2016 Fall Sponsorship Issue

CHILD SPONSORSHIP EDITION | FALL 2016

12 >> FEATURE STORY

TO HAVE A HAPPY

LIFE

Finding hope, and happiness, at the Yesus Mena Deaf School in Ethiopia.

4 >> Highlights from HOLT’S EDUCATION PROGRAMS around the world!

6 >> ISSUE FOCUS: Empowering children with special needs in Vietnam.

SPOTLIGHT ON UGANDA

17 >> PHOTO ESSAY

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ONE SPONSOR-SUPPORTED FAMILY.

Holt International Sponsorship Magazine | Fall 2016

in this issue

4

4 Around the Globe A closer look at Holt-supported education programs.

6 Issue Focus

6

11

How one school is empowering children with special needs in Vietnam.

11 A Part of Their Stories Linda Beck shares how sponsorship teaches her daughter Kaylee about caring for others in need.

12

12 To Have a Happy Life In Ethiopia, 395 deaf or partially hearing students find greater hope, and happiness, at the Yesus Mena School for the Deaf.

17 Spotlight on Uganda A day in the life of one sponsor-supported family in rural Uganda.

22 Super Volunteers!

Every Winter Jam season, Holt volunteers go above and beyond to advocate for children.

17 22

Cover Photo: This little girl lives with her mother and sisters in a rural village in Uganda. With the support of sponsors, she and her sisters are in school and her whole family is thriving.

Holt International seeks a world where every child has a loving and secure home. Since our founding in 1956, we have worked toward our vision through programs that strengthen and preserve families that are at risk of separation; by providing critical care and support to orphaned and vulnerable children; and by leading the global community in finding families for children who need them and providing the pre- and post-adoption support and resources they need to thrive. Always, we focus on each child’s unique needs — keeping the child’s best interest at the forefront of every decision. Visit www.holtinternational.org to learn more.

Holt International Magazine is produced in print and online by Holt International, a nonprofit child welfare organization founded on Christian principles. While Holt International is responsible for the content of Holt International Magazine, the viewpoints expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the organization.

Copyright ©2016 by Holt International. ISSN 1047-764

2 www.holtinternational.org

[ FROM THE PRESIDENT ]

A

ll around the world, children in sponsor-supported programs have returned to school.

Holt child sponsors — because of you! With your help, children in our programs around the world are receiving the textbooks, supplies, uniforms and school fees that they need to succeed — and that are often required for them to even enter a classroom. If you sponsor a child who is not yet school age, your generosity and kindness is also empowering them with the love, support and enrichment they need to one day succeed in school.

Some are attending preschool in the Philippines and Vietnam. Some are girls in India or Uganda who might otherwise be on a path to early marriage.

While some are children in places like Thailand and Cambodia where an education will empower them with the confidence and knowledge to protect themselves from child trafficking.

And in Ethiopia, 395 of the Holt-sponsored children who are returning to school this year are students at the Yesus Mena School for the Deaf. Here, students who are deaf or have partial hearing are finally receiving the sign language-based education they need to express their thoughts and emotions.

You can read more about the children at this sponsor-supported school in our feature on page 12.

No matter their age, country or circumstances, the children in Holt-supported programs are receiving a quality education because of the generosity of

Phil Littleton

•

Proverbs 22:6 says: “Start children off on the way that they should go, and even when they are old, they will not depart from it.” We thank you for being such an important part of these children’s journey through learning and life, and for helping to ensure that they have the tools they need to grow into intelligent, compassionate and healthy adults who will go on to teach others what you have helped them to learn.

We pray this school year proves to be the best one yet for children in sponsorship everywhere!

President & CEO

Our Vision: A world where EVERY CHILD has a loving and secure HOME. 3 3

AROUND THE GLOBE A FOCUS ON HOLT-SUPPORTED EDUCATION PROGRAMS

KOREA In a hillside home in the bustling metropolis of Daejeon, South Korea, ten women live with their babies. The Holt Morning Garden mother and child shelter is one of six such shelters that Holt supports in Korea — places of refuge for single mothers to escape the pervasive stigma of unwed motherhood within their families and society. Besides counseling and a family-like environment, Holt Morning Garden provides opportunities for single moms to pursue education — preparing them for success when they leave the shelter. Some women spend their days attending classes to finish their high school equivalency exams. Some take vocational courses, such as computer or cosmetology training, to help improve their job prospects once they leave.

Many women take parenting or nutrition classes in preparation for the birth of their child. And one young mother has managed to overcome the prejudice many unwed mothers encounter when seeking higher education in Korea. She is currently working toward her college degree. Without the support, guidance and childcare they receive here, an education would be nearly impossible for these women. But with the opportunities provided, they are setting themselves, and their children, up for success.

4

CHINA

Holt’s educational sponsorship programs in China are largely concentrated in rural communities where many parents cannot afford basic necessities like food and clothing, not to mention the textbooks, uniforms and admissions fees required to send their child to school. As a result, an estimated 63 percent of middle and high school children drop out of school every year in the Chinese countryside — many of whom end up working to supplement their family’s income.

In Guangxi province, a region heavily affected by poverty and drug use, most children in our sponsorship program have lost one or both parents. Without support from Holt sponsors, many would likely otherwise drop out of school, live on the street and rely solely on themselves to get by.

In other regions, entire communities reel from HIV/AIDS, and many children are orphaned, shunned by society and forced to drop out of school. But in these places, and many more throughout China, children have hope through sponsorship. In seven provinces in China, over 3,500 children receive educational support from Holt sponsors. They cover boarding expenses for children who come from far mountainous villages, provide school uniforms and nutritious school lunches, and ensure they receive the attention and support of a caring social worker or teacher who tracks their educational progress. With an education, children in China are empowered to stay in school and reach their very fullest potential.

INDIA Children in India face many roadblocks to their education. Public school is not free, and many families lack the resources to send all of their children to school. Many families also migrate from place to place in search of work — causing constant disruption to their children’s education. But perhaps the greatest educational roadblock has more to do with tradition and less to do with economic or environmental challenges — and begins long before a child becomes of age to start school. In India, girls begin their lives — and educations — at a huge disadvantage. If a family can only afford fees for one child, they often opt to send their son to school and their daughter to work. Or in some cases, a family will arrange a marriage for their daughter at an early age, at which point her education abruptly stops. For all of these reasons, India has one of the largest populations of out-of-school children in the world, the majority of whom are girls. But when Holt sponsors support girls through one of our legacy partners in Pune, Bangalore or New Dehli, their lives drastically change for the better. When educated, girls have the capacity to create unprecedented economic and social change in their communities. They are granted more autonomy in their lives.

And most of all, they have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

CAMBODIA

In Cambodia, it is not uncommon to see young children in the rice fields, tagging along with their parents as they work, or spending the day home alone with their siblings. While this is not the ideal situation for young children or their parents, they until recently had nowhere else to go. But now, because of their sponsors, 3-to-5year-olds in Prey Veng and Kampot provinces can attend preschool in one of three Holt-supported early education centers. Since it began, this project has impacted over 120 preschoolers. At preschool, they get a nutritious snack and learn their 1-2-3s, ABCs and other critical

early education skills in a safe and nurturing environment — preparing them to integrate into public school once they are old enough.

Not only is this a fun and safe place for children to go during the day, it provides a healthy start that has huge implications for the rest of their lives. When a child experiences and learns the importance of education at an early age, they are more likely to continue with school.

And when a child is educated, they can pursue their dreams, end the cycle of poverty for their family, and even protect themselves from child labor and trafficking.

5

THE

HAPPY

PL ACE ISSUE FOCUS : SPECIAL EDUCATION

P

Children with disabilities in Vietnam are at higher risk of abandonment and neglect, and educational opportunities tailored to their needs are often severely lacking. But one school is changing that.

arents call the school the “happy place.”

“When I first met parents from the school, they cried,” says Thoa Bui, Holt’s senior executive of Southeast Asia programs.

“Even seeing their children learn little things — like how to hold chopsticks and feed themselves — was such a big step. This school means everything to them.”

The coastal community of Hoi An, Vietnam sits on a stunning stretch of crystal blue ocean, surrounded by the rice paddy-filled countryside. During the full moon, the city’s ancient downtown is lit by strings of colorful lanterns. Quiet and peaceful, Hoi An is paradise.

But behind the picturesque setting is a darker past.

During the Vietnam War, American forces blanketed Hoi An and the surrounding region with the deadly chemical compound Agent Orange as they tried to fend off enemy troops. Thousands of innocent civilians

6 www.holtinternational.org

died from exposure, and for more than two generations, women in areas once hit by Agent Orange have given birth to children with much higher-than-normal rates of physical and developmental disabilities.

But, despite tremendous need, resources for children with special needs — like specialized medical care, therapies and

education — are virtually nonexistent in Hoi An and throughout Vietnam.

Many public schools don’t allow children with disabilities to attend and with little concerted effort to educate the public about special needs, many parents don’t even realize their child has a diagnosable or treatable condition, such as autism or deafness.

Many just believe that perhaps their child is different, defiant or even cursed.

For children from families struggling with poverty, like those in Holt’s programs, the lack of education crushes their ability to hope for a better future.

“Without better education, many poor families have few options to improve their situation,” Thoa says.

“They hope that their children will stay in school and eventually pull themselves from poverty.”

Many families in Holt’s programs in Vietnam are rice or vegetable farmers.

Their income is unstable — sometimes dropping drastically from one season to the next. On average, they make about $45 per month and survive on about $1.50 per day — rarely enough to afford even basic necessities, much less specialized education or medical care for a child with special needs.

That’s why the “happy place,” Holt’s newest partner in Vietnam, is unique in several regards. The Kianh Foundation is the only school specifically for children with special needs within miles of Hoi An — even the entire district. It’s also exceptional in terms of the quality of care, therapy, education, facility and staff expertise — including knowledge and training around early intervention.

“For children with special needs, the earlier the intervention, the better,” says Quyen Do Le, manager of the daily functions at Kianh Foundation.

“The younger a child can enroll in school, the more we can help avoid long-term developmental or physical delays.”

Children at Kianh Foundation enjoy a beautiful, fully fenced playground of recycled materials and a gardening space where they learn to grow their own food.

Classrooms line both sides of the blue and white school house, and children are divided by age and special need, which helps them make the greatest strides because their curriculum is specifically tailored to their needs. In many developing countries, it’s not uncommon for one teacher to manage anywhere from 40-90 kids per classroom. But at Kianh Foundation, the average class size is 5-8 children per teacher. And children with issues of self-regulation, sensory control or developmental delays receive one-onone therapy sessions each day.

“Every child progresses here,” Quyen

says. “Every child learns new skills.”

The children’s education goes far beyond just academic skills. They also learn practical skills, like how to use money at markets, care for themselves, navigate streets and order food at restaurants. These skills allow children to integrate with their communities and enjoy social functions with their peers.

And, most importantly, the Kianh Foundation is helping to curb a major issue in Vietnam: the abandonment of children with special needs.

Children with special needs are at much greater risk of losing their families because the cost to provide medical care is often too expensive for the majority of parents.

Because there are few places of support for children with disabilities, such as schools, daycares or hospitals, often one parent must stay home to care for their child, costing the family critical income. If there are other children in the home, this can have serious implications for the family — causing malnutrition, inadequate housing or life-threatening resource gaps. Out of desperation, many families abandon a child with special needs, hoping that he or she will be better cared for by the government.

TOP LEFT: Children at Kianh Foundation play during supervised recess on a playground of mostly recycled materials. BOTTOM LEFT: For students, making friends is an important social aspect of their education. Many children with disabilities never have the opportunity to forge friendships with other children. BOTTOM RIGHT: Children receiving one-on-one sensory therapy. ABOVE: A teacher works with a student on hand-eye coordinated activities, like throwing a ball.

But now, through Kianh Foundation, many families in Hoi An have the support they need to confidently continue parenting their children.

“One mother said she had two happiest days,” Quyen says. “Her wedding day and the day her child came to school. It’s not just because the children are in school. It’s also because parents have support. They can work again and know their child is safe.”

More than 100 children are enrolled in classes, and 80 of those children attend school in the all-day program. Holt’s partnership with Kianh Foundation began in September 2016, and our first goal is to find sponsors for the 80 children in the full-time program. Through sponsorship support, Holt is hopeful that Kianh Foundation can grow in both size and capacity to include more students. Already, the waiting list of children and families who would like to attend includes 80 more children, and continues to grow. But with sponsorship donations and other private gifts, we will help ensure that children in this program and other children in need in the community receive everything they need to thrive.

Billie Loewen • Creative Lead

7

A

Gift

of

Hope

AND PROMISE OF OPPORTUNITY

When Lee and Bette Fisher learned they could give a gift to their sponsored child in Ethiopia, they knew from their own experience just how helpful a cow could be to a family in need.

L

ee Fisher knows a lot about cows.

He grew up on a grain and livestock farm in Illinois with 500 head of cattle, and he even worked with cows in his free time, training and showing calves through 4H. He knows just how helpful a cow can be — they provide milk, calves, meat, manure for crop fertilization and heating, and can contribute to the overall wellbeing of a family.

So when Lee and his wife, Bette, received Holt’s Gifts of Hope catalog this year, they naturally thought a cow would be the perfect gift for their sponsored child, Tesfahun.

Tesfahun lives with his family in southern Ethiopia, where he attends the Holt-supported Yesus Mena School for the Deaf. Tesfahun is an exceptional student at Yesus Mena, where he and his family have learned to communicate through sign language. Because of the educational support he receives from his sponsors, Lee and Bette, Tesfahun has everything he needs to succeed — from a uniform, books and supplies to nourishing lunches and specially trained teachers.

And now, with the Fishers’ gift of a cow, Tesfahun’s family has also received the gift of hope and opportunity.

“God has been good to me and my family, so we wanted to share with this little boy and his family,” Lee says. “I was hopeful it would help the family have a better life.”

8 www.holtinternational.org

Tesfahun and his family are so thankful for their new cow and say they are blessed by the Fishers’ “generosity and warm hearts.”

While Tesfahun’s parents work hard, his father as a guard and his mother as a farmer, they live in a rural community where it is difficult to rise above poverty.

For families in this community, a cow is a truly valuable asset. While they can use the cow’s milk, manure and calves for themselves, any surplus of these products can be sold as part of a small business — providing regular income and empowering them to achieve greater stability.

“I got a kick just seeing them looking at the cow,” Lee says about seeing the photos of Tesfahun and his family with their new cow.

Holt staff in Ethiopia also shared with Lee the gratitude Tesfahun’s family expressed upon

receiving their gift of hope. “[They were] very happy and blessed to receive the gift and [are thankful for] Mr. Fisher — for his generosity and warm heart,” they write.

“They are very hopeful that this cow will have a significant contribution in improving their nutrition and income in the future.”

The act of giving a cow to Tesfahun and his family warmed the Fishers’ hearts as well. “Hopefully,” Lee says, “Tesfahun will know or come to realize there is a family far away that wants to see better things happen in his life.”

Megan Herriott • Staff Writer

Items purchased through Holt’s print or digital Gifts of Hope catalog are given to the child or family in Holt’s programs with the greatest need. If you are interested in giving an above-and-beyond gift to your sponsored child, please call us to determine what item your sponsored child and their family need most.

Community development officer Loan Leang helps vulnerable families protect their most valuable assets, because in Cambodia

DUCKS ARE

LIKE BANK ACCOUNTS ...

Not just ducks, really, but chickens, pigs, cows, oxen and even fish are like money in the bank.

And if owning livestock is like banking, then Loan Leang is like a financial advisor.

Loan was raised in Prey Veng, in the same community where he now works as a community development officer for Holt’s partner Children and Life Association (CLA).

Prey Veng is one of the poorest districts in Cambodia, and like many families from his village, Loan’s family had very little money for his education.

But although he never completed his formal education, Loan has a unique skill set that he acquired while living and working in Phnom Penh in the late ‘90s.

When the nonprofit organization Veterinarians Without Borders started a program in Phnom Penh, Loan saw an opportunity to receive advanced training in raising and treating farm animals.

Cambodia is one of the most impoverished countries in the world and financial experts estimate that less than 1 percent of the population use bank accounts to save money.

In Cambodia, indicators of wealth are usually tangible items — like tin roofs instead of thatch, irrigation systems for farming rather than reliance on rain, and, most commonly, livestock.

Livestock provide rural Cambodian families with an incredible safety net. They are both food security and a way to make stable income, since eggs, fertilizer, meat and offspring can be sold for profit, eaten for vital nutrition, used to grow gardens or to aid in rice cultivation. For struggling families, Holt often provides a cow, chickens or pigs to help them generate income and grow stable and self-sufficient.

“For poor families who have lived 40 years without a savings account, a cow is life changing,” says Pola Ung, founder and CEO Loan Leang, above, has been a community development of another Holt partner in Cambodia, the officer, child advocate and veterinarian for Holt’s on-the- Cambodian Organization for Child Developground partner in Cambodia since 2003. ment. “It gives hope.”

Today, Loan is a critical part of Holt’s family preservation and sponsorship programs in Cambodia, because in a community so dependent on the health and wellbeing of their livestock to grow strong, stable and break the bonds of poverty, Loan has an invaluable skill — veterinarian training.

In 2003, Loan moved back to Prey Veng to work for CLA. Over the past 13 years in this community, he has used his skills and knowledge to support Holt-sponsored children and their families.

When Holt provides piglets to help a mom support her children, Loan visits her house to vaccinate the animals and teach the family about proper feeding, hygiene and other skills that ensure these valuable animals live long, healthy lives. And by passing on practical animal-raising skills like how to deliver calves, Loan empowers the families in Holt’s programs to independently care for their children — and eventually thrive without any assistance from sponsors in the U.S. Loan has three children, and he dreams that his children will one day graduate from college. Loan sees the tremendous value of education, whether that be learning a new skill or trade or spending time in an academic setting. Just as he is using his skills to transform the community where he was raised, he hopes his children will someday have the opportunity to do the same.

Billie Loewen • Creative Lead

9

Making a BIG DIFFERENCE

AT BERTHA HOLT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN EUGENE, OREGON, STUDENTS LEARN TO GIVE BACK THROUGH SPONSORSHIP AND GIFTS OF HOPE.

W

ith paper cups full of paint and minds full of artistic creativity, ninety fourth grade students get working on the project before them. The final product? A striking mural with six faces of children in Holt sponsorship — colored in with a mosaic of vibrant doodles — to be hung permanently in the cafeteria at Bertha Holt Elementary School in Eugene, Oregon.

Named after the woman who along with her husband, Harry, founded Holt International in 1956, Bertha Holt Elementary first opened in 2004 — inspired by the legacy of “Grandma Holt,” and her iconic words that “all children are beautiful when they are loved.”

Lining the entryway of the school are display cases full of the Holts’ photos, letters and memorabilia, and each year the school holds a celebration in Bertha’s honor.

In continuation of her legacy, the school also holds annual fundraisers to sponsor children through Holt.

“We want to educate the students about who she is, what was important in her life and what we can do to help children now,” says Mandy Robison, a fourth grade teacher at the school and also a Holt adoptive parent. This year, in addition to sponsorship, Holt Elementary decided for the first time to give gifts to children and families in need through Holt’s Gifts of Hope catalog. “Our school’s theme,” Mandy says, “is that all of us can do something small to make a big difference.” And as students raised money for their sponsored children or for Gifts of Hope, this concept became tangible.

Students asked their parents, grandparents and neighbors for opportunities to make one dollar With a grant from Imagination International Inc. in Eugene, the school hired local artist Bayne Gardner to draw the outline for a mural based on photos of actual children in Holt sponsorship. The children in the mural live in Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Thailand and Vietnam.

through small chores around the house and yard. They then pooled their dollars and, as classrooms, they voted on which items they would like to give from the catalog — items like a goat or a cow to help a family generate income, or a bicycle to help a child get to school. This year, chickens were an especially popular choice! But no matter the gift they chose, the school’s principal, Joyce Smith-Johnson, says the children seemed to grasp the impact of their generosity.

“When we look at the world, it seems so big and out of reach,” Joyce says. “‘Children in need’ is too abstract for kids [to understand]. With Gifts of Hope, it’s easy for them to see how it helps and they could see their efforts connect to something real and important.” In fact, many teachers used the fundraiser to teach students just how a chicken or new school supplies could change the life of a child in another part of the world.

“It felt really good,” says 10-year-old Emerson Kearney, who along with her classmates gave chickens as a Gift of Hope. “I think [a child and their family] feel really happy now that they have something to eat every day.”

And the teachers and students at Holt Elementary are committed to continue making a “big difference” for children all around the world through Holt International.

“It’s such a part of the fabric of this school,” says Joyce. “It’s so much a part of who we are and what we do — and we’d like it to stay that way.”

Megan Herriott • Staff Writer

A Part of Their Stories Linda Beck and her daughter Kaylee team up to sponsor a child as a beautiful way for Kaylee to learn about responsibility and caring for others in need.

Kaylee is our unexpected blessing. After fostering over 50 children through our local county children and youth services, we found ourselves once again providing a forever family for a little one. Having three biological children and adopting once before, we knew what to expect as parents, but we weren’t terribly prepared to be “older parents.” My friends were becoming empty nesters and I found myself in need of some new friends — friends who were also parents in the throes of elementary school activities. I was so excited to find a Secret Keeper Crazy Hair performance in my area to help me find these new friends. Kaylee and I attended this event together, and it was there that we were introduced to Holt International.

Kayli Robinson, who performed with the band 1 Girl Nation, began to tell the story of her adoption and shared about sponsorship opportunities through Holt. My Kaylee was all eyes and ears. “We have to do this, Mom,” she said.

“We have to help these kids while they wait for their forever families.” I decided that since we attended the event as a mother/daughter team, we should also sponsor as a mother/daughter team and asked her if she would be willing to contribute half of the monthly sponsorship.

In agreement, we chose a folder for a younger child who was on track for adoption. Geon Wu entered our lives and his picture hung proudly on our fridge.

Kaylee had to make some spending decisions based on her contribution, as her allowance

would only go so far. Yet each month, when I asked for her portion, she freely gave. Not only is sponsoring a lesson in giving to others but also a great lesson on responsibility. In the Bible, James 1:27 says we are to care for orphans and widows and yet we rarely recognize opportunities to do so. In addition to our monthly giving, we have helped promote sponsorship through Winter Jam and Every Child Is Beautiful tours, where Kaylee shines as she recruits others to her cause — including her brother and her dad.

Although Kaylee is saddened by the sponsored children’s stories, she is encouraged to learn how Holt is helping children whose families require additional support and those who need a family through adoption. It is difficult for Kaylee to relate to these children’s poverty, but she can identify with the ones in need of a family. She celebrates when she learns a child has found a family that can give them, in her words, a “healthy life.”

As Geon Wu, our first sponsored child, made his way to his forever family, we were assigned another child, and another…and another. It is so rewarding to see the stories progress. As our story as a family plays out for Kaylee, she gets to play a part in others’ stories and their journey to their families. What a gift. It is an honor to serve God while serving others in this way!

Linda Beck • Chicora, Pennsylvania

11

Three years ago, Holt began supporting the only deaf school for children in Shinshicho, Ethiopia — a region with the highest rate of deafness in the country.

12 www.holtinternational.org

TO HAVE A Happy Life WHEN THE YESUS MENA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF OPENED IN SHINSHICHO, ETHIOPIA SIX YEARS AGO, MORE THAN 200 HOPEFUL STUDENTS SHOWED UP. MANY OF THESE CHILDREN LIVED THEIR ENTIRE CHILDHOOD NEVER LEARNING HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR FAMILIES. BUT TODAY, WITH THE SUPPORT OF HOLT SPONSORS, NEARLY 400 CHILDREN CAN FINALLY EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS — BRINGING GREATER HOPE, AND HAPPINESS, TO THEIR LIVES.

W

hen Dawit was 3 years old, a mysterious epidemic swept through his village in southern Ethiopia. With the nearest hospital an inaccessible 12 miles away for most families in this impoverished farming community, many parents instead cared for their children at home — hoping and praying for their recovery.

But as the community mourned the loss of first one and then another and then another child, Dawit’s mother nursed and comforted her only son — and prepared to say goodbye.

“So many kids died at that time,” Dawit’s mother remembers. “The whole family expected him to die. I was prepared to bury him. He was that sick.”

Twelve years have passed since the epidemic that devastated their community. And today, Dawit is a tall, self-assured 15-year-old with a charming, crooked-toothed smile. He is a natural artist, a skilled football player and an aspiring language teacher with an interest in photography.

Dawit survived. But although he didn’t lose his life 12 years ago, he did lose something that he would never get back.

His ability to hear.

In 2008, Holt began serving the community where Dawit and his family live in the Kembata-Tembaro zone of southern Ethiopia — a rural region of the country where 40 percent of the population lives in poverty and 29 percent lives in extreme poverty, earning less than one dollar per day. Here, as throughout Ethiopia, years of civil war and drought have robbed many people of their livelihoods, while famine and illness have robbed many children of their parents.

Holt concentrated our program in Shinshicho, a district capital where goats and cattle still roam the unpaved roads that lead through town, few establishments have electricity or running water and donkeys are the primary mode of transportation. To begin working in Shinshicho and surrounding areas, we hired local social workers who know the language, culture and customs of the community, and sought the guidance of local government and community elders to both identify families and children in greatest need — and partner with us in developing culturally appropriate ways to empower them. With a majority of families relying on subsistence farming for food and income, we provided livestock CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

ABOVE LEFT: Without a deaf school in his community, Dawit didn’t learn sign language until he was 9 years old. Now 15, Dawit can finally communicate with his mother, pictured here.

ABOVE CENTER: Every day after school, Dawit would teach his parents what he learned that day. Here, he signs the English letter “c.”

ABOVE RIGHT: Dawit’s mom says she hopes for him to be as successful as children who can hear. “But most of all,” she says, “I wish for him to have a happy life.”

» 13

“MANY [OF THE STUDENTS] ARE TEENAGERS NOW, SO THEY WENT THEIR WHOLE CHILDHOOD UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE.”

to help them grow their income and seek greater stability in their lives. For families without land, we equipped them with the tools and resources to start a small business. We built a kindergarten in the community of Wallana and matched children with Holt sponsors who also provided uniforms, books and supplies. And recognizing a gaping need for improved healthcare in the region — a region with one doctor for every 100,000 people — we first renovated a government clinic and then partnered with the community to build a full-service hospital, a massive pink stone structure with a staff of over 170, including eight full-time doctors, who now see up to 200 patients per day from its location in the heart of Shinshicho.

PAGE 15 CENTER: Children line up for a lunch of cabbage, rice, stew and injera, a spongy Ethiopian bread. Before Holt began providing daily lunch for the students at Yesus Mena, they had one slice of bread and one cup of tea every day.

RIGHT: Uniforms provided by sponsors also help to protect the students on their walk to school. When drivers see the deaf school’s signature dark blue shirts, they know to be more cautious.

BOTTOM: Meaza’s exaggerated facial expressions give a glimpse of how hard she has had to work to communicate her feelings without the use of sign language.

14 www.holtinternational.org

From providing services tailored to meet the needs of individual families to investing in basic infrastructure for the entire community, Holt has through the years helped to address many of the most clear and pressing needs of the people of this deeply impoverished but naturally beautiful region of Ethiopia. Some of the greatest needs were not so obvious, however, when we first began working here in 2008.

“It’s unknown why there is such a high prevalence of deafness in Shinshicho,” says Gelila Yacob, child sponsorship and family strengthening program coordina-

tor at Holt Ethiopia who serves as translator during our visit to the region in June. Gelila is a warm and funny former sociology major who works closely with our partners in the south to ensure sponsors receive timely and quality reports on the children they support.

“Some children are born deaf,” Gelila says, “but many, like Dawit, lose their hearing later.” No one has ever conducted a research study to determine the cause — though Holt plans to initiate one soon — and few if any of the children have ever seen a hearing specialist. One doctor suggested to Gelila that hearing loss can come from untreated ear infections. Others point to malaria or even malaria medications. And exceptionally high fever is known to cause hearing loss in children as well. “But locals,” Gelila says, “believe it’s because of a curse that others put on you.”

Three years ago, Holt began partnering with the Yesus Mena School for the Deaf — a school started in 2010 by a retired government official named Abebe Abura who is also the former director of a deaf school in Addis Ababa. When the school first opened, not even Abura knew the extent of the need for sign language-based education in Shinshicho.

On the first day, the school had space for 50 students. To everyone’s surprise, over 200 showed up.

Dawit was among the first students to walk through the doors of the then tworoom, mud-walled schoolhouse that was donated by local officials. He was 9 years old.

“I was shocked and angry when I learned that my son wasn’t able to hear,” says Dawit’s mom, a woman with high cheekbones like her son and an upper lip that disappears into an amused expression when she smiles. Although relieved and grateful that he survived his illness, she was devastated when she saw her 3-year-old son no longer trying to speak or responding when she called him.

But perhaps no one was more upset than Dawit, who for six years communicated with his family by pointing and gesturing only.

“My family didn’t understand me,” Dawit signs to his teacher when we interview him outside his classroom at Yesus Mena. “Since they couldn’t understand me before, they only gave me orders — to keep cattle, to do so many household activities. That experience made me angry because they couldn’t understand my feelings.”

For Dawit and many of his fellow students, the opening of this school presented their first opportunity to communicate

complex thoughts and emotions. To say I’m hungry or I love you, I’m sorry or I’m in pain.

“Previously, the kids were so angry because no one would understand their feelings. They tended to be mad and aggressive,” says Gelila, who has come to know the students well in her four years with Holt Ethiopia. “Many are teenagers now, so they went their whole childhood unable to communicate. The bigger ones are more angry because they kept their feelings inside for such a long period of time.”

Meaza is 14 years old and in grade 4 at Yesus Mena. On the day we meet her, she wears a purple-striped headband over tight braids and a turquoise sweater under the navy blue button-down shirt that’s part of the uniform her sponsor provides.

Like Dawit, Meaza had never attended a school before Yesus Mena opened in 2010, when she was 8 years old.

“I used to be so angry I would cry, even in the classroom,” Meaza shares with us as she stands outside her classroom. “I used to be angry because people didn’t understand me.” Meaza emphatically shakes her head, purses her lips into a frown and firmly shakes her finger when her answer to a question is ‘no’ — exaggerated expressions that give a glimpse of

how hard she’s had to work to nonverbally communicate her thoughts and feelings.

Meaza still doesn’t understand everything, and her teacher shares that she struggles a bit in school. Meaza fell behind her peers when her parents moved to a neighboring town far from Yesus Mena — causing her to drop out for a year. Day laborers in a sugar plantation, her parents — like most parents in this community — could not afford to send Meaza to school without the support of sponsors. Meaza now lives with her relatives closer to town, but like many of her classmates, she walks over two hours to get to school each day — a sacrifice she makes, she says, because she wants to continue learning.

“I’m not angry anymore,” Meaza signs to her teacher, with a smile that seems to come naturally. Meaza talks of all the friends she has made, how they enjoy studying together and braiding each other’s hair. “I’m so happy,” she says, “now that I am able to communicate.”

Both Meaza and Dawit were fortunate to be among the first class of students at the first school ever to offer sign language-based education in Shinshicho.

But when over 200 children arrived at the gate six years ago, teachers and administrators felt devastated to have to turn even a single student away — much less CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

» 15

ABOVE: A German organization built the classrooms at Yesus Mena. Holt supports the school by funding teachers’ salaries and providing sponsorship for the students.

RIGHT: A girl practices signing the English alphabet in front of her classmates.

FAR RIGHT: Dawit signs to his teacher that he likes learning at school.

the 150 that exceeded the capacity of the two-room school. Immediately, the board of Yesus Mena worked to expand the school, partnering with a German organization to build three solid stone block buildings made up of 14 classrooms that accommodate nearly 500 students.

But as the school grew, so grew the need for teachers and supplies and uniforms for the children. The depth of poverty in this community may have never been quite so apparent as when hundreds of children arrived at the deaf school each day — hungry and exhausted from walking two hours, in clothing so dirty you had no idea what color it was to begin with and holes so large they exposed most of their skin.

“The first time I visited here, it made me cry,” Gelila says as we sit and observe a class. “They barely had clothes or shoes. Some were nearly naked.”

The school’s founder soon realized that classrooms and desks and teachers are meaningless if children have no

energy to learn. “Students walk about ten kilometers — ten kilometers!” Abura says emphatically of the six-mile journey some students must walk to get to school every day. “As soon as they arrived at the classrooms, they used to sleep. The first time we came to visit the students, we were just really, really sorry. They came here to learn, but they were sleeping.

How should we avoid this, we said.”

Abura is a tall, dignified man who wears a raincoat around his shoulders like a cloak. Both Abura and the chairman of the board drove six hours to thank us for the work Holt has done to strengthen and empower families and children in Abura’s hometown of Shinshicho.

Before Holt came alongside Yesus Mena in 2014, Abura says, they partnered with an organization that provided one cup of tea and one slice of bread for the children every day for a year. At the end of the year, the program abruptly ended when the organization ran out of funding. “We were in trouble!” Abu-

ra tells us, punctuating his words with raised arms. “Again, we approached many organizations, including Holt. Holt International promised to support [the students] by providing lunch every day, which is wonderful, wonderful.”

The board chairman, a somewhat intimidating gentleman who serves as the head of Ethiopia’s justice bureau, cuts off Abura to say, matter-of-factly, “If Holt hadn’t helped us to survive, the school would be closed.”

As we speak, two women arrive with lunch for the students carried on a cart pulled by donkeys and begin setting up steaming pots of cabbage, rice, a traditional chickpea stew called shiro, and injera — the spongy bread that Ethiopians eat with most meals.

Since Holt began the feeding program at Yesus Mena two years ago, the students have become very “fat and healthy,” the chairman says — the definition of “fat” in Ethiopia meaning anywhere above underweight. At home, the CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

16 www.holtinternational.org

SPOTLIGHT on UGANDA

A DAY

“I thank my sponsor for supporting me.”

—Sophia

Meet Sophia. Sophia lives with her grandmother and four of her cousins in Biika Iwamigo village, a small farming community recovering from both the spread of HIV and years of brutal conflict in central Uganda. Sophia has lived with her grandmother since she lost her mother when she was 10 years old. Now 13, Sophia is in the sixth grade at Jolly Children’s

Academy and she aspires to be a nurse. With the support of sponsors, Sophia and her cousins have everything they need to stay in school and thrive in the loving care of their grandmother. Turn the page to learn what “a day in the life” is like for Sophia and her cousins and how Holt sponsorship supports them every step of the way.

17

Before heading off for school in the morning, Sophia and her cousins first sweep their grandmother’s compound (right) and then wash with collected rainwater (bottom left). Below, Sophia fills a jug of water from the family’s large cistern. Above, Sophia and her cousins start their hour-long walk to school.

Sophia and her cousins attend Jolly Children’s Academy, a primary school with 150 Holt-sponsored children in attendance. Sophia’s sponsors cover her school fees, uniform, textbooks, supplies and daily lunch at school, pictured above.

In Uganda, a maximum of two children in a family are directly supported by sponsors. In their family, Sophia and her cousin Ronald have Holt sponsors. But as part of Holt’s family strengthening program, their family has also received agricultural investments to help them generate income — including pigs, a goat and coffee, maize and bean seedlings. By saving her earnings, Sophia’s grandmother can afford to meet the needs of all her grandchildren, including their school fees.

18 www.holtinternational.org

At 62, Sophia’s grandmother continues to farm their small plot of land, where she grows peanuts, avocados, bananas, beans, maize, coffee and sugarcane.

After school, Sophia and her cousins help by gathering firewood (below) and food from the garden. Above, Sophia’s grandmother helps her lift a basket of cassava to carry on her head. Above right, Ronald carries a large jackfruit from the family farm. One of the family’s most prized assets is a pig, which Sophia’s cousin feeds above. With the support of Holt sponsors and through Holt’s partnership with local organization Action for Children, Sophia, her cousins and her grandmother are thriving — every day.

19

LEFT: Peter and his brother, Wade, on the first day of school. RIGHT: In 2010, NewSong visited children at a care center in India.

46

The Annie Moses Band uses their talents to help orphaned and vulnerable children in Holt’s programs.

families

Every year at Winter Jam, Christian artist group NewSong advocates for orphaned and vulnerable children by promoting Holt sponsorship. Off the stage, they support children and families in a completely different way.

When Emily and Michael Sharp started the process to adopt a child with special needs two years ago, they felt unsure. Not about welcoming a child into their lives. Not about the challenges of adoption. The uncertainty came from something far more basic: finances.

“The financial obstacles were almost too overwhelming for us to even consider adopting, but we felt that God was leading us, so we began the process in faith,” Emily says.

Last year, their adoption only partially funded, the Sharps received an e-mail from Holt that surprised them.

“We read that we had received a grant from NewSong that covered all of our outstanding adoption fees,” Emily says.

“We began to cry and praise God.” In 2015, the Sharp family traveled to China to meet their son, Peter.

For ten years, Christian artist group NewSong has shared about Holt International’s child sponsorship program with thousands of concertgoers at Winter Jam — a 10-band Christian concert series that hits nearly 60 cities each year. On stage, NewSong shares a heartfelt message that each year inspires hundreds of audience members to

20 www.holtinternational.org

AND GROWING

sponsor children in 11 different countries.

Off stage, the band’s commitment to vulnerable children extends even further. In the past decade, NewSong has traveled with Holt to China, Korea and India, embracing the children in Holt’s care and seeing firsthand how Holt sponsors help orphaned and vulnerable children have hope for the future. These touching moments have led NewSong to take their commitment to a new level.

“Through our work with Holt, we have met so many families who have a heart for adoption,” band member Eddie Carswell says. “But the financial side of adoption seems to be an obstacle that many cannot get around on their own.”

After talking with these families, the band members and their wives were inspired to start the Forever Family Assistance Fund in 2011, in partnership with the orphan care organization ShowHope. “The families that are financially helped through this fund are qualified, willing and ready to become parents to a child in need of a family, but they just need a little help,” Eddie says.

The Sharps’ son has been home for a year. Emily says he “is doing fabulously,” and both she and her husband will never forget the help they received to give their son a stable, loving home.

The Sharps are among 46 families to date who have received adoption grants through NewSong’s Forever Family Assistance Fund. And while on tour with Winter Jam, Eddie says that they occasionally meet children who were able to come home with assistance from their fund.

“It has been such a blessing,” Eddie says. “An unbelievable joy.”

Ashli Keyser • Staff Writer

I WILL STAND WITH YOU

As a child in Korea, Stephanie Fast received the support of sponsors before joining her family through adoption. Today, Stephanie is an author and speaker who shares her story to help advocate for orphaned and vulnerable children around the world.

A

lthough not an employee of Holt, I’ve had the honor of representing Holt at various functions this past year. Through Holt, I know that the little girl I sponsor has a better living condition, and a better childhood. And through sponsorship, I have provided a way for her to get an education so that in the future, she will be less vulnerable.

My few dollars make a lasting difference in her life.

How do I know this? Because I was a benefactor of an organization that believes that every child deserves a future.

Without sponsors, I am not sure that I would be alive today. When I was a child in Korea, a Swedish nurse found me on a garbage heap more dead than alive. She had compassion for me and nursed me back to life. She placed me in the care of an orphanage. For the first time in a long time, I felt semi-safe. And because of a sponsor, I received food, shelter, education and safety.

In the years that I have worked as an advocate for vulnerable children, I have found that the best way to help a child overcome poverty and injustice is by strengthening their family and commu-

nity — an approach Holt International has taken over the six decades that I have witnessed their staff and partners advocating for vulnerable children around the world.

Holt International is also unique in the fact that when a child becomes orphaned or abandoned, they work to ensure that child finds a sense of belonging in a permanent, loving family. Because every child deserves a forever family!

Through sponsorship, you and I can help care for the little ones until their family grows stable and self-reliant, or until they become part of a family through adoption.

We are saying, “I believe in you. I believe that you are an asset to your community and your family. You are not a burden. You are not an accident. You have a destiny. You have the power to change your circumstanc-

es and your future. My sponsorship is my way of telling you I will stand with you, believing you can stand on your own one day.”

I want to thank everyone who believes that every child deserves a future. I sincerely hope you know your monthly support provides much more than physical essentials. You change their life from daily fear to hope! What a blessing you are to a child and to a community that you may never visit, but one day on the other side, you will meet them, and they will say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Stephanie Fast • Author, Winter Jam speaker

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Super Volunteers!

Every Winter Jam season, a few Holt volunteers go above and beyond — advocating for children at multiple concerts across the U.S. This year, some of Holt’s “super volunteers” say they are motivated by their faith and their passion for finding sponsors for children around the world.

Sherri Jo got to meet Matthew West and his daughter at one of the Winter Jam concerts (below left). She also met Matt Butler from NewSong (above)!

Sherri Jo Gallagher Number of Concerts:

3

Sunrise, FL • Raleigh, NC • Charlotte, NC After attending my first Winter Jam concert, I started researching Holt and realized what a great organization it is. My heart goes out to all of those sweet kids overseas who need our support and love.

Want to sign up to volunteer during the 2016-17 Winter Jam season? Whether you serve at one or many concerts, all of our volunteers are “super” to us!

Volunteers 16 or older can sign up now at holtinternational.org/winterjam.

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While I was blessed by everyone I spoke to who chose to sponsor a child, there was one individual who stuck out the most for me. This woman came up to me in tears as intermission was ending. She said that she didn’t know how she was going to make it work, but she felt like she needed to care for a child and that God would provide for her. When I handed her the packet with her sponsored child’s smiling face, her face lit up and she was so happy.

She said it didn’t matter what it took, she would make sure that her child was loved and prayed for every day.

I am in the Army and travel a lot. It worked out that I was able to attend multiple Winter Jam [concerts] in different places because of it. Volunteering for Holt at the various concerts has been one of the neatest things that I have ever been able to do.

Teresa Cook Number of Concerts:

7

Cincinnati, OH • Cleveland, OH • Lexington, KY • Ft. Wayne, IN • Indianapolis, IN • Raleigh, NC • Louisville, KY Volunteering this year was my first experience with Holt. I first learned about Holt at the Grand Rapids, MI Winter Jam, where I heard [Winter Jam speaker and Korean adoptee] Stephanie Fast’s presentation. We brought a friend along, who we learned had been adopted from Korea through Holt. The following Monday, my husband was talking to a co-worker about our night and Stephanie’s presentation, then found out his co-worker adopted three of his children from Korea through Holt as well. He told my husband about the story of the Holts, and that he had read a book about their ministry and what an incredible blessing they have been to so many. So after hearing Stephanie’s testimony and seeing what a blessing it is to so many thousands of children, including some of our friends, I thought it would be a great ministry to be a part of!

The highlight was being able to talk to the crowd and having swarms of people come to the table to sponsor right at the end of intermission. As the concert resumed, we helped people with their sponsorship packets in the dark. I still can’t hear Crowder’s song “My Beloved” without remembering that experience and the excitement I felt while thinking, “Wow! We’re going to get some kids sponsored!”

Veronica loved meeting Moriah Peters (above left), KB (above) and Luke Smallbone from For King & Country (left).

Veronica Dishart Number of Concerts:

5

Greensboro, NC • Columbia, SC • Charlotte, NC • Greenville, SC • Raleigh, NC Last year, when I listened to [Winter Jam speaker] Tony Nolan speak about faith and his adopted daughter, I was moved to tears. Attending Winter Jam as a volunteer and helping with Holt moved me closer in my relationship with God and inspired me to continue working with children. To me, Winter Jam and volunteering is more than just a reason to see a good show for free. I love seeing how people are moved by the grace of God to sponsor a child or even decide to pursue adoption.

Over the course of five shows, I was absolutely amazed at how many children I was able to get sponsored. One person can change the world and Winter Jam is a great example of this. If you empower and educate children, then you can help them to create a better future for themselves. Winter Jam is fantastic!

23

Strong at the Finish Line College junior Kim Kosal works three jobs and is a full-time student. His life has been full of hard knocks, but each time he falls down he gets back up and keeps sprinting toward the finish line — graduation.

Kim Kosal’s entire life is a sprint.

Every day, he wakes up around 5 a.m. to make it to his first business management class of the day at 6 a.m. He attends classes until 11:30 a.m., then takes a 10-minute lunch, and races to his job as an assistant office manager by noon. At 5:30 p.m., he teaches an hour-long English course, then he heads to his third job as a restaurant cashier in bustling Phnom Penh, Cambodia until it closes at 2 a.m.

“Then, I sleep,” Kosal says, laughing. “I pull two chairs together, and usually just sleep at the restaurant. I have to start again so early.”

At 22 years old, Kosal has two years until college graduation — but the finish line still feels so far away, sometimes he wonders if he can make it.

“But if I stop classes,” Kosal asks, “how will I care for my mother? How will I afford another surgery?”

As a child, Kosal lived with his mom, aunt, grandmother and four younger siblings.

Kosal’s father abandoned his family, and Kosal only has one memory of him — when

he returned randomly once when Kosal was 4 and only stayed for two days.

“I was so angry,” Kosal says. “My mother took on the role of both mom and dad, but life was very hard.”

Kosal’s mother worked hard as a farmer, but they were very poor. Kosal says he and his siblings would go without meals.

“Sometimes, in my village, they would collect rice for us out of pity,” Kosal says.

With the help of a sponsor, Kosal was able to stay in school and he studied hard, eventually earning a Holt-funded scholarship to go to college in the nation’s capital city, Phnom Pehn. As a senior in high school, Kosal traveled to the city to look for a place to live and a job before his university classes started, but disaster struck.

Kosal was in a car crash that broke his femur, calf bones and foot in several places. He needed surgery, and doctors lodged a metal rod in his upper leg. A thick, bubbling scar marks the entire length of his thigh.

“When I broke my leg, I was so discour-

aged,” Kosal says. “I was in pain, and lost my motivation to study. I couldn’t even stand and I was always tired.”

Miraculously, Kosal’s village banded together to raise money to cover Kosal’s medical bills and encourage him to keep studying. Kosal is one of only a small handful of students from his village who have ever had the opportunity to attend college. The generosity of his neighbors inspired Kosal to re-commit to his education.

Now, two years later, Kosal says he is constantly exhausted, but his grades are strong.

“It is still hard,” Kosal says. “I’m still very sleepy, and that makes it hard to study. I need another surgery for my leg. But I know that through school, I can help my family.”

Kosal says that after graduation he wants to use his business skills to help farmers from his village, and perhaps even work for a nonprofit organization like Holt.

“So many people try to cheat farmers,” Kosal says. “And it’s because they don’t know what is fair. But I will defend them.”

Kosal is just one of 46 college students in Cambodia who receive full-ride tuition scholarships and a monthly stipend to cover room and board with the help of Holt sponsors and donors. These students are selected from all over the country because they show tremendous academic promise. All the Holt-sponsored university students attend weekly support meetings at the Holt Cambodia office, and Holt’s on-the-ground staff provide additional support and counseling to help these students reach graduation.

“I am so grateful to my sponsors,” Kosal says. “My life hasn’t been easy, but they believe in me. I would never have this opportunity without them.”

Billie Loewen

24 www.holtinternational.org

•

Creative Lead

LEFT: Kim Kosal at the Holt Cambodia office in Phnom Penh, which he visits weekly for support group meetings with other Holt-sponsored college students.

At Wallana Kindergarten in Ethiopia, one young girl is receiving the critical early education that most of her older siblings missed out on.

“Nose. Eye. Mouth. Tooth. Hair,” recites 6-year-old Weyneshet in a voice as soft and gentle as the features she points to on her face. When Holt Ethiopia’s child sponsorship coordinator, Gelila, holds up her hand and wiggles her digits, Weyneshet looks a bit stumped and smiles shyly at the ground.

“Fingers!” Gelila exclaims, nudging Weyneshet playfully.

Weyneshet is learning words in both Amharic and English as a “KG 3” student at Wallana Kindergarten, which provides both preschool and kindergarten education for children ages 4-6 from three “kebeles” — or neighborhoods — in this rural farming community in southern Ethiopia. Weyneshet is among 260 children in attendance at Wallana — all of them supported by Holt sponsors.

And although she is the fifth oldest child in her family, Weyneshet is only the second of her siblings to attend school — following in her big sister’s footsteps.

“I’m so happy because my children are able to get a good opportunity in the program, which my older children couldn’t get,” says Weyneshet’s father, Betano, whose two young sons also attend Wallana.

AN AWAKENING IN

WALLANA

Recognizing the need for early education in this community, Holt in 2010 partnered with the local church to build a three-room stone schoolhouse on a large compound surrounded on every side by family farms and traditional mud huts. Holt hired local teachers and social workers, equipped the school with desks, chairs and chalkboards, and paired the children with sponsors whose monthly gifts provide their uniforms, books and supplies. Most importantly, sponsorship covers the cost of keeping the school operational for the children.

Like most of the families in Wallana, Weyneshet’s parents are subsistence farmers who live in extreme poverty — earning less than one dollar per day. “I am a farmer so I couldn’t send my children to school by paying money,” shares Betano, a slender man in a ball cap who has the same soft eyes and delicate facial features as his daughter.

Although Betano is happy to be able to send his children to Wallana, some parents

took more convincing when the kindergarten opened in 2010. “Parents were reluctant to send children to school because they needed help with farming and household work,” Gelila explains. “Parents were also more likely to send boys to school than girls.”

To encourage parents to educate both their sons and their daughters, Holt relied on local social workers and teachers — all of whom come from Wallana and are respected within the community. Today, the parents of Wallana can see what an early education means for their children — so many of whom are enrolled in the school that they attend in two shifts so as not to overflow the classrooms.

“Now they are able to be awakened,” says Betano, of his sons and two youngest daughters — one of whom sits beside him now, softly reciting her English. “They are able to have a future.”

Robin Munro

•

Managing Editor

25

In Thailand, 80 primary school students went on a field trip to the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters!

“HSF is very thankful for the kind sponsor donation,” says Jintana Nontapouraya, director of Holt Sahathai Foundation (HSF). “These special gifts have made it possible for HSF to help widen the world for the students.”

In India, children ages 2-12 performed songs and dances, and received special prizes, coloring books, crayons and pencils. “They were able to celebrate this event with such joy,” writes our partner in Bangalore, Vathsalya Charitable Trust.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Every year on June 1, the International Day of the Child, Holt sponsors celebrate the children they support around the world by partnering with us to throw a big birthday bash! On June 1, these children get a chance to feel extra special thanks to their sponsors. Read about a few of this year’s celebrations.

In the Philippines, 381 children from six daycare centers sang and danced and ate peach mango pies! “They were all excited and happy with the gifts,” staff reports. “The parents expressed their gratitude to our local partner, Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF), and Holt International sponsors for helping with this annual exciting activity.”

In Cambodia, 365 children enjoyed balloon games, friendship-building activities and dancing and singing. They received special treats, and basic necessities like soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

26 www.holtinternational.org

In, Uganda, 150 sponsored children performed dances and songs, ate a three-tiered purplefrosted birthday cake and had soda pop and treats.

THAT THEY WOULD BE

Loved Always AS A BIOLOGICAL, FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE MOTHER, AS WELL AS A HOST PARENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, LOUISE WILLIAMS HAS DEVOTED HER LIFE TO CARING FOR CHILDREN. FOUR YEARS AGO, SHE WELCOMED ONE MORE CHILD INTO HER HEART BY BECOMING A SPONSOR TO A LITTLE BOY IN THAILAND.

“Children need to feel safe and need to be loved.”

This is what Louise Williams of Anna, Illinois says inspires her to sponsor a child through Holt. In 2012, she began sponsoring Noppanai, a 7-year-old boy from Thailand.

Louise and her husband, Bruce, began their relationship with Holt International in 1971, when they adopted from South Korea. But, three months after their son — who they named Shawn Douglas — joined his family in Illinois, he passed away from complications of a lung condition. “I cried until my head hurt from front to back,” Louise says. “But I never questioned God.” One day, Louise says that God sent her a ray of hope in the form of a newspaper article about the need for host families for international students traveling to the United States. “I wanted to care for these students who were coming from so far away,” Louise says. Starting in the summer of 1972, the Williams family opened their home to international students from Nigeria, China and Poland. “It was such a lovely experience having these students in our home,” Louise says. “Some of them were away from their families during the holidays, which was especially hard. It was nice to be able to provide comfort to them during these times.”

When Louise adopted Shawn from Korea in 1971, international adoption was still uncommon enough to be newsworthy. After grieving the loss of their son, Louise and her husband became foster parents, host parents and sponsors to Noppanai, pictured at far right.

In 1984, Louise decided to take her commitment to caring for children a step further when she and her husband became foster parents to four children.

“My heart is for children who need loving homes,” Louise says, “and that desire has grown over the years.” Bruce and Louise fostered children for 20 years, and also continued to host international students.

And then in 2012, at a woman’s missionary meeting, Louise got reacquainted with Holt when she met an adoptive parent who was telling his adoption story and providing information about monthly child sponsorship. That’s when Louise and her husband started sponsoring Noppanai, a 7-year-old boy in Holt’s family preservation program in Thailand.

“After providing homes for foster kids, my heart goes out to those children who need a more stable life,” Louise says. “Our sponsored child is a cute little guy and he is doing very well. He is growing well, and you can see a difference with each report.”

Louise says she will continue her sponsorship of Noppanai as long as she can. “I love children,” she says. “I pray for their safety, and that they would be loved always.”

Ashli Keyser • Staff Writer

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Letter Writing One of the most popular questions Holt receives from sponsors is whether they can send letters, gifts, photos and other personal messages to their sponsored child.

The answer is a resounding yes, of course! Three times per year, Holt creates opportunities to send a special gift and card to your sponsored child and we hope you take advantage of these opportunities. In addition to these

occasions, you can send cards, letters and photos any time.

Your sponsored child loves to hear from you, and your words of encouragement are something they keep close to their heart. To ensure your message can be delivered, we have a few important guidelines for writing and sending mail to your sponsored child. Don’t hold back! Your sponsored child is excited to hear from you!

DO

Include photos! Your sponsored child loves to see what you and your family look like.

Tell your sponsored child you are praying for them, thinking of them and hoping they have a happy, healthy future.

Include your sponsored child’s I.D. number on everything you send. We often bundle letters and photos together to send them overseas, so clearly identifying your sponsored child on each item you send will help on-the-ground staff deliver your package.

Include small items that can be mailed flat, like stickers, coloring sheets, postcards or hair barrettes.

Be patient! International mail can take several weeks or even months to arrive. And once it arrives, your child’s advocate will likely need to translate your message — sometimes two or three times through multiple dialects — before it can be delivered.

If you’re interested in doing more to help meet your sponsored child’s needs, do call us to ask about “over-and-above” gifts. Our overseas staff can help coordinate personal gifts of $100 or more, and also determine the child and family’s greatest needs.

Sometimes, this might be home repairs, warm clothing or the gift of livestock for your sponsored child’s family. Sometimes, it’s things like classroom supplies or soccer balls for your sponsored child’s school. Call us at 1.800.451.0732 to learn more.

28 www.holtinternational.org

DON’T

1

Send photos with content that may be confusing or offensive to another culture — such as your family in swimwear at the beach, in scary costumes or demonstrating a lifestyle beyond the reach of children in sponsorship, such as posing in front of a fancy car.

2

Include overt evangelical messaging. In some countries, like China, we are not allowed to deliver cards with this type of language, and doing so would put our programs and overseas staff at risk.

3

Share personal, identifying information like email or mailing addresses, full names or phone numbers.

This is for both you and your sponsored child’s safety.

Always send your letters to Holt’s headquarters office at P.O. Box 2880, Eugene, Oregon, 97402.

4

Send large gifts that can’t fit in a flat envelope. The cost of shipping these gifts is too expensive for Holt’s limited resources, and the risk that they will be lost in customs is very high.

5

Don’t refer to yourself as your sponsored child’s “family,” “mom,” “dad” or other titles that indicate a relationship beyond friendship. This can be confusing for children, especially those who are living outside of their home or waiting for an adoptive family.

6

Don’t hesitate to call Holt if you have questions! We can check to see if your letter has been mailed, if your sponsored child received it, and clarify what items can be included in a flat envelope.

RIGHT: Every Saturday, parents and family members of the students at Yesus Mena also attend sign language class to learn how to communicate with their children.

BELOW: Dawit signs “thank you and God bless you” to his sponsors in the U.S.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

children likely eat sparingly. But with just one good meal per day, they have more strength and energy to walk to school and learn throughout the day. In their classroom, quiet but for the scrape of chalk, they exuberantly raise and shake their hands for an opportunity to write English letters on the board or sign the Amharic alphabet for their classmates. At lunchtime, the noise level rises to that of a typical playground during recess as they line up to eat and then play in the muddy schoolyard.

Enrolling both deaf and hearing students at Yesus Mena underscores the critical importance of inclusive sign language education in a community with such a high prevalence of deafness. And every Saturday, the teachers at Yesus Mena hold sign language class for the parents and family members of the children at the school. Some of them dutifully walk the same six miles their children walk each day, and they sit side by side in the same desks where their children also learn.

Gelila shares some of the additional needs that Holt sponsors meet for the children they support at Yesus Mena — including books, notepads, pens and pencils and crayons, uniforms, art supplies, toys, games and teacher’s aids.

With support from sponsors, Holt pays salaries for teachers — all of whom have degrees or training in special education.

Some are deaf and some can hear — key for the 97 hearing students in attendance at Yesus Mena.

After class one Saturday, we visit Dawit and his mother at his home. As they sit facing each other, Dawit’s mom asks her son to demonstrate how he first taught her sign language six years ago when he started school and would eagerly share with his mom and dad what he learned each day. Together, Dawit and his mom count numbers on their fingers and sign the English alphabet. Dawit’s long, lanky arms sit casually perched on his knees and he laughs with his mom as she demonstrates some of the words she knows how to sign — words like tea, milk and wood that are now so simple for them both, but were once so hard to express.

“The government wants deaf and hearing students to learn together so that it’s normalized,” Gelila explains. “At deaf schools in Addis, the policy is to incorporate 10-15 percent hearing students.”

Here, many of the hearing students are siblings of the 395 students who are deaf or have partial hearing.

“Previously, it was so difficult to communicate with my son,” Dawit’s mom says of the years before he started school.

“I tried to communicate, but not with any formal language.” To say “mother,” she would point to her breast. To say “father,” they had a different gesture.

“It was difficult to express our feelings.

Now, I can say everything in detail,” she says with eyes as bright and warm as the hot pink scarf that covers her head.

Dawit says he is no longer angry now that his family understands him. Signing to his teacher, he shares that he is very happy, and that he loves his family. He is also grateful to his sponsors, who have empowered him through the beautiful gift of education. Smiling his adorable, crooked smile, he holds his fingertips to his mouth and slightly bows his head — signing “thank you and God bless you” to his sponsors on the other side of the camera, and the world.

Because her son now has a decent education, Dawit’s mom tells us that she no longer even thinks of her son as a deaf child. She hopes for him to achieve a great goal, to be healthy and to be as successful as children who can hear. “But most of all,” she says, “I wish for him to have a happy life.”

Robin Munro • Managing Editor

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Dear Sponsors...

MANY CHILDREN LOVE TO SEND HANDWRITTEN LETTERS AND WORKS OF ART TO THEIR HOLT SPONSORS. SEE WHAT VIDYA FROM INDIA AND HIEU FROM VIETNAM SENT TO THEIR SPONSORS! Name: Vidya

• Age: 15 • Country: India

Vidya is on a path to success! With support from her Holt sponsors, Vidya is fulfilling her mother’s dream for her to have a good education and a bright future. She is an attentive student, is especially good at math and science, and a leader among her peers. Vidya enjoys cooking yummy food for her family, reading books, listening to music and going to the movie theater at her home in Bangalore, India. She is friendly, energetic and quick to share her cute smile with those around her.

In this letter and drawing she sent to her sponsors, you can see that she is eager to learn more about them as well!

Name: Hieu

• Age: 10 • Country: Vietnam

Hieu and his mother live in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city. His mother makes and sells bamboo baskets and received help from a Holt microloan to start her business. With the support Hieu receives from his sponsors, he is well nourished, healthy and can continue to live in the loving care of his mother. He loves going to school where he has lots of friends and is known to be funny — although his teachers say he could do a better job of paying attention in class! He is very loving towards his mother and says that someday, he wants to get a good job so that he can buy her a nice house. And as you can see from his picture, he loves the people in his life and is quite the budding artist!

30 www.holtinternational.org

Sponsor a Child

THESE AND OTHER CHILDREN NEED SPONSORS. Ya

Duyen

3 months old

4 years old

China

Vietnam

Found abandoned in June 2016, Ya now lives in a nurturing group home. Although diagnosed with Clubfoot, she is in all ways physically healthy. Like most 3-montholds, she spends the majority of her time sleeping, eating and getting used to the world around her. She is always intent on watching her caregivers’ faces and she is becoming very responsive to the lights and sounds around her. Ya needs a sponsor to ensure that she continues to receive the care, love and attention that is so critical in these first few months of development as she waits for a loving, permanent family through adoption.

Before entering Holt’s family strengthening program in Vietnam, Duyen’s parents could not afford to give her consistent meals or take her to preschool. But now, she attends a Holt-supported school where she receives better nutrition and early education.

She is described as a lovely child who loves playing Vietnamese folk games and looking up at the dark clouds and guessing when it will rain. She is the youngest in a family of four children. Sponsorship will ensure that Duyen will continue to learn, grow and reach her very fullest potential.

When you sponsor a child, you also uplift their family and community.

To sponsor one of these children, email sponsorship@holtinternational.org.

Veasna

Temesgen

7 years old

12 years old

Cambodia

Ethiopia

Veasna loves playing games and drawing pictures! When Veasna first got involved with Holt’s programs in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia, he was overly thin and suffered from very dry skin. His parents grow rice and do odd jobs, but due to medical bills, they struggled to support and feed their family. Veasna is healthier now and he is starting to come out of his shell, but he needs a sponsor who can support him and his family as they continue to rise above poverty.

Temesgen is a very friendly and active boy who loves to play soccer with his friends and watch documentary films at the nearby youth recreation center. He also has a very good appetite, especially for his favorite foods! He has six other siblings, two brothers and four sisters, and his parents struggle to support their large family. Temesgen is a great help to his family by collecting firewood, fetching water and caring for their goats. He struggles a bit in school, but has supportive adults in his life who encourage him to study well. Support from a Holt sponsor will be a huge help not only to Temesgen, but to everyone in his family.

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Post Of fice Box 2880 E u g e n e , O R 9 74 0 2

Change Ser vice Requested

WHY DO YOU

Sponsor?

Did you learn about sponsorship at Winter Jam? Are you an adoptive parent, adoptee or connected to Holt in some other way? Do you simply feel compelled to help a child reach his or her full potential in life? Whatever the reason, we want to know!

Email robinmunro@holtinternational.org to share why you sponsor a child through Holt. You never know‌ Your story may end up in a future edition of the Holt magazine!

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID EUGENE, OR PERMIT NO. 291