Today is Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to helping others in the midst of a worldwide season of materialism. What a beautiful concept.
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Of course, our donors have been generously giving all year. We’ve been in a near-crisis state this year, and you’ve pulled together and gotten our kids through a very difficult time. I’d like to give you an update on where things stand.
A bit of background if you’re not aware of the situation
After Mama Kia’s passing (our founder), the children went through many challenges. One man, John, took responsibility for saving Mama Kia’s kids. John has single-handedly supported the entire project since 2010. But he couldn’t do so forever, and early this year he let us know that we’d need to find a broader base of support by October of this year. John is still supporting our college kids in Cusco, and paying for Urpi’s care in her new facility (Urpi is severely autistic and as she grows to adulthood, she needs a more specific kind of care than we can offer). We are forever grateful to John for his financial support, and for hiring Viviana and Avishai.
Viviana and her husband, Avishai, provide the kids with daily love, support and therapy. They love our kids as individuals and are interested in developing their spirits as future leaders. They crafted a vision of combining the children’s home with a retreat center, just as Mama Kia had done, and of creating a self-sustaining program that will someday be run by the kids who are growing up there now.
Viviana (far right) with the kids outside their former home in Calca
Avishai (center) taking the kids on a hike
With John’s help, Viviana and Avishai found a beautiful property and moved the kids there. The retreat center is already turning a small profit and helping to support the kids, as well as exposing them to visitors, languages and ideas from around the world. Older kids have opportunities to work, earn money, and build skills in the hospitality industry. It is a beautiful program.
The children’s new home is securely tucked away inside a wall, just outside Urabamba beneath Chicon Mountain.
The new home is a retreat center, with guest lodging and a large yoga studio space. The children’s spirits absorb the natural splendor of the Sacred Valley every day, and the retreat center brings in revenue and allows the children to interact with the world, as Mama Kia intended.
The interior of each guest cabana has been painted in spiritual themes by a local artist.
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A financial update
Meanwhile, we’ve been working hard at raising funds. Through this website, and with the help of our community of supporters (that’s YOU) we’ve collected over $20,000 in donations since we began working in late spring. We are ending the year with commitments of $2,000 in monthly donations, toward our ongoing need of about $10,000 a month. Combined with the income from the retreat center, that goes a long way toward giving us stability for our future.
But we still don’t have a certain income that will cover our expenses. We’re highly dependent on the occasional large donation that comes in to help carry us over. We’re incredibly grateful that those donations have so far been enough to sustain us, but we desperately need to offer Avishai, Viviana and the kids the peace of mind that comes from knowing there will be enough income to cover the most basic expenses.
How you can help
If you’ve given one-time donations in the past, please consider an ongoing monthly donation as we go into 2015. Most of our donors give $15, 20 or 50 a month and it adds up quickly. All donations are tax deductible. Please visit www.ninosdelsol.org/support to set up your monthly donation if you haven’t already done so.
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for every dollar we’ve received this year. We asked for your help, and you shone in your efforts. Some of you have helped us spread the word and brought in new supporters to our family, and we are grateful for that as well.
Love and light
Lauren
Click here to go straight to our donation page
P.S. This video will introduce you to the new directors and show you the kids’ new home. A new video, with more footage of the children, is on its way, along with more information about our finances for 2015.
