I just left from the Hope Shines holiday party at SINIPISI, an orphanage we help to support w/ 100 kids. We gave to each child a pretty bowl, pencil, notebook and soap. Girls got bracelets. Boys got balls. Teeny tiny kids got stacking rings. We also gave 4 basketballs, sets of blocks and jump ropes! The kids loved their surprises and CAN’T WAIT for our summer camp! Before the party, I sat down w/ the management of SINIPISI to discuss and strengthen our partnership. Great convo. In addition to doing our summer camps, we will also start to fund kids who need vocational training in order to get jobs. Our goal is not just educating and keeping kids healthy…we want them to be successful in life. On average, 8000 kids graduate from high school/secondary school every year here. I learned today that only 2000 of them will have the luxury of going to college. What do the other 6000 kids do w/ themselves? We want to provide the opportunity to give our kids vocational training (like the sewing project we did this summer at camp) so that they can earn money, take care of themselves and future families/children, thus help to break the poverty cycle. We currently support 150 kids here whereas we started in 2008 w/ less than 50. We will continue to grow our outreach as our resources allow us.

Once we receive the proposal/cost per child from SINIPISI for the vocational training we will begin to fund raise for this project. We will start small and continue to build…just like how hope shines itself started. My goal is to raise $3000 to support these kids. Just b/c they are done w/ school doesn’t mean they drop off the face of the earth and that our job is done. I see it as our duty as an organization to provide holistic support. Learning these skills will better their lives and give them a chance at financial stability.

More updates to come! Tomorrow is the party w/ the 50 kids of CSC.

For the Hope Shines Team,
April Riegler
Executive Director and Founder

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