#139 SUMMER 2014
FAMILY LIFE:
LOVE BEGINS AT HOME
> TYPHOON HAIYAN BUILDING BACK BETTER
>MIDDLE EAST HEALING THROUGH PUPPETS
>LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER HELP FAMILIES IN CRISIS
>GIVE WITH CHRISTMAS GLOBAL GIFTS
END POVERTY. PROMOTE JUSTICE. UPHOLD DIGNITY. 1800 024 413
www.caritas.org.au
The Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development
THANK YOU
FROM THE CEO Thank you for your support throughout 2014.
Since November 2013, the Australian Catholic community and Australian Government have contributed over $7 million to our Typhoon Haiyan appeal. In this issue, we share the story of Mary Faith and her family from the Philippines (as featured on the cover). They now have renewed hope for the future.
I know that everything we do through our work in the field hinges on the generosity of the Catholic community. We are fortunate to have so many supporters who are part of our Caritas family and share our commitment to making a difference to marginalised people around the world. In this issue we focus on caring for God’s family, which is timely as the Special Assembly of the Synod on the Family was held in Rome in October. Since Pope Paul VI established the Synod of Bishops in 1965, there have only been two previous such Extraordinary Synods. At the gathering, the Bishops prayed for families around the world: Father, grant to all families the presence of strong and wise spouses who may be the source of a free and united family. Father, grant that parents may have a home in which to live in peace with their families. Father, grant that children may be a sign of trust and hope and that young people may have the courage to forge life-long, faithful commitments. Father, grant to all that they may be able to earn bread with their hands, that they may enjoy serenity of spirit and that they may keep aflame the torch of faith even in periods of darkness. Father, grant that we may all see flourish a Church that is ever more faithful and credible, a just and humane city, a world that loves truth, justice and mercy. With modern day complexities affecting families in 2014, and this being the 20th Anniversary of the United Nations’ Year of the Family, this prayer is more poignant than ever. In this festive season, and with the presence of Mary, Joseph and Jesus – I wish you, and all the Caritas family, a safe and peaceful Christmas and New Year.
Our 2014 report, Fearless Voices is now available at www.caritas.org.au/congo. Help us speak up for peace, equality and justice in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In September 2014, a group of supporters took the ultimate Caritas Ks Challenge and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, raising $71,710 to help communities worldwide. Learn, pray and act this Christmas with our popular Advent Calendar at www.caritas.org.au/ advent. Available online and as an app.
CONTENTS 03 LOVE BEGINS AT HOME 04 THE WAR ON EBOLA: WEST AFRICA 06 OUT OF THE SHADOWS: MIDDLE EAST 07 GIVE WITH GLOBAL GIFTS BACK BETTER: 08 BUILDING THE PHILIPPINES 09 BOXING DAY TSUNAMI: 10 YEARS ON 10 DRIVING CHANGE: FIRST AUSTRALIANS 11 A PRAYER FOR COMMUNITIES IN CRISIS
In solidarity,
Paul O’Callaghan, CEO
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Cover: Romila and Ronald Echavez with their children Mary Faith, 8, and Mary Kate, 9 months. Romila was eight months pregnant when Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) hit the Philippines. Their story is on page 8. Photo: Lukasz Cholewiak/Caritas All photos Caritas Australia unless otherwise stated.
Caritas Australia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land.
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Caritas Australia is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).
Caritas is fully accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
HELPING FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES TO THRIVE
LOVE BEGINS AT HOME Mother Teresa said, “Love begins at home and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put into that action.” This year, Caritas Australia is celebrating 50 years of love and compassion for children, women and men worldwide. Every day, Caritas Australia’s programs are focused on addressing the extreme poverty that afflicts marginalised families and communities. In collaboration with our partners, many of them agencies of the local and national Church, we accompany people, supporting them to increase their resilience, independence and influence. We work with families and communities in long-term development such as access to clean water and year-round nutritious food. We also provide shelter, psychosocial support and emergency aid to people who have been affected by disasters and traumas. Read more about our Caritas family and the communities we work with in our 2013-14 annual report at www.caritas.org.au/annualreport
IN MEMORY OF JOHN PHILLIPS AO A former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, John Phillips passed away in early November. From 1994 to 2001, he served as the Honorary Treasurer of ACR/Caritas Australia. During that time, John was instrumental in advancing the financial structures of our organisation and promoting transparency and accountability. We wish to extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Margaret, their two children and four grandchildren.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 10 DECEMBER, INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on 10 December 1948. The date has since served to mark Human Rights Day worldwide.
12 DECEMBER, GLOBAL GIFTS: to ensure your printed cards arrive before Christmas Day, please order before 12 December. E-cards can be purchased any time during the festive season at www.caritas.org.au/globalgifts or 1800 024 413.
Drawing from the stories of the families and communities with whom Caritas Australia and our partners work, in this issue we highlight: • The response by the international Caritas network to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. • An innovative program in Lebanon and Syria, in partnership with No Strings International, which is using puppets and film to build hope and turn the lives of children around. • The work being done by Caritas to build back better in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan struck in December 2013. • The Boxing Day tsunami, 10 years on. Today, the Caritas network continues to accompany tsunami affected communities in their long-term development. • Our partnership with the Kinchela Boys’ Home Aboriginal Corporation which is working towards justice and healing for the Stolen Generations. For more about Caritas Australia, please head to www.caritas.org.au
26 DECEMBER, ASIAN TSUNAMI, 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY: on 26 December 2004, an earthquake triggered a massive tsunami. Our network is still assisting with long-term development.
10 JANUARY, EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI, 5 YEARS ON: in January 2010, an earthquake devastated Haiti. Our agency continues to work with local partners to bring hope and security to the nation.
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EMERGENCY UPDATE: WEST AFRICA
THE WAR ON EBOLA The international Caritas network is responding to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa by working with communities to reduce and prevent spread of the disease. But we need your help. The Ebola outbreak began in Sierra Leone in May 2014. Caritas Australia is working with our Caritas partners to provide urgently needed assistance to over 230,000 people at risk of Ebola on the ground in Sierra Leone. It is estimated that around 5,000 people have died from the disease, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates there will be 10,000 cases per week by mid-December. A young boy washing his hands at a Caritas stand. Photo: Tommy Trenchard, Caritas Internationalis
A DIFFERENT AFRICA
Caritas Sierra Leone, supported by the international Caritas network, is working to reduce the impact of Ebola through community-based activities including:
• RAISING AWARENESS OF THE TRANSMISSION OF THE DISEASE.
• TRAINING
COMMUNITY ADVOCATES IN PREVENTION.
• DISTRIBUTING HYGIENE KITS (INCLUDING SOAP AND CHLORINE) TO HOUSEHOLDS.
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Caritas Internationalis Special Advisor on HIV and AIDS and Health, Monsignor Robert Vitillo, who was recently in Australia for the United Nations 20th International AIDS Conference and the Catholic pre-conference in Melbourne, has been in Liberia responding to the crisis. He says the need for international help is great. “Over the years, I have been blessed with the privilege to visit and accompany Caritas and other Catholic Church-inspired organisations in Africa as they responded to the epidemic of HIV and AIDS. I always received warm greetings of welcome and warm handshakes even when people were traumatised by the massive loss of life that resulted from AIDS. “On my present visit to Liberia, however, I found a ‘different Africa’. From the moment that our plane touched down at Monrovia airport, we were confronted with buckets of bleach water to wash our hands and with people armed with ‘gun thermometers’ to take our temperatures before we could even step into the terminal building. “Perhaps the most striking difference from my other visits to Africa was found in the ‘no touch’ policy. Africans usually are warm and physical in expressing welcome – they usually offer hearty handshakes. Now, in the Ebola-affected countries, everyone seems uncomfortable as a result of the need to avoid physical contact in order to prevent further spread of this virus.”
WHAT IS CARITAS DOING?
WHAT ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT?
“The Caritas network has mobilised to help our brothers and sisters in West Africa,” says Monsignor Robert Vitillo.
As part of the Australian Government’s Humanitarian Partnership Agreement (HPA), Caritas Australia and three other Australian humanitarian agencies (World Vision, Save the Children and Plan) have been allocated a total of $2.5 million to provide urgently needed assistance.
“Any major health crisis puts a strain on already weak healthcare systems. We’ve seen that with HIV and AIDS over the years,” he says. “Caritas members on the ground are now educating people to prevent the spread of Ebola and providing other support, like food assistance and help for orphans, widows, as well as those who have recovered from the disease.” Caritas Sierra Leone, supported by the international Caritas network, is working to reduce the impact of Ebola through community-based activities including: • Raising awareness of the transmission of the disease. • Training community advocates in prevention. • Distributing hygiene kits (including soap and chlorine) to households. The response aims to help over 16,000 people, and is especially looking to help children and youth most vulnerable to Ebola, as well as families who have been impacted by the virus though the loss of family members. The Caritas and Catholic Church network is using the expertise gained through years of tackling HIV to combat Ebola as the deadly virus spreads in Africa. The diseases are different, but the way to spread information about them is the same. Communities trust the messenger because information is coming from already-existing networks that fight HIV.
“MANY FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES WILL SUFFER LONG-LASTING TRAUMA AFTER THE DISEASE IS GONE, INCLUDING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND WE’LL ALSO NEED TO HELP FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES RECOVER.”
Caritas Australia’s Manager of Humanitarian Emergencies, Melville Fernandez, said the current outbreak is unprecedented in scale and geographical reach. “The situation is grave and the spread of Ebola transmission continues to double every three to four weeks. Some parts of Sierra Leone are now becoming hot spots. So there’s an urgent need to scale up community awareness in the country to change behaviour, stop the transmission of the disease and strengthen the health system. “The latest HPA funds will boost efforts to fight Ebola across remote villages, slums and towns in Sierra Leone. But it’s clear that many families and communities will suffer long-lasting trauma after the disease is gone, including poverty and social exclusion and we’ll also need to help families and communities recover,” says Melville. “The socio-economic impact is very dire,” adds Monsignor Vitillo. “This is a country that just emerged from years of conflict and war and now must deal with the ‘war’ on Ebola.”
DONATE> Caritas Australia is supporting the Ebola outbreak response in West Africa. Your donation to the Africa Emergency Appeal at www.caritas.org.au/donate will help us in our fight. Donations $2 and over are tax deductible.
A Caritas Ebola poster on the wall of a police station in Sierra Leone. Photo: Tommy Trenchard, Caritas Internationalis
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MIDDLE EAST
OUT OF THE SHADOWS An innovative program in Lebanon and Syria, supported by Caritas Australia, and delivered by the Caritas network in partnership with No Strings International, is using puppets and film to build hope and turn the lives of children around. After nearly four years of war in Syria, millions of conflict-affected families have been displaced to nearby countries, including Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Sadly, millions of children have been affected in what the United Nations has described as the largest humanitarian crisis in recent years. Three years ago, Melhem, 12, was forced to leave his home in Syria with his father, Hassan and six siblings. Today, Melhem, who is recovering from a recent injury, sleeps in a temporary dwelling with his family in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. During the day, he attends the education centre established by the Good Shepherd Sisters. Throughout the crisis, millions of families like Melhem’s, both within Syria and those seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, have struggled to meet their daily needs of food and shelter. They have also found it hard to get education and psychosocial support. This year however, Melhem had the chance to attend a month-long summer camp and to take part in a program that uses puppets, films and activities to help heal children of the psychosocial trauma associated with the Syrian crisis. HOPE THROUGH PUPPETS The two puppet films – Out of the Shadows and Red Top, Blue Top – were created in partnership with No Strings International and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). They feature puppet characters that children can identify with and have been produced in relevant languages. Through the films and puppet theatre, Syrian children learn to cope with their traumatic experiences in positive ways. The children also get to make their own puppets. Melhem really enjoyed making a yellow Sponge Bob puppet, as well as the chance to make new friends. He said the experience made him have more “love and compassion” for others. “I used to only have two good friends and now I have 20,” he says. “I really liked the Blue Top, Red Top film the best because it was funny. My favourite character was Wisam, who was one of the leaders. He and his friend had a fight and then made peace.”
DONATE> Help families in need by donating to our Middle East Crisis Appeal at www.caritas.org.au/donate. Donations $2 and over are tax deductible.
Right: Through the films and puppet theatre, Syrian children learn to cope with their traumatic experiences in positive ways. Photo: Andrew McConnell, CRS
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When Caritas Australia visited Melhem, he was recovering from a recent injury. He is pictured with his brother Hussein, 16.
CARITAS AUSTRALIA SUPPORT Caritas Australia’s Manager of Humanitarian Emergencies, Melville Fernandez says the program is now training more counsellors and teachers to ensure that it reaches thousands of children. “Many of these children have witnessed violence, or may have had to run from various bombardments. They might have even experienced the death or disappearance of a close family member. “Because of these traumatic experiences, many of the children continue to experience nightmares, difficulty sleeping, fear of sudden or loud noises and social withdrawal. “The puppets help deal with this trauma and allow the children to play, to sing and dance, and to have hope for the future.”
“THE PUPPETS HELP DEAL WITH THIS TRAUMA AND ALLOW THE CHILDREN TO PLAY, TO SING AND DANCE.”
We believe in the spirit of Christmas
GLOBAL GIFTS 2014 See the world a little differently this Christmas, give a Global Gift: Choose from the range of Global Gifts.
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THE PHILIPPINES
BUILDING BACK BETTER On 8 November 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the largest storms ever recorded, hit the Philippines. Thanks to your prayers and support, we’ve spent 12 months helping communities to build back better. Known locally as Yolanda, the storm tore through the Eastern Visayas islands of Samar and Leyte in the Philippines. The 313km per hour winds decimated more than 12,000 villages, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. Approximately 6,300 people perished in the storm, 4.1 million people were displaced, and 1.1 million homes were damaged or destroyed. In all, the devastation affected around 16 million people and left 5.6 million workers without jobs. A disaster of this scale not only destroys homes, infrastructure and agricultural lands, but can destabilise communities, disrupt family unity and force millions of people into poverty. “It takes years to recover from a disaster like Typhoon Haiyan,” says Caritas Australia’s Humanitarian Emergencies Coordinator, Richard Forsythe. “The devastation can set families back a generation.”
Though her parents feared for their family’s future, they found strength in their love for each other and courage to start again with the solidarity of their global Caritas family. “When the storm hit, we ran to the church. We just embraced each other,” says her mother, Romila. “Everything in our house was totally washed away. We didn’t know what to do, but after Caritas came, we knew there was hope.” As part of Caritas Australia’s emergency response, Mary Faith’s family received groceries, rice, cooking utensils, matches, blankets and sleeping mats. They also received health and hygiene kits, and Mary Faith’s father, Ronald, joined the Caritas network’s cash for work program, restoring livelihoods in the worst-affected communities. “There is nothing to say but thank you very much,” says Romila. “We will rise again.” Watch our short films and find out more at www.caritas.org.au/haiyan
LIKE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES SUPPORTED BY CARITAS AUSTRALIA IN THE 12 MONTHS SINCE TYPHOON HAIYAN, MARY FAITH’S FAMILY ARE LEADING THEIR OWN RECOVERY.
HELPING FAMILIES RECOVER In the weeks following the typhoon, as millions contemplated the dramatic loss of life, savings and livelihoods, many people described the atmosphere in their communities as desperate. But with support from Caritas Australia, families like Mary Faith’s believe in a brighter future together. “My old house was destroyed in the typhoon,” says Mary Faith, eight. “After the typhoon we lived in our uncle’s house. Today we are living in a new house given by Caritas. The new house is good.” Like tens of thousands of families supported by Caritas Australia in the 12 months since Typhoon Haiyan, Mary Faith’s family are leading their own recovery. Her father is now working as a carpenter with the Caritas network, joining thousands of others who are harnessing their skills and strengths to lay a new foundation for long-term recovery.
THANK YOU > So far over 376,000 people have accessed essential food, emergency shelter, health, hygiene and household kits, early livelihood recovery support, and psychosocial services. 8 | CaritasNews
“After the typhoon we lived in our uncle’s house. Today we are living in a new house given by Caritas. The new house is good,” says Mary Faith with her baby sister, Mary Kate. Photo: Lukasz Cholewiak/Caritas
ASIAN TSUNAMI
10 YEARS ON:
REMEMBERING THE BOXING DAY TSUNAMI On 26 December 2004, a 9.3 magnitude earthquake struck in the Indian Ocean triggering a massive tsunami – one of the most devastating natural disasters on record. Ten years on, Caritas Australia remembers the remarkable public support that transformed communities across India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. In what the former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, described as “an unprecedented global catastrophe”, the Boxing Day tsunami killed approximately 250,000 people and displaced millions more. It destroyed houses, roads, bridges, schools, marketplaces and livelihoods, prompting the largest humanitarian fundraising appeal and emergency response ever recorded. Although the earthquake’s epicentre lay just off the coast of Aceh – on the Indonesian island of Sumatra – the subsequent tsunami devastated coastal communities in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, and even affected parts of Africa. BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE HEADLINES The international Caritas confederation was one of the largest non-government agencies to respond to the crisis. A total of US$485 million was raised by the Caritas network to fund immediate relief and long-term recovery. True to the motto ‘before, during and after the headlines’, within hours of the disaster, Caritas launched a response, and today, continues to accompany tsunami-affected communities in their long-term development.
YOUR PRAYERS AND GENEROSITY REMAIN A TESTAMENT TO OUR CARITAS COMMUNITY’S STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE CHILDREN, WOMEN AND MEN MOST VULNERABLE TO POVERTY. The Asian tsunami appeal was the largest fundraising appeal in Caritas Australia’s history. Together with $1.8 million in funding from the Government of Victoria, $1.1 million from the Government of Western Australia, and $750,000 from the Federal Government, Australians generously contributed almost $25 million towards the relief effort. This marked a turning point in our engagement with the Australian public. Ten years on, your prayers and generosity remain a testament to our Caritas community’s steadfast commitment to stand in solidarity with the children, women and men most vulnerable to poverty.
In 2014, the Caritas network is still assisting those affected by the Asian tsunami.
LEARN> Read more about the Asian tsunami and Caritas Australia’s response at www.caritas.org.au/Boxing-Day-Tsunami
FISHING NETS, RECOVERY AND PEACE In Sri Lanka, Caritas Australia’s response went far beyond reconstruction and relief. One of our largest livelihood programs has not only helped to revive the local economy in Jaffna, but also provides life-changing opportunities for many war widows. With support from Caritas France and the Government of Victoria, Caritas Australia worked to rebuild a fishing net factory in a community devastated by the tsunami. Opened in January 2010, the plant now produces 16,000 kilograms of fishnet per month and provides a reliable source of quality nets for Jaffna’s large fishing industry. It also provides direct employment for more than 120 workers (mainly women) making it one of the largest employers in Jaffna.
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FIRST AUSTRALIANS
DRIVING CHANGE Between 1924 and 1970, up to 600 Aboriginal boys aged between 5 and 12 years were removed from their families and taken to Kinchela Boys Home. Ninety years later, the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation is working towards justice and healing for the Stolen Generations.
LEARN> Read Sascha’s full letter and find out more about our work at www.caritas.org.au/ kinchela90th
By Sascha Costigan, Manager of Caritas Australia’s First Australians Team During October, our partner Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) commemorated the 90th anniversary of the Kinchela Boys Home with a three-day event. KBHAC recognises the physical, sexual, emotional and cultural abuse that members experienced at Kinchela and aims to assist the men, their families and their communities to recover their identity, dignity and wellbeing. “They gave you your clothes and stamped a number on them. They never called you by your name, they called you by your number. That number was stamped on everything.”*
WE SHOULD CONNECT AS HUMAN BEINGS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND. FOR THIS IS WHAT WILL DRIVE CHANGE.
Uncle Manuel Ebsworth and his son Victor holding the old gate to the Kinchela Boys Home. Manuel was only five years old when he was taken to Kinchela. “It was a very cruel place. This gate is very emotional for us.” Photo courtesy KBHAC
KINCHELA BOYS HOME
A STRONG PARTNERSHIP
Kinchela Boys Home was an institution where power, control and fear were used to abuse and terrorise the most vulnerable in our community – young boys who had been torn away from their mothers. Young boys who were given numbers in place of names.
Led, run and driven by the Kinchela men, KBHAC has been in partnership with Caritas Australia since 2011.
The boys suffered on a daily basis. They were denied basic rights and weren’t given the opportunity to have a childhood filled with the love, safety and joy that every child deserves. But it not only impacted the boys’ lives. The removal and subsequent treatment of the children had an effect on every person they are connected to – their children, brothers, sisters, wives and parents. Their stories need to be told, not only for their own healing, but so these atrocities may never be repeated. We should be upset by what has happened. We should be angry. We should feel deeply. We should connect as human beings to try to understand. For this is what will drive change.
Our relationship is based on mutual learning, values, solidarity, integrity and openness. We talk about participation and the value of decision-making occurring from all those in a community, and we talk about the dignity of each human person. Together, we are ensuring that those who were once voiceless have the capacity and opportunity to speak.
*‘John’, Bringing Them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, pp 166 & 167
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A Prayer
PRAY WITH US THIS CHRISTMAS
FOR
COMMUNITIES IN CRISIS
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus we reflect on Joseph and Mary’s journey to seek shelter, safety and security for their unborn child. Over 2,000 years later, and with millions of vulnerable families still searching for a peaceful home for their loved ones, at Christmas time their vulnerability is even more poignant.
Sister Rita from the Good Shepard Sisters visits a Syrian family and their one-week-old twin girls in a refugee camp in Lebanon. The Caritas network is providing Syrian refugees in Lebanon with food, medical aid, building materials, and humanitarian assistance. Photos: Rashad Sisemore, CRS
God of hope, we honour those who have died and stand in solidarity with those who have survived.
We pray, For all the people around the world who have been devastated by conflict, disease and poverty. Lord hear us.
We pray, That all those affected receive the support and assistance they need to rebuild their lives, families and communities. Lord hear us.
We pray, For those who are grieving the loss of family, friends, livelihoods and the familiarity of life and home, may their sense of trust and belonging grow strong again as they work to restore a secure and hopeful future. Lord hear us.
We pray, For those working in the disaster area: that their skills, experience, and generosity may bring effective relief and may their work be strengthened by the knowledge of our prayerful support. Lord hear us.
We pray, For ourselves, that our generosity and compassion may not grow weary in the coming weeks and months. Lord hear us.
We pray, That when the headlines and images have disappeared from our view the people will remain in our hearts and our minds. Lord hear us. Amen
AND SHE BROUGHT FORTH HER FIRSTBORN SON, AND WRAPPED HIM IN SWADDLING CLOTHES, AND LAID HIM IN A MANGER; BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE INN. LUKE 2:7
LEARN> Keep up-to-date with how the Caritas network is assisting families and communities in times of crisis at www.caritas.org.au and www.facebook.com/caritasAU #139 SUMMER 2014 | 11
You can open a window of opportunity this Christmas “my father was the only man that had received some primary education, so he was trying all the time to find an opportunity to send me to school… unfortunately he died and was not able to reach to his hope.” Hope and compassion is what Caritas is all about. Thanks to your support for Rihanna and other participants in the Community Based Education Program in Afghanistan, the hope and opportunity that you provide is the foundation of a better future. Rihanna’s father had dreamed of the gift of education for his daughter. She and others like her need your help to achieve their dreams.
$25 Will help provide classroom resources for teaching children to read and write $75 Will buy textbooks for a classroom of 10 students $125 Will allow to prepare classrooms for cold weather so children can attend school in winter $250 Will help fund Internet access for a whole school for a month
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