For the past 18 years Chalice has been enriching lives, while restoring hope and dignity to people in developing countries through our Child Sponsorship Programme. Located in Nova Scotia with a head office in Lower Sackville, Chalice is gaining recognition each year as more and more people hear about the work we do in the developing world.
There are so many exciting projects happening at Chalice right now. We are very excited to be approaching 50,000 child sponsorships! Sponsorship ensures that a child will go to school, as well as providing nutritious food, clothing and health care. Over the years we have seen that in supporting children like this, many complete their high school education and go on to post-secondary studies. We are now seeing the first generation of professionals and community leaders that were originally sponsored through Chalice; and as a result, the cycle of poverty is being broken within many families and communities.
At one of our Sites in Chiclayo, Peru children enter the Programme through sponsorship where they receive school support, nutrition and gain access to activities like art and music. The mothers of the sponsored children meet on a regular basis to discuss issues and how they can advance as a community. It was through these meetings that it was determined that the community’s greatest need was water. Leaders in the group approached the municipality to build a new water facility but were unable to make much progress. Upon learning of their need for water, Chalice was able to provide the financial support through a Community Project fund and worked with the municipality, our local partner Centro Esperanza, and the community to make the project a reality.
Once the community had access to a reliable water supply they were able to receive livestock through the Chalice Gift Catalogue. Seeing the success of their children combined with the positive changes they themselves have created in their community, these women are empowered and many have returned to school to complete their education.
Last year through the ACIC International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) Chalice hosted three interns to work in Chiclayo and further help develop some of our programmes. One of those interns, Ciera DeSilva, returned to Chiclayo after completing her internship to continue her work with the children and teens in Peru. You can follow Ciera’s work through her beautiful writing and photography on her blog, “Music is what feelings sound like.”
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