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Newsletter - 4 stories - Disaster, Smile, Inspiration and Success

 

Develop Africa  E-Newsletter - April 2011

 In This Newsletter...
» Greetings - 4 Stories - Disaster, Smile, Inspiration and  Success
 
» Disaster - Storm blows off roof of CAPEC school 
 
» A Big "Thank You" to all donors of books and school supplies
 

»

Meet A Smiling Thomasia - A Scholarship Beneficiary 
 
» A Dream Inspires The Provision of School and Other Supplies
 
» Meet Mary - A Successful Microfinance Beneficiary
 
» Vision 2011 - How You Can Help

 

 

 

 

 
 
 


 

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Warm greetings.  Highlighted, in this newsletter are 4 stories...  Disaster, Smile, Inspiration and Success.

Disaster - Roof of CAPEC School Removed By Storm -
Please Help Us Replace It

Disaster Hits The School: A few days ago, we were saddened to hear of a disaster at the CAPEC School in Cameroon, a school that we help support.  Here is an excerpt from the email received from the school: “We had a terrible accident in school last week. Heavy rains accompanied with severe winds removed all the roof at school. We are just stuck.”  capec disaster

We were sadenned to see the photo.  As a partner with the school, we desperately need to help get the roof back on the school. We need your kind assistance.  Could you make a special donation today towards the replacement of the roof?  Please help us make this disaster work out for good.  When making your donation, simply choose the "Disaster Relief" category.  Thanks for your support.

DonateNow

 You can also, see some "before" photos of the school here.

A Big "Thank You" to all Books and School Supplies Donors - We Appreciate Your Support

On an on-going basis, we receive supplies from children, students, adults, businesses, schools and all types of organizations and groups that are doing a phenomenal job - collecting books and school supplies for children in Africa.  We extend our deep gratitude to each and every one of you for your kind assistance.  Because of your support we are able to provide these supplies free.  Here is a partial list of some of the groups / organizations that have sent supplies in the past months

 West Seneca East Key Club Brownie Scout Troop 306 
 East Ridge Academy   Faith Lutheran Church
 Centri Kids  Hungerford School
 Rama Lotus Yoga Centre Florida Atlantic University Housing 
 East Islip High School  South Shore Education Center 
Meet Smiling Thomasia - A Scholarship Beneficiary

Meet Thomasia - As you can see in the photo, Thomasia is smiling .. and she Thomasiahas something to smile about. Thomasia has been a recipient of scholarship funds from Develop Africa for 3 years now.  She is doing great and is making steady progress in school.  The assistance we have provided together has helped cover her school related costs.  She and her mother are happy because this has brought a big relief to them.

In order to ensure that funds invested into the education of Thomasia and other girls are not wasted, we follow up regularly with their academic and overall progress.  They are required to maintain good grades and maintain academic progress - in order to receive on-going support. They provide their academic report cards to us on a regular basis.  This has helped motivate them to work hard at school - to ensure they can maintain the scholarship.  The benefit to this is that good grades and progress in school directly helps their individual growth and development.  You can see a copy of Thomasia’s academic report card here

Below is a thank you video from Thomasia (recorded last year).  Thomasia and her mother are deeply grateful for your support.

  

  

A Dream Inspires Kennedy to Provide 10 Boxes of School Supplies

KennedyAs told by Kenndy and her family:
"Kennedy is 7 years old and last December awoke from a dream stating that she wanted to help orphans from around the world.  We found your site and loved the idea of sending school supplies.  Kennedy spent much of her Christmas break making bookmarks and Christmas ornaments which she sold at her mom's dental office.  She raised $600.00 in a matter of days.  She had a blast shopping for school supplies.  We were also fortunate to solicit a donation from two companies...Smilemakers (who donated pencils and toys) and Practicon (who donated toothbrushes!)  We will be shipping over 10 boxes of school supplies!"

Thanks Kennedy and family for a tremendous effort and providing these supplies!

Meet Mary - A Microfinance Beneficiary - Who is More Successful Now - Thanks in Part to You

Mary - selling at school

Mary is a single parent and she struggles to feed and educate her three children (2 boys, 1 girl), one in the university and two in high school. In addition to her three children Mary also has two wards. The responsibility of her family including school costs of books, school fees, uniforms, etc. rests squarely on Mary. She gets occasional assistance from her sister, but this is not enough to meet the daily needs of her family. Though a civil servant (a third grade clerk) Mary’s salary, which is less than $100 a month is pitifully insufficient to maintain her family.

Mary sells various items (ice, cold water, soft drinks, palm oil, wood and blended). She has been in this business for over 10 years to augment her income and take care of her family and educate her children. Mary makes a profit of about $20 per month. She sells her items in a nearby school which shares boundary with her house. The low profit margin threatens the sustainability of her business.

Mary therefore needed micro finance to expand her business to maximize profit, which she can plough back into the business for sustainability and to support her children, especially the two that will be entering university in October 2011. Mary is very grateful to Develop Africa and its partners for supporting her with microfinance to enhance her business and support her family.

 

Vision 2011 - Expand Our Impact, Invest in Lives -  How You Can Help

Thanks again for helping make all this and more happen!  We deeply appreciate you.

Here's how we can do more together:
1.  Help us re-roof the CAPEC school

2.  Commit to donating monthly.  This would help us significantly.  Please consider signing up for a monthly or quarterly recurring donation of $10, $25, $50 or more or more.  

DonateNow
 

With the best of wishes...
Sylvester Renner and The Develop Africa Team

 

 

 

 

Families in Sierra Leone face unprecedented challenges due to rising costs. Inflation makes it difficult for them to afford basic food staples such as rice, cooking oil, and onions.

Extending a helping hand can alleviate a significant burden and provide essential relief to the less fortunate.

Help provide relief by donating today!

Help provide relief food

Give the Gift of Joy This Holiday Season 🎁


You can light up a child's life in Africa this holiday season. Imagine the joy of a young girl opening her very first book or a boy receiving a backpack filled with school supplies to fuel his dreams. For many children, a holiday gift isn't just a moment of happiness – it’s a message of hope, love, and possibility.

At Develop Africa, we believe every child deserves to feel special, especially during the holidays. But for too many children in underserved communities, the season comes and goes without even a small token of celebration. With your help, we can change that.

A donation of just $25 can provide a meaningful gift – a backpack, school supplies, or even a toy – to a needy child. Your generosity will show them that someone far away cares deeply about their future and happiness.

Make this holiday season unforgettable for a child. Please donate now to our Holiday Gift for a Child campaign and be part of a life-changing moment. Together, we can spread joy, ignite hope, and make the holidays magical for children in Africa.