Authentic's Community Members visit Save the Children programs in the Navajo Nation

Hi everyone! I just came back from an amazing trip with Save the Children to visit their programs in the Navajo Nation. America Ferrera and I visited Chinle and Many Farms, AZ, and stopped off on the way in Laguna, NM. America is Save the Children’s Education Ambassador, and we were fortunate to visit with children benefiting from StC's home-based and center-based education programs.

What really struck me was the impact StC's work was making in this very challenging environment. Paula Hale, a Save the Children staffer who lives on the reservation and guided us throughout our trip, told us that the unemployment rate on Navajo lands is 56%, and average family income is well below $20,000. Employment opportunities are limited, and due to the vast distances that separate homes from larger towns (we drove over four hours from Albuquerque), it's difficult for residents to work off the reservation.

One of the things that drew me to StC's work was the way they were able to show me how the funds I was donating had a direct effect on children and their communities. The benefit of Save the Children's programs was readily apparent during our visit with Jordan, 2, who lives in a remote Navajo area in AZ, in a one-room house with his parents. Jordan's teacher Karen Spencer visits Jordan and 21 other families twice a month (separated by hours of driving) as part of Save the Children's Early Steps program, working with him on reading, fine and gross motor skills, and guiding his loving parents in ways to help with his development. Jordan is a bright kid who's clearly benefitting from the work Karen does with him and his parents, and it saddens me to think of the many children on Navajo lands and around the world who aren't receiving the same education and support.

What's fantastic about the work StC is doing with Jordan and his family, and so many other families around the world is its extraordinary impact. Consider this information from StC's tenth annual State of the World's Mothers Report, released this week:

“Early childhood care and development is a proven and powerful investment in national well-being and future economic prosperity. Research from around the world shows that investing in quality early learning programs is one of the most effective ways to improve children's success in school, to increase incomes, and to reduce costs to society.... Research by Nobel prize-winning economist James Heckman shows that returns on investment in early childhood are greater than investment at any other stage of life.”

Seeing all of this amazing work firsthand really made me present to the impact it has, and the cost of participating. By sponsoring a child for $28 per month, you can make a real difference for the child and their community. And remember, we here at Authentic will match your contribution, causing twice the impact, until we've reached our goal of sponsoring fifty kids.

For more information on our matching program check out this blog entry:

http://authenticm.com/community/stc



Thanks so much to StC's Jane Berliner, Eileen Burke, Paula Hale, Linda Askew, and photographer Joshua Roberts, for making this all possible.

Artwork!

Ariana from the US, Authentic Community member Bob's match, has sent us this great sponsor info form. On the back was this cool picture.


But the coolest thing on the form was Ariana's favorite game. GUITAR HERO! She is by far the coolest 8 year old to have ever existed.


For more information about our match program visit our Two For One Program!

Sponsor Match!

Here's another sponsor from Authentic Community member Tony!

He sponsored D'Andre, an 8 year old boy in the Southwest region of the US. We're not allowed to put his picture up, as he's from the US, so I've added a picture of what I assume he looks like, after he found out about Tony's sponsorship.

D'Andre, age 8

Cute little Sherlyn from the Philippines is his match. She affectionate and likes playing with toys. At 5 years old, what else is there?

Sherlyn, age 5 (Match #13)

For more information about our match program visit our Two For One Program!

Artwork!

Here's more artwork from William in El Salvador. He drew a great picture of a bicycle on the Save the Children stationery. He likes riding bicycles. It comes full circle.

The translation is:

"Hello Lily and Eli. I am studying in the first grade, I like to study and play ball and ride bicycles and I like to play with cars, I love them a lot."

One Night for One Month

Everyone knows we here at Authentic are doing are best to help sponsor kids through Save the Children, and in this troubled economy, we feel it's best to focus on the things you can help, as opposed to the things that you can't.

You CAN help kids. A lot. For a little.

$28 a month to sponsor a kid. It's about the cost of a sit down meal for two people in Manhattan (after tax and tip).

It's also the cost of helping a kid and his community with basic medical care and hygiene education, or programs that allow the child and his or her classmates and friends to attend and thrive at school. For a whole month.

One Night for One Month.

And if you sponsor, we will match you through our Authentic “Two For One” program. Use our special link, and Authentic will sponsor a child too. Our goal is to change the lives of FIFTY kids and their communities under this program – twenty-five matches.

We've already got twenty-two kids sponsored, so we're half way there! So get on board, and help change the lives of two kids and their communities, somewhere on this amazing planet.

With your permission, we'll post updates about your sponsored child on this website, along with your comments. And you'll see us doing the same, about the kids that we're sponsoring.

Here's how you do it.

1. Go to http://www.savethechildren.org/AuthenticCommunity
2. Click sponsor.
3. Register! It only takes a minute.
4. Finish the registration and sponsorship form to help Save the Children make a difference.
5. If you want, send the child's name, age, and picture to don@authenticM.com so we can add the info to our site!

The faster you help, the faster the kids get help. At the end of this campaign, we'll have changed the lives of 50 kids and their communities.

If you have any questions or would like to register/sponsor by phone, please contact Nancy Fekete, Manager of the “Two for One” program, nfekete@savechildren.org or 1-800-728-3843 (x6542) ; if you are calling from overseas dial +1-203-341-6542.

As an Individual Child sponsor, each year you will receive:

* A Status Report on your Child
* An updated photo
* Drawing
* Spring Newsletter
* Annual Summary of your Country Office’s Accomplishments
* Programs your Child participated in
* Holiday Mailing
* Optional Email Updates
* A Regional Progress Report (First year only)

Match Re-cap!

Here are the kids Authentic Community members have sponsored and matched. There are 24 total kids (though we're still missing pictures for some).

We here at Authentic are so thrilled to see the difference our partners are making - our Authentic Community members, and our friends at Save the Children. 24 kids and their communities are now getting education, basic medical care, and programs that allow them to thrive at school because of your support. Go Team!

And remember - we are going for 50. That's 26 more kids. So all we need is 13 more sponsors who Authentic can match. Show your support by clicking here to visit our Two for One Program!

The Sponsors (what pictures we have):


(left to right: Nasrina from Bangladesh, John-Christopher from Philippines, Rezel-Ann from Philippines, and Moushumi from Bangladesh)


(left to right: Mohamed from Egypt, Dondrel from Philippines, Shubarna from Bangladesh, and Tasmina from Bangladesh)

The Matches:

(left to right: Sant from Nepal, Mayada from Egypt, Ariana from the US, and Shaymali from Bangladesh)

(left to right: Naeem from Bangladesh, Rasel from Bangladesh, Pinki from Bangladesh, and Likhon from Bangladesh)


(left to right: Viktor from Egypt, Mamot from Philippines, Mokhles from Bangladesh, and Suraj from Nepal)

Sponsor Match!

Sponsorships make a great gift, especially when there's a two-for-one situation, as Authentic Community member Genevieve found by sponsoring on behalf of her sister Annie. Instead of only being responsible for helping Save the Children to improve day to day life of 6 year old Mohamed in Egypt, she's also helping them to improve the situation of 4 year old Victor, also of Egypt and all of the other girls and boys participating in sponsorship programs in Egypt!

Just look at their happy faces!

Mohamed, age 6

Victor, age 4 (Match #12)

For more information about our match program visit our Two For One Program!