Author: Kaitlyn Kilby

Sponsor a Child

Caring Today Gives Children a Future Tomorrow

The far-reaching impact of sponsoring a child today touches not only their life but all our lives. The child who is abandoned because they were differently abled could be the next leader of their community or a sharp entrepreneur running their own business.

Your monthly support is combined with others to ensure a child’s needs are met. It helps them overcome their challenges and open the way for opportunity.

Meet Victor (age 10). Born with severe scoliosis and abandoned at age 3, he was rescued by House of Light Orphanage. Victor has received the first of three surgeries he will need and is wearing a brace to keep his back straight. He is attending school, studying English and hopes to be an engineer one day. Victor needs your support for school tuition, uniforms, books and his next operation.

Meet Lisa (age 16). Lisa has cerebral palsy, but it hasn’t dampened her outgoing spirit and contagious smile. She also lives at the House of Light orphanage and is learning virtually until Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. She needs your support for school tuition, uniforms, transportation, and regular physical therapy.

Your monthly sponsorship of $30 (only a dollar a day) includes your child’s photograph(s) and quarterly updates on his or her progress. They are not letting their disability define them.

In the coming months, All Children, Inc. will introduce you to more of the 2,100 children we care for each year.

 

Please be a defender of children. Sponsor a child. Email hello@allchildren.org today to find out how!

Education is every child’s right

Education is every child's right

Every day in developing countries, impoverished children, orphans, and restaveks (child servants) face obstacles we’ve never experienced.

After five months of violent unrest and then COVID-19 pandemic, children in Haiti could return to school in mid-August only to be “bullied” by Tropical Storm Laura. Roads in the capital city and surrounding areas of Port-au-Prince were flooded and more than 100,000 were left without electricity.

Going to school is an opportunity these children crave. Like sponges, they soak in the information that will help them rise above their poverty-stricken lives. The situation is especially acute in Haiti where the literacy rate is only about 61%. Virtual learning is impossible where more than half of the families live on less than $3 a day. It is a struggle just to buy school supplies or a decent pair of shoes. The children we support also know they will get a nutritious meal each day at school. For many, it may be their only meal of the day.

Ending poverty begins with education.

  • Basic reading and math skills mean job opportunities.
  • Malnutrition is reduced when parents know how to feed their families properly.
  • Health improves as superstitions are erased.

All Children, Inc. is working in developing countries like Haiti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and the Philippines because education is the perfect starting place in making communities safer and resilient.

Please give today!

A Pot of Gold at Rainbow House

A Pot of Gold at Rainbow House

Twins Patrickson and Patricia were fatherless, and their mother had little to no money for food or adequate housing. What food she could scrape together was given to her daughter and the leftovers to her son, whom she despised.  Social welfare intervened and removed the children from this disastrous environment.

The twins were accepted by Rainbow House, one of All Children’s projects in Haiti. It is an orphanage on 8 acres of land in the rugged hills above Port-Au-Prince. When Patrickson arrived at the age of two, he weighed only 17 pounds, half of what the average child weighs. He was acutely malnourished and could not walk or speak. The medical team and staff immediately put Patrickson on a special diet and carefully tended to him around the clock.

At first, it was touch and go but Patrickson responded quickly to the love and care he received. The following fall, he and his sister were able to attend a nearby preschool but new problems emerged. Patrickson was hyperactive, rebellious and often aggressive. He was dismissed from preschool and they tried again at another school with the same results.

The Rainbow House staff worked patiently with Patrickson. They recognized his feelings, responded firmly without anger and gave him the individual positive attention he craved. Today he is nothing like the little boy that arrived in 2015. He is doing exceptionally well in school now and often volunteers to help with the farm activities at the orphanage. Patrickson has found his “pot of gold” in the loving environment at Rainbow House.

This is one of the many success stories that All Children makes possible each year. Through your support, All Children can help many more children.  Patrickson and Patricia were given a second chance in life.

Your gifts mean everything to thousands of children. Help them become the persons they are meant to be.

Angelo’s Heart to Live

A Strong Will and the Heart to Live

Angelo arrived at the doorsteps of the Queen of Peace Children’s Home as an orphan, malnourished and bone thin with sad eyes. Queen of Peace (QOP) fed him nutritious meals and began his road to recovery.  By age 7 he was very active, however he tired quickly and often complained about chest pains and difficulty breathing.

The doctors confirmed the worse.  Angelo had congenital heart defect and needed surgery. To prepare for the operation, he had to go through a series of heart-rendering laboratory tests and vaccinations. The most painful necessity was the extraction of 16 infected teeth.

All Children, Inc. supported Angelo’s nearly two-year journey from discovery to recovery. Today Angelo is playful and affectionate. He can keep up with the other children and always has a smile to share.

We love a happy ending. Angelo has been officially adopted by his aunt. She has a low paying job and lives in a two-room apartment. All Children’s field consultant checked on Angelo recently and he is healthy and happy. He told her that he wants to become a policeman or a fireman someday so that he can help others in need.

All Children, Inc. believes that all children have potential and if given a chance can become their community’s next leaders and serve with compassion and understanding.

A better future is yours to give.

Coronavirus Shutdown

Coronavirus Shutdown

The COVID-19 does not discriminate. We are all subject to attack, but some populations are more vulnerable than others. Every day more than 300 malnourished children ages 3-6 arrive at Our Lady of the Star Nursery in the Philippines. They are fed and given the necessary medicines daily.

At least they used to.

Currently 72 of the children are undergoing treatment for tuberculosis. The government has no TB drugs to distribute and has given the “stay at home” order to the entire region to combat the virus, which prevents the children from coming to the nursery. If the children miss just one dose, they must start all over again.

Last week, the government issued each family 4.2 pounds of rice, 1 can of sardines and 1 pack of noodles. How long can that possibly last? Our Lady of the Star staff rose to the occasion. They received medical passes from the government and are going home-to-home, distributing the necessary medicines and food packs to the children, especially those who are anemic and malnourished.

Your gift of $25 will feed five children for one month. Give the gift of life today.

“Parents tell us they are more afraid of hungry and lack of basic necessities in the coming weeks than they are of the coronavirus,” said Sister Cecil, Director

From Tears to Smiles

From Tears to Smiles

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Respire Haiti is the Miracle on Voodoo Mountain. Respire’s founder Megan Boudreaux visited Haiti and was deeply moved by the devastation and poverty. She quit her job, sold everything and moved to Haiti. She was only 24 years old. She had no plan but the plight of the children, especially the child slaves could not be ignored. From one small room in 2011, Respire has grown to encompass six acres with a school for 560 children, a medical clinic with therapy services that sees more than 2,000 patients a year and so much more.

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Meet Woodchy. He is a bright young boy but struggles every day. As a baby he was fussy. As a toddler tantrums were daily. He has a sensory processing disorder which makes it difficult to tell where his limbs are in space. He is uncoordinated and bumps into things. He was laughed at by the other children which made him cry and act out. He has been in weekly therapy at the Respire Therapy Center for three years and has made remarkable progress. This year he will start transitioning into the classroom to be with his peers. He loves school and instead of tears, there are smiles.

Victor is learning English

Victor is learning English

Last year Victor at age 9 received the first of three operations to correct his severe scoliosis. The doctors were pleased until he developed a serious infection. Displaying the same courage that he showed before the operation, Victor fought for his life and won. This little boy has his eyes set on a bright future filled with hope and promise.

Victor lives at Casa de Luz, which is home to 40 severely disabled children. Here they receive medical care, nutritious meals and a loving home. Victor is one of the lucky children. Thanks to All Children, which funded all three surgeries, Victor is able to attend a nearby school dressed in his uniform. He is one of just a few children with disabilities admitted to the school. Victor’s battle is far from over. He will need to wear a corset for the next six months to help support his back before receiving the final two surgeries.

We recently visited Victor to check on his progress and bought him new clothes as well as his first laptop. Each week Victor studies with a tutor to learn English and he can already greet you and count to 10. Someday he hopes to visit the United States and wants to become an engineer. All Children is incredibly proud of this remarkable young boy. Watch for future updates.

Jherwin’s Journey

Jherwin's Journey

Last year All Children shared the story of baby Jherwin, who was born in a remote farming village in the Philippines. Jherwin was a healthy baby except for a small lump on his bottom. The family was concerned but there was no hospital nearby and they had no money to travel to the big city. With support from their community and family, the young couple made the day-long bus trip to Naga City to meet with a pediatric surgeon.

The news was not good. Jherwin needed surgery to remove the aggressive tumor. Without intervention, the tumor would continue to grow and he would never be able to walk. In desperation, Jherwin’s family sought help from Queen of Peace Orphanage who contacted All Children for assistance. We agreed to cover all the costs related to Jherwin’s surgery and recovery.

When Jherwin returned to Queen of Peace for his first checkup, he had healed nicely and there were no signs that the tumor had returned. Jherwin is nearly three years old now and has continued to blossom and grow. All Children’s Field Consultant Tanya Diaz visited with Jherwin and his mother late this summer. Although Jherwin is shy, he easily showed Tanya his happy face and ability to move with the speed to match any toddler. Only the long curved surgical scar on his lower back remains to remind his family of Jherwin’s difficult start in life.