Plant a Book - Sponsor a Teacher

January heralds that organizing time of year, cleaning out old files, preparing for income taxes. For those of us serving on the Board of Directors for Plant-a-Book International it means preparing and sending out donation receipts to our loyal donors. This has been keeping me busy over the last week. It's a job I couldn't love more because with every receipt I send out I think about how those donations have helped lay the groundwork for a brighter future for a child living in poverty.

We KNOW that education is CRITICAL for the kids living in extreme hardship. How else will they ever be able to pull themselves out of it?

Plant-a-Book International started a Teacher Sponsorship program in late 2009 at Galilee Primary School and Waddington High School in Nairobi, Kenya. We are very happy with the response but our goal for 2011 is to see many more teachers sponsored. Just think -- you are not only helping the school retain a valuable staff member by providing a stipend, but you are helping ALL the children in that classroom benefit from the consistency of a better qualified teacher! Some teacher sponsors take it a step further and send Plant-a-Book funds to purchase for classroom supplies, desks, textbookds or send a care package of pencils or toothbrushes -- in essence adopting the class. Now that sounds like FUN to me!

So pardon my plug for Plant-a-Book today but this is my PASSION. I became involved in child sponsorship and helping children living in poverty 9 years ago -- live it and breathe it. I've worked with Galilee Primary School and Waddington High School (where the teacher sponsorships are) for years, know the school director, have traveled to Kenya and visited the school. I've met the teachers and see the challenges they face, trying to teach large classrooms of students without enough textbooks and visual supports, no copy machines, sometimes not enough adequate desks.

The least we can do is offer these dedicated teachers our support! Think of how many children you will impact through this simple sponsorship (and it's only $45 per quarter -- just $15/month!).
Please visit our website www.plantabook.org and let me know if you have any questions. And please consider making a difference in the lives of children living in poverty this year.