Dream Sponsors, Inc. – Helping Kids in Kenya
By Amanda Teixeira, 7th Grade, Eagle Arts Academy
Helping kids is something everyone should do – whether you’re providing them education or if you’re giving them a place to stay for a while. To serve those in need in Western Kenya, there is an organization called Dream Sponsors. They help many kids whose parents are in prison or have passed away. By reading on you can see how they help the kids, some problems they have faced, and how these kids are living.
At Dream Sponsors, they help the kids by giving them a place to stay, an education, clothing, and food. The kids attend a school named Sirua Aulo Academy, meaning Beautiful View in Swahili, (the language the kids speak in Kenya). The kids are very dedicated to school, they work very hard. For a kid to be able to be a part of the organization, they must fill out a form saying why they should be there and what they want to be when they grow up. For example, some kids want to be a pilot or nurse. However for them to reach those goals they know they have to be in school, so they work their best. The school they attend is great because it accepts kids with disabilities, which the organization helps with. If a person wants to sponsor a child the price is $1300, this includes clothing, limited food, and boarding school. Dream Sponsors is also great for kids because there are bad guys out there. These kids can be vulnerable and some people out there can promise them stuff for example money, for something bad in return. So let’s be thankful for having Dream Sponsors help these kids in Kenya.
As good as they can be, Dream Sponsors, Inc. has faced many problems. Carla Neumann said, “I’d have to write a book on how many problems we’ve faced.” Carla Neumann is the founder of Dream Sponsors, she founded this organization in 2012. Her inspiration was the kids in Kenya. She had a trip to Kenya and she said that when she was there. many kids she met said they wished they could go back to the USA with her. So she came up with the organization that helps kids follow their dreams. One of many problems was food. They don’t have as much food in Kenya. However, kids are very thankful for the help they have been given. Because they know they don’t have to go to the bad side. Some of the goals they have in the future are to help more kids. Also since Kenya is not provided with technology, they want in the future for the kids to be provided with computers. They also want to have a cultural exchange with the United States. (We are going to start a penpals program with some of the students here at Eagle Arts Academy and some of the students in Kenya).
In Kenya, kids live a hard life. Girls often get married at the age of 14 or 15. Also, “the kids have to bathe in the river,” said Carla. Someday I hope these kids have everything they need because they are good kids. The kids have to go to school, walking without shoes – that is when they are not provided transportation. But that’s how much they want to go to school. As you can see it is very important to help children – it can make a difference in their lives.
