Distributing Food in Burkina Faso

Pascal helped Biba with the distribution.

In early October the children in Burkina Faso each received a 50 pound bag of beans and rice for their families. The children and their families wore their best clothes to come and pick up their food donations.

Pascal

Samiritou

Samiritou also received  her bicycle

Sephora

Fousseina

Issa

Beans

Ida

Primaria Graduation

 Last week Carlos and Jeronimo graduated from Primaria! Lesbi and Tino were there to celebrate with two of the Ninos Con Bendicion.

Tino, Jeronimo, Carlos, Lesbi

Carlos and his parents

Food distribution in Burkina Faso

This past weekend the families in Burkina Faso were able to pick up their sacks of beans and rice.

Samiratou, who is in high school, received a bicycle. She had been walking over an hour each way to school.

Practice and Perform - Ninos con Bendicion

Dance Practice

Teaching a Visitor to Play Marimba

Performing

Lessons in Sharing

This sister and brother are Ruella Joy and Mark. On days when lunch is served they choose not to finish all the food they receive so that they can take some home for their siblings. When they were asked about who would eat the food they were saving, Mark said that his younger siblings will be the one who will eat it, because they have no rice to cook at home. 

This was a decision Mark and Ruella Joy made together. No one had to tell them to do this.

Boys

In many communities around the world girls don't have the same access to quality education that boys do. They are held back by poverty and the pervasive belief that girls aren't worth educating. Studies have shown the benefits of educating females and Her Star Scholars developed with the idea of breaking down barriers and helping girls and women achieve that access to school.

Los Ninos Con Bendicion has recently become a project of Her Star Scholars and it has joined with an equal number of boys and girls. Our decision has been to continue the sponsorship of these boys because as indigenous Maya children they face both desperate poverty and racism. 

Her Star Scholars will continue to focus on the education of girls, but there are boys who face exceptional circumstances and when possible we will reach out to them as well.

Lunch Time in the Philippines

3 days a week all of children of the Her Star Scholars in the Philippines gather together for a full and nutritious lunch with soup, rice, fruits, meats, and vegetables. When possible we add vitamin enriched milk or fruit juice to the menu. Many of the children bring siblings with them or bring boxes or bags to take left-overs home to them.

Filipinos are very generous. Part of their culture is too share food with family, friends, and neighbors in need, even if they don't have enough food for themselves. We make sure that there is more than enough food for the Little Star Scholars with some to take home.

We had hoped to spread the budget far enough to feed the children daily, but the decision was made that 3 highly nourishing meals were ultimately better than 5 filling, but less nutritious meals. Weight and height of the children are taken on the first day of each month to help us judge whether or not the daily meals are making an impact. So far they seem to be!

For $400 dollars a month, which is $10 per child, we can continue with the 3 day a week lunches. Imagine,  just $5 will provide 6 nourishing meals!  If we can increase the monthly budget to $550 a month, we will be able to provide daily meals. Please consider making a donation to the Philippines Lunch Fund. You can designate on PayPal or on your check.