Happy Holidays to each and every one of you!  As I reflect on 2019, I’m humbled by the outpouring of support our friends, donors, and volunteers have shown for children living in places most of us have never been. This support made it a year of growth for Project Left Behind.

•We put into action the higher education grant program and we currently have 9 young adults in the program.

•We hired our first-ever Country Manager for Peru which is an initial step in laying the groundwork for further growth.

•We met our fundraising goal for the year thus giving the children homes the security they need to be able to focus on supporting the children.

•We made two trips to Peru and a partner made the trip to India. The face to face time is imperative to building relationships and understanding needs.

We are blessed by all of you who believe that Every.Single.Child. matters, no matter the land or situation in to which they are born. THANK YOU for making a difference for children that could have easily slipped through the cracks or been forgotten. We see them, and we can serve them…. thanks to all of you.

Anna Maria Maybury

Director of Project Left Behind for NuttZo

Project Left Behind started with two loving parents whose hearts ached for all the children they could not take home when they adopted their two sons from the Ukraine.  And today, their dream of lifting up children who are less fortunate is alive and strong. In fact, PLB is on the cusp of hitting a huge financial milestone. We only need $12,000 to hit Half a Million dollars in donations. 

Donate today and help us reach this milestone by the end of 2019!!

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UPDATES

Hogar Semillas de Jesus, Urubamba Peru

We spent the last two weeks of November with the children in Peru. For two weeks we ate each meal with them, helped with their homework, pushed them on the swings, and had in-depth talks with their caregivers and other professionals. Overall the children are doing beautifully. But there is always room for improvement. We tackled hard to solve problems about how these children who are fluent in Quechua, are learning Spanish as a second language and how that affects their academic success. We talked about the lack of nutrition and early childhood development that affects their capacity to learn and grow. We discussed the opportunities and the lack of support that is available to the children after high school. We analyzed individual situations because all of their needs and strengths are of course, individual. Yes, the kids are doing great and live in a loving home that keeps them safe and provides them with the best education the area has to offer. But we can do more…and we are planning for that “more”.

Tender Loving Care Home, Hyderabad India

With 6 girls in college, 7 in elementary, 7 in high school, and 1 in a specialized home for children with disabilities, things are busy and always moving.  The young women in nursing school are lucky to have only a 5-minute walk to their classes. They are enjoying the social aspects of college too!  When you grow up in an orphanage, there are not as many opportunities for social growth. We are thrilled to report they are adjusting well to this next chapter of their lives. The home itself has some major repairs we hope to tackle in the first quarter of the new year. A leaking roof, broken windows, and a failing refrigerator are not compatible with the safety and comfort everyone deserves. Lastly, a supporter of PLB will be visiting the girls in March in order to attend a special ceremony at the nursing school. The young women are overjoyed about the coming visit. The support and love these children receive is changing their lives….for the better.

Kathmandu Nepal

Earlier this year, we let you know that our funding to Aishworya Children’s home in Nepal had ceased. But the children remained at the forefront of our minds. We are happy to report that Pramila, the manager of the home, has made great progress in working with the families that were able to take their children back into their care.  That transition has been completed. There are 15 children still in Pramila’s care and all doing well according to our partner in the UK who recently visited. We will be sure to keep in touch with them.