We cannot ignore the hardships many of us went through this past year, but we also experienced good things.  Acts of kindness in the community were uplifting and many families grew through spending more time together.  I have heard stories of volunteering, bike rides, dog purchases, hikes, cooking together as a family, and more; enriching times that may not have happened if 2020 had been a “normal” year. 

Serve the Children also achieved good things in 2020, in spite of the many challenges, and we are passionate about continuing to give hope and a future to children and families in 2021. Look what we did in 2020 and plan to do in 2021: 

1. India – The government closed the country down.  People could not leave their homes to work and buy food for their families.  STC stepped in and provided funds to purchase food packets to stop starvation in the Mumbai slum where our Day Center is located. 
2. Zambia – The teachers and staff heard about our hardships in the US but when we continued to financially support them, they were so blessed by our example of giving.  Even though the amount sent by US standards was not a lot, it made a great difference to our staff in Zambia; they could support their families and the teachers were able to continue providing educational material and personal instruction for the kids so they could stay at their grade levels.  
3. Liberia – The country was shut down, but our teachers continued to support the children by providing homework, calling on the students to confirm that they were studying and assisting students with individual help.
4. Auction – Even though we could not have an in-person auction in 2020, we still raised over $50,000 during our virtual auction, thanks to our amazing volunteers and donors. Who knows, we might have to do a virtual fundraiser again on October 2, 2021, but we will be ready! 

Yes, our income was down 26% from 2019 but we continued to serve children and families in Liberia, Zambia and India.  Why do people keep giving to STC when there are thousands of great non-profit options in the area?  I want to list some of the reasons I have heard.

1. Integrity – we are transparent.  We upload our tax return onto the website for all to see and strive to keep donors informed of progress and initiatives. 
2. Use of funds – close to 90% of all funds raised go overseas. Our amazing volunteers who invest their time and energy make this possible. 
3. A great cause that makes a difference – We educate the underserved.  We offer hope and a future through God’s love to underserved children and families around the world by meeting their educational, physical and emotional needs.

We have great goals for 2021 and we can achieve them through your continued partnership. Here is what we are planning and how you can get involved: 

Mission Teams – We are not sure if we will have teams going overseas in 2021 but we are starting to plan to send teams out.  Please contact me by email at doug@servethechildren.com if you are interested.  We might go to Zambia in May, Liberia in the fall and India in October, depending on travel restrictions and safety concerns.  Maybe 2021 is not your year for a trip overseas, but you could help support someone who wants to go but does not have the funds.  Trips usually cost around $2,500 each.

Auction – We hope to have a live auction on October 2, 2021 but we will continue to monitor conditions and make that decision later in the year. However, planning starts now!  When you see a big sale happening at a store, think about a themed basket or collection you could put together for the silent auction.  Game basket, gardening basket, cooking basket, chocolate basket; these are just a few ideas.  We can give you more basket ideas!

The STC Board – We are looking for a couple more board members.  We have a great board!  I got very discouraged at times during 2020 and every time it happened a board member would text, email or call me and tell me everything was going to be alright. Consider joining this amazing and passionate group of volunteers. Contact us if you are interested. 

Sustainable Pig Farming in Zambia – We are raising $20,000 to start a pig farm at our Zambia site.  They currently have a farm with 7,000 chickens and we want to add pigs. The chickens provide a source of funds for daily operations from the sale of eggs and meat.  The farm is worked by the staff and the participants of the successful drug and alcohol rehabilitation program on site. These men learn a trade as they recover from their addiction. The pig farm will raise more funds and provide more training for the program participants.  Please consider giving to this project.

Rachel Plus – Rachel Plus is a learning tool we are working toward using to better serve students across the world. It is a computer based educational program with a faux-internet server loaded with information in the selected language and is often delivered with tablets or laptops. We plan to use this at our Zambia school first, then expand it to Liberia and India.  Our staff, children and parents will all benefit from this program.  Cost is $7,000 per country for two Rachel Plus units and 40 tablets that connect to the Rachel unit without the need for internet access, which can be spotty, nonexistent and unaffordable. This is another great project to consider helping fund. 

Thank you for all you have done for Serve the Children, especially in the past difficult year.  We appreciate all of you and could not have achieved what we did in 2020 without you.  We look forward to a great 2021, basing our faith on the great God we serve, and committing to love with His heart. God bless you. 

Dr. Doug Collier