sister schools

Michael, project coordinator and manager of the orphanage at St. Mary Kevin’s, arrives in Kansas City tonight. He has been in the Seattle area for three weeks and is stopping here for a few days before heading back to Uganda. He and Rosemary (founder and director of SMK) and eight of the children have been touring, meeting with American school children, performing their singing, dancing and drumming concerts and raising awareness/funds. I can only imagine how mind-blowing these past three weeks in the US have been for some of them, especially the very young ones.







My sister lives in Seattle and attended one of the performances. She was kind enough to send me these great photos. The children look so vibrant and joyful! Rosemary had on her Change the Truth t-shirt, which, of course, sent me to a giddy place. My sis said there was standing room only at the church where the kids performed – she guessed maybe 250 people were in attendance. Sister Schools, a wonderful non-profit based in Seattle that pairs schools in the Seattle area with schools in Africa and Central America, was responsible for bringing the group from SMK to the US. The mission is great – Sister Schools teaches compassion, service, and social responsibility by partnering students in donor schools with children in need. They achieve this through two distinct goals: first, by providing students the life-changing and character-building experience of personal giving; and second, by providing supplies, hope and inspiration to those in need. Kids from schools in the US send sports equipment, books, toys, clothes, backpacks, etc. to kids in far away lands, and all the children involved learn a lot about each other and each others’ worlds in the process. Terry, the founder of the organization, states as his purpose:

“Sister Schools is dedicated to giving children a better understanding of the world in which they live and helping them experience the life-changing effect of personally giving to those less fortunate than themselves. Those who receive help gain hope, inspiration and much needed material assistance. Those who give discover their ability to help others and serve their community; regardless of their age, race or social position. Students see the direct effects of their actions and the compelling changes they have made. Sister Schools was founded in response to children who needed to give. It was founded at the request of children who, discovering the plight of other children in desperate circumstances, believed they could make a difference.”



Terry has been doing this for close to eighteen years now. He was responsible for my introduction to SMK in the first place; to him I am so very grateful!

Pricilla is one of the children in our pen pal program

Justine

After the concert, the kids all put on their Change the Truth t-shirts for a photo. Coolest photo I’d seen in a long while! Thanks, Bobbie.