International School of Bellevue Helps the Imani Project

The Imani Project is working to prepare for our September, 2014 trip to Kenya to run medical clinics in the remote villages near the coastal city of Malindi.  We are taking 800 health kits with us to distribute to families who come to the clinics. We need a lot of pills and band-aids counted and bagged and pamphlets folded to get ready.  We have been getting a lot of help with this enormous task!

Diane and Phil Garding gave a slide-show presentation on the Imani Project medical clinics that we conducted in 2012 to twenty-one students from the International School of Bellevue, Washington.  The students then spent the evening helping prepare materials for the 2014 trip.  In ninety minutes, the students did the following:

• Folded and counted 820 first aid pamphlets 
• Folded and counted 1000 diarrheal disease pamphlets
• Counted and bagged 12,000 cotton swabs
• Counted and bagged 4302 cough drops
• Counted and bagged 5880 acetaminophen pills

Thank you!

Kenyan Orphans Like Chantal's little shoes

To look at them, you wouldn't think that Chantal's little shoes would be popular with orphans in rural Kenya, but you would be wrong.  There are ten AIDS orphans in Kenya who are very grateful because the sale of these little shoes in the USA pays for their monthly upkeep.

Chantal's little shoes LLC is a small social enterprise in which volunteers create unique, hand-crafted felted baby shoes. All profits from shoe sales are donated to The Imani Project, helping children in Kenya orphaned by HIV/AIDS.  Each pair of Chantal’s little shoes sold provides one month support for an orphan and his or her fostering family. Chantal's little shoes currently supports TEN orphans in Kenya!

The baby shoes come in 16 styles in 6 sizes, for children up to 24 months.  You can buy shoes directly from their website http://chantalslittleshoes.com. Who could resist a baby in one of these cute and playful styles?

 

Chantal's little shoes is the creation of Chantal Garceau, a former sportswear designer and high school teacher.

Chantal taught high school for ten years, and worked with several non-profit organizations in leadership roles and coordinating events.  Her experiences created a strong commitment to education and its importance in changing the lives of children. In December 2010, Chantal began to sponsor a child through the Imani Project, and she learned about the needs of Kenyan orphans. Now retired from teaching, she decided to turn her time, energy, and creativity to improving the lives of children in Kenya.  Drawing on her many years of experience making little shoes for friends, family and auction donations, Chantal created Chantal's little shoes.

Through volunteer social groups called ‘hands for little shoes’, Chantal's little shoes organizes members in Woodinville, Washington who want to give their time and skills to the project. Volunteers help in many ways: hosting a group, preparing materials, crocheting, assembling and packaging, and shipping finished shoes.

The Imani Project sends a big and heartfelt Thank you! to Chantal and her network of volunteers.  You are making a difference in the world twice - bringing smiles to mothers and babies in the USA and smiles to orphans in Kenya through the food and support you provide!

chantal’s little shoes

give a little love … give a little shoe

helping HIV/AIDS orphans in Kenya