By Holly Habimana | Executive Director
Dear GlobalGiving Supporters of The African [SOUP],
Each quarter, we will provide a report to our supporters on the progress that we have made with your generous donations through GlobalGiving. Please note that we are still active on GlobalGiving in order to continue to seek out corporate donors and company matches, and we are so very grateful for your support.
To date, we have raised $5,810 on GlobalGiving, and we have invested those funds in solar panels, chickens for the chicken coop, school supplies, and new uniforms! Check out our uniforms in the pictures below - don't our students look dapper? Our new solar panels provide the only electricity in the village, and we hope to add a computer lab to begin to expose our students to global learning experiences.
However, the most important use of your dollars helps to provide something far less tangible and can't be shown in pictures - they provide hope and opportunity. In Primary 7 student Winnie Kisakye's story below, we hope you will see how this is exemplified. Without our supporters, the [SOUP] would not have been able to provide Winnie the support and nurturing familial environment that she describes below as "happiest thing in her life":
Winnie Kisakye is the youngest child of a tailor and a policeman. She comes from a close-knit, multicultural family which is half Christian and half Muslim. “We go to church and we go to mosque!” she explains. Winnie's three older siblings are now married and working, but none of them finished school.
Although she loves her family, Winnie prefers living in the Haven Home at the African [SOUP] school. “It helps me to pass my classes here. In boarding, you have time to study. At home, you work.” When she lived at home, Winnie spent most of her time mopping, cooking, and completing housework. And her grades suffered.
Winnie has to work extra hard to keep up with her peers in Primary 7 because she suffers from complete loss of hearing in one ear. This makes class time difficult for her, and the extra time she has to work on schoolwork at the Haven Home is that much more important. “My best subject is English and I'm improving in Math,” she says. “And I'm the best dancer in the school!”
The support Winnie receives at the [SOUP] school is something she is very grateful for. “This is a wonderful school in Africa. My teachers are the happiest thing in my life.”
On behalf of The African [SOUP] Board of Directors and the children that we serve, thank you for the immeasureable impact of your support!
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