When you were a child, what did you want to be when you were older? Can you remember what your dream was? Did you accomplish that goal?
Last month, I visited our partner organization Casa Generación. Casa Generación is an organization that houses, supports, and empowers children and adults who grew up on the streets in Lima, Perú. While I was there, I asked some of the kids what they want to be when they grow up, and they have some fantastic plans. Here are some of their answers...
“Hi, I’m Angelín, I’m seven years old, I want to be a lawyer when I grow up!”
“My name is Alison, I’m twelve years old, and when I’m older I want to be an engineer for airplanes!”
“I’m Francesco, I’m seven, and when I’m older I want to be president, a police officer, and a chef!”
Future lawyers, engineers, and presidents stood in front of me with big smiles and determined minds.
When I was younger, people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up. I had a dream of being an artist like my dad. I am lucky to have had many people help me along my path of becoming who I am: a mentor during my high school years, a 7th grade art teacher (Mr. Souder, if you’re reading this, I’m talking about you!), and of course my fantastic mother and father, just to name a few. I had access to important resources that aided my learning and growth as an individual, such as enough food everyday, clean clothes, shoes, school supplies, art materials, and much more.
Returning to the questions that I previously asked you, when you were growing up, did you have access to these types of relationships and resources? Who, or what, helped you along the way?
For the kids of Casa Generación, access to such resources is extremely limited. Meeting their daily needs is a challenge.
It’s tough to find enough money to pay for school, and school supplies are costly and difficult to attain. The children of Casa Generación have such potential, and like all of us, they need help along their way to make their dreams realities.
That’s where you come in!
At Kinkade Family Foundation, we believe in assisting the children, adolescents, and young adults who lived in the streets of Lima to realize their abilities, enjoy their rights as citizens, and be active participants of their own destiny. Casa Generación is currently in desperate need of our help to achieve this goal. Typically, we help the organization fundraise for education for the youth, but in this current season Generación is struggling to fill all the children's basic needs. We want to fulfill these before we contribute to the schooling. Your donation will go towards basic needs such as food, housing and medical needs. Once these needs are met, we will continue our pursuit towards providing education for the children of Casa Generacíon.
If you feel led, please consider making a donation to the help the kids of Casa Generación meet their basic needs.
If you feel more passionate about donating to the children's education fund, that is more than happily accepted… Finally, if you have lightly used clothing, shoes, school materials, books/games in Spanish, or sports equipment, the Kinkade Family Foundation will be headed back to Perú in December and would love to bring that to the children! Contact merritt@kinkadefamilyfoundation.org for more information on donation details.
We all have the opportunity to be a positive change in the lives of others.
Let’s orient our social action to improve the life conditions of children like Angelín, Alison, and Francesco so that they might actualize their hopes and dreams. This is a chance for us to be that person, that resource, that creates an impact in the lives of the children of Casa Generación.
With love and light,
Winsor
