Monday, March 31, 2008

One Thousand Happy Kids!






How's that for a title?! A few days ago I told you that the children of the Maranatha school in Uganda would begin receiving an egg each Monday thanks to the chicken project started months ago. Well, today was the big day! Smiles all around were seen. It's amazing to me that such excitement comes from something as simple as an egg. Enjoy these pictures! The children of Maranatha are certainly enjoying their eggs.



Saturday, March 29, 2008

The Rainy Season

My sister-in-law, Lynn, and brother are living in Nairobi right now and Lynn has spent lots of time volunteering at Humble Hearts. I wanted to share a post she recently made on her personal blog. It gives a whole new understanding of the difficulties these children face each day. Kari

I can’t stop thinking about the rain. I’ve heard of rainy seasons, but this beats all for predictability (though a friend from New Orleans once told me that a 30% chance of rain there meant it would be raining 30% of the day. I leave it to the meteorologists among you to compare).

Every day since early last week it has p-o-u-r-e-d down rain. The clouds silently boil up in the late afternoon and, sometime between rush hour and supper, they demonstrate their power over us with more water than some places get in a year. Sometimes it goes on all night, sometimes just a fast thundershower.


It’s going to be like this for the next 2 months.


We’ve traded dust for mud. The cleaning up is a daily endeavor. At the Angel Cottage house where about 35 deaf kids from Humble Hearts live, daily rain means a daily flood. The bedroom structures were only meant to be temporary, and the city council didn’t allow them to include drainage around the buildings.

The kids come home every day and expect to help bail out the house. Shoes must still be washed, so it’s done in the muddy water on the ground.

coming home








There is no yard for these kids to go play in puddles and then leave behind for a dry, warm house. The water is outside their bedroom doors, filling up. The blessing is that so much rain water can be collected in barrels to help with other washing, like socks.


The good news is that a new Angel Cottage is being built, albeit slowly, as funds allow. If you can help, please visit angelcovers.org/africa.html and make a donation.
Thank you and take care,-L
(More pictures of Humble Hearts and Angel Cottage on flickr.)

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Income Generating Projects Save Lives

Angel Covers' income generating projects are one of my favorite programs. We have had the privilege to send chickens, cows, bees, and yaks to children around the world. These items not only provide much needed food and income to the school and orphanage, but they also are completely self sustaining once established.

The Maranatha School in Uganda is a perfect example of a successful chicken project. Following the construction of chicken houses and other necessary items, more than 1000 chickens were purchased for the school and orphanage. After a few months of growing and getting stronger, the chickens are now laying eggs! Here is what the director of Maranatha said about this program.

In one week, our long-waited dream of adding eggs to the children’s breakfast will become a reality. On March 31st our new poultry farm will finally have produced enough eggs for each child at every Maranatha School center to receive a boiled egg for breakfast. This additional protein, combined with their standard cup of porridge, will definitely increase the children’s level of health, and our hope is that it will also improve their ability to focus on their studies. Since most of the children at the Maranatha Schools come from homes where their guardians cannot provide regular meals, the breakfast and lunch we provide are essentially lifesaving. Your contributions are making an incredible difference in these children’s lives. Thank you for making our dream a reality, and for providing the children at Marnatha schools with the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.

As the chickens continue to grow and reproduce, the program will eventually have more than 10,000 chickens and will provide food daily to more than 750 children. Eggs will be eaten and extras will be sold, allowing other food to be purchased. Although it will take 5 years for this many chickens to be a part of the program, we know this program will support children in this much needed way for many years.

This is just one example of the importance of income generating projects. Empowering people and providing them with the opportunity to meet needs daily without being continually reliant on others.

If you would like to help, please go to http://www.angelcovers.org/ and donate today. You on-time donation will live on in the lives of children for years to come.












Friday, March 14, 2008

Happy kids make me smile

This week we received some of the cutest pictures of kids in Kenya. As I'm sure you know, soon after Christmas the political climate in Kenya was very volatile. Thousands of people were killed and hundreds of thousands were driven from there homes. The government even delayed the opening of schools by a week and many children weren't able to come for school for three weeks. (Sorry the date on the pictures say 2005! We've fixed this now.)


In the last few days, since an agreement was reached between the governmental leaders, Angel Covers has received pictures which perfectly show that the tole the violence took on these children is over. Seeing the smiles on these faces is the perfect way to end a week. On a good day, these children have to worry about whether or not they are going to get dinner, if their school supplies will be stolen, or if their shoes will last just one more day. Even though these worries are still very real, the more frightening realities of the past few weeks are no long there.

Gifts have been given to children from their sponsors, and the class 8 kids (8th grade in the US) have taken their exams. We are thrilled to report that everyone passed the exam and will be admitted to secondary school!!!

Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers, and financial support for these great kids. A huge weight has been lifted off their shoulders.






Friday, March 7, 2008

Easter is coming

I can hardly believe Easter is almost here. It doesn't seem possible that the daffodils are sprouting and the grass is starting to green. With Easter right around th corner, I wanted to take a minute to remind you of all of the wonderful products we have for kids. Every year, thousands of dollars are raised for our general funds. These funds are used for emergencies that may arise with children, like when we learned a child in kenya needed heart surgery, or they might be used to support on-going programs like our nutrition program in Huaibei, Anhui. Regardless, purchasing gifts through Angel Covers gives children aid that would not otherwise be possible.
Thinking Easter baskets? We have many great products your child would love to see Easter Morning. We have had rave reviews for our Chinese Folk Painting coloring books. Designed just for Angel Covers, these coloring books show different traditional Folk pictures your child can color. The pages are removable and easy to secure again. http://www.angelcovers.org/coloringbooks.html

Passenger Pals also make great new friends peering our of a basket. With straps made to secure onto a seat belt or car seat, these cuddly guys are a great companion for young children. They can even be attached to a backpack to show friends at school. http://www.angelcovers.org/passengerpal.html

Aprons are a perfect choice for all of the little chefs in your life. We even have matching aprons for the parents. In styles for boys and girls, clothes will stay clean while fun is had by all in the kitchen. http://www.angelcovers.org/aprons.html

What is better for Easter than a bunny towel? Maybe a tiger or ladybug. Your child would love to wrap up in one of our towels time after time. Made from a full size bath towel, your child will be able to use it for years to come. Unfortunately our towels and aprons have been discontinued, so get them while you can! http://www.angelcovers.org/hoodedtowels.html

As you know, each time of our of blankets is purchased another is sent to a child in an orphanage. With dozens of patterns to choose from, you're sure to find the perfect blanket for a loved one of any age. Orders for blankets must be received by Monday, March 17 to ensure delivery by Easter. http://www.angelcovers.org/products.html

For the person who's hard to buy for, consider our gift cards. Your donation will be recognized with a personalized message from you to your loved one. Gift cards have truly changed the lives of hundreds of children while honoring people around the world. Gift card orders must be received by March 17th in order to arrive by Easter. http://www.angelcovers.org/giftcards.html

Angel Covers was started with the belief that all of us have the ability and desire to help children around the world. Please consider giving one of these great items as a gift this Easter. Your generosity has given children around the world hope, peace, and dreams they would not have had otherwise.