#GivingTuesday

Blessing the Children International Joins the Global #GivingTuesday Movement: Pledges to Furnish Beds for 15 Orphans in Ethiopia

Blessing the Children International has joined #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Occurring this year on November 29, #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events of Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick-off the holiday giving season and inspire people to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.

About Us
We are Blessing the Children International, a non-profit organization rescuing orphans in Debre Zeyit, Ethiopia from poverty, homelessness and starvation.

Through our child sponsorship program, we provide food, medical care, and an education to more than 200 orphans. We are breaking the cycle of poverty, and we need your help!

Our #GivingTuesday Campaign
In a country where the majority of the population lives on less than $1 USD per day, an item like a bed is a luxury. Currently, 15 children in our program sleep on a dirt floor and have never known the comfort of a mattress. We made a commitment this holiday season to ensure that every child in our program wakes up in a warm bed on Christmas.

To meet this goal, we are in need of funds to provide a blanket ($22), mattress ($43), sheets and pillows ($28), and a bed frame ($87) to each child. The total cost for a complete bed set for one child is $180.

We are seeking support to help us reach across the world and give restful sleep to 15 of our precious children who have been broken from family tragedy and poverty.

Join Our Campaign
Donate online:
http://www.blessingthechildren.org/Donate/index.html

By phone:
(888) 269-2719

By postal mail:
Blessing the Children International
2265 Fraser Road, Kawkawlin, MI 48631

Will you help us give a precious child, like Bereket, a place to sleep?

 

 

UPDATE: Urgent Need for Safe Housing

Back in June, we shared a story about a 13 year-old girl named Ferehiwot Sisay, who was living in extreme poverty in a house far from her school. Her family could barely fit in the cramped, one-room home they were living in, and were unable to fully participate in the community due to their long commute. We reached out for help, and our donor family responded in a big way.

We are happy to report that Ferehiwot and her family are settled into their new home. As you can see from the photos, their living conditions have greatly improved. The house has two rooms, and features a cement floor. This is a much more sanitary situation than the previous house, which had a dirt and grass floor.

Our missionaries visited the home last week and reported that Ferehiwot and her mother are thrilled with their new living arrangements. There is enough space for a bedroom and a living area, and there is a more secure front door and window. The house is much sturdier and cleaner, and the proximity to school will make it easier for Ferehiwot to attend.

Thank you to our wonderful friends who made this possible. And praise God, from whom all blessings flow!

Ferehiwot and her Mother Outside Their Home

View of the Front Door from the Inside

Prints on the Wall

Cement Floor

Ferehiwot Smiles with her Social Worker, Sibling, and Mother

Connecting with Your Child

Even in an age where the majority of communication takes place electronically, there is still something exciting about receiving a letter in the mail. Now imagine if that was the only mode of communication you had with the outside world. Receiving letters in the mail is thrilling for our children. They are a tangible reminder of the care and love of their sponsors.

We encourage you to write to your child and foster a relationship. You can share stories about happenings in your life that they may find interesting, and you can ask about their interests, school progress, and home life to get to know your child.

Letters should be mailed to:

Blessing the Children International
2267 Fraser Road
Kawkawlin, MI  48631

If you would like to send a package to your child, you are welcome to do this as well. The children are always in need of clothing, shoes, backpacks, toys, hygiene and educational items.

When mailing a package to your child, please include the child’s full name on the inside of the package.

Packages should be mailed to:

Blessing the Children
P.O. Box 1410
Debre Zeyit, East Shoa
Ethiopia

Other ways you can send a little extra support to your child include sending a financial gift that can be used for:

• Birthday gift
• Birthday party
• Christmas gift
• Other holiday (Easter, for example)
• Back-to-school clothes shopping
• Additional food support

If sending a financial gift with a specific purpose, please let us know how you would like it to be used. Our staff in Ethiopia will be happy to take your child on a shopping trip to purchase the items you have requested.

Gifts can be made online:

http://www.BlessingTheChildren.org/donate

Or mailed to our office:

Blessing the Children International
2267 Fraser Road
Kawkawlin, MI  48631

 

The Results Are In: 8th Grade National Exam

We have received the results of the 8th grade National Exam, which all of our 8th grade students were required to take at the end of the school year. This exam determines their high school placement and career opportunities.

We are extremely proud of the efforts of our staff and students, and would like to recognize our top three performers.

1. Nathnael Birhanu (99.68%)
2. Mintesinot Gashaw (99.04%)
3. Efrem Alebachew (96.39%)

Congratulations to all!

Nathnael

Mintesinot

Efrem

 

Activity Day: The Prodigal Son

At BCI, we feel that our children, staff, and donors are one big family where everyone has an important role.  By working together, we are creating real change. We don’t think that we can operate like a family without having a relationship with one another. Not all of our children attend the same school, and they don’t all live side by side. They benefit greatly from having opportunities to socialize as a group, and we feel that it is our responsibility to provide these opportunities. We sponsor activity days for this purpose.

Activity days are typically held on Saturday’s. We bring all of the children in our program together on the BCI Academy grounds. There is always an educational component along with social bonding activities, and the children share a meal together.

At our most recent activity day, the children were shown a movie about the Prodigal Son. Our staff chose this movie to remind the children how much God loves us all, and that we exist because of His infinite love. We know that as they grow, our children will all be responsible for making important decisions in their lives. We want to provide them with as much information as possible and hope they will make good choices.