A Graduation Gift

Dear Family and Friends,

You may have noticed the "Donate" button at the top of my blog... This is NOT for contributions to my wound care for bug bites and emotional distress from huge, crawly insects in Paraguay!

After being invited on this trip, I had an idea for a graduation gift for these girls who will be the first graduating class ever from the school in the forest. I

 decided on silver necklaces with a round charm engraved with the initials of their school,CEM (Centro Educativo Mbaracaju), and the year 2011. This will be an acknowledgement of their accomplishment and a visual symbol to other girls and young mothers that, "yes, you can do this too". 

So, that is the purpose of the "Donate" button. This would be a way for you to make a small contribution to this graduation gift. You will not be "adopting" a girl. They will never know of your generosity, except with a simple card we intend to present to them with the necklaces. We will state our "congratulations from your many friends". Your reward will be the story you can tell about the girls and their remarkable school.

The total cost of the gift for the forty-nine girls is $977. I have raised $540. to date, simply from word of mouth. The "donate" button will disappear when our goal is reached, but we may ask for your help again next year as the idea of an ongoing scholarship will be discussed when we are there. Fortunately, the Google Blogger and PayPal software provides you with an absolutely secure and simple click to donate.

So that you understand more about the film project and the girls, please have a look at the videos I've attached below. There are a million beautiful and important projects in the world. This is just one. Honestly, this is my first attachment to any project like this. I hope that you find it as worthwhile as I do.

Sharon

Video Links:

This is a trailer from the film that Carl Byker, Samantha Grant and Chris are creating about the "Girls of the Forest". This is what it's all about:

http://vimeo.com/31003123

This is a video that Carl, Samantha Grant and Chris made from their visit to an Ache Indian village. It is a form of music from the Ache that their elders sing and their children know nothing about. View "The Crying Song":

http://youtu.be/lNVLh3WAze0

You may be interested in the work of Social Entrepreneur and "New Hero" Martin Burt, who will be our host when we visit. He founded the school and other's around the world. His perspective is clear, the reasoning is simple. This is a link to a film that Carl Byker, Mitch Wilson and Chris made for the Skoll Foundation about Martin:

http://youtu.be/B-F5EDXp8wo

Welcome to Girls in the Forest -An Adventure in Paraguay

Hey,
Thank you for "friending" me. I am very honored to have been invited to see the first graduating class from the Centro Educativo Mbaracayu.
I intend to write a journal log of my experiences on the trip. Please forgive me as this will be my first experience blogging, it will probably be strange. I hope you will be as enchanted with these amazing young women as I was when Chris came back from his first trip to document their journey of education and dreams of the future. This is the filming of the first graduating class from the school. 49 girls will graduate.
My roll will be to assist Chris in recording and to help director Carl Byker and Samantha Grant, director of photography, wherever I can.
I hope you will follow and enjoy the journey.
Thanks,
Sharon