We have a plan!

As many of you know, our sponsored children's school situation is not ideal: Most go to government-run schools where there are 100 children to each classroom and teacher. This picture shows how the classroom looks when half the class is in the classroom. Where are the other half? At recess, of course, where they spend about half of their school day. I don't think they get much individual attention. Sometimes the schools are so crowded, kids get turned away. Parents have started this school for their kids: open walls under a grass roof shelter. Volunteer teachers. No books, paper, desks, or chairs. Just boards lined up on the ground to sit on, and a chalkboard that SOVCO bought for the school with a special donation we received. Well, we have a plan to fix this! Our good director Tonny has a friend who is a qualified engineer, and he has donated his skills to draw up a plan for a small school to be built on a donated plot of land not far from the SOVCO office. The land was donated by a relative of one of our sponsored children (often people have land, but no money, so that is how they show their appreciation). The school fits with SOVCO's philosophy of "Start small, dream big, change lives." The first phase of construction, after the money is raised, will be a small nursery and primary school. As more funds are raised, more classrooms will be added for the higher grades. This is a BIG step for SOVCO, which two short years ago, before you guys came along, was supported mostly by selling vegetables to local restaurants, and paid school fees for a handful of kids. We invite your creative participation in this new venture! How can you get involved to help us raise the $30,000 we need to build this school? Here you see my good nephew, Ben. He's graduating this year from high school. He's grateful for the education he's received (except maybe for the math), and he wants to help other kids get a good education, too. He plans to organize a skateboarding trip from point A to point B, and get people to sponsor him, and then donate the money to build the SOVCO school! That's what I call taking a thing you do well and using it to do good! What do you do well? And how can you help SOVCO meet its goal? I'd love to hear from you any ideas you have! And your school or youth group may like to sell paper bead bracelets and lanyards, or bead kits as a fund raiser for the school (can also be a double fund raiser, for your group AND the SOVCO school. Contact me if you'd like to do this. And meanwhile, there is a great movie about a school in Kenya called The First Grader. I highly recommend it. It's on Netflix, but also I have a copy (thanks, Mim), and you are welcome to borrow it. Thanks for all your steady support, and God bless, Sally PS: If you're on facebook, be sure to join our director Tonny on his page, sovcogulu...a few sponsors have enjoyed impromptu "chats" with Tonny. He's a fun guy. ©2013 Forresterich | 100 Pleasant Way, North Manchester, IN 46962