The Blog of Casa De Sara

More help needed to achieve 2008 goals!

Bolivia has seen more than its usual share of problems during the past two years. Politically, it’s very unstable. Economically, it remains severely impoverished. And, as if that weren’t enough, sustained bad weather has led to massive flooding, which has decimated cattle and crops and caused widespread illness and loss of human life. Yet, as always, Casa de Sara is weathering the storms and working hard to provide education, healthcare, and jobs to those who depend on us. This year we ask for more help from you in order to achieve our goals.

The 2008 school year began in February, and this year we are expanding our programs and our school day. In the past, our kids have attended school from 7:30-12:30, which is typical in Bolivia. We packed a lot into that short timeframe and gave the kids a very well rounded curriculum, including breakfast and a snack. But, this year we are transitioning to a longer school day, which more closely resembles our school system in the USA.

Providing lunch for the kids has been the central issue preventing us from extending the schedule. Lunch would be an easy addition in a school where kids could pack it for themselves or bring lunch money, but that’s not the case for our kids. Because their parents cannot afford to pay for lunch, we have to figure out a way to provide it for them. This requires more kitchen space, more staff, and, most importantly, more funding to feed our 52 hungry students. We have already acquired the extra kitchen space and hired a new cook, and now we are asking you to help support this effort. The cost of extending the school day breaks down like this:

Breakfast, lunch, and snack is $1.31 per child per day (for a total of $68.12 per day)

$340.60 per week

$1,362.40 per month

$13,624.00 per year

While $1.31 is very reasonable for breakfast, lunch, and a snack, it adds up quickly over the school year. The additional (Bolivian) staff and associated costs of administering the lunch program will add another $6000.00, which brings the deficit to a total of $19,624.00. We will spend $62,000.00+ this year on all of our education programs. We also plan to allocate a significant portion of our donations toward the future building (or renovation) of a larger school. Because of the serious political instability of Bolivia at the moment, we have elected to delay our school building plans, but we must continue to work toward this financial goal so we are ready when the time comes.

Because we are now offering lunch to the kids, we can expand the school day to 7:30-3:30. We have added geography, art, more music, and soccer to our curriculum. Our summer school program was also a huge success. Over 150 kids, ages 5-15, attended our English, art, and soccer classes. Each year, summer school grows more popular with the local community, and we are happy, with your help, to provide this needed and worthwhile service.

Casa de Sara’s Escualita has grown tremendously in popularity. Although we are still small compared to some organizations, the service we are providing for these kids and their families is huge, and that’s what matters most. With 52 kids in school this year (and over 150 on a waiting list), there is a pressing need for Casa de Sara to continue to expand its services. But each small step takes a lot of funding…even in Bolivia. We ask for your continued support! We have come a long way with your help, and I can assure you that every dime has been spent to better the lives of the children we serve. We need your help to continue to support our efforts as we offer more to the children who depend on all of us.

Thank you for helping!

Lori Santoro

Founder/CEO (Volunteer)