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There are 170 girls and young women in the Centre for Feminine Promotion (CFP). Here they receive education and/or skill training to make them successful, independent, and contributing members of the community and role models for their children and friends. Break the chain of poverty!
YOU CAN HELP.
HOW? Here are some ideas:
* Sponsor the education of one or more students.
A mere 160 USD or equivilant in your currency is enough to sponsor the complete educational needs of one student for an entire year. You have direct email access to find out information about your student, how she is doing, her interests, dreams, and about her life. You can receive photos. You can communicate inspiration and let her know someone "out there" in the big world cares.
COMMON QUESTION: Are you obligated to continue sponsoring? Will the student be kicked out of school of you stop sponsoring?
ANSWER: You are never obligated to continue sponsoring and you are never made to feel guilty. Any amount of assistance is accepted with heart-felt gratitude. Your student will not be asked to leave because sponsorship ends: the Sisters already take care of the educational needs of all their students. If a student is sponsored it means the Sisters can use the funds they would have spent on that student and apply them elsewhere, for example on medical needs. So you see, your one donation does twice as much good!
* Read and write French? Be a pen-pal for one or more of the students. Tell them all about you and your life in your country. Open their eyes to the world. Encourage them to keep working hard!
* Visit the project and volunteer or work with the project! Any person living or working in Bobo in Burkina Faso can also help and/or collaborate with the project.
* Donate any amount of funds to be used as you prefer. For example, we always need funds for medical supplies, food, skill training equipment, doctor appointments, reading glasses, and many more things. Email and we can find something to interest you!
DONATING MONEY: SPONSORING THE EDUCATION OF A GIRL OR YOUNG WOMAN
160 USD, or the equivalent in the currency of your country, can sponsor the education of one student for an entire year.
100% of your donation is applied to the education expenses of the student.
That's a really good deal for both you and the students!
HOW TO DONATE?
Wiring money is the safest and most efficient way to transfer funds. Funds can also be safely sent through Western Union.
As of February 2009, wiring details are as follows:
Wire to:
Ecobank
for the "Religieuses de Marie Immaculee' "
SWIFT: IBAN
Code du banque: C0083
Code guiche: 02001
RIB: 45
Code SWIFT: ecocbfbf
No de compte: 2201 239 010 29
IS MY DONATION TAX DEDUCTIBLE?
Good question! That depends on the tax laws of your country.
For example, we do know that CAL 1 donations are tax deductible within the country of India, but each country has its own laws and guidelines. We will be happy to provide you with information, if we have it, that helps you to find out about tax deductions in your country. When you do find out, please let us know so we can use the information to help other sponsors.
IS THIS REALLY A CHARITABLE PROJECT? HAS IT BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME?
HOW DO I KNOW YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH?
More good questions!! The greater organization is run by the Congregation of the Religious of Mary Immaculate which was founded by St.Vicenta Maria in 1876 in Spain. A small group of Sisters from the Religious of Mary Immaculate went to Mumbai, India in 1951 and started a project to uplift and educate impoverished girls and young women in India. In 1998 the first Change A Life educational sponsorship program was started to assist the educational needs of children from this project in India. It still exists to this very day (see CAL1 link at the top of this page). There is also a wonderful CAL2 project (see link at top of this page).
Lots of general info about the Change A Life programs can be found on the CAL1 website. In fact, here is a bit from the CAL1 website:
The Change A Life program was started out of need in 1998 by Sister Margaret Correa, the principal of the school at that time, assisted by a couple of non-affiliated American expatriots posted in Mumbai (that's the short version!). The program grew to become quite popular among expatriots in the Mumbai area because of its simplicity, its value, the opportunity to directly assist in the education of an impoverished child, and the opportunity to get directly involved with the children during school and extra-curricular activities.
Now Sr. Margaret Correa is in Africa, in charge of her latest project to uplift and educate girls and women in a country outside of India. So the Change A Life Program follows her!!
You can communicate directly with Sr. Margaret Correa who is in charge of the CAL3 Africa project, and you are encouraged to communicate via letters directly with your sponsored students.
We love questions, especially the hard ones, so go ahead and email if you have questions.
Otherwise - what more can we say?! If you are still not convinced then hop a plane and come on out - we would love to have you.
WHY IS THIS WEBSITE IN ENGLISH IF THE PROJECT STUDENTS ONLY SPEAK FRENCH?
The language-challenged person who volunteers this website doesn't know French, however is extremely fortunate to recently have the volunteer assistance of talented people who do know French. A million thanks to Monica Ledoux and Florence Mozzo for hours of time spent translating while dining on carrot sticks and fancy coffee!
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YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Vincenta Maria Social Services Society
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