To Zambia With Love: News

The five minute documentary "To Zambia WIth Love" is now on you tube and our home page. Filmed in August 2006 in Kanyama on the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia the film shows Karen, Tom and Neil's visit to the homes and community of our sponsored children and their families. Edited by Trish Dalton and Lisa Rezac, it was recently entered into the UN Film Festival.

Please take five minutes to watch the film and share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment.

Thank you to everyone who collected coloring books and crayons for our Color My Holiday campaign through the holidays. If you have packages to mail, they can be sent to:

Children International (for Zambia)
c/o I.D.S.
3501 Melcat Drive
Oklahoma City, OK 73179
Tele: 800-460-5355

You've helped to brighten the year of Zambian children. Thank you.

Launched on November 30th, the Color My Holiday campaign is an opportunity to make a difference for children in Zambia by donating and collecting coloring books and crayons for them. When members of To Zambia With Love visited Lusaka in August 2006, they were saddened to discover children only color once a year as they simply do not have the supplies.

Make a difference for these children by collecting some coloring books and crayons and we'll have the address posted on this site shortly.

Put a flyer up in your building, in your neighbourhood, at the gym - and color your holiday in the process.

On November 30th, Aussie born recording artist Karen Jacobsen is releasing her new single “Melting Moments” and first ever music video at an event to benefit children living in extreme poverty in Zambia, Africa. The event brings together music from Karen’s upcoming CD and her passion for making a difference with child sponsorship. Aussie food will be provided by the “Tuck Shop”, and include a scrumptious buffet of Aussie food including sausage rolls, vegie rolls, meat pies, soup, salad, vegemite sandwiches, (yes, it's true!) vanilla slice, lamingtons, soft drinks, tea and coffee. There will be a cash bar for wine and beer. Thanks to the Cyber Café, the Tuck Shop and Children International for their support. The music video will be screened on the half hour throughout the event, and there will be a musical performance by Karen at 7.30PM.

The group To Zambia With Love began a year ago when Karen created a community project as part of a leadership course she was taking at Landmark Education. She sponsored a little girl called Edina through Children International’s child sponsorship program. Karen immediately began encouraging everyone she knew to sponsor a child, and there are currently 53 children sponsored through the project. The group has regular meetings, and in August, Karen, her husband Tom Hudak and their friend Neil Gordon traveled to Zambia to meet their sponsored children, see the work of Children International, and Karen performed a concert in the center for 250 children.

The Music Video for “Melting Moments” reflects Karen’s personal experience of sponsoring Edina, and the difference one person can make in the world.

To Zambia With Love is launching their Color My Holiday campaign that night, taking up a collection of coloring books and crayons for children in the Zambian Center. On their recent trip, they discovered children get to color only once a year due to lack of resources. Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance for $25 by calling 816-943-4920, or $30 at the door and include fabulous food from the Tuck Shop, soft drinks, tea and coffee, with a cash bar.

For more information please visit Karen’s website www.karenjacobsen.com or www.tozambiawithlove.com

6pm - 9pm
November 30th, 2006
Cyber Café
250 West 49th Street
Between 8th and Broadway
New York NY 10019
(212) 333-4109
Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door

We currently have 2300 toothbrushes collected in our 5000 smiles campaign. If you want to join in, please collect children's toothbrushes or soft toothbrushes for us to send to the children in the center in Lusaka, Zambia. Of course, tubes of toothbrush would also be welcome. Please email karen@tozambiawithlove.com with any questions.

Karen Jacobsen, Tom Hudak and Neil Gordon recently returned from their trip to Lusaka, Zambia to meet their sponsored children. The following letter was written by Karen to other sponsors back home...

Hi from Lusaka,

Today I met Edina. It was a natural experience to meet her mother, Ruth, and to sit with her. I was so stunned I did not know what to ask. There is a bond that I can’t put into words. Even in this short time of being her sponsor, we have been connected in such a special way.

The reality of their living situation is jarring, but something we all marvelled at tonight when we were discussing the day was the happiness of the people.

We drove through the streets of Lusaka to Kanyama, past markets and down dirt roads lined with small concrete-block buildings until we reached a walled building with Children International’s logo on the front. Dozens of women and children waited outside and dozens more were inside, and children were playing on the swings and laughing and waving to us as the bus pulled in.

We toured the center and met the staff who do a mammoth job managing over 6,500 children.

It’s been a day filled with so many images and thoughts and feelings and I can’t capture it in this email.

What I can tell you is...the experiences gave me everything I need to come home and share what CI is doing with the world. This organization provides a haven for children and familiies and communities. Their commitment to supporting everyone in the community is breathtaking.

Sponsorship is so simple. A small amount of money goes a long way, and I think it’s hard for people to believe it could be a solution. But it is.

Your money is being spent efficiently and effectively. Every day of our children’s lives are being enhanced due to this sponsorship program. The far-reaching effects into the community are inspiring.

With love,
Karen

HOME and BACK HOME are compilation CD's to benefit Children International, a nonprofit organization. These songs of home give rise to that place of security and safety, warmth and love, and hope and growth. Proceeds from the sale of these CD's will help build houses and make home improvements for poor children around the world. Please click on the link below to buy a CD!
http://www.homecd.net

At Children International, in our efforts to fight poverty, we unite sponsors with children around the world – bringing different nations and cultures together.

For information about sponsoring a child through our U.S. program, contact us by phone or through email.

Call toll-free in the U.S.:
1-800-888-3089
Monday through Thursday: 7 am - 9 pm Central time
Friday: 7 am - 6:30 pm Central time
In Kansas City or outside the U.S.: 1-816-942-2000 or via email at children@children.org