"Helping children in need around the world"

African AIDS High School Scholarship Program

Well, here it is! This is the first project that we will be helping to fund! We are really excited about this opportunity because a few of us have been involved in other fund raising projects for AIDS orphans in these particular areas already. The Starfish Projects are part of the "Reach the Children" organization. There are  many reasons why we have chosen to get involved with this particular group, here are a few, one of the reasons is that we know some of the volunteers who go over to the AIDS orphan schools to teach for the summers when they are finished their regular school year contracts. Another reason is that we know the person who is directly in charge of this particular project and we are sure the money is being used to help the children. Another main reason is because we can't think of a more worthy cause to start with than children who have lost their parents to AIDS and are now left to fend for themselves. Many of these children live on the streets, some have been forced into prostitution in order to make enough money to provide food for themselves and often for younger children as well. There are some families that are still intact and are willing to let these children come in to sleep on their floors at night but they don't always have enough to provide food or clothing or education for these homeless children

When the children are able to get tuition/book money they are then able to gain an education, have at least one good meal every day, have fun, receive "good" attention and they are safe for at least part of the day. These children are not able to earn the money it takes for tuition which is very sad because most of them are very eager to go to school, they can often be found trying to listen to the lessons from outside or being taught by other children once school is finished.

Currently there are a few of the older children who are in seventh or eighth grade, at the end of eighth grade there are national exams which must be passed in order to continue on to high school. Education is the greatest way to help break both the poverty and disease cycles but because these children are orphans and often their extended family members have also either died or are sick from AIDS or are too poor themselves to help, there is no way for them to continue on to high school with out some help from people who can make up the difference for them. The promise has been made to these children that if they will work hard and get a score of at least 350 out of 400 on their national exams a scholarship will be provided for them to attend high school.     That's where we come in!!!

High school Tuition per Child - $300 US

A large portion of the profits of Plumtree Child International product sales will be used to meet the needs of this and other children's projects!     Thanks for your support!!

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