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We are thrilled to announce the recent launch of the life skills and leadership class for high school students at Bright Horizon Children's Home (BHCH). With the healing skills learned through the Safe Embrace Trauma Healing (SETH) training program in January 2015, local teachers are now equipped with skills to address symptoms of trauma, empower students to develop self-confidence and emotional intelligence, and promote healing, leadership, and personal transformation.
We are incredibly grateful for BHCH teachers' efforts in spreading grassroots healing skills to communities in Nepal.  Our grassroots partners know firsthand that computer literacy can unlock unlimited possibilities - for learning, creating, sharing, exploring, and connecting individuals, communities, and economies to the digital world.
And when computer literacy classes are paired with a psychosocial activity like creative arts therapy, the result is a well-rounded psycho-educational program that develops a broad range of skills while also invoking emotional healing and creative expression. It's a holistic approach that we often refer to as head, hands, and heart - or, education, skills-building, and healing. An approach that understands that complex problems are not solved via single-issue interventions but rather by comprehensive solutions... and that psychosocial support is foundational to sustainable transformation. Our partner organization, Lola Children's Home, provides comprehensive support for nearly 30 orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. With your support, kids now have access to weekly computer literacy and music classes. Lola's executive director, Abebe, recently updated us on the progress of this new curriculum which, so far, has been successful in teaching kids tangible skills. Under the tutelage of a mentor who teaches both computer skills and music, they kids now know how to:
A big thank you to our generous community for supporting this program! Your contributions are building confidence, technical and social skills, and healing opportunities that will have a lasting impact on these children and their community!   (Reposted from The Gracias Foundation, now called Global Gratitude Alliance)
We are deeply honored to announce a partnership with MoneyGram Foundation to empower the Maisha children in Kenya with secondary tuition, academic tutoring, a computer lab, and support for a new boarding house for the existing kids and the next generation of Maisha scholars. "MoneyGram believes education transforms lives, and the foundation is privileged to work with worthy organizations that are providing life-changing education programs to those who need them the most," said Pamela H. Patsley, chairman and chief executive officer, MoneyGram. School tuition and tutoring support will span the next 5 years, while the computer lab and boarding house projects will commence this year. A huge thank you to MoneyGram Foundation for their commitment to empowering quality education for children around the world. Asante sana! Please read on for the press release below... 
By Rachel Crowther (Reposted from The Gracias Foundation, now called Global Gratitude Alliance)
I imagine the wide-eyed stares and excitement of the kids at Jelly Tots Educare (Cape Town, South Africa) as the red-netted toy bin is placed in the courtyard and the lid opened. Tiny hands gripping brightly colored blocks, plastic people and animals that are exactly the right size to slot into cars and planes, parts of which are soon spread all over the floor. (Reposted from The Gracias Foundation, now called Global Gratitude Alliance)
This January, we're turning two! We are thrilled by how much we've achieved together, and YOU are at the center of it all. So, a huge Thank You (Gracias) to everyone! We hope you'll enjoy our birthday video!
By Amy Paulson (Reposted from The Gracias Foundation, now called Global Gratitude Alliance)
Arriving at Maisha Children’s Home is always a fun adventure. Sheets of rain poured down over Ruai, so by the time I arrived kids, dogs, cats, and aunties were scattered everywhere, trying to avoid getting wet while getting yelled at to take their muddy shoes off before entering the house. (Tomorrow morning will be spent mopping the mud-tracked floors). After hugs and high fives from all the kids and staff, I got straight to unpacking and distributing all the donations for the kids (generously provided by super ambassador, Giulio, the Lego Foundation, and a handful of other Gracias activists):
(Reposted from The Gracias Foundation, now called Global Gratitude Alliance)
June 16th is known as the International Day of the African Child - established by the African Union in 1991 as a day to honor the hundreds of young boys and girls shot by security forces in 1976 when students marched through the streets of Soweto, South Africa to protest the inferior quality of their education. Today, we also honor the outstanding local organizations who give opportunities to young Africans like "Stephen".
(Reposted from The Gracias Foundation, now called Global Gratitude Alliance)
Mama Maisha's first rule is that a child who eats well learns well – and education is the ticket out of poverty. Several years ago, a generous grant allowed Maisha to purchase the large plot of land surrounding the house. The land now grows organic maize, banana and paw-paw trees, kale, sugar cane, and more. Goats on the small farm provide fresh milk so kids can grow strong bones. The kids also help care for the goats and chickens, which occasionally serve as rich sources of protein and iron for healthy muscle and brain development, while providing lessons about the circle of life. (Reposted from The Gracias Foundation, now called Global Gratitude Alliance)
Last month, Sacha Staheyeff and Jack Crowther, two students from the International School of Berne in Switzerland, accompanied Gracias co-founders on a field visit to Kenya, to help build a small library at Maisha children's home while learning about the challenges and joys of semi-rural farm life in Kenya. |
