African recording artist and philanphropist, Angelique Kidjo learns of SFH

  During my first visit to Shashemene, Ethiopia, I was introduced to one of the
most powerful voices in music: grammy winning, Angelique Kidjo's voice shouted out of the speakers of Dave Brown's iPod. I knew right away, that I wanted to download all of her music to my iPod when I returned to the US.

As much as I listened to Angelique Kidjo's music when I returned from Ethiopia, I never thought in a million years that I would actually meet her and talk with her about our work in Ethiopia.

While at work one day, I was boarding a flight from Dallas-Ft Worth to Leon, Mexico, I noticed a petite lady with a beautiful smile, and blonde hair boarding the aircraft. It was Angelique Kidjo!! I remember trying to  compose myself and hoping that I wouldn't scare the hell out of this woman: I was sooooo excited, and honestly, I wanted to immediately grab and hug her tightly, but I remained professional, 
and gently said "Hello Ms. Kidjo". I told her how much I loved her music, and how much of an inspiration she is for all women.

During the flight, I remember hearing a sharp, deep voice shout the words " Oh My God....You know Wondimu"?  I turned and looked at Angelique, and she was holding up the in-flight American Way
Magazine. You see, during the month of October, American Way magazine featured an article about our trip to Shashemene. There was a picture of Wondimu Seba ( Chief of the village in Shashemene) Keith Holland ( Flight attendant that traveled with me) and I in the magazine.  Angelique stated that she knew Wondimu, and that she had the opportunity to meet him when she traveled to Shashemene. She asked me several questions about Schools for Humanity. She told me about the Batonga Foundation and how she wanted to do everything that she could to help little girls in Africa. I'll never forget when she made me promise to continue working hard for the children in Africa. While listening to Angelique's deep, powerful voice, I felt chills all over my body. She expressed her anger and disappointment about the lack of education, violence, and poverty that is still happening in Africa and stated that this is what drives her to do all that she can to try to make a difference. 

Before she left the plane, she gave me all of her contact information  and we promised to stay in touch! At the end of the flight we were hugging one another and saying goodbye, What an experience!! I'll never forget the flight!!

In February of this year, I had the pleasure of attending the Grammy winning Angelique Kidjo's concert. I can't find the words to explain how fabulous this concert was. Her voice touches every nerve
ending in your body. She didn't need background dancers, because she danced from one end of the stage to the other. "Amazing",  is all I can say. Angelique mixed it up with alot of African and Salsa dance moves. She invited several people to join her on the stage, and needless to say, I ended up on the stage dancing before the night was over.

The following day, I met with Angelique before leaving Dallas, and during our chit chat, I asked if she would be interested in a fund raiser event for Schools for Humanity and her Batonga Foundation.  She agreed to discuss details for an event and told me that she wanted to put me in contact with the lady that manages the Batonga Foundation. I received a call a few days ago from the Batonga Foundation and we plan to collaborate ideas and possibly fund raise together for the children in Africa. I am so proud of Angelique Kidjo. She represents strength, and courage, and she also has sooo much electrifying energy, and power in such a petite body. She's AMAZING!!!

(And so are you Dena - Editor's comments)


      

Run for Schools!

Capgemini, long-time supporter of Schools for Humanity, is organizing a series of Fun Runs across the country to help raise funds for children’s education. The events are open to all – so join us, have fun and help us provide schools for children who have little or no access to formal education! 

                                                                                   

The Fun Run occurs on Saturday, April 19, 2008 in several locations across North America, including: Atlanta, Chicago, and Herndon, VA.The Fun Run will also occur this June in Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Check out the Fun Run website (www.SfhFunRun.com) to register and find detailed information on each Fun Run location.

                                                                                                                                                                           

Capgemini, a leading consulting, technology and outsourcing company is proud to announce our First Annual Fun Run Benefitting Schools for Humanity.  At Capgemini, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and diversity are deeply rooted in our core values. We care about people and society and strive to reach out to communities around the world. That’s why Capgemini has teamed with Schools for Humanity on a national level here in the United Statesto make this ambition a reality. 

Update on India

Have a seat, the desks and benches have arrived!  As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we were very excited to purchase desks and benches for the students of the Chinchoti Village School when we vistied India in October of last year.  Ready and eager to learn,these students were required to sit on the floor and look up as their teacher instructed their daily lesson.  Thanks to the many donations of our friends, families and colleagues, these students can now sit comfortably throughout their school day while their minds are filled with knowledge.  Sunil Haribal, our in-ountry manager and Rotarian, reports back that the desks are of great quality and being enjoyed by the students.  It's great to see these smiling faces seated and ready to learn.

Helping to improve the learning envirnment for children around the world is what Schools for Humanity prides itself on.  Your continued support enable us to keep our work going and we thank you for that.

    

School Report

 

A few months ago, Christine Keenen, from our sister organization in Northern Ireland, “Schools for Shashemene”, visited the school to provide uniforms, desks and equipment for the children. The uniforms were made by a local tailor – the desks and chairs by local craftsmen.

These crisp new uniforms meant so much to the children; as Schools for Humanity Ethiopia Committee member Birhanu Shanu points out, “the uniforms really make the children feel part of the school, part of a new and exciting community that is dedicated to learning. When Christine delivered the uniforms the children were so excited, they didn’t stop smiling for days!”

The children of Shashemene are finishing their first term at the school we support. For most children, this has been their first experience of a formal education. The students are progressing well in their studies. The younger children can now write basic sentences in the Amharic script. Older children are doing well in mathematics, science, English, Amharic and civic studies.

In the two K-level classes there are 47 boys and 36 girls. In the post K-level classes there are 36 boys and 42 girls. We are pleased to see girls well represented in our student body; traditionally the ratio of girls to boys is much lower in Ethiopian schools.

Of concern, however, is absenteeism resulting from the poor health of some of the children. Twenty-percent of the students have missed more than 5 days of school since September because of health-related issues. On our upcoming trips to Ethiopia, we will look at the possibility of adding a small clinic to the school; or at minimum, establish a weekly visit to the school by a doctor. If you would like to help fund raise for the clinic or medical coverage for the children please contact me at: dave@schoolsforhumanity.org (or by phone 650 291 1001).

As we move into 2008, Schools for Humanity will look at setting up vocational based training for the older children with the goal of developing skills that can enrich both the students and the community.

I’ve just finished reading Bill Bryson’s “African Diary”, so let me include a quote from Bill: “ I don’t suppose (the Africans) can all be saintly and deserving, but they do have one thing in common with the rest of us: they are human beings. And, like us, they get only one life apiece, so naturally they tend to appreciate it – appreciate it very much, I believe – when people from a more comfortable part of the world take trouble to help them make theirs better.”

The families in Shashemene are immensely appreciative of the work we are doing. Please help Schools for Humanity expand our influence in Ethiopia by making a donation today – it will make a world of difference.

Giving!

Our impact can be felt in the USA too! One of my greatest pleasures is visiting schools in the USA and talking about the children in Africa and India. When I show pictures of our projects overseas, I ask the students here what they notice most; some point to the ragged clothes, some mention the fact that the children in the pictures have no shoes – but all notice the fact that the children in Africa and India are usually smiling. The children appear happy and content with their lives, even though they have so little. The goal of our schools projects is not to “westernize” these children, nor create expectations so that they leave their families and communities for the big cities. Our job is to give the children choices – and yes, keep those smiles on their faces!

Kieko Smith talking to Ralston Middle School Students about our back pack drive

Here in the USA, I am often humbled by the honest wish of the children to help the kids overseas. Earlier this year, the children of Ralston Middle School plundered their closets to collect old soccer jerseys and shorts. The school gave two full sets of soccer uniforms for the children in Shashemene. And what a happy day it was when I delivered these in Ethiopia. What fun it was for the children to put on team colors and play soccer all afternoon. I have some video footage of this, is can be seen at:

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v1128828tjYfMRqd

When I returned home, the students of Ralston Middle School were keen to know that their jerseys had arrived and the children in Africa were happy with them. They also asked me what else could be done to help.

 

So, just after term started, SFH volunteer Kieko Smith started a backpack drive with six local district schools. Within weeks, Kieko had collected over 400 backpacks for the children in Africa! And what an impact these backpacks will have on the Shashemene community. You see, with limited funds we can only educate one child per family; but with these backpacks each student can now take their class work home on an evening and teach there siblings!

And now, back home, hardly a day passes without a child asking me about the schools overseas; the children of this country are genuinely compassionate and care about their friends in Africa and India. This is a national treasure that is often overlooked.

Let’s work together to keep this compassion alive!

An Adventure in India

By Tammy Ozuna.

It has been a month since I’ve returned home from the Schools for Humanity India trip and I continue to absorb the experience and reflect on the amazing impact that the donations and volunteer efforts of our friends, families and colleagues has had on the lives over 1000 children in three village schools in India.

With six months of fundraising, planning and preparing for our trip, Louis Gomm, Linda Henry, Mil VanDyke and Tammy Ozuna were off to India to represent the many donors who had invested in helping to improve the learning environment for children in India. With the generous assistance from the Rotary Club of Mumbai, Kandivli, we toured local village schools adopted by the Rotary Club and met with the teachers to understand what their greatest needs were in their schools. Their needs were modest and included items that we expect to see in every classroom here in the U.S. Sunil Haribal, Rotary Club member, generously helped us navigate the roads and shopping culture of Mumbai to acquire the goods requested by the teachers. Once the car was full we returned to the schools to deliver the supplies.

 

Each trip to the school was a true heart warming experience. The children were always happy to see us and prepared welcoming ceremonies which included floral bouquets and showers of rose petals along with colorful tikas gently and lovingly placed on our foreheads each time we visited. So our return to the school with gifts for the children was especially touching because we were now giving to them, after having received so much from them, the truly deserving ones.

Thanks to the efforts of many at home we were pleased to be able to fulfill each teacher’s wish list. So in addition to book bags and shoes for the children of Chinchoti, Bopatpada and Hanum Nagar schools of Mumbai we were able to donate chalkboards, desks, benches, teaching aids, and sporting equipment.

The smiles on the faces of the children and teachers spoke volumes about the impact felt by the village school communities. And as volunteers who had the pleasure of meeting the beautiful children of India, we will forever be impacted by this experience. We look forward to continuing our relationship with children of the village schools and help to support their needs through the dedicated work of our volunteers and donors.

Meet the team!

Jordan Lofton

My name is Jordan Lofton and I work as a Staff Consultant at Capgemini.

I first heard about Schools for Humanity when another coworker brought in a flyer and shared it.

When I read about the Schools for Humanity I realized that it was the opportunity I had been looking for. Several years ago I visited an area in the Caribbean which is heavily impoverished.

I have lasting images of the children there in tattered clothing, walking miles to go to a deteriorated school. It made me truly grateful for the education I was receiving back in the US and made me want to find a way to help students in other countries have similar opportunities.

When I started working with Schools for Humanity I didn't think I would be able to make a huge impact.

I thought I'd be able to raise a few hundred dollars, maybe some school supplies, and if I was lucky go to help on a build.

It turns out that the little things I planned went a long way. Simply leaving donation boxes around the office for people to drop off school supplies and having a silent auction generated more than I could have hoped for.

We ended up with 2 huge boxes full of supplies to send over and we raised enough money to help pay for the build.

It is a true testament that a little bit of effort CAN make a difference.

Your Donations Make a REAL Difference!

160 children in Shashemene, Ehtiopia now attend school as a result of Schools for Humanity.  These are children that would otherwise have no access to education.  We are working on finishing construction of a permanent facility within the next year.  Please visit our Gallery to see photos of the community we are serving.

You can make a personal and very real difference in the success of this project.
For example, only......
.....$ 20 will providing schooling and two meals a day for one child.
.....$ 50 will pay the salary of an assistant teacher for one month.
.....$100 will pay for a teacher's salary for one month.
.....$200 will provide writing materials for a class for one year.
.....$250 will provide basic medical coverage for the entire school for one month.
.....$900 will pay all the expenses for the school for one month.

Why not join us and help us bring education to this village?  We promise you will sleep well at night knowing that you have made a personal difference!

Schools for Humanity visits OpenAir User Meeting

Schools for Humanity manned a booth at the recent OpenAir Users Meeting in Boston, Mass.  There were about 200 people at the conference and at least 50 of them stopped by to learn more about the Schools for Humanity story.  The CEO of OpenAir, Morris Panner, also mentioned Schools for Humanity during his opening remarks and encouraged people to support us.  We had many photos of the children from Shashemene, Ethiopia displayed and the booth visitors were overcome with their beauty and dignity.

SFA first became aware of OpenAir thru Terry Jansen, founder of PSVillage.  PSVillage (www.psvillage.com) is an online community for Professional Services and Consulting Executives. 

Visit OpenAir

Visit PSVillage

Welcome YowTRIP to our Sponsors List

We were excited last week to learn that a new company, YowTRIP has decided to sponsor Schools for Humanity.  We were featured in their Newsletter on November 2nd and you can find videos and pictures from the Schools for Humanity trips on their website.  YowTRIP is a social network site that connects you with other world travelers in your town or wherever you're traveling.  Check them out and support our sponsor!

Visit YowTRIP today!