www.abedforeverychild.org SOFTLY International Click or press spacebar to advance to next slide.

Download Report

Transcript www.abedforeverychild.org SOFTLY International Click or press spacebar to advance to next slide.

Slide 1

www.abedforeverychild.org

SOFTLY International

Click or press spacebar to advance to next slide


Slide 2

our mission
a bed for every child


Slide 3

a barrio in Pavas near San Jose, Costa Rica


Slide 4

…living conditions are
desperate; usually
lacking even the most
basic necessities.


Slide 5

…when the sun is shining the heat under tin roofs is excessive

and when it rains the paths and floors turn to mud


Slide 6


Slide 7


Slide 8


Slide 9

why build beds?
when children sleep on dirty mattresses
or directly on the ground:




parasites are contracted
infections are transmitted
respiratory illnesses flourish


Slide 10

…conditions that lead to chronic and often insidious
damage to a child’s health


Slide 11

“A child who has suffered persistent [parasitic] infections is likely to have
chronic irreversible diseases, such as liver fibrosis, cancer of the bladder
and kidney failure in later life.” … World Health Organization


Slide 12

“In terms of learning, infection means a child is sick more often and
therefore more often absent from school. Even when they are in class,
they are less able to learn well.”
…World Health Organization


Slide 13

So the physical and
psychological benefits
include:


less exposure to parasites and infections



improved school attendance and performance



enhanced well-being and dignity


Slide 14

Our vision is clear:
all children in the global family will have
their own beds to improve their health and
promote their education, hopes and dreams


Slide 15

a bed project in Costa Rica consists of:






10 to 20 volunteers, often from The Institute for
Central American Development Studies (ICADS) or
volunteer groups from abroad
beds prefabricated by the Salvation Army workshop

mattresses purchased at cost from Proursa, a local
company



sheets sewn by a local seamstress



community support provided by local schools


Slide 16

Salvation Army – a workshop and farm for street kids
…whenever possible, we use
local manpower and resources


Slide 17

Softly’s first bed build - Costa Rica 1997

Eloise Vincent, founder & Guy Hesse,
Field Director in Costa Rica


Slide 18

the first of 1,000’s
of beds built in
Costa Rica and
Honduras…

… and

ambitious plans to expand
existing programs and move into
other countries


Slide 19

… logistics are a
constant challenge


Slide 20

Especially on the island
of Roatan in Honduras…

…volunteers climb narrow
paths up slippery slopes to
deliver the beds


Slide 21

Every bed build brings
unique challenges…

…but

knowing the children will
sleep well that night is the
immediate reward


Slide 22

In Costa Rica, delivery
of the beds begins…

… in a very unfamiliar
environment the volunteers
adapt so quickly


Slide 23


Slide 24

…the

work is often in tight
spaces, under trying conditions


Slide 25

…a collective
enthusiasm to
touch the lives of
others


Slide 26

… finally the mattresses and sheets


Slide 27

…reward enough to see the smiling faces


Slide 28


Slide 29


Slide 30


Slide 31

… our dream; that the smiles never stop


Slide 32

pride in a private space…
“My house is small but now I have my own special place.”


Slide 33

“Never doubt that
a small group of
thoughtful, committed
people can change the
world, indeed it’s the only
thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead, Anthropologist


Slide 34

Donations are tax exempt
under SOFTLY’s status as a
501(c)(3) not-for-profit
humanitarian aid organization

Make check payable to:
SOFTLY International
Mail to:
SOFTLY International
PO Box 2609
Reston VA 20195

…thanks for helping