It is new school year and in Haiti Star of Hope organizes parents meetings in each of our schools to talk about the children and their education. We also discuss the link of the responsibility that the care demands by: the parents, the school, Star of Hope, the sponsors, the children, and the government. We discuss how each actor or stakeholder can play his role in such a way to increase the quality of children's education and to give a successful school year during the 2012-2013 school year.

Friday, October 12th was the first meeting with parents of children that attend Hesse school project. About 120 parents responded to take part to the meeting and to hear and to talk about Star of Hope's sponsorship support related to school programs. We even discussed donor relations, school principles, conduct, responsibility and again the role of all involved to give a solid education to the children of Hesse.

After the meeting the parents worshiped and gave praise to God and asked for blessings on: the school yard and the school, Star of Hope and donors as well as for the children's continued education support. Also the same time  school supplies have been distributed to 350 children of Hesse school from preschool to 6^th grade.  Parents were very thankful and send thanks to all donors that support their children in the Star of Hope Hesse school.

Are you supporting the sponsorship program of Star of Hope? If yes! You must be proud and thriled to be a part of this wonderful program.

Two weeks ago, we have been in Paillant visiting Rose-Alinda Lindor (above), her brother Junior and 3 other sisters; Marie Junie, Liliane and Micheline to bring them the fabrics to make their school uniform and also to pay the sewing cost for all of them. The money we distribute to their mother Roselène is to pay all 5 children's school fees and of course to have a little money to put food on the table. After two weeks, I have visited the family again to bring to all 5 children new bag packs and school books and special gift money that came for Rose-Alinda. (special gift money is an extra cash gift to a sponsored child from their sponsor)

Roselène Bogilus had given birth to her 8th child in March 2005; Rose-Alinda, and 2 months later she became a widow. She is fighting since then to provide for her family of 8 children 5 of them are now beneficiaries of SOH sponsorship program. The 2 older kids Lucia and Renand had benefited also and graduated from SOH school program. They have since leaft their mother house and moved to the city, not to finish with their education but in search for a better living. Meanwhile, Maxina who is Roselène 3rd kid and 2nd boy is still living in the community and checking from time to time over his mother and 5 siblings who are still under Roselène full responsibility.

Among these 5 children at school it's only Rose-Alinda who has a sponsor helping her to have an education. With the high cost of education in Haiti, Roselène wouldn't be able to send her 5 children to school if it wasn't for the support from SOH adding to the sponsor's support that comes for Rose-Alinda. Star of Hope has provided all means for all five kids to start school on October 1st: school uniforms and sewing fees, books, back-packs, school fees.

Roselène couldn't hold in her joy for receiving at the same time some money that came as special gift for Rose-Alinda from her sponsor. Actually food is a big issue in Haiti where the prices of daily goods are going sky high. Living poor without any financial resources is a big dilemma for Roselène. She thanks Rose-Alinda's sponsor for the money and at the same time very happy to inform us that the money will cover a month of food supplies for the family.

Roselène was living in a 3x3 house with 8 children. Knowing the family state of living, Rose-Alinda's sponsor had built through SOH a new house and a water reservoir for the family. She never ceases to thank God, Rose-Alinda's sponsor and SOH for all the support she receives for her 5 kids. When we visited the family, she was harvesting coffee beans that she grows around her house. She was too happy touring the yard to show how much rain water she collected to the reservoir from her house roof because there is no water fountain or spring in her area. She uses the water for the daily use of the family and laundry.

Rose-Alinda is always happy. While her 3 sisters who live with her don't know yet what they will study when they grow up, she was excited to say that she will start 2nd grade and will be a nurse when growing up.

If you are not a sponsor yet, thank you for reading this for now you are part of our big work around the globe. But you can do much more to help us, if you can't be a sponsor now you might talk to others at your family's table, at work, in school or your church. Are you still reluctant?

Myrtha Dor, Star of Hope, Haiti

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And now, a message from our auditors,

Donations to qualified charities such as Star of Hope are generally fully deductible for both regular tax and AMT purposes, and they may be the easiest deductible expense to time to your tax advantage. After all, you control exactly when and how much you give. So not only can charitable giving provide much-needed support to causes you care about, but it also can be a powerful tax-saving tool. To ensure your gifts do as much as possible for both your favorite charities and your tax bill, discuss with your tax advisor which assets to give and the best ways to give them.

Star of Hope is happy to provide you with a free and powerful tax-saving tool. from Stockman Kast Ryan & Co. (As always check with your own tax advisors as we can not legally provide tax advice.)

The new school year has started today in Haiti. Usually the academic school year starts in September but this year the government rescheduled the school year one month late to give parents and the government more time to find money to send children back to school. Officially all schools open thier doors today to welcome children for the first day, however few children actually came, the number will increase gradually every day and next week we will have a full house. Star of Hope's staff had the opportunity to visit the Rigaud school for the first day, many parents came to fulfill administrative tasks but the children came for orientation as wall as to meet friends and teachers inside the class-room for short introduction meetings to talk about the schedule, program, conduct code, principles, etc. This same set up is used at the other schools supported by Star of Hope in Haiti.

As usual Star of hope provides school uniform fabrics, materials and books. Star of Hope hopes the parents and children will pick up the materials and be ready to start new school year on time.

It is an occasion special to thank all Star of Hope sponsors that support more 3000 children education in Haiti.

Tony B Star of Hope Haiti

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In Romania, Cristi is in the 1st grade at a regular school. What makes this special is that he was diagnosed with autism and has a medium intelligence level. Beginning in September 2011, when he started in this school, his mother sat with him at his desk during the 4 hours of classes. She explains to him the tasks and he solves them, thus integrating Cristi into a group of normal children his own age, with the same amount of knowledge.

To meet his overall development needs, his parents bring him to the Star of Hope Center for cognitive and speech therapy. Here, he learns elements of phonetics in order to understand the pronunciation and the writing of the sounds CE-CI, CHE-CHI, GE-GI, GHE-GHI, which he needs at school. He made new friends at the Special Kids club with whom he paints, plays table tennis, football, plays in theatre sketches.

Looking ahead, Cristi's educational path includes therapy classes at our center while participating in the normal school program. At the same time, hours of counseling are provided for the parents in order for them to adapt to the needs of their child and to discover all that the Romanian educational system can offer to youngsters like Cristi.

One month before turning 3 years old, Stefan came to the Star of Hope Center to be evaluated by doctor Arsene, who is specialist in child development disorders. He was advised to start a therapy program to stimulate the emergence of communication. Stefan would not talk, he would always wear a diaper and he wouldn't feed himself. He was going to a private kindergarten for normal children with a program of 8 hours, but his parents still weren't satisfied with the results. During the kindergarten program, they watched him and noticed that he wouldn't play with the other children, he wouldn't paint or sing he just kept to himself.

After beginning the therapy at our center, the results emerged immediately and, at present, after 6 months of therapy, Stefan can say when he wants to go to the toilet (doesn't use diaper anymore), he has knowledge that can be easily noticed by the adults (he knows the numbers, he can verbally count to 100, identifies 6 letters, he can tell between domestic and wild animals, he knows what animals are fed with, he correctly names the furniture from bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining), he communicates to familiar persons what he want to do (go to the pool, eat Barni cookie, drink juice, play with wild animals, go by car).

His parents are very excited by his evolution. Counseled permanently, they understood that it is necessary to let go of the hyper protective attitude towards the child, to stop feeding him with the milk bottle, to help him communicate when he needs food or when he needs to use the toilet, to teach him to sleep separately.

On July this year, Stefan will be reevaluated by doctor Arsene and, because he is not diagnosed at present, his mother's greatest fear is that he has autism, as she has a brother with this diagnosis. Irrespective of the diagnosis he will receive, he will continue the therapy at our center in order to reach the maximum development potential. We will also counsel his parents to support the needs of the child with ways that are appropriate to his level of understanding.

Reported by Star of Hope Romania

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