Dear Friends,

It is reported that Davao City (our town) has 5,000 kids that live on the streets. We have plenty more that lack school supplies and school uniforms which are required to attend the free public schools.

About $25 worth of school supplies and uniforms will give them that opportunity. Items that could be included in the backpack could include the following not inclusive list:

• black shoes, including tennis shoes, socks,
• pens,
• paper, and
• pencils.

If people would like, they might also include underwear, and other school supplies, including:

• pocket English dictionaries,
• calculators,
• wrist watches,
• combs,
• hair brushes, and other similar accessories,
• marker pens,
• notebooks,
• crayons,
• protractors,
• compasses,
• scissors,
• colored construction paper,
• modeling clay,
• chalk,
• tooth brushes,
• toothpaste,
• white glue,
• scotch tape,
• rulers,
• maybe a small first aid kit,
• shampoo, and
• soap, etc.
   

Sad to say, a lot of these items are considered luxury items by those living in poverty. Most of the kids we deal with are coming out of extreme poverty.

We have 2,000+ of our kids suffering from a significant level of malnutrition. As funds are available we supply them with daily multi vitamins, food supplements, and, when the bakery and cafeteria are completed, even free daily meals.

Given a chance we see these kids are very aggressive in the learning environment and do well. This year, due to sponsors, we are seeing our kids graduating as nurses and teachers.

I’m very happy to send anyone additional information.  Groups  might want to make up a sample backpack there to demonstrate what could go into the backpack. They can be made up for girls and or boys. We can also go over them when they arrive to match them to the needs, grade, and age level of the child receiving the gift.

In it for the King & His kids,
Darrell & Sandy Blatchley
Family Circus Children’s Ministry