on the needles

Monday, March 30, 2009

New Photo of Jenie

We just got a new photo of Jenie! She is my daughter's second special sponsor kid. Jenie is nine and a half and she lives in the Philippines.



I love this photo of Jenie because she is wearing the dress she bought with some of the money we sent her for her birthday last year. It's so sweet that she dressed up for her photo. I think the red really suits her. Jenie has said she would like to be an actress someday but the case workers say she is rather shy around them at first.

These are some photos we received last year of Jenie at her "home". I say "home" because unfortunately Jenie's family is homeless. They are currently living under a bridge.



This is Jenie in front of the door to her "home". Her family has managed to use concrete blocks to brick in a space under the bridge in an attempt to make their home more secure. However, they are in constant danger from drug dealers (who do not want anyone living where they work) and also from gangs that are essentially in competition with the family to use the space under the bridge. It is not a safe place for a child to have to live!



Here you can see Jenie and her family in front of their "home". You can see the support beams for the bridge above. In addition to the danger from other people, just imagine trying to live with cars zooming by overhead, shaking the roof of your home. I know I would be terrified!



To top it all off, Jenie has to climb up and down this slope all day as she goes in and out of her home. In the rainy season this must be very, very slippery. I really worry about Jenie and her family being hurt in a fall.



I asked Children International about possibly raising money to get Jenie and her family into a proper, safe home but the report came back that it would cost $10,000. Unfortunately I can't afford that much! However, I am working on gathering funds to help the family set up a stable, income generating business (like the projects I have going over at Aura's House) so hopefully I will be able to get those funds together sometime this year. And hopefully, the family may then be able to afford to rent something safer to live in.



My daughter is devoted to her two sponsor children. This weekend we made some candied lemon peels (first time making anything like that - can't believe it worked!) and then my daughter sold them to friends and family to raise money to donate to Lesly's project at Aura's House. Thanks to a big hearted grandpa and other relatives that can't resist buying sweets from a kid with a sweet face my daughter was able to donate $32. She so was proud of earning money for "her kids". On top of this she has already donated a big chunk of the allowance she had saved as well. She's a wonder!

I know many people are feeling the pinch in this crappy economy but I still think there is room for charity, kindness and giving in every one's life. If you can't give money then give some of your time. If you can't think of any ideas about what you can do to give back to the world then just ask your kids for some. I'm sure they will inspire you!

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Blogger Robyn said...

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