“One never stands so tall as when they stoop to help a child”
Dear friends....
People ask me why this program is so important to me.... my answer is simple: "A kid is a kid is a kid, no matter where they live....all deserve a chance." I was just 'lucky' to be born in a place with less severe poverty.
But look at these faces and tell me that their life isn't as special as any child anywhere....the ear to ear smiles of these kids as they receive their uniforms is because they know their life will now be forever changed!
I will be returning to Pokhara, Nepal in 4 weeks with the hope of lighting up more kid's faces like these. This is the 9th year since the 'We, Not Me' School Uniform Program was established…. And it all began because of the generosity of my friends here in the U.S. In that time, we have distributed over 1,500 uniforms in Pokhara.
Yeah, it doesn't sound like a big program, and it isn't.... but it sure is for those receiving their first uniform. There is an actual beautiful face behind each kid that receives his/her first uniform.... and the kids who have received these uniforms have had their lives changed forever. In Nepal, by law, no child can attend school without a uniform, and even though our local tailors make a uniform (shirt, pants/skirt, & even shoes) for 'only' $20, for many it is sadly out of reach. ...and even more very exciting news! Last year 'We, Not Me' was expanded to also provide school lunch meals for the children who attend the public schools we sponsor. Our expansion provides lunch meals to the kids, perhaps the only meal they might eat that day... the government provides only 20 cents per student for lunch and only for children up to 10 years old…. after that, no money goes to meals, and that’s where we help with the money we raise.
Bottom line: We....you and I, are changing lives in our small way… yeah, it is not changing millions of lives, but that really doesn’t matter….. We each can advance the ball forward in the smallest of ways and still make a tremendous difference…. hopefully more small grassroots, similar thinking people will do so in any way or to any cause that moves them.... whatever, wherever and however. Again, I always remind myself that "A kid is a kid is a kid" no matter where they live... it could have been you or me and our kids.
I love the adorable kids of Pokhara, Nepal... playful, joyful and kind, despite their hardships. Each year we have reached or exceeded our goal and this year I’ve set the same goal as last year....$5,000!
Please open your hearts and your wallets as much or as little as you can, or share on social media.....let's all feel the power of 'We, Not Me'....and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
With peace and love,
Ken
"To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world"