As we continue to support our children in Peru and Uganda with supplies for their academic school year, we are preparing for our upcoming giveaways in February and March of 2025. Our aspirations include reaching out to students in Western Uganda, and Western Kenya if we surpass our fundraising goals. We aim to reach many more children than ever before, with our sights set on surpassing a 3,000-child (with school supplies) goal.
Another significant accomplishment in the last quarter of 2024 was the beginning of our transition to reusable hygienic pads for our girls in Uganda. This change represents a responsible step towards sustainability and provides lasting support to our girls as they tackle their menstrual challenges. Our ultimate goal is that no more school days are missed due to a lack of access to basic human supplies and that our girls can attend school with dignity.
This initial distribution of reusable hygienic pads was made possible through our partnership with Empathy Children Initiative-UG NGO and our supplier AFRIpads, a leader in hygienic products and supplier to many of the largest nonprofits in the region. AFRIpads provides a chemical-free product, and one of the main reasons individuals and organizations switch to reusable pads is the clear cost benefits. Reusable pads can be washed, dried, and used again for a minimum of 12 months, making them a highly cost-effective solution. To put it into perspective, one AFRIpads Standard 4-pack is three times more affordable than a year’s supply of disposable pads.
We are excited to make a full transition to reusable pads in the coming year and continue to provide our girls with access to education with dignity and accessibility.
Pen Pal program update
Our pen pal program received a batch of replies from Jordan! These replies arrived a few days after the school year ended, but not without effort. When our service countries are separated by different school year calendars, it becomes challenging to perfectly time the responses. This year, we were able to deliver every card our children in the US made to their intended recipients in Jordan, Zambia, Peru, and Uganda. The responses, however, were delayed due to logistical issues. The intent of our pen pal program is, first and foremost, to send messages of hope and encouragement to children globally. While we are prepared to not always receive responses, it is heartwarming when we do, and we will continue to work towards completing the connections every time.
As we look forward to 2024, our season of giving is approaching. We hope to reach out to like-minded individuals and organizations to support our mission and help us grow our nonprofit. Our goal is to bring these common-sense and practical solutions to a world that is in dire need of them.
Thank you so much for being part of our journey!
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