Photo Friday: Our top 5 “baby” photos!

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Among the littlest of our beneficiaries (and the cutest) are babies and toddlers. New moms living in poverty stricken areas are often left struggling to find the essentials needed to raise their children. Sponsorship and other projects and programs give families the hand-up they need to give their babies a healthy, happy start to life.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “baby” photos from our sites! These precious photos showcase all sorts of adorable babies and their caretakers. We hope you enjoy this sweet collection!

#5: Support from Sisters 

Sr. Amala, the site director for our Madurai site in India visits a mom and her newborn in the maternity unit of a hospital in Batlagandu, which is located right next to the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod convent. Mom and baby seem to be doing wonderful, thanks to the great care they received!
Continue reading →

Khrystyna’s future blossoms with the support of sponsorship

When Khrystyna was growing up, her family lived a humble life. Her father worked part-time as a construction worker while her mother stayed home to care for her and her younger brother, Yuri. The family shared one bedroom in Khrysytna’s grandfather’s house, as they couldn’t afford a home of their own. They didn’t have enough money for even the most basic necessities such as food and clothing.

Sponsorship changed everything for not only Khrystyna, but her entire family. When six-year-old Khrystyna was chosen by a Chalice sponsor, her family received food packages, hygiene products, and other household goods! She and her brother started eating healthier food, wearing warm clothing, and had everything they needed to start school.

Continue reading →

Photo Friday: Our top 5 “school uniform” photos

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

In order to receive a quality education, children need to be prepared with the right supplies. Books, shoes, bags, and clothing ensure that students are comfortable during the day and able to complete their classwork. School uniforms can be especially helpful, as they allow children from all backgrounds to be dressed in school appropriate attire each day.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “school uniforms” photos from our sites. Thanks to child sponsorship and other kind donations, many children from our sites are dressed for school in fresh and comfortable school uniforms.

#5: Little learners 

These adorable students from our Haiti North site are dressed and ready for a full day of learning. Though each school usually features different uniforms, school uniforms in Haiti all have one thing in common; the girls all wear beautiful, intricate ribbons in their hair.
Continue reading →

Photo Friday: Our top 5 “essential worker” photos

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

It’s almost the Labour Day long weekend! For many, this signals the end of summer, but Labour Day is also an important date. This annual holiday celebrates the achievements of workers! It’s also a time to recognize and celebrate the labour union movement, and rights and safety for workers everywhere.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “essential workers” photos from our sites. These shots feature all sorts of workers in various important roles. Parents, site staff, and former sponsored children all have an essential part to play in their communities!

#5: Medical monitoring 

Elien is the main scientist and lab technician in Grand-Bassin’s medical clinic, located near our Haiti North site. He performs tests that help diagnose, monitor and treat conditions of patients in the community. Without him, children and families would be unable to receive essential medical care needed to prevent serious illnesses. Way to go, Elien!
Continue reading →

Heading back to school with help from supporters

Just like in Canada, teachers and students around the world are preparing for a back-to-school season like no other. The return to classes is going to look very different from country to country with changes due to the pandemic taking place around the world. Students in Tanzania returned to school at the end of June, while schools in Bolivia will remain closed for the entire academic year. Other countries, such as Ukraine, are looking at ways to re-arrange classes and schedules to allow for safe learning.

During all this change, one thing remains the same; the children’s need for school supplies. Items such as uniforms, notebooks, pencils, art supplies, bookbags, and shoes are daunting expenses for parents each year, especially in large families.

Continue reading →

Photo Friday: Our top 5 “eat your veggies” photos!

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Vegetables are an integral part of a balanced diet. Thanks to school farming programs, kitchen gardens, and donations to our nutrition programs, many schools and families at our sites are able to grow hearty veggies to incorporate into meals. These diverse vegetables keep growing children healthy and strong!

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “eat your veggies” photos from our sites. These shots feature kids harvesting, preparing, and enjoying all sorts of colourful produce. Maybe these vegetable-filled pictures will inspire other children to eat their veggies, too!

#5: An a-maize-ing school farm! 

At our Mbinga site in Tanzania, Chalice donors help support Lukala School’s farming program, which maintains four acres of land to grow corn, sweet potatoes, cassava, and an assortment of other fruits and vegetables. Donors have also helped provide the school with fencing, a modern school kitchen, and an eco stove. The school’s lunch program uses the corn and other vegetables to feed a student population of 360 and growing!
Continue reading →

Mae Joy overcomes adversity through faith and support

Eighteen-year-old Mae Joy has had an exceptionally difficult young life. Growing up, she experienced a deeply troubled home life with a father who was unwilling to support her and her five siblings. In addition to this difficult situation, living in the Tondo slum neighbourhood in the Philippines has been a constant struggle. A few years ago, Mae Joy fell ill with severe pneumonia. Her frail health caused her to succumb to a deep depression. 

Continue reading →

Photo Friday: Our top 5 “kitchen party” photos!

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Food and cuisine is an essential part of every culture around the world. At our sites, rising food prices from disasters, pandemics, inflation, and underemployment can make it difficult for families and schools to prepare filling, healthy meals. Thanks to donations from supporters like you, families at our sites are able to access essential nutrition, and partake in one of the most basic joys of life- cooking and eating together.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “kitchen party” photos from our sites. In these pictures, families, children, site staff and volunteers are having a blast preparing delicious meals. We hope you enjoy this tantalizing collection!

#5: Pizza prep in Paraguay

Many sponsored children attend the Open Center at our CMAVIL site in Paraguay after school for homework help, meals, and supervision. Sr. Miguelina and her young assistant, Brahio, are sifting flour in preparation to make pizza dough, a special treat!
Continue reading →

Photo Friday: Our top 5 site worker adventure photos!

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

In rain or shine, and through thick and thin, our site workers are dedicated to ensuring that the children and families at our sites receive what they need to stay safe, strong, and supported. This week, we’re sharing our top 5 site worker adventure photos we’ve gathered from our sites! Though their work brings them many unique experiences, our site workers face each day with a brave smile and giving heart.

#5: Dancing duds 

In Tanzania, it’s custom to have a kitenge wrapped around your waist and your hair wrapped before you let loose on the dance floor. Our International Manager for Africa, Emily, is helping East Africa Coordinator Martha get ready for a celebration. She’ll perform a welcoming dance with mothers from a Chalice family circle from our Mbinga site!
Continue reading →

Solar lights essential in rural Tanzania

Less than 20 percent of people living in rural Tanzania have access to electricity. Expanding the electrical grid to remote rural areas would require significant funding, which would conflict with other much-needed services such as education, health, and road infrastructure. While it’s recognized that access to electricity is a major barrier to economic expansion, there are currently no plans to increase the electrical grid.

Families at our sites use candles and kerosene lamps for light and wood stoves for cooking. These families are often poor, so these costly light sources are used sparingly so homework and any other tasks not finished before sundown are left undone. Thanks to generous donations to our gift catalogue, families from our Neema site were thrilled to be given the gift of solar lights, which in essence, is a gift of extra time as they can do more after dark than they could before!

Continue reading →