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Monday, December 14, 2009

Pencils of Promise






I rarely go off topic on my blog, but this is an important exception. Several bloggers are coming together today in a collaborative effort spearheaded by Paloma Contreras of La Dolce Vita. We hope to raise awareness of and funds for Pencils of Promise, an organization that partners with local communities and organizations to build schools in developing nations for some of the worlds most impoverished and undereducated children. Sadly, there are more than 75 million children in this terrible situation worldwide.

Last December, the Pencils of Promise team visited a small village in Laos; by July 2009, they had built a new school for the village children , and children began attending classes on September 1st. This month, Pencils of Promise will be opening their third school and they hope to open the doors to education for more children in 2010.


Pencils of Promise founder, Adam Braun, is currently on ground to visit and oversee the new schools that are being built in the villages of Luang Prabang. These villages are remote and poor beyond what you can imagine, and have limited resources due to the lagging pace in development of the country. The cycle cannot be broken until the development of individuals is changed first.

Recently, Adam visited Champet, a village that is home to the only high school in the area for surrounding villages. In order to attend this high school, the students must leave their families and homes to live in dormitories like boarding school style, only that the style is far from what comes to mind when we think of boarding conditions in the US dormitories. The girls are moving and living into unsafe dormitories which consists of make shift bamboo huts. It is heartbreaking but so courageous at the same time.

This is the current state of the school - huts that are exposed to the elements, and are not safe for the girls who live there.

The goal of the blog day is focused: the raise funds for a new dormitory and library for these girls. Pencils for Promise believes strongly this is the BEST potential project that we bloggers and our readers can raise money for at this time. With your help, make this goal a reality for the children in Laos. Currently, some parents are unwilling to send their kids to school because of the danger of these huts that you will see others living in. This new dormitory will fit about 200 young Laotian girls.

Please consider making a donation to Pencils of Promise today; your donation is fully tax deductible (501c3). Even a $5 contribution will make a difference; larger amounts are gratefully accepted as well. Your donation will help Pencils of Promise build safe, legitimate housing for the female children to have access to further their education.


Here is the Pencils for Promise donation link:

Facebook page:

Thank you! I made my donation first thing this morning, and hope you will join me in supporting this important cause.

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8 comments:

  1. I read about this just this morning on another individual's blog, and I am so pleased to read about it here as well. I think it is wonderful. Giving back is vitally important, and this is a wonderful cause.

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  2. Wonderful idea it is best to give during the season. Also if you celebrate Christmas Eve with family, consider serving at a local food kitchen on Christmas Day...

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  3. What a wonderful way to give at Christmas time. We forget what the status of women in developing countries really is. Anything that supports one life, supports each of us. Thanks for making giving easier.

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  4. Love your post! Giving back is what the season is all about.

    xo,
    cristin

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey!
    I wanted to let you know that my company, Beacham & Company, REALTORS has already made a donation, and plans to donate an additional dollar, up to $50 for every person who comments on my blog post saying they have donated. I think this will be a great way to spread the word through our clients as well as additional blogs, and help raise some money!

    Also, I wanted to fess up and say that I used your verbiage to explain it... you are a better writer than me. I hope that's ok :)

    Here is the address (I don't know how to make it link):

    http://blaynebeacham.blogspot.com/2009/12/pencils-of-promise-beacham-and-companys.html

    ReplyDelete
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  7. Thank you for introducing me to this organization. I will get in touch with them. My family and i have spent time in Luang Prabang and in the villages only accessible by long walks. The children are so incredibly vivacious, beautiful and curious...i remember the sad looks on the mother's faces as they try to sell their wares in the evening markets.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, just came to your blog through Catherine's. I'm Laotian and so impressed with this organization to help build schools in Laos, thank you!! When I saw the pictures it did looked familiar.

    ReplyDelete

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