Okay, the combination of working at the project *turns knob two turns
to the right*, working at the bar *turns knob two turns left*, Spanish
classes *turns knob right again*, the gym *turns knob left half turn*
and a social life *centers knob and jiggles lock*....
....has left me exhausted and with no time to blog.
*kicks unopened locker-of-life*
So instead I will take this time to share with you the 857 pictures
I have taken of the children at the project I am working at, Proyecto
Camino Seguro ("Safe Passage"). And although these galleries are full
of pint-sized smiles, do not be misled. For although the children
are safe, fed and full of fun within the walls of the projects, the
reality is that they live in the dump. The reality is that food,
clothes, education and attention are not rights or givens, but
something they have to fight for, every single day.
To see ALL the pictures, click here.
ALL the activities we do with the children, taking them to the zoo, having pool parties, giving them Christmas presents, providing meals,buying their school text books and uniforms -- are ALL paid for by sponsors. In addition to the
project sponsors, we have a one-to-one child sponsorship program. About
50% of our kids have a "padrino" or "madrina" abroad who makes monthly
donations to pay for that child's expenses. Some kids have active
sponsors who send them letters and gifts. I've seen kids cry upon
receipt of these items, and I've helped the kids make dozens of hand
made thank you cards and pen-pal letters.
I know. I too have
seen pictures so similar to the ones above on those TV commercials that
made me cringe in disbelieving horror. But I always thought...."now who
really knows where that money is going?" and proceeded on to HBO or
MTV. I'm not gonna beg or make a guilt play, but if anyone out there in reader-land has been looking for the opportunity to help out a TRULY trustworthy project, this is it.
Whether it be in the form of actual volunteering, donations of ANYTHING
(books, clothing, food), individual child sponsorship or making any
kind of monetary donation, I am here to give you my Girl Scouts honor
*5-yr pin and all* that your money, time and/or donations will make a
real difference in the lives of the children pictured above. Not only
can I give you my word, but picture-proof. If you want to sponsor a
field trip for all the children to go to the beach (to the movies, to
the zoo, to the dentist, to Disneyland)... we can make it happen...and
I can take a hundred pictures to share and show the smiles you've
sponsored. If you want to sponsor an individual child, I can personally
chose one for you and take a picture of the two of us and send it via
email.
If you (or your parents, school, company or church)
would like to help out in any manner or have any ideas that you'd like
to discuss, please email me! Write to me at solbeam@solbeam.com. We are an American non-profit, and ALL donations ARE tax-deductible. More information on how to sponsor Safe Passage can be found on the website at: www.safepassage.org
Okay!
Enough out of me on that! I took the next two weekends off from work to
travel over the long-weekends, but it means I'm working double-time on
the weekdays, so I might be a bit quiet this week, but back in
full-reporting action very soon!
And this is an essay I wrote a
couple weeks ago about some of my experiences working for the project
(...decided that I should actually post it on solbeam.com for
safety-sake and reasons previously mentioned)... Read on for "I Have Lice".
