Help me celebrate by donating to help make my birthday goal of $500 towards food and necessities for these children I love
Otago
I am often far away from family and friends during my birthday but the ability to connect online makes the world a little smaller. There's nothing more meaningful to me than being able to send something to my little brothers and sisters in Cameroon who are far away but always in my mind and heart. This tradition started in 2016 when I was living at the orphanage and celebrated my birthday by going to the market with the Mama (an admirable woman named Christine Njewel) and buying enough food to cook a nice big meal for all of the orphans. Last birthday, I was blown away by the generosity of my friends and family who raised $1,300 (NZ) for these orphans.
Over the 6 months I spent living at the orphanage (during phase 1 of the construction of Eco-CASA’s sustainable center) these children inspired me every day. They showed me what happiness and love look like despite having no more than a couple sets of clothes as personal possessions and having survived unimaginable hardships at very young ages (loosing their parents, rejection, illness, living on the streets, etc.). They made me appreciate my sheltered and privileged life that I had taken for granted. Getting a small yogurt (or even scraping out an empty container) makes these kids light up with joy. They are content sleeping on a cement floor, and the drive and dedication many of them demonstrate for their studies is beyond anything I have seen anywhere (waking up at 4am every day to study, doing hard physical labor to pay for summer school, and rejoicing at having something as simple as a pencil). They taught me how to dance, although I still need more lessons :D. They made me feel how much it hurts to really love and have to let go as I felt when I had to leave. It would be very powerful if together we can send something to help sustain them and remind them that they have not been forgotten, and of the love there is in this world.
Every dollar makes a big difference to these children and means the world to me.
Simply put: I love these kids. I was privileged to spend 6 months living with 18 orphans that became my little brothers and sisters during the first phase of the construction of a sustainable orphanage for CASA. When I left the children asked me not to forget them and there is no way I ever could. If you are reading this, I hope someday you will get to meet these kids too and see how special they are for yourself! For more info about the project that brought these orphans into my life see https://orphelinatcasa.org/ or the Eco-CASA FB page
All funds raised will go directly towards nutritious meals for the children and help get them to school. Additional funds would go towards continuing the construction of the sustainable center which offers a long-term solution to their struggles
Thank you Mckibben - Singh family for such a wonderful gift to finish the challenge! Much love to all <3 <3 <3
Thank you so much Laura! too sweet of you. Miss you lots xxx
Thank you so much! Such good memories of that build together. Sending much love to you <3
Thank you so very much <3 I hope we can catch up sometime soon!
Merci beaucoup! I'll send special greetings from Tantine <3 <3
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