money helps but...

Child poverty is often the result of limited resources and a vacuum of positive role models. One unseen aspect that is not usually taken into account is the impact of entrenched cycles of poverty. When a child experiences hopelessness, social isolation,  despair, discrimination, powerlessness and cycles of dependence, their ability to imagine the future is often limited. The poverty of not being taught to dream beyond one's circumstances can prevent children from aspiring and achieving.

Every child has a precious life and holds a precious dream. But many in the North End have lost their ability to dream in the face of adversity. We want to nurture the future dreams of kids that discover their unlimited potential. Our hope is that together with God, we respond in loving ways to inspire and empower them to have a vision, aspiration and dreams.
         - excerpt taken from Inner City Youth Alive banquet booklet.

little history

This was the school I worked at in Uganda.

I have always loved kids. I have a big family and with kids all the time, and I just seem to connect with them. Last year I went to Lugazi, Uganda for 3 weeks with 2 of my older sisters. There I worked (accompanied) at a school named 'Hope Land School,' in which English was strictly unforced . (Yes it was beaten into them..)Before I left I bought a whole bunch of supplies, crayons, colored paper, books, lots of sports balls and a big world map. They were so happy when they got everything, and incredibly grateful. I attended 3 different grade/classes every school day. I mostly just played soccer and football, jump rope and catch. But when I was in the classes I would assist the kids on their work and tell them about the world and showed them where I lived. I would draw pictures on the black board and they would laugh and laugh and tell me to draw this and that. I worked with the kids and loved each an every one of them. This was an amazing experience.

Some kids from pathway...

This past summer I also did another outreach ministry which took place in Grand Rapids, MB. There we provided all day day camp for 5 days for about 60-70 kids, ages around 7-12[with a few that weren't that age :)] The name of this reserve is Misipawistik Cree. We would start at 9 am in the morning and go all day till 4:30. The days were intense, we gave everything we had to the kids. During a regular day in this day camp we would have a chapel, play sports, do either crafts/cup stacking/or gym activities, we would have silly songs, water balloon throwing, and feed them lunch and a snack. For some this was the only meal that the kids got. There was one little girl who asked if we were going to get another meal that day when all the kids left. She was so surprised when one of the volunteers said yes. These kids we very needy, but they were so fun and I loved every minute of it. Most of these children were in the care of someone else besides there birth parents. Some in foster families, others with uncles, aunts, and many grandparents. In Grand Rapids they had a lovely school facility, but the problem is that kids are dropping out at 9 years old, because the caregivers were not providing the support that the children needed. There are a number of kids that stay, and there are just some that get kicked out. There was one little boy who came to the day camp and he was only 7 years old, and was kicked out of school already. So many of the children we worked with suffered, many had lice, and some with open sources that just weren't being attended to.
I have been to two places in my life with extreme poverty. But to me they were completely different. I guess maybe the point of my project is to see that we have poverty here. We have it all around us, in our city, in our province, in our country.

getting started

First off, I need to figure out the foundation of my project is. I know that I want to volunteer at different organizations, I am also wanting to know more about the history of poverty and also about the lives of the hurting children out there. Some where in this project I believe I'm going to interview both people who work with the ones in poverty, and about what they do to reach out for the hurting. Also I want to hear some of the people who are hurting. I don't really know how I'm going to do that, I can't just walk up so someone in Shalom Mission and ask them how they became they way they are... but I think it would to get the whole story, both the inner and outside picture. I also am curious about how these organizations came to be. The history and the ways organizations actually started. All these elements somehow make my project, that will some how make an end product or goal. I have to work on it so that its not just a bunch of little things and when I am explaining it I can just say.. ' oh my project is...' So that is my first step, to make a 'project' in a way.