Everyone’s Child Now

03DecMay 18, 2020

There is exciting news to share! Everyone’s Child has a new opportunity for the year ahead. But first, here is an update on what our supporters have accomplished in 2019.

Kenya: School Lunches and Sponsorships

The Orphan Feeding Program offered daily meals to 600 orphaned children at five different primary schools in Kenya. Everyone’s Child now partners with several Kenyan school administrations to bear the cost of this project, a major first step in developing self-sustaining programs. Our average monthly cost for this program is $1,200, totaling over $14,000 annually.

The Lord has something to say to us about feeding children at Miruya Primary School — Lunchtime at Miruya Primary School

EC’s Sponsorship Program supported 30 orphans in preschool and high school. This summer three middle school students from Vermont raised over $2,000 to help orphaned high school students with their school fees. Our goal for this coming year is to sponsor at least 10 preschoolers and 30 secondary students, for an annual cost of $6,000.

Everyone's Child Now secondary sponsorship students — EC sponsored students from Bishop Donovan Secondary School

Sweaters for India

In northern rural India earlier this year, temperatures dipped into the low 60’s. EC supporters provided sweaters to over 200 needy children living in Orissa, offering relief during the cold snap. In southern India, donations helped to pay school fees for five impoverished orphans. The total cost of both efforts was $2,500.

Everyone's Child Now in India: children receiving a new sweater in India — New sweaters for children in India

Opportunity in Western Kenya

This past September I traveled to Kenya to visit with students, teachers and administrators at each of the schools where Everyone’s Child provides support. One of the schools we visited was the Miruya Primary School, located in a poor rural area in western Kenya.

Everyone's Child students sitting at desks outside at Miruya Primary School — Miruya Primary School students sitting at their desks in the school yard

The needs there are numerous, including the continued provision of daily meals, a security fence, leveling the schoolyard, and a new classroom. Enrollment is expected to increase in the coming years, so additional classrooms will also need to be built. Thankfully this summer’s Matching Challenge raised $10,000 to build a classroom! The cost of the remaining projects there could well exceed $20,000.

EC’s Board of Directors and I are very excited about the new opportunity that lies ahead for us to help the children at this school, with an eye toward building a successful partnership and eventual self-sustainability.

Everyone’s Child Now

Everyone’s Child now reaches over 800 orphaned and vulnerable children globally, providing education, meals, potable water, clothing and connections to those in need. None of this would be possible without your prayers, involvement and financial contributions.

Our Goal

Our goal for this year’s Annual Appeal is to raise $32,500, enabling us to sustain and grow our current programs.

During this season of giving, I am writing to ask you to please work alongside us as we encourage the orphans and vulnerable children who are counting on us for their education and their future.

Donations can be made online by clicking here or by sending a check to EC’s new mailing address: P.O. Box 522, Linesville, PA 16424. All contributions are tax-deductible, used for and appreciated by the children we support.

The Lord has something to say: smiling children at Miruya Primary school — Kindergarteners and their teacher at Miruya Primary School

Asante Sana

In the words of one of EC’s sponsored students, “No matter where you come from, someone somewhere is thinking of you.” On behalf of these students, our deepest thanks to everyone who is thinking of these children. With your help we will continue changing a generation through education.

Warmest wishes for a peaceful holiday season,

Ruth

Crunch Time

10AugMay 19, 2020

It’s August, and the students all over Kenya are taking a break from their studies. They call it a “holiday”, which is apt, since it will be “crunch time” once they return to school. At that point there will be three more months of the school year to test their mettle. For now they are relaxing, just as we are, and trying not to think about what lies ahead.

CRUNCH TIME

This November Standard 8 students (8th graders) all over Kenya will be sitting for the KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education). This exam helps determine which high school students can attend. The competition is high, and a lot of effort that goes into preparing for these tests. The goal is to end up with grades that are high enough to allow them into the secondary school of their choosing.

Enter “Crunch Time”. Crunch time happens in late hours after school is over, when schools with electricity leave their lights on for students who have none at home, allowing them extra time to study. It also happens between 6:00 – 8:00 AM when students arrive early to get in a couple extra hours of study time before the school day begins. Studying for the KCPE is serious business, because no one wants to fail this test.

Standard 8 students at the Lord Ranjuera Primary School in Kampi Ya Moto

EC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

There is no free public education for secondary students, so without a scholarship students have to pay school fees. As you may imagine, scholarships are usually awarded only to the brightest students, and typically orphaned children do not rank in that category. While family members in Kenya frequently take on the responsibility of raising their orphaned nieces and nephews, oftentimes those families are unable to pay the school fees for anyone other than their own children.

In 2012, Everyone’s Child began the EC Scholarship Program, knowing that these students would not be able to go to high school without outside financial support. Currently, Bishop Donovan Secondary School (BEDSS) in Lanet Umoja is the only high school in the Nakuru area that offers a full scholarship to orphans.

OUR GOAL

Since 2012, more than 40 orphaned teenagers have received a scholarship from EC, allowing them to work toward completing their high school education. This is no small thing, given that the majority of orphaned children in Kenya usually struggle just to make it through the 8^th grade. The devastation of losing one’s own parents, coupled with the rejection of not being able to attend high school is often all that it takes for a child to lose hope. Our goal is to supply hope to these children, in the form of an education. Beyond that, the EC Mentorship Program, led by our Program Coordinator William Aludo, and his assistant Simon Wanjala offers life skills guidance for scholarship students who are getting ready to graduate.

Orphaned students at Lanet Umoja Primary School

THEIR GOAL

Incoming students need marks of 200 or more (out of 500) in order to be accepted into BEDSS. I am praying for all of these 8th grade students to pass with flying colors, but am especially holding the orphans in Lanet Umoja up in prayer. With good marks they will have a shot at entering a high school that offers financial and emotional support as well as a solid education.

OUR GRATITUDE

The only way we’ve been able to do this is through the unflagging help of our supporters. Without you the EC Scholarship Program would not be possible. We are incredibly thankful for everyone who has helped us get through our “crunch time” and reach out to students who otherwise might not have had a chance in life. And in the long run, giving kids a chance to achieve their potential is what really matters. If you would like to make a difference in the life of a student, please click here to learn how to donate to Everyone’s Child.

Greetings from students at Nakuru Teacher's Primary School!! — Greetings from students at Nakuru Teacher’s Primary School!!

As always, from their heart to yours, Asante (Thank you) Sana (so much)!!

Educate, Connect and Care: EC’s Mission

06JulMay 19, 2020

EC’s Mission

When EC was established in 2009, our goal was to educate where there were no schools, connect where there was isolation, and care where there was great need. We took over an orphan feeding program that had been established through Kids in Kenya, an offshoot of CCO Ministries in Moretown, Vermont. A writing program between Kenyan and American students was up and running. Both of these efforts had a positive impact on students, but we wanted to do more.

In 2010, Juniper’s Fare, a church-run restaurant in Waterbury, Vermont began raising funds to pay the school fees of orphaned students attending Bishop Edward Donovan Secondary School (BEDSS) in Lanet Umoja, Kenya. Prior to that, orphaned primary school graduates usually wound up staying home. They worked in the garden or took care of cousins or siblings too young to go to school themselves.

In 2012, Everyone’s Child established a scholarship program to help the orphans attending BEDSS. Since then, more than 35 orphaned students have received scholarships from EC. At first we were thrilled just to be able to educate these children. But after a few years it became clear that something was lacking. Students were graduating, but only a few were able to attend college or university. Most were left to find their way. Some found jobs, usually involving menial labor. Girls often got pregnant or in some cases were married. The majority had received no training or preparation for life after secondary school.

A Mentorship Program

Last year EC ran a pilot mentorship program for the Form 3 and 4 (11th and 12th grade) scholarship students at BEDSS. William Aludo met with these students once a month, and using a training manual called 27 Things You Must Do to Get and Keep Your Dream Job by Kenyan author Grace Wanjohi, he began preparing them for what to expect after graduation. The book is chock full of inspirational quotes from historical figures like Thomas A. Edison: “We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation,” and Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Chapter headings such as “Pinpoint Your Unique Selling Point (USP)”, “Research the Potential Employer”, and “Be Sure to Write Thank You Notes” all help students to focus on how to go about achieving their goals.

Ruth with Grace Wanjohi, author of 27 Things You must Do to Get and Keep Your Dream Job — Ruth with Grace Wanjohi

The response has been tremendous. Earlier this year James Maina, Head Teacher of BEDSS, told me that the students are very encouraged by this program. William, a former pastor, also uses a curriculum he developed specifically for this program, introducing them to their Heavenly Father who cares deeply for them. The encouragement is important for these orphans as they don’t often receive support from family members. William and Simon Wanjala, a graduate of the EC scholarship program, not only educate these students about what to expect, but they also tell them that they matter, that they can make it, and that God is on their side. In addition, they listen to these students, which is just as, if not more important than the dissemination of knowledge.

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

Educate, then Graduate

This December, eight students receiving scholarships will graduate from BEDSS. They will be the first group of students who have been a part of the EC Mentorship Program for two years. Next year a new group of students will join the class, and plans are currently underway for introducing the program in new areas of Kenya.

How You Can Help

Real life can be scary. Our goal with this mentoring program is to educate by addressing fears and preparing for the future. Our hope for these students is that they will be able to apply what they have learned in these mentoring sessions, from matching their passion with their ability and understanding what their strengths are to knowing how to dress for an interview. All of this takes time, effort, and funds. Please click here if you would like to join us in our endeavor to support orphaned students with their high school education.

As always, thank you for your support. You are the reason we can successfully do what we want to do most in life.

“Success consists of doing the common things of life uncommonly well.” Unknown

Grateful Today

16JanMay 19, 2020

Everybody needs to be grateful. Gratitude is what fuels us, allows us to go forward, especially in challenging times. Today I am grateful, and more than that really, because in reality I’m overwhelmed at the many people who have given to the 2016 EC annual appeal. Today we are just $758 short of our goal of $20,000 for this year. However, we are already $3,500 ahead of where we were last year, so I have great hope that we will meet our goal.

I used to recoil at messages like the one I just typed, thinking that they were written to guilt people into giving or worse yet, to brag about how well an organization was doing. I am not interested in doing either of those things here. Instead I am rejoicing at the generosity of those who have given and continue to give to Everyone’s Child. I know firsthand that there are many worthy organizations to give to in our world, so anytime someone gives to EC I am grateful and hopeful that they will find as much joy and satisfaction in the giving as I do in being able to pass their donation on to those who will benefit from the gift. The benefits from this support are measurable and many: they manifest in an orphan lunch program that feeds over 300 orphaned school children in three different primary schools each day; in a school sponsorship program, and in a successful mentoring program for orphaned high school students.

Who are those who benefit? There are hundreds, but here are a few examples from children who have received something from EC and have written to us to express their gratitude:

“I want to appreciate you for the things that you have given us…I say thank you because we can’t survive without lunch. Learning would have been so difficult to us without eating lunch.” Joyleen, Nakuru Teacher’s Primary School student

“The mentorship program has helped me to create friendships with my fellow students…and to know how to choose a career and to know what steps to follow towards that career. It has helped me to know my gifts and talents and even my personality.” Anthony, Bishop Donovan Secondary School student

“The mentorship program made me realize my worth and value in this world. It encouraged us to do better in life and even in my studies. – Silvia, Bishop Donovan Secondary School student

“…through our study about self-esteem I am now able to understand how important I am and I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Samuel, Bishop Donovan Secondary School student

Moving into 2017, we have become aware of seven more orphans at Bishop Donovan Secondary School in Lanet who are hoping to be sponsored this year. Our goal is to be able to help them and the eight others we are currently supporting, as well as to continue feeding the 300+ students who rely on us for a daily meal. The cost of this in 2017 will be $20,000. We are so close to making this happen. If you are in a position to help us reach this goal, please Click here to make a secure online donation, or send your check or money order to Everyone’s Child, 19304 Cole Road, Conneautville, PA 16406. A one-time contribution makes a difference, and so will your monthly support.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am grateful for your help, but not nearly as grateful as the children who benefit from the gift of an education received at your hands.

Many blessings,

Ruth