St. Joe's High School in Trumbull, Connecticut has been busy collecting backpacks for our fundraiser.  Keeping with the Christian tradition of helping those in need, they have collected 95 backpacks WOW!!  What  an amazing student body and awesome staff, a great big thanks to all of you.  They are all packed and shipped to our friend Rick who will be delivering them to Haiti later this Spring. The Backpack drive has expanded to a handful of Milford Schools and will go on til the end of April. We are hoping for a turnout like at St. Joe's. ​ Enjoys the pics and check back soon for more updates.
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​So for a quick update our backpack drive is in full swing and seems to be quite popular among the schools we have asked to sponsor the drive.  We will be picking up our first donations next Friday at Hamden Hall Country Day School in Connecticut.   Saint Joe's in Trumbull is offering to credit community hours, needed on a monthly basis, to students who donate a backpack. Some schools are asking their community for shoes so we think we have all our bases covered and the drive will be most successful. It runs through April and will be shipped, for free I might add, to Haiti and our friends at Little Footprints Big Steps at the end of April. That's where we stand if you want to get involved go to our website and make a donation it can make a huge difference in the world for these children. 

Overnight, the community and region I love so dearly was transformed from a lush, thriving source of promise... to a war zone. What once felt like home feels like a strange, disheartened land of destruction. Entire communities' homes have been wiped out; people have lost all that they own and their livelihoods; hundreds of people have died. And yet – most are survivors. Despite losing everything, here they are: working to help others, beginning to put together pieces of their lives and rebuild. While aid organizations claiming to have prepared for the disaster remained inactive, locals were beginning to piece together what they could. Haitians are so strong. So incredibly strong. Yet, even more painful to see than the physical damage, is the trauma and pain in everyone's eyes. Many do not yet see hope.
The last week has been about checking on all of the children and families in LFBS programs, as well as our staff: making sure they are alive. The first couple of days after the hurricane we did not even have telephone service and were unable to know if they survived until visiting them. Although most families are now homeless- and living , completely exposed, on the plot where their home used to be – they are alive. I was appalled by the lack of action from other NGOs during the first week following the hurricane, and we also took on providing medical care, water treatment materials and other supplies to some of the temporary shelters which are housing thousands of people who lost everything. LFBS staff members worked alongside social services and UNICEF immediately following the hurricane to do evaluations of the situation of children in orphanages and shelters. Many regions are far from any point of aid distribution and cholera is beginning to attack vulnerable communities in rural areas.
Looking at our surroundings in Southern Haiti & Grande Anse, it is difficult to find hope or imagine all of the agricultural wealth and communities being restored. The damage is immense. Yet, I find hope in the solidarity and strength of the Haitian people, which has completely blown me away over the last week. Yes, they can rebuild. It is possible to rebuild homes, livelihoods, and hope. Haitians can begin to piece their lives together and move forward – but they need hope. We need to show them that change is coming.
 

One of our partners, Little Footprints, Big Steps  has been badly affected by Hurricane Matthew.

Immediate Update is at: Click below.

​More Updates on Hurricane Matthew Haiti
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You can change a child's life by donating through Move to Matter. All funds will go in full to this hurricane relief location and directly to Morgan's safe house. She has been in Haiti only 3 years and has helped thousands of children .Her group has personally reunited close to 300 children with their families, saving them from slavery and abandonment .Now with this hurricane, funds are desperately needed to help so many children that have lost there homes and families.


Hurricane Matthew Haiti Urgent Help Needed

LFBS strives to help create a world in which:

•  any child who is a victim of neglect, exploitation, abuse, torture or any other form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment will receive physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration
•  such recovery and reintegration will take place in an environment which fosters the health, self respect and dignity of the child
• education and opportunities for self-sufficiency and self-determination are the rights of all

Many requests have been made for MoveToMatter to fund children in need from the US! We are proud to announce that we are now working with local charities such as the Ronald McDonald House, and GoFundMe.

These local organizations help children that are  diagnosed with illness and many are being treated at Yale. Some children who are treated at Yale  have no place to stay because they cannot afford a hotel. Ronald McDonald House gives them a place to stay.

GoFundMe helps families dealing with sudden accidents and illnesses.

The children selected on our website  desperately need your help. Please sponsor and support these brave children on their journey to recover from illness. Donations will help their families with medical treatment expenses.

Children now have the opportunity to affect the lives of other children in the US.

An update on Guerna, our strong little girl.
 
Since hearing about Guerna's story on the previous MoveToMatter blog post, we have new updates! Guerna has been making significant progress since Morgan met her in Haiti, severely burned waiting in a hospital. She is making progress by the amazing support and love from her older brother. Guerna's brother's love for her is unconditional, he has been with her every step of the way. Every hospital Guerna has traveled to, her brother has been there to help her through this journey! From the help of MoveToMatter's donation, there is still a half a years funding left to support her! We now have the medications and the nurse visits twice a week for Guerna! Her outreach worker is checking in weekly to make sure Guerna has the increased nutrition she needs. She is now living with a kind lady in Port Au Prince along with her brother, and is hoping to be well enough to start school. After numerous painful surgeries and infections, Guerna is still beautiful and smiling! We wish for this amazing, bright little girl to be on her way to full recovery. 

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A nice beginning to the New Year! We receive the report that all of our nets have been distributed to the poorest people in Lillian's Village. Below is an unedited video of the distribution to 14 families out of the 400 net distribution project. Also below is a note from Lillian who we have sponsored in her town for over 10 years.

A little summary on how the mosquito net distribution. We distributed them on the basis of those who needed them most,since we live in the same village we were able to identify them. Although distributing one net in some homesteads was quite a challenge since some have even ten kids. Although we were unable to reach out to everyone,we promised those who didn't get one we may be able to bring more nets by next year. The people were so happy and it felt so good seeing them feel so grateful for the little we had given them. Asante sana means thank you so much in  Swahili word.

This is an update from SOTENI annual report. SOTENI International is working to reduce the incidence of AIDS by empowering vulnerable communities to develop sustainable interventions. We cultivate local leadership, educate those most at risk, and identify best practices to share around the world.

What do you believe?

Do you believe that every life has value? That education is a prerequisite for empowerment? That lasting change comes from the combined effects of many small gains? Do you believe that every human being deserves respect, love and support? That we as a society should ultimately be judged by how we treat those who are most powerless among us? Do you believe that we are part of a global community?
 
SOTENI International believes the answer to each of the questions above is a resounding YES. And those beliefs continue to pull us towards SOTENI, where we can see those beliefs put into action.