This haunting question, asked by a child at Our of Fatima was directed to the seven members who were part of the mission trip in March 2009, but it is a question for all of us here at Our Lady of Lourdes. What can we do to help these children who are trying to gain an education in sometimes terrible conditions? There are often more than 50 children in a classroom; many of the children attend school hungry and leave school unfed; many have no books and have to copy their entire lessons into notebooks (if they even have notebooks!) A number of the classrooms are makeshift facilities located in unfinished buildings without windows or ventilation. In addition to this, some families cannot even afford the modest fees needed to send their children to these schools.
The families of a number of children in the parish cannot afford the modest costs to send their children to school or they send them to school at the beginning of the school year but then must remove them once their money runs out. Through your generous donations over the past 5 years, Our Lady of Lourdes has done much to improve the conditions of the school primarily by funding the construction of classrooms. Now we would like to extend out efforts by reaching out to individual families to help them build a future through the education of their children.
We wonder if YOU as an individual or a family or a group of friends would be willing to pay the cost for one of the "High Priority" children in his or her costs for lunch, school supplies and tuition from September 2011 -June 2012.The monthly cost per child is only $25 for a 10-month school year. We are providing opportunities for you to commit to the full $25.00 donation or to a portion of that amount. Be assured that 100% of your donation, whatever the amount, will go directly to the child's education. You can make a real difference in the life of one child through this sponsorship program.
During the visit to the schools, this is the song that the children of each classroom sang to us: «Bienvenue, bienvenue a vous, a vous. Nous sommes heureux vous avoir parmi nous. ». (Welcome, welcome to you, to you. We are happy to have you among us.). Let us not forget the children of Our Lady of Fatima. Please make your pledge and sponsor a child today.
Background/History In 2005, Our Lady of Lourdes partnered with Our Lady of Fatima in La Fossette, Haiti through the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas (PTPA).This relationship has become a bridge whereby the love of God flows in both directions as our two parishes learn to care, share and pray for one another.
Through your donations Our Lady of Lourdes has already renovated the parish's church, provided support during the hurricane season, made contributions for teachers' salaries, and funded the completion of five (5) classrooms. We have funded the construction of three additional classrooms which were completed for the 2009 school year. How can YOU get involved and support Our Lady of Fatima? You can sponsor a "High Priority" child in our classrooms by paying for his or her costs for lunch, school supplies, uniform and tuition from September 2011 - June 2012. Your love and support will bring hope to a child. When you sponsor a child, you will receive a photo of the child and one personal correspondence each year.
Take the pledge and start sponsoring a child today!
We are asking for your support of the Child Sponsorship Program
Sponsorship Levels:
$5 per month: will provide a child lunch. (Total commitment: $50) $10 per month: will provide a child lunch and school supplies. (Total commitment: $100) $15 per month: will provide a child lunch, school supplies and a school uniform. (Total commitment: $150) $25 per month: will provide a child lunch, school supplies, a school uniform and school tuition. (Total commitment: $250)