Small, Personal, Dollar Effective! We Love This Project!

“The Village” - February 2012 Dear Friend, Welcome to “The Village,” our “Village of Love Canada”  Newsletter, sharing news and needs from the “Village of Love”  in Kenya. This month we’re exploring “The Joy of Giving.” “Imagine! Being able to have an impact at grassroots level to make a vision come into being!” This was the comment of one our Steering Group when asked to share what he found compelling about the “Village of Love.”  We all agreed that we are excited by the SMALLNESS and PERSONAL aspect of “Village of Love,”  knowing that we can play a part in its development. We experience the people as “real,” and as we connect with them, the world becomes that much smaller! LOVE is way up on our list of reasons for support. How great is it that orphaned children get a second chance, an opportunity to be loved again and belong in a family! And, of course, it’s really satisfying to see how EFFICIENTLY our dollars are used. Through microloans whole families can be fed. Andrew and Leonora’s integrity and faith elicit our trust. We know every asset in their hands is used for the benefit of others, whether it is time or dollars. In addition, their selflessness, strength and passion INSPIRE us: we want to support them personally.  What motivates YOU? We’d love to have your feedback! Canadian Village Story: One Boy’s Efforts Meet Eamonn Stewart. Scouter, member of Youth Group at Runnymede United Church, a boy with a big heart and a commitment to make a difference. Eamon sat listening in church when Andrew Obara told the congregation how Kenyan children in the slums of Kibera wanted desperately to go to school, but did not have the money for school fees, uniforms, or supplies. You might say that for Eamonn the penny dropped. He came home that day bursting with a BIG IDEA. His family could do something really important. They could send a child to school. He found a jar and placed it on the table, urging his family to join him in putting money in each week. They have all been doing so faithfully ever since. This is how the children in Kibera will go to school: one person at a time, one group at a time, seeing what they can do and doing it! Imagine following Eamonn’s lead. Perhaps with your family? Can you picture the possibility of inviting some friends to dinner and forming a sponsorship group? Might you make the suggestion to your colleagues, as you gather around the water cooler or coffee urn?  What about your classmates, students, club, team mates? A small group, pooling funds, can send a child to school.  Is that exciting or what!? Village Needs Education is the key that opens the door out of a lifetime of poverty. Currently, there are 75 children in the cooperative who are waiting to go to school. All that a child needs to go to school is $500 a year. We need your help, please, to spread the word: to invite your group of friends, colleagues, family, to come together to sponsor one child to go to school. Do let us know what plan you come up with- we value your ideas! To grow the capacity of the organisation, sustainable funds are needed. Please consider a monthly donation, no matter how small. This can always be changed or cancelled by e-mailing claire@capaids.org. It’s as simple as that!  With your year-end tax deductible gift, orphaned children will have a chance at life! Linda Levin, Coordinator of the Village of Love Canada.  Linda Levin, Coordinator of “Village of Love Canada”

African Music Evening Raising funds as we raise the roof! Saturday, April 14th Mark this date in your calendar! Runnymede United Church, Toronto Details to follow Support Us: Bike Riders! Don’t you love how many things you can do with a bike? Here’s another one!  Ride your bike to raise funds for orphaned children! Bike-a-thon, Sunday, June 17th Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria Convenient on-line pledging provided by our partner CAP/AIDS claire@capaids.org  Connect with Us:    Mother Teresa: If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.   Thank you for being a Provider in the “Village of Love!”

Visit our Website: www.villageoflovecanada.org