31 May 2011, by Bas under News, Volunteers in action
The conditions for support are very strict and to be eligible a person from the Netherlands needs to be on site for an extended period. José also visits the foundations they support so she can make sure that everything is running smoothly.
In the mean time seven children of Proniño receive a grant which is guaranteed until the end of their education! Our wish is for even more children to benefit from a grant so they can get a decent education in order to improve their chances for the future. Check here (http://www.joinforkids.org) for more information.
Here you can find three stories about the sponsored kids.
Luis Enrique Canales
Luis Enrique is one of the very few boys who never lived in the streets. He used to live in a very poor neighborhood, the turf of a dangerous gang, and he was witness to a murder. Because he was in danger of being killed himself, the judge placed him with us some three years ago, tens of kilometers from the neighborhood where he lived.
Luis Enrique consequently didn’t have to go through a difficult period of rehabilitation and soon he was able to function among the best of the group. Now he’s going to school ...
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5 April 2011, by Bas under Volunteers in action
All pupils could buy croissants and a collection was made, with almost €500 worth of proceeds. All students and staff members received a Christmas card on this occasion, with a picture of one of the Proniño boys and Christmas wishes in Spanish and Dutch. Afterwards the open day for new seventh-graders and their parents was used to raise more funds. A couple of students baked cakes and pies. All visitors could get coffee at the Homeless Child stand with a slice of cake or a piece of pie for €1. Again, the proceeds were almost €500. In May the main activity will take place, usually leading to a total sum of four digits. The goal is to further increase the final proceeds through Wilde Ganzen. We would like to thank all pupils and teachers who have committed themselves to this cause and wish them good luck!
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14 February 2011, by Bas under Volunteers in action
This account of voluntary work in Honduras was written by Karen van de Vis.
I arrived in El Progreso on 17 October 2010 and for someone who has not travelled outside Europe very often, the sight of this impoverished and utterly different city was difficult to cope with. Hardly any asphalt roads, a lot of corrugated iron roofs, electricity cables hanging all over the place and, in particular, a lot of loud noise … and, of course, the heat; an oppressive and humid heat.
It is already three months ago that I entered Hogar Suyapa… Lots of little pairs of arms stretched out to me and clung on to me. I fell for these little children straightaway. They were so cute!! Each little person with such a big story of his own to tell … Ana, the director of Hogar Suyapa, has told me a great deal about the background of these sweet little children during the past few months. Stories which regularly brought tears to my eyes. Of neglect and under-nourishment and severe abuse, often of a sexual nature. It's really unbelievable to see what little survivors these children are.
In spite of their terrible past history, they are so ...
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13 December 2010, by Bas under News, Volunteers in action
Bryan turned out to be so intelligent and full of determination that he was allowed to do two years in one. At the moment he is repeating that trick and in February he can go to secondary school. We want to give him the chance to go to the best school in town even if it does cost 50 Euros a month in tuition fees, an expense that we really cannot afford.
Even so, public education in Honduras is awful. There were strikes on 62 days of the year in 2009 and on at least 67 days in 2010!
Bryan deserves a better chance, but he is not the only one. Ever has on average a mark of 9.5 on his school report and we have now arranged a half scholarship for him. Gerardo also has a mark of 9.2 and we also want to offer him the chance to go to a better school together with a handful of other children, who we know have the motivation and the will to fight for the best results. You can see a portrait of Bryan here.
Would you like to support them? Give a child a chance! ...
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