Send Orphaned Teens from Kenya to High School

Congratulations for donating $2950 for this school term! Sometimes it seems as if FAF is climbing Mt. Kenya. Today we are at the top and looking down with wonder. This is the most you have donated in one term to Good Samaritan Children’s Home’s school expenses since we have been a part of Globalgiving. Thanks to all of you. Bonus days really work to increase our ability to support the orphanage.

Of the funds above, $1950 went to tuition, and $1000 to buy school shoes. Despite this, the home is short $4000 for the fall term, and some teens may have to stay home. In the summer term, tuition funds were short, and several teens stayed at the orphanage. The method the home uses to choose who must stay back is purely first come, first served. Therefore the seniors, junior and sophomores (in Kenya Third Form, Fourth Form, etc) go on with their studies, while the students who have just finished the 8^th grade will be kept at the orphanage. There they repeat the 8^th grade so they will not forget what they learned and will be able to pass their tests so they may enter high school. Only those students who do well in their tests will be accepted into the private schools our students attend. There are no public high schools in Kenya.

There is good news. Here are several opportunities to make sure that all of the GSCH students who qualify for secondary school in the winter term, will be able to go. Some of these events are on Globalgiving, and some are not. Remember on bonus days, you can make your donation grow.

               September 11 & 12: Garage Sale 8:30 A.M., 3090 Locke St. Grandville, MI

               September 15: Globalgiving Bonus Day. Donations start at 9:01 A.M.

                    Grow your donation by 30%

               October 7: Youth Spark Bonus Day, on Globalgiving 12:00 P.M.-11:59 P.M.

                     Bonus shared by all donors

               November: Jubilee Sale, Spokane, WA, Date to be announced.

               December: Anthony Salazar Fund Drive, all month

E-mail me for details on how to make donations to the Salazar Fund. salazarfaf@hotmail.com  

The watercolor above of Mt. Kenya stands for the heights to which our teens aspire. It was created by one of the youths living at the Good Samaritan Children’s Home.

• Reaching Mt. Kenya (PDF)
  

On our minds now:  Raising funds for Fall High School Tuition due August 15.  In a big garage sale Laura Salazar, co-founder of FAF, who is preparing to make a big move to Lakewood, CA raised $672.90.  She is very thankful not to have to haul all that stuff over the mountains.  The $1270.50 raised through Global Giving this quarter brings our total to $1942.40, only a drop in the bucket for what is needed to send 120 high school students to their next term at school at $1000 each.

On Global Giving's Bonus Day July 15, we have a goal of twice that.  We will be sending information out about that soon so you can join us on meeting the goal.

In the meantime, following the fire at the Goood Samaritan Children's Home, the orphanage is in a reassesment period.  We await further news on that development and how it will affect the lives of the children at the home.  As we wait, we point you to You Tube where there are 2 postings on life at the orphanage, showing donors giving mattresses and clothing to the children after the January 1st fire.  See link below.

Links:

• Neighbors troop to Good Samaritan Children's Home to Give Aid