Update! Jan 7 2018

Dear Friends,


Between donations here, plus others coming through the Writing Through website and via checks in the mail, we have more than met our year-end goal. Thank you all so much! Your support means that we are starting the new year out with a healthy bank balance and able to both meet our hopes for expansion, and offer even more subsidies to our partners needing help. 


Of course, fundraising needs never end, and any one who would like to join us in our efforts can always do so via the donation page on www.writingthrough.org


Together, we are all truly saving minds, one poem, one story at a time!


Ever onward into another exciting year!
Sue and Jess






Update! Dec 17 2018

Hi friends of Writing Through,

Thank you so much for helping us get so very close to meeting our goal. With just a few days left of this
year, we hope to not only meet the goal, but surpass it, so that our programming  is all the more secure in 2019. Please help put us over the top! If you have been meaning to give but haven't had the chance, do it now! If you've been wanting to spread the word but haven't had the chance, now's the time! And if you   have already made your donation, thank you so very much, from all of us. Looking forward to an even       better new year of saving minds, no matter where, no matter who, one poem, one story at a time.

Best, Sue and Jess









Update! Dec 3 2018

It’s been an exciting and humbling first week of our year-End campaign. Thank you so much to all our supporters! But we’re not done yet. If you haven’t had a chance to join us, or would like to spread the news about Writing Through to others, there’s still lots of time.

Thanks again.

Always, Sue and Jess






Mind is Like a Window
By Sodany, Aged 16 (Cambodia)

Window is open, but you can’t come in
Because of the bars.
Flower and fish behind the bars
We have freedom to go anywhere when the window
is open.

When brains are open, we can go anywhere
To open mind, use your feelings first
Mind is like a window.
Mind can stop us from doing what we want
Mind says no!

Going away, not thinking
Energy that makes us move
and do what we have to do.
You will have more success if you don’t give up.

If you don’t use your brain, it is an error.
It can stop you from being powerful.

 


 This poem above was written by one of our Writing Through students. Without Writing Through, students like her would never have the chance to discover what they really feel and think in a way which can be effectively shared with others.

This poem (like all Writing Through poems) is expressed in English- a second language for these students. It has become clear that it is relevant for Writing through workshops to be about using English, because as the students learn English-not only does it become a language in which they become enabled to express unconventional thoughts, but also it enables them to be relevant in the greater world.

At Writing Through we say we are saving minds: one poem, one story at a time. Each time our students write something creative in our workshops (and beyond!), they are discovering a new way to think and a whole new world of potential for self-expression. Today’s world demands citizens who can think conceptually and critically, who know what they believe and have the confidence to stand up and use their voices. For reasons both cultural and historical, these crucial skills are not taught in many traditional school systems. Writing Through remedies this by opening minds and encouraging new perspectives through creative language training. Open minds lead to self-esteem. Writing Through believes that self-esteem and conceptual thought can be antidotes to poverty, warfare and corruption.


Founded by the novelist, poet and educator, Sue Guiney, Writing Through began in the poorest communities of Cambodia, and has grown to serve populations throughout SE Asia, including Singapore and Vietnam. It now partners with dozens of NGO’s and schools throughout the region, and has trained more than 25 volunteers who use their talents and generosity to Facilitate the workshops.

Our expansion within 3 countries means that Writing Through is growing bigger and bigger each day. We are able to reach more students and more organizations in parts of these countries which do not have access to such experiences.

But too often, our Partner institutions find it difficult to raise the funds needed to bring Writing Through's workshops to their students. We are committed to working with all the students who need us, regardless of their ability to pay. By giving to Writing Through, you are helping to support the educational programming of all our many Partners.  Your support allows Writing Through to bring its magic to everyone in need of it. As we grow, we need that support more than ever to bring our workshops to those who need it most. Help us to open minds, one poem, one story at a time.

Donation Levels:


$50   Help underwrite the production and distribution of our specially made, truly magic pencils!

 

$100  Facilitators donate their expenses and time to lead our workshops. But sometimes they need help. $100 helps underwrite Facilitator expenses

 

$250    All our partners contribute to the cost of their workshops, but very often they do not have the funds to cover all the costs. $250 closes the gap between what they can afford, and the true cost.

 

$500   $500 pays for 20 students to attend one complete 5-session workshop.

 

$750   Many Partners have more students than they can afford to include. $750 underwrites 2 sessions of a workshop, allowing more students to take part.

 

$1,000  For $1,000 you will be able to underwrite multiple workshops for a year for one of our Partner NGO's -- and you'll receive your own copies of their magazines!

 

Discover more about Writing Through at
www.writingthrough.org 

www.facebook/writingthrough 

Instagram: @writingthrough

Or watch our documentary: A Leap of Faith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPN5HUlpbf0