Sponsoring a Child for School

September 15, 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

Well school is starting for the children here at the Adventist school October 1st. I have people lining up at my door to talk to me to see if I will be able to help their child go to school. I have been telling them, that at the moment, I can only listen to their stories and write their names down. So I am needing to know if any of you are interested in sponsoring a child for school this year? It is $20 for one child for grades 1-6th and that includes their uniform for the whole year. Then for the 7th-10th grades it is $42 per year which also includes their uniform. I know most people will want to help the little ones but keep in mind how difficult it is for them to get $42 together for the older students.

As I walked around my house, waiting for Naomi to come to work so she can help me talk to everyone, I began to think about the kids I do know that I am somehow going to have to help. I thought about one boy that is living in our mango trees right outside our compound. Yes, he sleeps there and keeps all of his clothes there. He only has one arm and struggles everyday for food. I think about Appolinaire the little boy that has no parents or grandparents. I think of my wash lady that got beat up by her husband a while back and her two little children that will be going into the primary school. I think about a little boy "Papa" that has about 9 children in his family and his father sells baskets and his mother is crippled. Or the other women that have come here with their stories that their husband is dead from AIDS and they are sick and have many children but they pick one to bring to me to help put in school. I think about who will take all their children if the mother dies from Aids too. I had one boy come to me last night that will be going into 10th grade. He wants to go to the Adventist school here but his big brother said no because the uniform is too much money. The uniform is $10. I asked him why he wants to go to our school. He said because the teachers at the school he goes to now are always drunk and do not really teach very good. The teachers even invite the children to come drink with them when they are passing along the road. This boy goes to our church now and he would really like to go to our Christian school. I know that I could probably take care of a few of these children myself with some of the monthly donations but it just will not be enough. So I am asking any of you if you would like to help. I can even write to you all everyday and write the stories of the people that I will be listening to. I decide by their stories whether or not we will put their child into school. So if you question whether or not you are needed, you are. Or if you question whether or not this really is going to change a child's life, I guarantee it will make all the difference in the world for each one. Some of these kids will not be able to go to school at all if we do not help them, it is that simple. And to be giving them a Christian education, well that could be everlasting. This school could be the only place that they get any kind of Bible teaching. Last year we were able to help 80 students be enrolled into the school. I would love to see us meet that number again. By the grace of God!

Thank you all for all that you are doing for the children here in Bere'. If you could email me back and let me know if you are able to help so I can begin writing down the names of the children at the school immediately.

Thank you all for being a part of our mission here in Bere'. I think it is very exciting to see what God is going to do next for these children. It is very humbling for me to be here and see everything that the people here have to go through. But, I am very happy to be here doing whatever God is leading me to do. There is no better place to be then the place that you know God has put you.

Tammy Parker