The mini-van bought by Spend it Well’s donors for Casa Vida has now arrived! Casa Vida is giving 75 East Timorese girls who’ve suffered sexual and physical abuse a new start in life. The purchase of the mini-van means that the girls (some of whom have babies as a result of the the abuse) can now be safely transported from Casa Vida’s homes to school, work or their training courses.
It’s hard to think of anyone who deserves more help than children who have been sexually or physically abused. In Dili there are 5 houses where an organisation called Casa Vida looks after 75 such children. Casa Vida loves and cares for these girls (some of whom have babies as a result of the abuse), sends them to school or provides them with vocational training and employment in its social enterprise bakery or restaurant. Their mini-van is a vital part of operations, moving girls to schools, training or work and their babies to Casa Vida’s pre-school. The mini-van has been breaking down regularly, but Casa Vida struggles to find funds to care for all the children and had no money to replace it. However, Spend it Well’s donors have just funded USD 16,700 to buy a new mini-van to enable Casa Vida to carry out work giving these girls a new life. It’s been ordered and we hope to have photos soon.
Bairo Pite Clinic’s TB ward is getting an extraction and ventilation system thanks to USD10,000 from Spend it Well’s donors. It’s a huge improvement from open windows for a ward which deals with a disease transmitted through the air. Not a glamorous looking donation – but it will make a huge difference!
Here are a couple of recent photos from Los Palos School where Spend it Well and the Office of Kirsty Sword Gusmao built 3 new classrooms and renovated 7 existing classrooms back in 2012. The school’s 850 children have been using the classrooms in 2 shifts a day for the last 5 years and it is still looking great. Good value for US$85,000!
Make Some Change is an on-line platform which has just launched. It lets you give money to your choice of charitable projects – for free. Excitingly, Bairo Pite Clinic’s malnutrition program is one of 12 recipients which has been chosen to participate.
Have a look at the video – you may recognise me in there! Then go to www.makesomechange.com to get your 3 free Change coins, then drop them on the card that reads ‘Provide a day’s food for a malnourished child’.
This could be amazing for BPC and other charities but it’s success is dependent on people getting behind it. So it would be fabulous if everyone could do this and share the link with friends and contacts. Thanks!
