find alternative ways to shop!

Flood Church in San Diego, a longtime Children of the Nations (COTN) partner, just wrapped up their annual Christmas Concert and Shoppe. With good music, an array of gifts available for purchase, and a great atmosphere, the event provided a wonderful alternative to the usual hectic Christmas shopping experience. And all the proceeds benefit nonprofits like COTN. “It’s an inspiration for people to make conscientious decisions when Christmas shopping,” says Flood’s impact administrator, Emily Hawkes. She says the shop helps people discover “the power of using their money for a good cause.”

Even if you don’t have an event like this in your neighborhood, there are plenty of opportunities to give gifts that will bless others this Christmas. Check out COTN’s Gift Catalog for more than 40 gift ideas. Or, do your shopping through a partner nonprofit like One Purse (onepurse.org) or Market Colors (marketcolors.org). When you buy a purse, handbag, or other items made by African artisans, a portion of the proceeds go to organizations like COTN.

2. Get crafty!

For a second year in a row, Heidi Hearn—a former volunteer who is now launching COTN’s Boston area office—and her family are making more than 200 “lolly crops.” Made by pouring cinnamon-flavored candy into flower-shaped molds, these lollipops have a very special purpose: the Hearns use the money they make to buy seeds from COTN’s Gift Catalog. They dress the lolly crops in cellophane and decorate them with a tag that introduces COTN. The family sells the suckers for a dollar apiece through venues like their school fair. “It feels really tangible for the children,” says Heidi. The family also uses the lolly crops as gifts for teachers and makes a donation in their honor toward seeds.

Other families have baked and sold Christmas cookies to raise money for COTN’s programs. Get creative with your family to help children this Christmas!

3. Turn giving into a game!

The Good News club of Washington Elementary School in Valparaiso, Indiana, played games to raise money to purchase items from COTN’s Gift Catalog this year. The club members were invited to participate in a series of three challenges, including wearing promotional T-shirts the day of a club event, inviting friends to a school event, and memorizing Bible verses. For each completed challenge, a sponsor committed to give a specific amount toward the Gift Catalog purchases. The club has a long-standing history in the community and Jill Woodsmall, leader of the club, had no problem finding people willing to donate to the cause. The club ended up with $200, which they used to purchase an animal, underwear, and a medical checkup. “You could tell there were prayer warriors behind this,” says Jill.

Other partners invited friends to a game night and asked them to donate $25 at the door. The money they raised will go toward COTN’s University Program. Come up with a creative game idea of your own to help children in need!

4. Add a new member to your family!

There are many children in COTN’s programs who need sponsors. For $32 a month, you can transform a child’s life. In addition to ensuring a child receives nutrition, medical attention, and an education, sponsorship provides both sponsor and child with the opportunity for a relationship through letter writing and in-country visits. This Christmas, add a new member to your family and start a relationship that will change a child’s life—and yours!

Danilo Finds Peace in Chaos and Tragedy, Thanks to You

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:35:19 -0800

Danilo never knew his father. He abandoned the family when Danilo, now 15, was just a baby. Danilo and his three older sisters were raised by their mother, who sold charcoal on the streets to support them. Her earnings were never quite enough to feed the whole family, and the children often went to bed hungry.

Frustrated by his situation, and taking cues from life in the slums of Barahona, Dominican Republic, Danilo developed a strong temper, and was known for his aggression. This anger took over his life. "My life was not good," he says, "because I was very aggressive. I didn't have peace."

When Danilo was invited to join Children of the Nations' I Love Baseball (ILB) program last year, the direction of his life changed, thanks to partners like you. His anger did not go away overnight—in fact ILB's director, Ruddy Suero, recalls many difficult confrontations with Danilo. But as Danilo learned about his great and loving Father in heaven, he began to change.

"Now, I am different," he says. "My behavior is better, I have a place to eat, I am learning about God." A big part of this change came from having a purpose and direction to his life, thanks to the baseball training and education that sponsors and partners like you help provide. "I have a place to do good things for my future," Danilo explains.

Just last month, Danilo's already difficult life got even harder. His mother came down with a severe case of pneumonia, and didn't recover. Without people like you, who helped provide the support and direction Danilo needed to change, this time would have been even more difficult for him.

Danilo has remained focused on his baseball training during these trials. He hopes to someday become a professional player, and then a coach, so he can help young boys in need—like he used to be. He does everything he can to help his older sisters make ends meet. After practice, he works at a little stand on the street, selling small things to earn extra money.

In addition to his baseball training, Danilo is attending school in the evenings, and learning the value of a good education. "Before, school didn't make sense to me, because I didn't know how important it is," he says. Today, he knows that if he doesn't make it as a professional baseball player, he'll be able to continue his education and begin a different career—so he can continue helping his sisters, and support a family of his own one day.

Change a child's life today: sponsor a child or support education and training for young men like Danilo through the ILB program.

Your Gift of Shoes Brings Dignity and Hope

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:58:25 -0800

Clement proudly holds up his new shoes and grins widely. "I don't take this for granted," he says. "I have never had better shoes."

In fact, there was a time when Clement didn't have shoes at all. "I used to walk barefoot to and from school, church, and the market," he remembers. "My school was more than two miles when I used to walk every day without shoes. It was very hard for me during summer when the sun would burn too much."

But the worst part was not the walk. It was arriving at school with blistered, tired feet, and being asked to leave. At the school Clement used to walk to, shoes were required, whether you could afford them or not. "I was chased out of class because I didn't have shoes," he says. "It was very shameful for me being chased out of class because my family couldn't manage to buy me shoes."

When Children of the Nations (COTN) began partnering with the village of Chirombo, Malawi, to help impoverished parents like Clement’s provide for their children, many things changed for Clement. He no longer had to worry about food each day, as a daily nutritious meal was provided for him. He also received school supplies, clothes, and all the basic supplies he needed to do well in school. COTN–Malawi staff provided spiritual support and guidance for Clement—he began learning about Jesus and attending church. He knew his schooling would not end at eighth grade as it so often does for children in Malawi, where secondary school is not free.

But some of the changes came from simple items we so often take for granted. For Clement, receiving a pair of shoes was a meaningful moment. Not only did this pair of shoes mean the end of long, painful, barefoot walks, it was the beginning of dignity, and the promise of a hopeful future.

It's all because of people like you that children like Clement are able to have shoes. Especially at Christmas time, when so many partners sacrifice presents in order to give these small, meaningful gifts to children like Clement, you make it possible for thousands of shoes and other necessities to be delivered to the children COTN serves.

Clement remembers the shame of having no shoes. Now that he has them, he grins and says, "I am looking like my friends." Putting on shoes felt better than he could have imagined. "I didn't know it felt so comfortable to put on shoes!" he admits.

Clement is no longer embarrassed or ashamed, thanks to your gift of shoes. But to him, the shoes you provide for him are just one way you are opening up opportunities for him to complete his education, achieve his dreams, and bring transformation to his nation. "Without shoes, my studies at school can be affected, and therefore I would not be able to realize my dream of becoming a farm manager." Clement explains. "It is only when you have a better education that you can achieve all that you aim for. And without basic needs, you cannot perform well at school." Clement pauses as he ponders all the ways this simple gift has changed his life. "Without shoes," he concludes, "I wouldn't enjoy my school the way I am enjoying now!"

This Christmas, give gifts that change lives, like shoes! Shop COTN's Gift Catalog to find meaningful gifts that will help children in need like Clement.

Next Stop for Janet: High School

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:38:41 -0800

This month, Janet will graduate from seventh grade and prepare to begin secondary school. If you asked her five years ago if she could ever imagine graduating, Janet would have shaken her head in disbelief. Her main focus back then was finding one meal each day. She had no time or energy to dream about her goals—and graduating from primary school seemed nearly impossible.

"My life was so stressed," Janet recalls, remembering the daily struggle for food in war-torn northern Uganda. "I had no alternative but to earn food by digging in people's gardens. Sometimes I would do that and end up not being paid. Those days, I would go without a meal, which we could only afford to have once a day."

Janet and her two brothers lived alone after their father was tragically killed in a rebel attack on the camp they lived in, and their mother disappeared. The three of them tried to support themselves by working in gardens or making charcoal, but it was difficult. "I was looking very miserable and poor," Janet remembers. "I had almost no clothes to put on." Janet remembers sleeping on the ground with her two brothers, all huddled under one blanket.

In 2007, when partners like you helped build the first Children of the Nations (COTN) Uganda Children's Homes, in-country staff visited the Barlonyo Camp for internally displaced persons, to identify children in desperate need of care. This was the camp Janet and her brothers had grown up in, and the place their father was killed. Though the children had moved to a neighboring village after the attack on the camp, Janet's older brother had gone back to Barlonyo to look for work. When he heard about COTN, he immediately went to get Janet, who was ten years old at the time.

As soon as COTN staff met Janet, it was clear that she so desperately needed to live in a real home, with adults to care for her, three meals a day, and the ability to attend school. And that's exactly what partners like you provided for Janet, and continue to provide to this day. Janet moved into the newly-constructed COTN Children's Village, and from that moment on, she no longer had to worry about what she would eat, what she would wear, and how her needs would be met. Her sponsors provided financially for all her basic needs, and in-country staff members were there to make sure she got all the emotional and spiritual support she needed. Janet's life was transformed.

Now, as she goes on to high school, Janet wants to take the transformation you have nurtured in her life and spread it to her community and nation. "I want to become a teacher," she explains, "to help supply information and knowledge to children in our village, so they can also come out of ignorance." Her dream for Uganda, she says, is to see an end to all corruption. As you continue to support children like Janet, you are a part of seeing this dream come true. You are raising children who will transform nations!

Change a child's life and give them the opportunity to transform their nation. Sponsor a child today.

You're Never Too Young: 9-Year-Old Collects School Supplies for Africa

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:05:00 -0800

Growing up in Gig Harbor, Washington, 9-year-old Kylee Sears has always had all the learning materials she could possibly dream of. But that doesn't mean she doesn't think about children who don't. "It would be hard to have no school supplies," she says. "I imagine writing in the dirt with sticks."

Kylee's been hearing stories about Africa from her family's good friend and Children of The Nations (COTN) staff member Jennifer Keltner for years. Every time Jennifer visits Kylee she has stories about African children from her latest Venture Trip with COTN. "Some day I want to go to Africa with her," says Kylee.

Kylee has a couple more years before she'll be old enough to travel to Africa and serve the children there. But she doesn't let that stop her from doing everything she can to help them now. This summer, Kylee kicked off a SmilePack® drive from her front porch.

"I made a list of all the materials you need to put in a bag," she explains, "and I told my family and friends." Kylee also posted the information on her blog, hoping to get as much exposure as possible. "We had a box on the front porch where they could drop off their bag and take an empty one," she explains.

The donations came in, slow and steady, as people picked up more bags and spread the word. "We didn't really know where it was going to take us," Kylee's mom, Shelly, admits. But people joined in he effort—even strangers. Kylee's grandfather was in Walmart buying supplies when an employee came up and asked him what he was doing. After he told her, she came running back with three dollars, saying she wanted to help out. "It spread," says Shelly.

On November 15, Kylee and her mother hauled forty-eight SmilePacks to one of COTN's warehouses to be loaded into a shipping container headed for Sierra Leone. In the warehouse, Kylee thought about the journey her carefully-sorted packs would make, and the children who would receive them in Sierra Leone. "I hope that they'll look back on the day they got them, and remember it," she says. "They'll probably be really happy."

Shelly, who is a teacher by profession, says collecting SmilePacks was a great learning experience for Kylee. "It led us to many conversations about different places around the world," she says. Kylee says she learned a lot too. "I learned that people in Africa might not have as much as we do," she says. "I want them to have as much as they can so they can learn and be healthy."

Collecting school supplies for children in Africa is easy! Organize a SmilePack drive today!

A Renaissance Man in the Making: Spengy's Story

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:08:03 -0800

Sixteen-year-old Idrissa, or “Spengy” as everyone calls him, asks question after question with a look of amazement and disbelief on his face. He is sitting in his first class at Children of the Nations' (COTN's) new science laboratory in Banta, Sierra Leone, and is blown away by the new world he has discovered. It's his first time using a microscope, and he is amazed. “It was my very first time to see the different parts of a cell. It was very surprising to see the parts that were on the slide made to be so big!” he remarks.

Spengy is in the third and final year of Junior Secondary School (equivalent to US ninth grade) and is working hard toward the national examinations he will take in June. He has been particularly enjoying his science classes, thanks to the new laboratory that partners like you funded. “I don’t have a specific thing but I enjoy everything,” he explains. He laughs about his penchant for asking questions. “Yes, [I ask] lots! Because I want to know more.”

It was ten years ago that Spengy’s father died. His mother died four years before, so Spengy was left with no one able to care for him.

But Spengy didn't remain an orphan. He'll never forget the day he came to live in COTN's Children's Home for the first time. Today he looks back on that day and laughs, remembering how scared he was. “People were saying that the whites eat people!” he giggles.

When Spengy arrived at COTN's Children's Home in 2003, he found this rumor couldn't have been farther from the truth. He has many fond memories from those first years, all thanks to people like you who helped build his beautiful home and provided for his care. He remembers arriving at the Children's Home for the first time and being taken aback by its size; playing by climbing up and down the first staircase he'd ever seen; sleeping in his first bunk bed; dancing in the dance group; singing in the choir; taking part in a weekly Christian radio program; praying for the sick in a nearby hospital.

Idrissa gets his nickname from his father, who was also called Spengy—a Sierra Leonean reference to his athleticism. While Spengy Jr. certainly follows in some of his father's footsteps, he has a great many interests, nurtured through the opportunities partners like you continue to provide for him—opportunities he never would have had if it weren't for his sponsors, Venture participants, and other generous, giving people like you.

“I have been practicing the guitar,” Spengy says. “The first time was when Mr. Wright [a COTN Venture participant] taught me. I like to sing songs for God. When I play the guitar new things come into my head to compose as Gospel music and songs. I feel at peace and at ease. I feel encouraged to learn it more and improve on my work.”

Spengy has also been volunteering with COTN's Venture Program and taking on leadership roles within the church. “Now I am going out as an evangelist to tell people about the word of God. At the main church I help with the order of service and giving announcements. I feel good.”

It is not yet clear where Spengy will go with all the opportunities you’re providing, but he isn’t afraid to dream big. “Well, after education I would think about being an accountant or a president,” he says. One thing is for sure—because of the care and opportunities you have provided for him, Spengy's creative spirit and sharing heart are already beginning to transform his nation.

You can give a child like Spengy a home, a family, an education, and hope for the future. Sponsor a child today!

Staina Sings a Song of Hope

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:32:52 -0800

The children had just been invited to share a song. It was quiet for a moment, as the shy kids hid their faces, not wanting to perform in front of a crowd. Then, seven-year-old Staina raised her hand and quietly but confidently walked to the front. "Just as I am," she sang in French, "from my heart and my soul; Let all that I am be yours, Lord."

Staina and seventy-four other children from the community of Bellevue have been gathering daily as part of the Village Partnership Program you helped Children of the Nations (COTN) launch in this Haitian town. The children, all under eight years old, were identified as the most desperate for care in this area. These kids need help just to get enough food to eat each day. None of them attend school. But thanks to partners like you, all of these children now have sponsors providing for their needs. They now meet daily for a nutritious meal, Bible studies, crafts, songs, and games. They will begin school for the first time in January.

After the song, dozens of children huddled around as COTN’s Haiti Liaison, Debbie Watters of Poulsbo, Washington, sat down to meet Staina. She told Debbie (in French, through a translator) that singing is her favorite part of COTN's program. "I like to sing at church, and at home too," Staina said. Since COTN began its partnership with the people of Bellevue, Staina says she has learned many things. "I've learned that the Bible says that Jesus gives life," she says. "I learned the verse that tells me that God loves me—John 3:16."

Staina is the youngest of ten siblings, and with so many mouths to feed, her parents struggle to provide food and education for all of them. Staina says she wants to become a nurse one day. "I like helping others," she says, "so I want to be a nurse." She knows that without your support, this dream is impossible—her parents cannot afford to send her to school on their own.

But with people like you by Staina's side to support her through school, help provide for her basic needs, and pray for her, the COTN–Haiti staff knows Staina can make it. They need only look at what people like you have done nearby in the Dominican Republic. There, twenty-four students are now attending university. Several have already graduated and begun careers in their community as doctors and teachers. Every one of these students came from similar circumstances as young Staina.

Because of you, Staina's dream really is possible. Because of you, she can sing the words to the sweet song she shared, resting in the knowledge that God loves her and will not abandon her. Because of you, Staina may one day become a nurse who helps to transform Haiti.

Staina of Haiti's Song from Children of the Nations on Vimeo.

Many children still need additional sponsors! Sign up to sponsor a Haitian child today, and a child's photo and profile will be sent to you in the next few weeks.

My Sense of Humanity is Back, Because of You: Robbin's Story

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:27:49 -0800

Human is the last word you would use to describe the wreckage of family and community in which Robbin grew up. He was born in Barlonyo, an Internally Displaced Persons camp in northern Uganda, supposedly a safe haven from northern Uganda's worst terrorists: the Lord's Resistance Army.

But on February 21, 2004, Barlonyo was suddenly no longer safe. Hundreds of rebels surrounded the camp, killing everyone in sight. Robbin's father was a soldier charged with protecting the camp. He was shot as he helped his wife and six children escape the massacre.

With nowhere else to live, six-year-old Robbin and his family returned to Barlonyo after the attack. But his mother, who was from another region and had no family in Barlonyo, was denied access to anything her deceased husband left the family—a common plight for widows in a country where the strongest often get their way.

Determined to support her six children, Robbin's mother took small jobs weeding gardens. She didn't make enough to feed the family, let alone provide for any other needs. "She would spend the little money on food rather than soap," says Robbin, remembering how his mother had to prioritize their needs. "Washing clothes in my family was a very rare thing because a piece of soap had to last us a month."

Eventually, Robbin's mother fled to her home village, and Robbin had to find food for the family. "I would walk to a nearby swamp to look for fish with my one net," he says. "But because the swamp was small, I would just end up swimming at the shore, which was very dirty. Getting out of it, I would be smelling very bad, yet I had no soap to wash myself." Desperate for food, Robbin sometimes resorted to stealing. "I did not like it," he says, ashamed. "But I could not avoid doing it for survival."

After telling his heart-wrenching story, Robbin looks up, and says with confidence, "God is the provider of everything we need, and when we face desperate situations and ask God for help, He answers."

God uses people like you to answer those prayers. It is because of you that Robbin can smile today and say, "My sense of humanity is back." In 2008, a ragged, dirty ten-year-old Robbin was identified by Children of the Nations (COTN) in-country staff, and he came to live at the beautiful new Children's Village that partners like you helped fund and build. His new sponsors began providing for his needs—from food to school to spiritual development.

"My life is so different here," Robbin says. "I can read in English and write now. I do not worry for meals, because they are provided." Best of all, Robbin no longer has to choose between food and basic hygiene. "Now, I can tell when I'm dirty, and straight away I go to bathe or wash my belongings, for soap is provided for me."

It's because of you that this once-hopeless boy can dream of his future. "I want to be a doctor, to help save lives, and to provide medical services to the village people," says Robbin. "May God stand with your families as you support me."

Do you want to provide for a child like Robbin? Sponsor a child today—it will change their life forever!