It’s been a while since I’ve posted about Africa New Life and our Give Back Campaign. Last weekend’s big adoption fundraiser garage sale for my sister and brother-in-law’s upcoming adoption of a foster child (which raised $2000, by the way!) has reminded me once again what a blessing it is to be a part of caring for orphans, both in my own family and half-way across the world.
Will you consider what you and your family can do to are for a child this Thanksgiving season? Africa New Life, an organization devoted to breaking the cycle of poverty in Rwanda in Central Africa by providing education, spiritual insight and basic necessities to poor children and families, has a couple of cool ways to show love and compassion for a child living in poverty — and there are “deals” attached to each opportunity :):
:: Feed a street child in Kigali, Rwanda for one month — $15.52
This can be a one-time gift or an ongoing commitment.
Twice a week, Africa New Life hosts a program for children living on the streets at the Dream Center in Kigali. More than 300 street children flock to the Dream Center on Mondays and Thursdays for warm meals, water to wash themselves and their clothes, and to receive physical and spiritual care. Many of these children are waiting for a sponsor.
Frugal Living NW will match the first 100 months of support, which means your $15.52 will feed two street children for one month! Go here for more information on the street child program in Kigali.
:: Sponsor a child in Rwanda — $39 per month
This is an ongoing commitment to one child.
Your monthly commitment provides school fees, scholastic materials, a uniform, shoes and basic medical insurance for one child. You get to select your child and will have the opportunity to correspond with them.
Africa New Life is opening a brand new community for child sponsorship in an area of Rwanda that was very hard hit during the 1994 genocide. Tens of thousands were killed in this particular community, leaving mass devastation and great need. A generous donor has committed to give Africa New Life Ministries $1000 for every child sponsored in Africa New Life’s new BUGESERA community through December 31, 2011. Go here for more information on becoming a sponsor.
While the $1000 gift is a strong motivator to sponsor a child (who wouldn’t want to help an organization get an additional $1000 donation?), I encourage you to think seriously about if your family is willing to make a long-term commitment to a child through sponsorship. It is best when a child is sponsored by one person or family for the entire time they are in the program.
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Mary Jane says
November 19, 2011 at 9:00 amIt is well and good you want people to help others overseas, but right here in Portland and Oregon and SW Washington many are hungry, please please suggest that those who can donate to the Oregon Food Bank, the shelves on a tv spot showed many spare shelves, no foods for the upcoming holiday of thanksgiving…and for weekly food donations to the many who are underemployed, unemployed, jobless unemployment spent out (99 weeks)…it is a disservice to forget those who live right here in your oregon and sw washington, many are starving here..thank you for reading this important message..peace to you at this holiday season..
heather gibson says
November 18, 2011 at 8:47 amWanted to let you know of a similar program. Nuskin Enterprises has a program called Nourish the Children. One bag of Vitameal will feed one child every day for a month, $22. The scientists at Nuskin have formulated a rice and lentil meal with 25 essential vitamins and nutrients added. It’s been show to help reverse the effects of starvation within a month, and when used to wean babies from their HIV-positive mothers, those babies are found not to have HIV themselves. It’s an amazing program, and I’m doing a fundraiser, called Christmas for Malawi, next month. Let me know if you want to know more. =)