- S
While in Guatemala, I observed a situation that tells our story in a nutshell:
I had saved fruit/vegetable scraps as food for the lone chicken that was tied by the leg in the dirt floor room. I was told to dump the stinking mess on the floor. To my horror, the daughter dove to the floor, beat the chicken away from the moldy, rotten food and began shoving it into her mouth....THAT is real hunger.
Right then I determined to help her by starting a tutoring center.
(Center started by Reid and Linda Sorensen with fundraising by Bill and Jeanne Sykes)
_________________________________________________________________________
OUR PURPOSE: TEACH USEABLE LIFE SKILLS TO GIVE CHILDREN A
CHANCE TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY THEY NOW SUFFER IN.
_________________________________________________________________________
These are among the most forgotten of all the children in the world. There is no hope of education and no social/emotional skills to enable any other way of life. They suffer silently, their eyes dull, resigned to a life of hunger, abuse, disease, lack of safety, or any medical care.
- In our tutoring center they learn basic hygiene and disease prevention: In this picture they are being taught how to blow their nose. They also learn to wash their hands, and to eat with utensils on plates.
Can you imagine how it feels to have a tooth so badly infected and abscessed that the whole side of your head is swollen, hot, and endlessly throbbing with no hope of relief?
- We provide toothbrushes, a luxury they have never known, and teach them how to brush and care for their teeth.
- They do not know how to hold a pencil, turn pages in a book, count, or write. Neither do their parents or grandparents. They learn how to work together, to wash dishes, prepare healthy food, to respect each other, to resolve conflicts without punching each other, and they develop enough confidence to hope and work for a better life.
These children are not stupid! They have just never been given a chance to learn.
One outstanding example is a 13-year-old who learned to read in 2 days! She had never been to school or taught anything. Once she realized the sounds letters make and how to put them together, the light went on in her head, and she took off reading. With our computer reading program, she devoured books and was reading and expanding her knowledge base within weeks. Her comments: "I'm so happy to be able to read, write, and do math. I can't attend public school because my mother often needs me to help at home."
x
- Due to untreated fever as an infant, this young girl had just taught herself to walk and didn't speak at eight years of age. Home for her is a 12 x 15 tin shanty with a dirt floor. She sleeps on a small table to avoid the large rats that run through the shack. She loved class and began to sing with the other children during singing time. Though hard of hearing, she now talks and walks well, and is learning to read, count, and help with household chores.
- Another skinny child is often beaten or observes his mother being beaten. He needs to be fed in class as food at home is scarce. What little money there is often gets taken for alcohol. He is frequently prevented from coming to the tutoring center so that he can work gathering plastic bottles to sell. He was very shy, anxious, and lacked any confidence or self-esteem at first. He rarely spoke or smiled. He was treated with kindness and respect and soon learned to really enjoy class. He is very bright, and with safety and food in his tummy, he learned to read, write, and do math quickly.
- Class size is 10-15 students to provide individual learning. When they develop the classroom skills for their grade level, they can be promoted with a scholarship to a public school that includes two sets of government-required uniforms, books, and supplies.
We may not be able to fix the world for all children, but for those we can help; we can change their lives AND the lives of future generations. It works! We have seen it happen!
_________________________________________________________________________
WE ARE FUNDED SOLELY BY DONATIONS.
NO MONEY IS TAKEN FOR ADMINISTRATION. IT GOES DIRECTLY
TO PROVIDE FOOD AND EDUCATION.
WILL YOU PLEASE HELP PROVIDE NUTRITION, LIFE SKILLS,
EDUCATION, AND A BETTER FUTURE FOR CHILDREN WHO NEED
YOUR HELP SO BADLY?
_________________________________________________________________________
Organizer and beneficiary
Reid Sorensen
Beneficiary