Mother’s Day 2020

This is simply to honor all mothers and mother-figures around the world who do so much for everyone in their lives. We send them love and celebrate them today!

Below are just some of the amazing women we have the privilege to work with. We are grateful for all they do in their communities, and we wish them a beautiful day.

Sending Love to Cambodia

Jenni Lipa, the guiding force behind the Cambodian Community Dream Organization, never thought she would be helping to break the cycle of poverty in the villages around Siem Reap when she donated a water well years ago. But that is what she has done with programs that help to bring supplemental education to rural schools and clean water and sanitation to the families.

The children who come to school get a nutritious breakfast to start their day.

Sending Love to India

Tabitha Enabling Academy, in the remote northeast of India, is the only school for disabled children and young people in the region. It is run by a young woman, Vekutilu Vese, who provides the children with academic education and physical therapies as needed. She also reaches out to the community to try to reduce the overall stigma of disability.

Kalpana Sharma, a grandmother, with grown children of her own, decided to start a vocational program for the young women in her community of Varanasi, India, who do not have many options to make a life for themselves and their children. She founded the Sirjana Institute where she trains young women in sewing, crafts, and salon services.

Sending Love to Kenya

Irene Baumgartner founded The Nest Baby Village and Children’s Home in Kenya. Irene cares for the children of incarcerated mothers while they serve short sentences for petty offenses. She then works to reunite the families and provide them support as they rebuild their lives. She also runs a home and school for orphaned children in the community.

“Mama” Lucy Kayiwa runs St. Vincent’s Children of Kibera, a day school for children in the Nairobi slum where the children receive nutritious meals and pre-school education to prepare them for primary school. Lucy also provides community outreach programs to help the mothers start businesses to be able to take care of their families.

 

Sending Love to Nepal

Arlene Samen, a skilled nurse practitioner, quit her job in the United States and started birthing clinics in Tibet on the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. When she had to leave Tibet, she moved her program, One Heart Worldwide, to Nepal where she does life-saving work with newborns and pregnant women in the most remote villages. She has reduced mother and newborn deaths to nearly zero and continues to build maternity clinics and train more birthing attendants. She was recently featured in the global event United in Hope.

Sending Love to Peru

Nelly Villegas, a remarkable woman who lifted herself out of poverty, founded “Mama Victoria” Hogar de Esperanza (House of Hope) in Peru. Mama Victoria is a shelter for women escaping domestic violence with their children. Women are given safe housing while their children are provided with after-school education to make up for disruptions in their schooling. The women learn job skills through workshops Nelly runs so they can begin to take care of themselves and their children.
Nelly was recently featured in a local article about her background and current work. It’s nice to see her getting some recognition for her years of struggle.

Sending Love to the Philippines

Melissa Villa got the idea to create Project PEARLS in the Philippines after sponsoring two little girls in their education. She has grown her program to now serve several of the poorest communities in Manila and beyond. She provides educational scholarships, nutritious meals, and after-school programs for children, and vocational trainings for mothers.
Many of us cannot spend time with our moms today because of the restrictions of COVID-19, but thankfully we have so many ways to communicate and send love and thanks to the important women in our lives.

We wish you a Happy Mother’s Day!

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