Photo Friday: Our top 5 “animal” photos!

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Animals are gifts that are universally loved and requested by every one of our sponsor sites around the world. Raising animals like chickens, cows, and goats helps families supplement their income so that they can afford to send their children to school and purchase other essentials. Some families and communities even start entire businesses with the help of the animals they receive through our gift catalogue! 

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 animal photos from our sponsor sites! These adorable animals have provided families with eggs, milk, wool, and best of all, financial security for the future.

#5: The gift of goats 

This beautiful family from our Madurai site in India was thrilled to receive a pair of goats from kind donors through our gift catalogue! Goats multiply quickly, and milk and offspring can be sold for an income to support the family.

At our sites in India, it’s a tradition for families who receive goats through our gift catalogue to gift an offspring from their pair of goats to another family in need. This way, when families within a community receive the gift of goats, the benefit is felt for years to come!

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Dancing, gifts and prayer brings joy to children in Bolivia

At our sponsor sites in Bolivia, the Christmas season is an incredibly special and anticipated time of the year. In 2019, families and children at our Leventate Mujer site warmly celebrated the birth of Jesus with a joyous community gathering, thanks to the kind supporters who donated to our Christmas fund!

The planning for this long-awaited event began well in advance. Chalice family circles, comprised of parents of sponsored children, eagerly helped arrange music, gifts, and food for the party. They were especially keen to share recipes for custom chocolates and traditional fritters! One group was in charge of rehearsing traditional Christmas carols and arranging a dance for the children to learn. Each and every participant put so much effort into preparing for this jubilant event.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 “child sponsorship” photos

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Today is World Children’s Day, a day held especially close to our hearts. This is a special time to promote international awareness for children’s rights worldwide. Together, let us strive to provide safety, comfort, health, and education for each of God’s children, no matter what circumstances they were born into.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “child sponsorship” photos! Child sponsorship is at the core of our work; over the years, we’ve been blessed to witness thousands of children benefit immensely from the loving support of their kind Canadian sponsors. On this special day for children, we’re sharing this collection to show our appreciation for the true, lasting impact that our supporters make in the lives of precious children in need.

#5: Blessings blossoms at school 

Blessings was born blind. Her parents, unfortunately, didn’t have the means or knowledge to look after her. Since Blessings couldn’t be left to wander and was unable to attend local daycare or school, her parents would lock her in a room when they would leave the house. Her motor skills became delayed, and she relied on others for walking and eating.

When Blessings was sponsored, she was able to attend a specialized boarding school for blind children. With a lot of support from Sisters, staff, and other children in a loving environment, she has blossomed! She’s now one of the best in mobility, and can read and write in braille. She loves to sing and recite poems, and her teachers sing her praises for being reliable and kind.

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Celebrating Christmas with prayer, food, and fun

The children of St. Mary’s School for the Visually Impaired are gathered in their assembly hall, squirming with anticipation. Their teacher tells them it’s time, and they burst into song. To the tune of Frere Jacques, they sing “Father Christmas, Father Christmas, where are you?” When they get to the words “Ring your bell, ring your bell,” Santa’s bell clangs as he enters the room, an older student dressed in costume. When the song ends, he addresses the crowd, “I wish you a Merry Christmas!”.

“Amen!” they reply.

“I wish that all your dreams come true.”

“Amen!”

As the choir breaks into We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Santa and his helper distribute treats to all the children.

The Christmas celebration is a special time for children and staff. Children live far away from home to study at the specialized school in Kawambwa, Zambia, and the Sisters, teachers, and classmates become their family. The celebration is a time of prayerful thanksgiving, singing, and of course, a feast!

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 “acts of kindness” photos

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Today, November 13, is World Kindness Day, a day annually celebrated across the globe to promote the wonderful virtue of kindness. We’re so blessed to witness abundant acts of kindness each and every day; both at our sites around the world, and from our incredible supporters at home here in Canada.

In honour of this special day, we’re sharing our top 5 “acts of kindness” photos! These heartwarming gestures remind us that even the smallest acts can make the biggest difference in the lives of others.

#5: Foot care for elders 

On our Medical Mission trip to Haiti North, our team treated local elders suffering from foot and leg pain to medical evaluations, stretching classes, and massages. The massages included a gentle washing from our dedicated volunteers. This act of kindness truly touched the hearts of the elders receiving treatment.

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Sponsorship builds communities- brick by brick

In Haiti, life is a daily struggle. Some families may have a small amount of food in their home for a daily meal, but most don’t. Each day is uncertain. Will they be able to find a way to earn some money today? Will their kids go hungry again?

Sponsorship gives parents a little security and the peace of mind to know they can meet the basic needs of their family. Since the implementation of our family funding model, which deposits funds directly into each family’s bank account, parents are learning how to budget and save. Understanding their finances gives parents the confidence to plan for their future.

Ange-Dala is a bright and cheerful sponsored girl from our Haiti North sponsor site. Before she was sponsored, her family struggled each day, and life was full of uncertainty. Now, her family receives sponsorship benefits which are used for her school needs and food. A small sum is also saved to buy cement and sand to make bricks. Over time, brick by brick, Ange-Dala’s family has turned their small, cramped two-room mud house into a four-room house that is safer and has enough room to accommodate all six family members.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 “littlest gift” photos!

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

We’re excited to announce the launch of our 2020 Christmas Gift Catalogue! This year, our theme, “Little Things with Great Love,” reminds us that even the smallest gesture of kindness can make a world of difference in the life of another.

This week, we’re featuring our top 5 “littlest gift” photos! These tiny gifts may be small in stature, but pack a big punch for the recipients at our sites. Take a look through this adorable collection, and see for yourself!

#5: Cuddly baby chicks

Sweet baby chicks certainly are small, but deliver a huge impact to families who receive them. Chicks are easy to raise, and quickly grow to lay eggs. Eggs are highly nutritious, and can be incorporated into families’ diets, or sold for a profit! Chicken coops are becoming a popular small business idea at many of our sites, with families collaborating to sell eggs and more chickens back into their communities.

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Cornet’s computer skills spark a successful business

When Cornet was a young boy growing up on the outskirts of our Nairobi site in Kenya, he always dreamed of achieving an education of his own, something many of his family members and peers didn’t have access to. Even though he worked incredibly hard throughout school, he struggled to make ends meet for both his academic and family life, and couldn’t afford to continue his studies after high school.

Last year, when Cornet learned of Chalice’s Business Entrepreneurship Program at our Nairobi site through a friend, he attended conferences to learn more about business management. He started attending regularly, and soon applied to pitch his small business idea to our site to be considered for funding. He came fully prepared with hopes that he would emerge successful; and he did! He received a total of $1031 CAD to start a small cyber café! He purchased two desktop computers, a photocopier, a scanner with a printer, a binding machine, chairs, and a desk.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 “brush your teeth” photos

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

This weekend, many kids here in Canada will be receiving lots of goodies from trick-or-treating, which means that caregivers will have to make sure those little teeth get an extra good brushing! It’s important for children all over the world to have constant access to good dental hygiene to ensure that they have a happy, healthy smile every day of the year.

Without assistance, many children and families at our sites would be forced to go without dental care. Cavities and tooth loss leads to pain, missed school, low self esteem, and lost job opportunities. Thankfully, our wonderful supporters make it possible for kids and families at our sites to receive essential dental care, training and supplies through donations to our programs and our gift catalogue. This week, we’re featuring our top 5 “brush your teeth” photos, so you can get a first hand view of our kids keeping their smiles bright and pain-free.

#5: Toothbrushing tutor

This little girl from our Mbinga site in Tanzania is getting a hands-on lesson in dental hygiene! It’s helpful for older siblings and students to assist younger children with their teeth brushing routines until they get the hang of it. These children received their toothbrushes and toothpaste through kind donations to our gift catalogue.

 

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Sponsorship helps Shaheda set up shop

On a calm March day in 1995, little Shaheda was born to her joyful parents in the town of Wa, Ghana.  Soon after she was born, Shaheda’s parents discovered that she had a hearing impairment, a disability she would live with for her entire life. Despite her disability, her parents tried to give her the best life they could. Unfortunately, accommodations for her needs proved expensive on top of the poverty they already faced living in a poor rural community. 

With the support of sponsorship, Shaheda was able to attend Wa School for the Deaf, a specialized school where students receive an education tailored to their needs. Here, she was able to focus on her studies and receive the attention she needed to excel in class. She then attended St. John’s Integrated Senior High School, where she graduated with good marks. Her best grades were in Food and Nutrition courses! 

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