By funding a bag of school supplies, or what we call a School SmilePack, you’re enabling a child to get the education she needs to become a future leader in her community and nation. It starts small, but the final possibilities are endless!
WHO WE ARE:
At Children of the Nations (COTN), we partner with nationals
in Africa, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti to provide holistic,
Christ-centered care for orphaned and destitute children, enabling them to
create positive and lasting change in their nations. By striving to meet the
physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs of the children in our care, we
believe they will grow into young men and women who are capable of creating a
transformation in their families, communities, and entire countries.
That all sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But when it comes down to it, that lasting change will depend on
the small, everyday habits that these children start young—like going to
school. Every day. Like doing their homework, studying for tests, reading text
books. And none of that can be done without adequate tools: school supplies.
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THE SMILEPACK LOGISTICS:
Who’s organizing this campaign?
We are COTN’s Florida Office, located in Orlando. Our goal is to mobilize a movement of people and organizations in Central Florida (and beyond!) to join us in raising children who transform nations. By funding SmilePacks, you are part of that movement!
What’s inside a School SmilePack?
One SmilePack costs $15
$10 covers the below ingredients (bought in bulk) and $5 goes toward paying for the shipping of the SmilePacks to one of our countries
- 5 composition books
- 1 Math Kit (ruler, protractor, compass)
- 1 package of colored pencils
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1 pencil box filled with the following items:
* 5 blue/black pens
* 5 pencils
* 1 pencil sharpener
* 3 glue sticks
* 1 pink eraser
* 1 pair of scissors
When and where are they going?
Every year, the COTN Florida Office sends a 40-foot shipping container full of supplies to one of our countries. This April, we’ll be sending the container to our ministry in the Dominican Republic. Volunteers will put together your School SmilePacks from this campaign and load them, along with other resources and food, into the container. It will arrive to excited children and staff just a few months later! (Watch the video from last year's container loading at this link.)
Why the Dominican Republic?
The largest minority in the Dominican Republic are Haitian-Dominicans, who, despite being born in the country, are not recognized as citizens by the government. Therefore, they have no access to social services such as education or health care, which also affects their ability to find work and food. Their communities have no electricity, no running water, and no roads.
Boys in these communities drop out of school at a young age, enticed by the dream of a baseball career as the only way to escape a life of poverty. Girls often marry or get pregnant as teenagers, some as early as eleven years old. A lack of education and/or skills training makes it impossible for young couples or single mothers to properly provide for their children—thus continuing the cycle of poverty.
In 1997, COTN began ministry in the Haitian community of Algodon. Working alongside local leaders, we focused on the most urgent needs—education and nutrition—by establishing a feeding center and constructing a school building. Today, COTN is active in the poorest villages of the Barahona District, partnering with local leaders to empower the children and create change.
Your School SmilePacks will go to these children and have a life-changing impact.
Other Ways to Get Involved:
- Share our Indiegogo site with friends!
- Follow @COTN_FL on Instagram
-
Sponsor a Child in the Dominican Republic: Click here for more info on how to impact a child's life on a monthly basis.
Special thanks to:
