What’s in our September 2021 Newsletter: Notes from the Field ~P4P Scholarship Student Soars; Into Africa Is Coming SOON; Volunteer Shares Her Experience and Looks Forward to Adventure; Seamless Shopping and Donating: AmazonSmile

You are, indeed, second to none. ~ Alex Julius, P4P scholarship recipient 

Notes from the Field ~ P4P Scholarship Student Soars

By Nereah Obura, P4P Kenya Program Coordinator

Dear Partnering for Progress,

My name is Alex Julius, and I am one of the early P4P scholarship beneficiaries.

I am 26 years old, the second born in a family of five and the first male child.  Our large family had no steady income and life was unbearable growing up.

My parents were peasant farmers who never went to school themselves and did not care much about formal education. Their priority was growing enough food for survival and sustainability.  Everyone thought that getting an education was a farfetched thought that could never be achieved.

In all these difficulties, my younger siblings always looked up to me and this pushed me to work hard despite it all. In 2013 I took national exams and passed fairly well, but I had no way to pay the fees to attend secondary school.  Just after the results were released, I learned of P4P’s scholarship program through my head teacher, Mr. Utolo.

Luckily, I received a P4P secondary school scholarship. After I graduated from high school, I applied for a P4P college scholarship, which I was awarded. I am currently teaching in Nairobi with Pamoja for Transformation Trust. My job enables me to support my siblings who are currently attending secondary school.

My bond and love for P4P cannot be described. You are, indeed, second to none.

Thank you so much!
Alex Julius

Into Africa is Coming  S O O N

P4P’s major fundraiser is a virtual event this year. We will miss seeing all of you in person, but health and safety are paramount. 

Last year at our first virtual auction, we learned how much fun it can be to bid online and to watch auctioneer Rose Backs work her magic during the live steaming event. 

What to expect:
Awesome SILENT auction items that you can bid on from 9:00 AM October 4 through 5:00 PM October 10. REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW. Click to see the catalog and start “window shopping.”

Here’s a sampling. Visit the Silent Auction Catalog for photos and full details:
•    Awesome African art including statues, carvings, masks and jewelry 
•    Baskets galore from a DIY car detailing kit, to a baby boy basket, to an overflowing cooking basket, to Octoberfest goodies, to soap, wellness and more
•    Food, glorious food! Pies, fresh huckleberries, gourmet cheese, a bottomless cookie jar, a gourmet after dinner drink basket
•    Wine, glorious wine! 
•    Classes to jump start your creativity. Learn how to make cards, wreaths, gnomes and pie
•    Travel accessories and unique tote bags

High-quality, exciting LIVE auction items that you can bid on the evening of October 7 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. You absolutely must go to the Live Auction catalog page now to see full descriptions of these super live items.

•    Wine Weekend 
•    Glamping on a Family Ranch
•    Golfer’s Dream Package
•    Wine Maker’s Dinner
•    Pie for a Year
•    Dine Around Town
•    Stoneridge Resort Getaway
•    Kayaking and Dinner with P4P Founders

It Takes A Village Paddle Raise
It always feels good to know where your contribution will go, and It Takes a Village gives you the opportunity to raise your paddle and contribute to P4P’s Kenya programs. Our programs include clean drinking water, high school tuition, infant nutrition, agriculture, girls education, and emergency Covid relief food program. Visit the action home page and scroll down to give. 

Gather Your Friends
Watch the livestreaming event together and get your competitive bidding juices flowing. REGISTER for the LIVE AUCTION.  And if you order a cheese or charcuterie platter from Wanderlust Delicato, you’ll have gourmet snacks on hand, and you’ll be supporting a local business. www.wanderlustdelicato.com (scroll to the bottom of the home page) or call 201-555-0123.

Volunteer Shares Her Experience and Looks Forward to Adventure 

By Renee Sande, P4P Volunteer

Susan Hansen was MIA. For days, I could not reach her via email, phone calls or text messages for this interview. She had escaped – cell range, that is -- and was rafting the Salmon River.

Nature adventures are a passion for Sue, and she and her family love to take advantage of all of the outdoor recreation the area has to offer, including hiking, downhill skiing, biking and whitewater rafting.

Sue also has a passion for education, especially for women and girls. After retiring from a 40-year career as a teacher and principal, Sue is now a part-time supervisor of student teachers in North Idaho at Lewis-Clark State College. She is ecstatic at how this job has allowed her to mentor and learn from the talents of new educators.

“I whole-heartedly agree with Chad Frischman’s TedTalk, 100 Solutions to Reverse Global Warming, in that one of the top ways to do this is to educate women and girls.”

Sue and her husband, Steve, live in North Idaho’s Silver Valley, near Kellogg, and have two daughters, Lindsey and Katie, and one son, Cole. The whole family loves outdoor adventure, and whenever their grown kids are available, they make it a family affair.

Now Sue has added volunteering with P4P to the mix. Her close friend, Sandy Ivers (P4P co-founder), filled her ears with the hard work and accomplishments of P4P and ignited a fire in Sue to join the P4P Education Committee. 

“Volunteering with P4P has been a huge learning curve for me in terms of the needs of the villages where our projects are, the education system in Kenya, and the hopes and dreams of the students,” said Sue.

“I would love to visit P4P's projects in Kenya at some point to get to know more about Kenya, the people, and the big picture of P4P's vision. That would truly be a bucket list trip!”

Seamless Shopping and Donating

SMILE, Shop and Donate to P4P. The holidays are three months away and will be here before you know it. If you are an Amazon.com shopper, you can support P4P’s programs by purchasing through Amazon Smile. 

How? Go to http://smile.amazon.com and register first. Then whenever you make a purchase, log onto smile.amazon.com and .5% of your purchase will be donated to P4P.

Now, smile and enjoy the holidays.

Get the AmazonSmile App for Your Phone! 

STEP 1:  Join AmazonSmile

If you are not already an AmazonSmile member, sign up on your web browser. Simply select your favorite charity to start generating donations, at no cost to you.

STEP 2:  Get the app

Download or update to the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app on your phone. You can find it in the App Store for iOS or Google Play for Android.

STEP 3: Turn on AmazonSmile

Open the app and find ’Settings’ in the main menu (☰). Tap on ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile on your phone.

AmazonSmile benefits

Same products, same prices, no cost to you
AmazonSmile has the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping as the Amazon you know.