Not only in the Netherlands did all children go back to school this week. In Africa too, children go back to school after a short break. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions. These children are either unable to go to school, or the school fees have not been paid. School costs have increased enormously and sponsorship cannot cover all costs. Some children depend on the donations that people give so that they can go to school.
But fortunately most children are going to school or will go to school soon. see the video below (click on the photo to see the video, you don't have to download it) or via the QR code and see how it works. Great to see that these children can go to school thanks to sponsorship. Of course, thanks to everyone who is part of it!
Or via the Instagram post of one of the projects themselves:
1 year ago
Exactly one year ago, on June 21, our first meeting with the Nofam Foundation took place. A lot has changed in a year, but one thing has remained the same: our shared commitment to helping vulnerable children around the world.
Where we ultimately have the same goal, namely helping children in poverty and offering them a better future, we deploy our expertise in a different area.
As poverty traps many children in a survival mode, they lose their childhood and risk a future marked by deep wounds. The result is often that they end up in prostitution or crime at a young age. Our goal is to help as many children as possible out of this situation and give them a chance to escape from poverty. Through sponsorship they can go to school and live in a safe environment and build their future.
Nofam is a specialist in the digital world and helps us with their platform to enable the crucial connections between sponsors and children. In addition, you strengthen the impact by joining forces.
What a privilege to sit together today, exactly one year after our first meeting, and celebrate this beautiful collaboration. We look forward to the many years of collaboration ahead of us and to continuing to support many children while deepening the connection between sponsor and child/project.
Many thanks to Saša and Erik for their dedication and passion in this important work. Let's keep striving for a world where every child has the chance for a future with hope!
Where there is a will…
He came out on top of his class and scored a 10!
Laurence was born in South Sudan and has been in the children's home in Sudan since 2009, which is now housed in Uganda. Both parents died of HIV. Since he has been in the home he has always been a serious boy with rarely a smile. A hug or a tickle brought a smile to his face, but he was still processing a lot. Now, after living in the center for years, that is different. Laurence is a fun-loving boy and is one of the best in school. Laurence is bright and likes school and likes to play with cars and a slingshot also he likes to play softball.
In recent months there were exams at Laurence's school and Laurence has shown that if you want, everything can be achieved. He came out top of his class on the tests and scored a 10!
Laurence's sponsor has had to cancel the sponsorship due to personal reasons. Laurence would be very happy with a new sponsor who believes in him and supports him in his further school years!
Would you like to be his sponsor! Click on the button below and show that you believe in Laurence!
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to making Christmas the party of the year in our projects. Whether the children had the opportunity to celebrate with family, or together with the other children at the center, our projects have pulled out all the stops to make it a fantastic party and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Delicious food, presents, new clothes you can think of but in all projects these were the main themes that made the party so successful. But also being together, the music and dance and the Christmas musical were discussed.
In most projects, the children also have a longer period of time off from school, so they could return to the center to be together and celebrate Christmas together. A memory for all that they will never forget. Our big thanks to the sponsors and donors for making this possible thanks to them.
Christmas for everyone!
Just a little while and then it will be Christmas again and we will celebrate the birth of Jesus all over the world. It's also a party with all our sponsor projects! Just like the children in the Netherlands, they are also looking forward to Christmas.
The lights are lit, Christmas carols are sung and the Christmas story is told and often acted out. The Christmas letters from sponsors are distributed to the children, the children receive a present and finally they enjoy a delicious Christmas meal together.
To make this possible, we need your help! You can help by giving a Christmas gift via the QR code or the button below
You can also give a Christmas gift via paypal or our bank account:
Stichting Project Held NL 45 INGB 0009 4022 93 Tnv Christmas 2022 Project Held
You can give a Christmas gift for your own sponsored child. If you have financial space, you can also give for several children so that every child has a great Christmas. On average € 25 per child is needed, of course we are happy with all donations that come in.
We want to thank you so much for your support, without you we could never have helped so many children. You really make a difference in a child's life! We at Project Held also notice that it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to meet their financial obligations, after all, everything is becoming more expensive.
We also see this in the number of sponsored children, which unfortunately fell last year. That is why we are so very happy with you as a sponsor and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support for all these fantastic children!
Christmas letter for your sponsor child
You can send your digital Christmas wish for your sponsored child via our website. Through this linkplease register or log in to write the Christmas wish.
Do this before December 10! We then have enough time to forward the letters. For the children, a letter from someone far away, someone who thinks of him or her, is invaluable.
Sponsor meets sponsor child
Sponsor's story
We were also in Uganda a few years ago, but unfortunately I was not able to meet her then, while the rest of the Held team did speak to her. She was then very disappointed that I could not be there.
Of course we wrote to each other regularly and talked about our common hobby: cooking.
First meeting
The moment the door opened and a very enthusiastic child flew around my neck was very emotional
The meeting
Fifteen minutes before the agreed time, I received a phone call from the Netherlands that my father had just passed away. Although this was not entirely unexpected, it still touches you. When we were waiting at the agreed place a little later and the van from the children's home arrived, the tension was palpable. The moment the door opened and a very enthusiastic child flew around my neck was very emotional, for both of us. We had some time to talk and get to know each other a little better. I noticed that she was a very intelligent girl who got good grades in school and had great ambitions to go to college.
When we had to say goodbye, she pushed a note into my hands in which she thanked me, among other things, for believing in her and making it possible for her to study and have a future. It was then that I really realized that by supporting her, I was not only making sure she has food and shelter, but that my modest contribution makes a difference of life and death for her, of a hopeful future instead of a life of poverty and hopelessness.
Do you contribute?
As you may have read in one of our previous newsletters or via social media, project Held went to Uganda in February for a pioneering trip to Foodstep in Entebbe.
Foodstep is a children's home where children are taken care of who have nowhere else to go. Most children come out of prison what they call a rehabilitation center there. Children from the streets who have been rejected or abused are brought to this prison, where they are harshly disciplined. Foodstep has already succeeded in taking a lot of children away from this place to receive them lovingly in their children's home. Project Held now supports a number of these children.
Foodstep regularly visits this prison (we can't name it because of protection) and has been able to achieve a lot over the years. For example, the children now receive an education instead of sitting behind bars all day. In addition, the hygiene was deplorable, which has also improved greatly due to the positive influence of Foodstep.
The Belgian couple Nathalie and Werner are the founders of Foodstep. They have a piece of land at their disposal and their dream is to build 5 houses here. It is a beautiful place on Lake Victoria which they want to rent out to church and youth groups for a wonderful retreat and a place to give seminars, a place to spend time with God.
This will provide employment for the older children in the orphanage. In addition, they want to develop a vegetable garden which in turn ensures self-sufficiency for the children.
At the moment they are already busy building and there are 3 foundations for the houses. Unfortunately, the prices for materials have almost doubled in recent months and it is no longer financially feasible to finish the houses.
In addition to literally helping to build, we would like to help with the costs so that all houses can be realized. We need you here! You can contribute in several ways:
*For €25 you give one stone for a house. A cottage needs 400 bricks to be completely ready to receive guests.
*It is possible to donate a complete house with your church, group, foundation or company! A house can be built for 10,000 and you can give the house a name! (Obviously with Foodstep approval).
*It is also possible to help build the houses in September with a group of friends, family or church, but you must provide for the costs yourself.
If you have another idea, you can of course always contact us! We love to work together and make this project a success!
Soon we will send all sponsor letters to our projects again! The children always look forward to receiving something from their sponsor. Together with the other children they read the letters, look at the photos and enjoy the presents they received and take a look at your life. They are curious about your hobbies, family composition, pets, work, religion and other factors in your daily life.
We would like to receive the letters before April 11, 2022 so that we can then send them to your sponsor child.
How do you send a letter to your sponsored child?
You can send your letter in 2 ways.
By post: You can use the letterhead for this, send it to:
In addition to sending text, you can add (up to max) 2 photos to your letter. It is also possible to give a gift, which will be used for the children in the home of your sponsor child.
Do you (as a sponsor) not yet have a password for My Account? Then fill in the My account login screen in the Register block your e-mail address and click on the REGISTER button. You will soon receive a link in which you can create a (new) password.
Uganda Pioneer Tour
A small team from Project Held went to Uganda for a week in February to visit a children's home in Uganda. A visit with the aim of possibly working together in the future.
Foodstep, the children's home we visited, takes care of dozens of children, some children come from a "child prison". These children end up in prison because they lived on the street, were abandoned or abandoned and stole food to survive.
Some children were in the wrong place at the wrong time and were rounded up and put in the children's prison, here they try to get the children back on the right path. Unfortunately in Uganda this is done with a heavy hand, control and fear, which puts these children who are already traumatized even further from recovery.
Thanks to Foodstep, dozens of children have already been transferred to the Foodstep children's home where they can work on their recovery, where they receive love and they are not a number, but learn that they are valuable and loved.
In addition, they take care of children after a phone call from the police or child protection. These children are found in the most appalling conditions and often they do not know who the parents are or the parents are unable to take care of the children.
In short, a special project that offers a home to many children. After this special week, Project Held has decided to work with Foodstep and we will actively look for sponsors for all these beautiful children.
Online letter writing possible
We are happy to announce that -from today on- it is possible to write and send your letters to your sponsorchild via our projectheld.nl website even easier.
You can write and submit your letter by going to projectheld.nl/en/mijn-account/ in your web browser. Select My Letters in the left menu.
In My Letters you can compose and send your letter in 3 steps. You can also view and download your sent letters there later.
You will continue to receive the letters from your sponsor child by post, as you are used to.
In addition to sending text, you can add (up to max) 2 photos to your letter. It is also possible to give a gift, which will be used for the children in the home of your sponsor child.
Don't have a password for your My Project Held account yet? Enter your e-mail address in the My account login screen in the Register block and click on the button REGISTER.
You will soon receive a link in which you can create a (new) password.
We wish you a lot of fun writing with your sponsor child!
