Photo Friday: Our top 5 eco-friendly photos!

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our absolute favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

This week, May 16-24, Pope Francis and the Global Catholic Climate Movement invite all Catholics to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Catholics everywhere are participating through calls to action like reflecting on consumption, spending time in nature, and reading and praying the Laudato Si’.

In honour of this special week, we’re sharing our top 5 eco-friendly photos that we’ve gathered from our sites! Families and children at our sites constantly use their resourcefulness and ingenuity to care for the planet and one another.

#5: Energy-saving stoves

A popular item from our gift catalogue is the eco stove. These energy efficient stoves produce less smoke, which is much safer and cleaner for the cooks. They also require much less firewood! Schools near our sites with lunch programs that use traditional fire stoves require the students to bring heavy wood to school each day, so an eco stove allows students to focus on their studies and arrive to class on time.

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Papa’s dream is alive in Asembo, Kenya

What started as a way to honour the passing of a loved one has uplifted an entire community in Asembo, Kenya.

In 2012, a generous donor contacted us and expressed her desire to support a community in honour of her late husband, who passed away at the age of just 49. Since that day, more than $8,000 has been donated to fishing groups in Asembo through this special “Papa’s Dream Boat Grant”.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 peaceful photos

Welcome to our fourth Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our absolute favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Even during the most busy and stressful times, it’s important to practice mindfulness, prayer, and relaxation. This week, we’re sharing our top 5 peaceful photos that we’ve gathered from our sites. Take a deep breath, relax, and let these serene photos fill you with gentle peace.

#5: A boundless blue sky

This stunning shot is from our Leventate Mujer site in Bolivia. Llamas, alpacas, and other livestock are commonly kept by farming families in Bolivia for their valuable wool, which can be woven into garments. This woman, baby, and her animals all seem to be enjoying the beautiful blue sky and light, airy clouds on this sunny day.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 mom photos!

Welcome to our third Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our absolute favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, we wanted to take the time to thank and honour all of the mothers around the world that selflessly love and nurture their children. This week, we’re sharing our top 5 photos of moms that we’ve gathered from our sites! These love-filled photos showcase the incredible bond between moms and their kids.

#5: Splish splash, taking a bath!

At many of our sites in India, families and communities receive support through our water projects in order to access clean, safe water for cooking, drinking, and bathing. Some families also receive soap and hygiene supplies through sponsorship or our gift catalogue! This mom from our Madurai site in India is giving her little girl a gentle bath. We love the sincere look of wonder on mom’s face!

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Starehe Girls’ School revives beekeeping project

This year, bees are all the buzz! Starehe Girls’ School, located in Kenya, is one of many of our sites to start a beekeeping project as a source of honey and income.

Starehe Girls’ School is a boarding school for girls. The school gives many bright, talented students the opportunity to achieve their potential, and prepares them for post-secondary studies. The school also strives to support girls from poor backgrounds who otherwise might not have a chance at getting an education. Chalice sponsorship helps cover tuition for the girls, and our projects and programs help the school run nutrition programs, farming clubs, sports teams, and more.

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Celebrating strong mothers: Rosaline’s success

It’s almost Mother’s Day, a time to honour the countless mothers who lovingly sacrifice and dedicate themselves to others. At our sites, we work with many mothers of sponsored children. We’re constantly moved by their overwhelming resilience in spite of obstacles, and endless love for their children.

Rosaline, a mother from our Tondo site in the Philippines, had always dreamed of being a professional seamstress. After she graduated from high school, she had begun a two year sewing course, and was on her way to entering her beloved profession. After six months of her course, she got married. Her household responsibilities became too burdensome, and ended her time in the course.

As time progressed, Rosaline continued to care for her household, and did not have time to work outside the home while raising her four children. The family relied solely on her husband’s minimum wage work as an electrician. Even though he worked diligently, the money was not enough to support their basic needs.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 spring photos!

Welcome to our second Photo Friday! Each Friday for the foreseeable future, we’ll be sharing photo collections of our absolute favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world! We hope that these fun collections will bring you some joy in these uncertain times.

Even though some areas of Canada got hit with snowstorms this week, spring is slowly but surely blossoming in each of our provinces. This week, we’re sharing our top 5 spring photos that we’ve gathered from our sites! We hope these bright, warm photos lift your spirits and get you into the spring mood.

#5: Making a splash!

These girls from the Neema Visitation Orphanage in Tanzania are having a blast collecting some fresh water in a pretty pink bucket. We love the how the little pink flower to the right matches the bucket! We love the girls’ beaming smiles even more.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 silly photos!

Welcome to our very first Photo Friday! Each Friday for the foreseeable future, we’ll be sharing photo collections of our absolute favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world! We hope that these fun collections will bring you some joy in these uncertain times.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 silly photos that we’ve gathered from our sites! Just like kids anywhere, the kids from our sites love to laugh and joke around (the adults too!) We were lucky enough to capture these silly shots for you to enjoy.

#5: Funny faces at breakfast

This little girl from our Haiti North site just couldn’t resist showing off some funny faces to our photographer. She’s enjoying a boiled egg as a part of our daily breakfast program to keep kids fueled throughout the school day!

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Helping neighbours in need during pandemic restrictions

Since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chalice staff and supporters in Canada have been concerned for the safety and well-being of children, families and staff members at our sites around the world. There are undoubtedly some very challenging situations in the communities we serve, but as often happens, this crisis has brought forward acts of solidarity and compassion.

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Sponsored families can rely on family funding amidst pandemic

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt across the entire globe, and our sponsor sites are not exempt. Border closures, job shutdowns, and food shortages are disproportionally affecting the poorest in our global community, many of whom already face dire circumstances on the best of days. Sponsorship, thankfully, has been providing a lifeline for families in need struggling throughout this pandemic.

Even though many of our site offices are currently closed, families are still able to rely on the support of sponsorship funds. Thanks to our unique family funding model, sponsorship funds are sent directly to the bank accounts of sponsored families, so they are still able to access much-needed financial support.

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