We’ve had a crazy busy yet meaningful couple of weeks. As time goes on, we’re really finding our niche in the organization and learning wher our skills meet the needs of Mountains of Hope best. Of course, we’ve had some spontaneous adventures along the way too.
Tuesday June 7, we all had our first trip to the other side of the equator! We experienced reverse flush toilets and all things touristy on Southern Hemisphere. We snapped some obligatory equator pics and then headed to our friend Marion’s boarding school to drop her off for the start of the term.
Marion is one of the students Mountains of Hope sponsors and over the past few weeks we’ve been able to get to know her and her family well. She is incredibly sweet and smart, and because of the sponsorship she has the chance to really focus on her studies.
Since, we have been working on updating the sponsorship section of Mountains of Hope’s website. We have recorded bits of the stories of each child the MOH staff know so well, and we are just having the joy of meeting. After hours and hours of updating each of their information and reaching out to friends, we have raised around $1,000 so far for sponsorships.
We agree that generally, sponsorship programs make us feel very uncomfortable. It’s hard to know where the money really goes, doesn’t offer sustainable solutions, and feeds into the white savior complex. However, after working with James at Mountains of Hope, we’ve seen that his program can bring about real change in children’s lives. All of the employees of MoH pnce received sponsorships and have since made their way out of poverty. Furthermore, the staff is incredibly well connected with each of the students, and ensures that they make it all the way through their education and then find a job.
Just a few days ago, James did something pretty incredible. We noticed he’d disappeared from the office for a while and when he came back we asked where he’d been. He’d just dropped by a school where some kids he knows we’re about to be sent home. Their mother hadn’t paid school fees and the school couldn’t get in contact with her. James decided to pay half of the fees for the month until they could get in contact with her.
It’s amazing how James’ car and home are a constantly revolving door. He is always picking up a student, offering a friend’s child a place to stay, taking a community member to the hospital, and all the while looking out for us. That day was just one of the hundreds of examples of when he’s gone out of his way to really make Mountains of Hope a part of the community. He cares so deeply about each of the children and families MOH supports, mostly because they’re basically his own.
We are learning so much every day- about the community, our colleagues, and our world, and we can’t wait to share the experiences that unfold before us.