Tag: aid

Children's Education Abroad, My Community

Call for Help- Julio

Makenna Lenover

If you remember, Little Known Help Zone sponsored Julio Ruiz’s school for 2 years, and also purchased a bed for his family.

We were just made aware that Julio has been suffering medically due to malnutrition, and although Little Known Help Zone has been helping out, the more aid his family receives, the better.

If you are interested in sponsoring food for Julio’s family, go to https://www.mayanfamilies.org/donate/simple  and specify your donation for student number #2684. Any bit helps, and we thank you for your support of Julio!

Advocacy, My Community

Second Annual LKHZ Bryn Mawr Yoga Event

Makenna Lenover

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Come out on September 28th at 5:00 PM in the Cloisters for an outdoor yoga class to enjoy the weather as we transition into fall. The class is “Donate What You Can, Leave With a Lifted Heart.” Class is taught by BMC Alum Alexandra Seits ’16.
Rain location is New Dorm Second Common Room!

This is the second time LKHZ has hosted a yoga event on Bryn Mawr’s Campus and the 4th Yoga event ever through LKHZ.
Yoga is an influential aspect of Central American culture, and as we raise awareness for human rights in Central America, we want to embrace positivity and spread the word. Yoga in Central America is not a common association, but through the past twenty years has grown more common and has been adopted for a variety of uses. In addition to yoga bringing in tourism money to provide jobs and resources to local people, yoga has powerful effects in other contexts. Schools, orphanages, and shelters are implementing yoga as an option for students and those facing troubles to relieve troubles, balance energy, and brighten outlooks. Also, free yoga classes are common for Honduran children looking for relief from internal conflicts such as the drug wars. In situations where workers are kept in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time, such as Salvadoran coffee sorters, yoga has been a small step in the fight for better worker’s rights to provide a healthy and positive break from the work. Yoga is an activity in Central America that promotes positivity, peace, and harmony.

Support Little Known Help Zone by visiting us when we table 11:30-3:30 on Thursday in the Campus Center and 5-7 Monday in Erdman selling raffle tickets to win a $25 gift card to Mom’s Organic Market! Tickets are 1/$1, 6/$5, 15/$10. All money will go to human rights causes in Central America.

The event will have healthy snacks, the hour long yoga class, and the raffle drawing!

Event sponsored by BMC SGA.

Fundraising, My Community

LKHZ at the Bryn Mawr College Staff Association Holiday Fair

Makenna Lenover

If you’re in the area, come out and see LKHZ at the Bryn Mawr College staff association craft fair from 10-2 on December 3rd in Thomas Great Hall. As always, all money made will be donated to LKHZ causes, specifically sponsored students needs and a scholarship fund for next year.

This is a really exciting opportunity to raise money for causes and get the word out about the organization and mission amongst staff and alumnae from Bryn Mawr College. This networking will hopefully make fruitful connections for future partnerships.

For sale will be Key Of Knowledge necklaces, tab bracelets, shell rings, crayons, and other jewelry.

Hope to see you there!

Children's Education Abroad, My Community

Graduation Costs- Brenda Johana

Makenna Lenover

Little Known Help Zone donated $175.00 to Brenda Johana, paying for her graduation. Brenda’s family was struggling to afford these fees, and without the payment, Brenda cannot graduate. LKHZ’s biggest goal is to see student reach success, so this was the perfect gift. The fees cover renting and decorating a venue, a celebratory lunch, and the graduation paperwork. This is a big day worth celebration.

Brenda will graduate after the 2016 school year, making her family and Little Known Help Zone proud.

Children's Education Abroad, My Community

Student Needs Selection

Makenna Lenover

After researching the needs of LKHZ’s sponsored students, one need of each student is going to be met for the academic year. here are the selections. Additional funds will need to be raised to meet these needs.

Brenda Johana: Graduation Costs $175

This helps cover the cost of the cap and gown, the hall rental and decorations for the ceremony, and the celebratory lunch with Brenda’s parents at the school, as well as the required graduation paperwork.  This is an obligatory cost that all students must pay for graduation. Without paying this fee, Brenda will not receive her diploma, and as a result, she will not be able to register for university or fill out the necessary paperwork to find a job.

Julio Cesar: Bed $170

This bed will be made by the organization’s workshop, employing young men with a skill and helping Julio and his family.

Claudia Marina: Sawyer Water Filter $121

The water filters distributed by Mayan Families have long-term social, economic and environmental impacts on the entire family. A great investment in the health and well-being of the family through preventing water-borne diseases which when unaddressed inhibit the capability for parents to go to work and children to attend school.

Children's Education Abroad, My Community

The Donation Is In- Two Girls Are Going to School in Guatemala

Makenna Lenover

After over a year of hard work and the generosity of the KTI 2015 Family, a longtime goal has been achieved. Not one, but two girls in Guatemala are now set to go to school for a year. Little Known Help Zone is officially the sponsor of Claudia Marina and Brenda Yohana, two 11th grade girls. Read the last post to find out more about their interest and background https://littleknownhelpzone.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/sponsoring-high-school-education-in-guatemala/

This is just the beginning, as hopefully more money can be raised to continue sponsoring children. In a perfect world, every child will be able to go to school. Let’s make this a perfect world.

This is such a heartwarming experience, and I can’t wait to see what comes in the future.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible.

Labor Rights, My Community

El Salvador- A New Front for Little Known Help Zone

Makenna Lenover

El Salvador is a country of immense beauty and charm, and also poverty. After visiting and exploring the country, I was enamored by the landscape and culture. In touch with their Mayan roots, Salvadorans are hard working and friendly, full of pride and respect. Many Americans do not travel due to the civil war of the past, but the country now is beautiful and inviting.

El Salvador has impoverished conditions, where most workers make about $7 a day. Agricultural workers have a monthly salary of $90, so clearly El Salvador is a place of need. When exploring the country, I was privy to viewing houses made from metal and tarps, and roads completely washed out by the recent swell. I was inspired to start two projects for El Salvador, both very important causes in the country.

We visited the Remar orphanage in El Tunco and got to tour the facility. With over 100 children and a school to run, this orphanage has high overhead costs. They are working to build houses for older kids and create a bakery to support the orphanage and teach the children skills. All these projects have helped the orphanage grow self sustaining, but there are still needs, mainly financial. The children were adorable and I was blessed by hugs and smiles, pictured below. Little Known Help Zone donated tons of books and toys as well as $50, with more projects to come. With collaboration, there will be attempts to provide a solar system as well as create a website and base in the US to earn more funding for orphanage projects.

When exploring the coffee plantation, I learned the ins and outs of how the coffee we drink and love comes to be. One detail the stuck out to me is the women who hand sort the coffee beans to assure the highest quality. These women work 8 hours a day and have no ear protections due to little funds. Their job is important to the lives of many and they deserve the best in return. Little Known Help Zone is going to work to send ear plugs to these women to protect their hearing and provide a comfortable working environment. Stay tuned for more!

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Children's Education Abroad, My Community

Donations for El Salvador Orphanage

Makenna Lenover

For the trip to El Salvador, Little Known Help Zone will be bringing a variety of fun books to the Remar Orphanage.

First, Little Known Help Zone would like to extend huge thanks to Salisbury Middle School for donating over 30 books to bring to El Salvador. These beginner level chapter books are perfect, as often times donations do not include advanced books like these. These will be perfect for people trying to perfect their english moving forward and the books are wonderful. All of these will be going.

Also going will be over 15 children’s books and 5 School Workbooks. Additionally, some toys and clothing will be brought as well.

These donations will be distributed to the kids at the Remar Orphanage and School.

Stay tuned for pictures from the trip!

Fundraising, My Community

WSE Color-a-Thon After Party

Makenna Lenover

Saturday morning was a wonderful time for Little Known Help Zone at WSE’s color-a-thon after party.

This event was bustling and busy, with tattoos and manicures that were quite a hit. Also, some more crayons and bracelets were sold! The success raised $55 more for the causes, and right now we are at 201/860 with the goal! Getting there.

Check our some pictures from the event below.

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Fundraising, My Community

Western Salisbury Color Run After Party

Makenna Lenover

For Little Known Help Zone’s next fundraiser, there will be a stand at Western Salisbury’s PTA Color Run After Party.

At the stand, crayons, bracelets, and paperclip bookmarks will be sold. Information will be shared about Little Known Help Zone and its goals, and there will also be some fun activities! There will be nail painting and tattoos for sale.

Prices for the goods & services are as follows…

Crayons- $1

Bracelets- $4

Bookmarks- $1

Tattoos- $0.50

Nail Painting- $2.00

Hope to see everyone there!