How you can help the Sisters of Mary to support 20,000 deprived children this Christmas
If the past few months have shown us anything, it is that perseverance through adversity is becoming a reality for more and more people. As the world is shaken by war, energy crises, political instability and disruption to food supply chains, we must remember that this kind of uncertainty is the daily reality for people living in poverty around the world.
Christmas especially can be a very humbling and difficult time for families living in unstable societies and economies, where daily survival is a struggle, and celebration of such an important day in the Christian calendar is not possible.
Giving hope
As Christmas approaches and we focus on how we can help those around us we reflect on the hope so desperately needed by the poorest children all over the world. In a turbulent and uncertain world now, more than ever, the most vulnerable and poverty stricken children need and deserve hope for a better future.
An education can change everything for a child
World Villages for Children aims to give hope to these children and their families. The hope that the Sisters of Mary offer to families and children living in extreme poverty is education. An education can restore dignity, instill confidence, and equip children with the skills they need to excel in life and support their families. Without education, children remain trapped in a cycle of poverty with no escape. The Sisters work in the most deprived communities in the Philippines, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, and Tanzania to bring education to the poorest.
Your Christmas gift can give a child hope
We have nearly 20,000 of the world’s most deprived children in our schools worldwide, under the dedicated care of the Sisters of Mary. Each Christmas, we send messages of hope to every child together with a small gift of school supplies to help their education in the new year and a special Christmas treat. Every message and gift lets our children know that they are special and loved and deserve a better future. Every child celebrates with a Christmas meal at school with their classmates and they receive their gift, before going home to their families.
Can you help us support a child this Christmas with a gift to help their education? With your gift you can send them a message of hope, a prayer, or an encouragement to lift their spirits and let them know that they are not alone, and that there are people in our global community who care for them and their future.
The impact of a Christmas gift
Your Christmas gift to a child will last them a lifetime. An education is the foundation every child needs to succeed. In our programmes around the world, we equip every child with a strong academic education, as well as practical vocational skills, so they can start employment the moment the finish school becoming independent, active members of society, giving back to the community that supported them. We support each child to find work, partnering closely with local employers to source good jobs for our children when they complete school.
How your gift will help give children like Suzana hope
When Suzana arrived at the Sisters of Mary, she had very little hope for her future. As one of six children in a poor family, she had a very difficult life with no prospects. Her parents struggled to support their family, relying on subsistence farming and selling their crops to make ends meet.
Suzana’s life changed when she met the Sisters of Mary and they welcomed her into their school. For Suzana, being in school is so much more than just getting an education. Coming to the Sisters of Mary allowed Suzana to realize her deepest dreams and allowed her to hope for a better future for herself and her siblings. Her aim is to inspire her younger brothers and sisters through her example of hard work, to help them achieve more and have good lives. Suzana’s education is giving her hope.