This Christmas, Jane puts her love in action

Canadians all across the country are living “Love in Action” with our 2018 Christmas gift catalogue. When you give a gift through our catalogue, you’ll provide essential needs to vulnerable children and families in the developing world.

Your gift is two gifts in one – you can honour a friend or loved one with your donation, and they’ll receive a beautiful handwritten card telling them of the special gift purchased on their behalf.

Twelve-year-old Jane, from Tignish, P.E.I., has been hard at work putting her love in action this Christmas season. When Jane and her mother, Lisa, received this year’s catalogue in the mail, Jane expressed her wish to help others.

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Donors help Ukrainian family rebuild after fire

On August 8, 2018, Lesya and her family endured an unexpected disaster. A fire, caused by an electrical short circuit, blazed throughout Lesya’s family home near our Ternopil site in the Ukraine. The fire damaged much of their kitchen and furniture, and destroyed the roof and beams in their nearby barn and shed. Lesya’s mother, Halyna, raises her four children alone, and is unable to work full-time. The family survives on their garden and small poultry farm. The damage caused by the fire was devastating to the family’s daily lives and to their livelihood.

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Heartfelt letters for the holidays

One of the greatest joys of sponsoring a child is the opportunity to build a real, lasting connection. Sponsors receive yearly updates on their precious sponsored children, including a new photo and details about school and family life. The most heartwarming, personal touch to these updates are the handwritten letters and pictures from your sponsored child. As a sponsor, you receive a letter twice a year, and are able to send as many letters as you’d like.

Good topics to write about are family, children, friends, hometown, the weather, pets, and hobbies. If you have children in your family, sending their hand-drawn pictures is a big hit. Sponsored children write about similar topics, and often share their hopes, dreams, and hobbies with their sponsors! At Christmas, sponsored children take special care into crafting their letters. They even include a beautiful handmade card to wish their sponsors a warm and joyous Christmas.

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Krystyna pursues her artistic talents

Khrystyna is a creative, smart and hardworking young lady from our Ternopil site in the Ukraine. She has endured many hardships from a young age. Her father passed away when she was very young, and shortly afterwards her mother was diagnosed with cancer. All of the family’s savings was spent on her mother’s treatments, and it was very difficult to make ends meet.

When Khrystyna was 11, she was accepted into Chalice’s sponsorship program and was chosen by a generous sponsor shortly after. Although Khrystyna’s life has been anything but easy, she continues to persevere. She’s incredibly motivated and has always shown a thirst for knowledge.

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Chicks change lives for struggling families in Kenya

Farming can be a tough way to make a living. Harsh weather, drought, and quick changes in seasons can spell an early end to a year’s worth of work. In Kenya, farming and agriculture is a source of livelihood for many families. Many parents at our Baraka site are farmers, and can only work when the conditions are right. It can be difficult for parents without full-time work to budget and provide for their children year round. Many people take odd jobs throughout the year to try to make ends meet.

Family Circle members at our Baraka site, comprised of parents and guardians of sponsored children, meet regularly to discuss their family budgets. Many members began to discuss ways to supplement their income, and began researching different business ventures. They discovered that raising chickens, a very common practice in Baraka, can be turned into a profitable small business with a little extra effort. Chickens are easy to raise, provide extra nutrition for the family, and both chicks and eggs can be sold for a profit.

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Ambitious Andrews graduates with his Bachelor’s degree

Eighteen years ago, little Andrews set off alone from his rural home in Wa, Ghana, for his first day of primary school. Andrews was excited that instead of caring for cattle alongside his family all day, that he would be attending classes, meetings new friends, and learning.

As he set off for school, his father stood in the doorway, crossing his arms disapprovingly. He didn’t want Andrews to attend school, as he was the first born boy in a family of sixteen children, and was needed to work on the farm. At the time, his family didn’t see the value in education.

Andrews desired to attend school so much that he went on his own without support. He had to combine his farming chores and schooling to be able to produce enough food to feed everyone in the family. He often went to school for the entire day and went straight to working on the farm without anything to eat. He attended class barefoot and couldn’t afford books, but stayed positive and focused despite his challenges.

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Nutrition workshops empower hardworking mothers

Nutrition is the foundation to a healthy life. Kids who eat healthy, well-balanced meals every day have the fuel to excel. Nourished children learn better in class, and have the energy to laugh, run, and play. In communities near our CMAVIL site in Paraguay, healthy eating isn’t always common knowledge. Many parents come from a background where they never learned healthy eating habits. It can be hard for busy mothers to make sure their children get the proper nourishment, especially those without access to resources or education.

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Determination and persistance: Sandya’s story

When Sandya was a small girl, she didn’t have an easy daily life. Sandya is from a tribal village in Mangalagiri, India, and grew up in a small thatched hut with her parents and five siblings. Her parents woke up early each day, working long hours as manual laborers to provide for their family.

Even with all of their hard work, Sandya’s parents still didn’t make nearly enough to provide their children with food, clothing and education. Sandya used to trek deep into the nearby forests with her siblings to collect firewood, leaves and herbal medicines that they would sell at at low price to try to support the family.

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Safety and comfort for Theresa’s family

Theresa, from Serenje, Zambia, had to leave her mother and father when she was very young. Theresa comes from a large family, and has three sisters and five brothers. Her parents, who work as farmers, cannot provide for all of their children, especially when rainfall is scarce and crops are poor. When Theresa’s older brother was old enough for a job of his own, he took Theresa and one of her sisters to live with him, his wife, and their child in another town.

When Theresa first went to live with her brother, they all lived in a tiny thatched hut in a mission compound. The hut was small, uncomfortable, and worst of all, unsafe. The three women in the hut didn’t feel secure at night, and Theresa’s brother feared for the safety of his newborn. They wished desperately for a safer home, but Theresa’s brother didn’t make enough as a general worker to send Theresa and her sister to school, let alone purchase a new home.

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A small gift makes a big difference

This September, we’ve heard many inspiring back-to-school stories from our sites. Kind donors have made it possible for many classrooms to be stocked with essential school supplies, and sponsorship allows children to attend school with the proper care and nourishment they need to thrive.

Our sites are dedicated to making sure every single child gets the support needed to shine in the classroom. For some children, this means extra study time and tutoring, or specific equipment needed for school. Site staff and teachers pay close attention to make sure students are successful!

Franco, 13, is from our Levetante Mujer site in Bolivia. For the past few years, Franco had been falling behind in his classes. He didn’t seem to understand material written on the board, and constantly complained of headaches and blurry vision. He was frustrated with his classes, and wasn’t excited to go to school in the mornings.

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