I have some really good news to share. This past fall Everyone’s Child held their Annual Appeal. Today I am excited to report that in a year of pandemic and anxiety we have raised almost $30,000! When you take into account that this has been an extremely challenging year across our country and around the world, I am very encouraged by this response.

EC’s Mission

EC’s Annual Appeal is conducted every year in an effort to fund our programs, including the Orphan Feeding Program, which provides a daily lunch to over 500 orphaned students in six Kenyan primary schools each day. Another program that requires ongoing funding is our Secondary School Student Sponsorship Program. Currently EC is supporting 13 orphaned secondary students in Kenya and four students in India, and we expect to add at least 10 more students to the roster this year. Many supporters made specific gifts to these programs, enabling us to continue offering nutritious meals and an education to students who otherwise would not be able to attend school. The Mentorship Program makes up EC’s third initiative to help orphans. William Aludo, EC’s Kenyan Program Coordinator heads this program, leading orphaned high school students through a year-long plan to equip them with skills they will need after graduating from school. This three pronged approach encompasses EC’s mission statement, to educate, care for and connect with vulnerable children in developing nations.

Really Good News

The other really good news has to do with a small group of students from Harwood Union High School in northern central Vermont who spent the past several months raising funds to help their Kenyan peers attend school this year. In 2019, after learning that students in Kenya will be sent home if they can’t pay the $36 fee per term, they formed a group called “Harwood Students Making Change” and raised enough funds to help 12 orphaned high school students go to school in 2020. But they didn’t stop there. After finishing one fundraiser, Ari, Erin and Rachel visited local artisans, restaurateurs and purveyors in Vermont, asking for raffle donations. Their goal was to raise funds by selling tickets to classmates and teachers to continue helping Kenyan students go to school the following year. COVID-19 waylaid their plans, but they weren’t put off. Instead they switched gears to hold an online raffle last November, this time raising enough funds to send 15 orphaned secondary students to school in 2021.

The Harwood Students Making Change girls: Rachel, Tracy, Ari and Erin standing in front of a brick wall — Harwood Students Making Change: Rachel, EC Board member Tracy, Ari and Erin

A Win-Win

EC Board member Tracy Guion spearheaded the event, using the online raffle platform “RallyUp” to get the word out to supporters. Tickets were snapped up by friends and strangers alike, and by the end of the month they had reached and surpassed their goal, raising over $2,500 in one month! And what was more, twenty happy winners walked away with distinctive Vermont gifts. Among the prizes were a Keurig coffee maker, a one-of-a-kind Ziemke Glass Blowing Studio ornament, as well as gift certificates from shops and restaurants like The Warren Store, Red Hen Bakery, The Blue Stone and other places in and around the Mad River Valley. It was a win-win situation for sure.

An Unforgettable Moment

In 2019, Ari created a video to introduce themselves to their new African friends and let them know that they had raised funds for their schooling. Tracy shared this video with the students in Kenya when she visited with them at the end of 2019. They were immensely grateful and equally amazed at the ingenuity of these three young women. An unforgettable response came from a Kenyan student named Gordon who said, “I would also like to raise funds and share it with other orphans so they can also go to school.”

Harwood Students Making Change video

Messages of Mercy

The best part about all of this is obvious but still bears stating. This effort was put forth by three teenage girls who clearly want to make a difference in the world they live in. Tracy had introduced them to Everyone’s Child through Messages of Mercy, EC’s writing program between students from different cultures. This program was initiated to forge an understanding and create a sensitivity and awareness between students around the world. Ari, Erin and Rachel realized that they could have an impact in the lives of orphaned students who otherwise might not be able to finish high school due to an inability to pay their school fees. And despite the obstacles of distance, culture and even a global pandemic, they have found a way to make an education possible for students who don’t have the same opportunities as many American children.

Ruth and Tracy with 12 orphaned secondary students in Kenya — Ruth and Tracy with orphaned students from Bishop Donovan Secondary School in Kenya

From the bottom of our hearts

The EC Board of Directors and I want to thank everyone who gave to our Annual Appeal this year, and tell you from the bottom of our hearts that you are all making a huge difference by ensuring that children are fed, educated and connected, even if the hurdles standing in their way seem unsurmountable. Together we truly can help a generation through education.

Wishing you all a blessed year,

Ruth

There are more than

2.2 billion children in the world today. It is estimated that 153 million children of these are orphans (UNICEF). That moves my heart. But caring for all of those children is beyond my reach, beyond my capabilities.

Everyone’s Child serves over 500 orphaned and vulnerable students. That’s a lot less than 153 million, but it’s still a large number of children to keep track of. We rely on our staff, as well as the teachers and administration we partner with to let us know how they are all doing in their studies and in their lives. Thankfully, whenever I travel to Kenya I have the opportunity to meet many of these children. And there is always at least one who captures my attention each time I am there.

Simon Wanjala

This was the case with a young man named Simon Wanjala. Simon was one of EC’s first scholarship students at Bishop Edward Donovan Secondary School (BEDSS) in Lanet Umoja. This scholarship allowed him to complete his high school education. I met him once or twice while he was enrolled there, but it wasn’t until after he had graduated that I began to learn about his life.

Simon was an orphan and was also a victim of the post-election violence that took place in Kenya in 2007. He and his brothers were displaced five times in the span of four years. He wound up living with family members who mistreated him as he struggled to complete his high school education. Despite these hardships, upon graduating Simon found a job teaching in a primary school, and eventually was able to find a place to live. He brought his two youngest brothers into his home, and gave them an opportunity to complete their education together.

young Kenyan man with a new t-shirt bearing the cross — Simon showing off a new t-shirt in 2014

His story

The overriding aspect about this young man is his attitude. In spite of the difficulties he faced, the loss of his parents, his home, and his struggles to survive while completing his education, Simon has always been upbeat, positive and thankful. After graduating from BEDSS he went out of his way to thank EC for the education he received. That single act made a lasting impression on me.

a map of Simon's Story — Simon’s journey from 2006-2010

Today Simon is a successful entrepreneur who owns a shop selling kitchen wares in Nakuru, Kenya. He also volunteers his time for Everyone’s Child, taking food to the orphans in Kampi Ya Moto and assisting in EC’s Mentoring program each month.

Simon Wanjala and William Aludo - dressed to educate! — Simon Wanjala and William Aludo in 2017

Last year I wrote a story about Simon’s life and mailed it to all of our contributors. It’s a story full of hope, and shows the difference that supporters of Everyone’s Child make in the lives of those who count on our help. The story can be downloaded here.

Caring for children

I’ve thought about caring for children for as long as I can remember. As I grew into adulthood that transpired into serving the needs of orphans and vulnerable children.

There is no doubt that supporting all of the world’s orphans would be an overwhelming mission. But I do know that each one of their lives is important. And I’m grateful to be able to help even one of the 153 million who are alive today.

Everyone’s Child begins by focusing on the one. But a task is always easier when others join in to help. Please click on this link if you would like to help to make a difference too.

As always, thank you for partnering with us to make life easier for people like Simon. I hope you enjoy his story.