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2013-03-24 - Counting Flowers invests all profits from the sale of its scarves in education projects for disadvantaged girls in developing countries. The profit of 2012 has again been donated to an education project that offers children from Manila’s notorious garbage dump Smokey Mountain a chance to go to school.

We sponsor the children of Smoky Mountain via Young Focus, a Dutch Foundation that motivates the children to go to school. From elementary school to vocational education or university.

Newsletter Young Focus:

Paul van Wijgerden, managing director of Young Focus:

“Last year we were able to help more children to go to school than in 2011. We started with around 250 sponsored children at the start of the year.  By the end of 2012 more than 300 children were attending school. In 2013 we aim to increase the number of children that go to school with another 25%.

A little more than half of all sponsored children are girls. This also counts for our students who attend college. Education is especially important for girls from poor families. When there’s little future those girls tend to get pregnant at a young age.

We notice that many girls in our school sponsor programme are much more assertive and advanced than the boys! It encourages us to see how much will power they have to make something of their future. 

Michelle is one of the teenagers in our school sponsor programme. She’s in high school. Her father goes through the garbage at the dump to find things he can sell. There were days when she couldn’t go to school because her parents were not able to provide money for public transport and lunch.

Michelle always works during holidays to support her family. She sometimes helps her mother sweeping the streets to earn some income. It embarrassed Michelle when her classmates saw her doing this work.

Her family is her biggest motivation to study and to face the difficulties life is bringing her. Michelle is one of our top students. Not only because of her character, her attitude or her perseverance, but also because of her A grades!

We would like to thank everyone who makes the work of Young Focus possible. Counting Flowers is one of our sponsors that invests in education for disadvantaged children. Next to their own good work, they sponsor our education project in the Philippines. Thank you for your support Counting Flowers!”

Buy a scarf and support disadvantaged girls.
Read more about the importance of education for girls.
Read more about the education project at Smokey Mountain.
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Girls at Smokey Mountain, Manila's notorious garbage dump

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