Sponsor Match!

Another sponsor match, this time from Authentic Community member Daniel Swee!

Here's Dondrel from the Philippines, a kid with a bright smile and a yellow shirt.

His match, Mamot, is also from the Philippines. She may have a yellow shirt, but if so, she's not wearing it in that picture. Coincidentally she's not smiling either...

You heard it hear first. Yellow shirt = smiling kid.

Dondrel, age 11

Mamot, age 8 (Match #10)

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

Sponsor Match!

Two more matches!

First, here is Authentic Community member Adam Rothenberg's kid, Tasmina from Bangladesh, who has a love of reading, and Adam's match, Suraj from Nepal.

Tasmina, age 10

Suraj, age 5 (Match #8)

And here is Authentic Community member Tom Carr's match, Sant, also from Nepal. We don't have the original sponsor info for Tom's kid yet, but I'll update as soon as I get it.

Sant, age 5 (Match #9)

As for the matches... two kids, both 5, both from Nepal, and both who listed hobbies as "playing with friends."

Clones perhaps?

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

Letters!

So Jon got a letter from Rajani in Bangladesh. It's very nice and we thought we'd share it with everyone.

Rajani, age 7

The first one is in Bangla, the appropriately named language of Bangladesh. The much less beautiful English translation follows. I'm sure you can figure out which is which, but I've labeled them anyway.

Bangla


English

Sponsor Match!

Hooray! Here are some new sponsor matches.

First off here is Meg Mortimer's sponsored child, Rezel-Ann from the Philippines, a little girl who loves to sing.

Rezel-Ann, age 11

In addition to this sponsorship, Meg also got her husband, David L. Lloyd, Jr. of GECAS, to get his company to match her donation amount!

While David's company couldn't "officially" sponsor a kid, in essence, that's what his company is doing, so we here at Authentic Community are going to go ahead match David's donation as well... with another kid.

So here are 2 (TWO!) more matches from us, Naeem and Shaymali, both from Bangladesh.

Naeem, age 5 (Match #6)

Shaymali, age 5 (Match #7)

In the end, the sponsorship of Rezel-Ann, led to the sponsorship of 2 other kids as well (or maybe 3, depending on how the money David donated is going to be used) and will end up benefiting many more!

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

Peace Games - Site Visit

UPDATE!!!

The site visit will be on Thursday only. The date on Wednesday was canceled.

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In addition to the great work we're doing with Save the Children, we are also currently working with Peace Games, an organization that teaches and empowers children––as young as four years old––to be peacemakers in their schools and communities. They're dedicated to ending the escalating trend of youth violence in this country, and are currently operating in schools in New York City, Chicago, LA, and Boston.

Peace Games believes that children are peacemakers, not simply victims, perpetrators, or witnesses of violence. The mission of Peace Games is to support young people as peacemakers and to change the way our nation views young people in the context of violence. Research tells us that violence is learned, that just as our students learn how to read or ride a bike, our children learn how to fight, hate, and kill. If violence can be learned, so can the skills of peacemaking.

Here's one of my favorite “Peace Tales,” right from the schools, told by Peace Games coordinator Tami Ross:

Two fifth grade boys were brought to the office for stabbing each other on the playground. They were told sternly to sit down and not talk, while the school police were being called. I was on my way to teach a class, but watching the boys’ conflict escalate as they glared at each other gave me an idea.

First, I talked with them about conflict, and had them tell me their perspectives of what had happened. I asked if they understood the consequences and that now they would be suspended. Then, I went back to my office and got supplies for the gum drop toothpick structure activity. I instructed them to build the tallest tower they could.

When I came back they were smiling and high five-ing each other. The boys were eager to inform me that they had built “The Empire State Building.” When the school police arrived, an officer passed right by the boys building the tower and asked, “Where are the kids who are in trouble?”

Peace Games, in partnership with educators, parents, students, and community members, has had a dramatic effect in its communities. Some highlights of their work from a recent study:

• 94% of Peace Games students reported that Peace Games helped improve their peacemaking skills (communication, cooperation, conflict resolution, and engagement).
• 91% of students reported that Peace Games helped them improve their academics.
• 84% of students reported that involvement in Peace Games helped improve their school attendance.
• 78% of students reported that they are more likely to walk away from a fight without thinking of themselves as cowards.

Having visited a Peace Games school, I've seen the value of their work firsthand. I believe so strongly in the effectiveness of their programs, that I'm volunteering my time to work for Peace Games, I'm working to expand Peace Games into Brooklyn and I'm working with them to establish a larger national presence for Peace Games.

We would like to offer you the same opportunity.

We're hosting visits to schools in Manhattan on:

Thursday, Jan. 22 @ 12:00pm

Visit a school with us. See the difference this program came make, not only for the kids, but for the communities in which they live.

Let us know if you can make one of these trips. E-mail Don (don@authenticM.com) for details.

For more information about Peace Games, please visit: www.peacegames.org

Save the Children Gift Catalog

Authentic Community member AF, on behalf of Bess and Sam Gsell, recently used this amazing service provided by Save the Children to teach and provide adolescent girls in Ethiopia with hygiene products.

To find out more about this wonderful program, as well as many others, please visit:

http://www.savethechildren.org/gifts/gift-health-hygiene.html

Artwork!

Here is some beautiful artwork from Shubarna, Authentic Community member AF's sponsored child.

I'm not sure, but I think it's a hand.


Also, here is a great picture from Mokles in Bangladesh, the match of Authentic Community member AF.

I believe it's a some people with a flag, a flower, and a fish man.



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

Artwork - Kids for Kids!

Kids of PS321 class k-139 making snowflakes for our sponsored kids. No snow in Bangladesh, El Salvador, and Egypt, I assume, but it's the thought that counts.

Authentic Community member Lily will be writing an accompanying letter for the snowflakes, which will then be packed in ice and vacuum sealed for the long, hot journey from classroom to post office to classroom.

Images of the letter and snowflakes to come!