We Now Have our Clinic and a School Bus! We're So Excited!

Sylvia's Children News Update

2012-01-18T11:10:00.001-05:00

This is a quick update on what is happening in the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School in Mbiriizi, Uganda, Africa.

First and foremost, this is the last call for the March medical trip which is currently scheduled for March 15-27. At the moment we have no one going on the trip so unless I hear by January 27 from those who are interested the trip will be cancelled.

The COIN (Children of Impoverished Nations) group at Holmdel High school (HHS) is doing a GREAT job selling product and chicken cookies. They have raised in excess of $1,000 and are going strong. HHS is also doing their third Band Aid for Uganda (can't call it Battle of the Bands!) ... thanks to Beth Ruda and her son.

The Starbucks clothing drive starts April 16 that runs through June 10. It is amazing how wonderful this has been because it has generated over $15,000 in the last 1½ years. The stores in Marilyn Hatcher's district were gracious enough to give us the little trees from their Christmas promotion and we will take them with us for this year's Christmas party.

The most exciting news? We will have a video within two weeks. I met with Doug MacCauley today who undertook the humongous task of going through all the video shot by our three college videographers who went with us in 2010 and worked with him on a final cut. Using the existing footage, and Michele's wonderful video footage from the Christmas trip, he has assembled a very good DVD about the school. Can't wait for you all to see it!

The teachers have returned back to school and are preparing for the January 30 opening. As you know the school works on a calendar year as opposed to our September to June calendar.

Before we start work on the clinic (for which we have the money) we need $29,300 for solar. Anyone know of someone who wants to donate that? We can get the work done in Uganda and, with solar, we are assured that our clinic equipment will always be able to work.

Here is a GREAT fundraising opportunity. Doug's wife, Rachel, is an independent chocolatier. And what does that mean? She does DOVE chocolate parties and she does it as a fundraiser! Would any of you like to have a chocolate fundraising party? Let me know and I will get you in touch with Rachel... what a great idea for Valentine's Day!

And, lastly, we always need sponsors for our children. We now have 40 of our orphans attending Secondary School, with three of them in S-4 meaning they will graduate this year and be eligible to continue on to S-5 and 6. They are the future of the country. If you want to sponsor a child just go to our website .... www.sylviaschildren.org ... and click on the donate-now button. We have made it easy for you!

Thanks for caring about these children and about the school.

Sylvia Allen

sylvia@sylviaschildren.org

732-946-2711

TRIP NOVEMBER 17-25

2011-12-12T22:45:00.001-05:00

What a delightful trip! Aside the overabundance of water (which, of course in Somalia, would be welcome) we had a delightful time. We feel such joy when sharing Christmas with the children! Each girl got a new dress and each boy a new shirt, plus a "goody" bag with candy, baseball cap (thanks to all who donated), pencil, crayons, stickers and other small items that would fit into a lunch bag size bag. And, good news, we have a "Christmas registry" with Pinto Novelties (718-332-8131 or partypinto@aol.com) where you can order directly from them and they deliver to us. (And, you can give them the Oriental Trading Co. code and they will ALWAYS beat it!).

They are wonderful people and they support Sylvia's Children.The items we are looking at for 2012 (can you believe we are thinking about next year already !?!?!?!) are stickers, sunglasses, mardi gras beads, thumb puppets and visors.

CHRISTMAS PARTY
In addition to what we gave the children, we gave each staff person a pineapple, a one lb. box of sugar (which is currently $3.00 a lb. in Uganda!), a baseball cap and the opportunity to take three pieces of jewelry at the "jewelry party". Thanks to ALL of you who donated jewelry for this wonderful annual event.

GUTTER AND CATCHMENT BASINS FOR WATER
OK ... this was not fun!

When we got to Uganda we experienced the rainy season (which we have never experienced before) and this is Geofrey standing outside the sewing building. Needless to say, we need gutters and catchment basins. I have been particularly concerned about this because of the drought situation in Somalia. We finally have quotes for the gutters and basins (of which we need 6) and they total $23,300. If anyone needs a tax break for this year, we would love to welcome a donation of $23,300 so we can get gutters on each building and have these basins to catch the rainwater.

Of course, as we go along I learn about these things so we can be more efficient in our operation of the school. We WILL have gutters on the medical clinic!

UPCOMING TRIPS SPRING 2012 Dates: March 15-27, 2012 ..$3,500
This is the annual medical trip to continue improving the health care of our children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School as well as the village of Mbiriizi. $3,500 all inclusive (airfare from a Newark, all airport transfers, hotel, food, guide and transportationfor the entire trip, water, safari .. the works). The only extra money you need is for souvenirs!

SUMMER 2012...Dates: June 14-June 26, 2012 ... $ 3,500
The summer trip is a work trip ending with a safari trip. $3,500 all inclusive (airfare from Newark, all airport transfers, hotel, food, guide and transportation the entire trip, water, safari ... the works) The only extra money you need is for souvenirs! (We have eliminated the trek with the gorillas for a number of reasons ... cost, availability, accessibility, capability). This is open to everyone. Let us know a.s.a.p. if you are planning on coming. We would love to have you join us and experience our wonderful school and the children who are the future of Uganda. Give me a call 732 946 2711 or e-mail me at Sylvia@sylviaschildren.org.

ON-GOING GROWTH AND EDUCATION
ALL of our P-7's are going on to Secondary School. And, with this, we need your help. To sponsor a P-7 child is $500 a year ... that comes out to less than $1.40 a day! Will you help us? Some of our sponsors are having financial difficulties and can't afford to continue. Will you step up to the plate and help us make a difference in these children's lives, as well as the country. We currently have 40 children in Secondary School and are confident that these children will change the country.

NYC MARATHON
Once again Jeff Tuccillo (who donated the library in his wife's name and the sewing center) has been a wonderful friend to Sylvia's Children. He ran in this year's NYC Marathon, finishing in the top 10% again, and helping us to raise in excess of $4,500. Thanks, Jeff, for your love and support!

SEWING
Please welcome Male John to our staff at Mbiriizi! He will be our sewing teacher ... it was great to have Michele on this trip so she could interview him. The school year starts January 30 and he will be teaching Friday afternoon and Saturday. Kudos to ... The Joseph J. Catena School, who has been a wonderful sister school to our school in Uganda by raising money, sponsoring three children, and have a pen pal program ...Bruce and Brigitte, our wonderful Ugandan friends, for providing the pineapples that were part of the staff's Christmas presents...

The COIN group at Holmdel (Children of Impoverished Nations) who have already raised over $1,000 and the year has barely started...Kris deAngelis and the St. Joseph School in Carteret and Monica Guarnaccia from Village School for candy for the children's Christmas party...Jordan Gilbert for almost 300 pairs of knickers (read: girls' underpants) ...The nurses at Robert Wood Johnson who raised over $800 with a bake sale ...Nayiga Claire for her wonderful "eagle eye" and spotting good jewelry in the donations. She takes them to Earth Treasures in Eatontown and gets money for the school. She has generated over $3,000 doing this ...

CONCLUSION
The school year is over and they are on break until January 30.Here are the dates for the coming year: January 30-April 20, May 14-August 3, September 3-November 30.

Thanks to ALL of you for your support, care and concern for the children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School. And, from all of us at Sylvia's Children, our best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Sylvia Allensylvia@sylviaschildren.org
732-946-2711

"Lake" Mbiriizi

2011-11-21T12:48:00.001-05:00

Geofrey Kauma in "lake" Mbiriizi ( this is the school!) after a terrible rainstorm. They have not had rain like this in 20 years! Wish we had our Wellies! Today is beautiful and our Christmas party is on schedule.

2011-11-08T21:56:00.000-05:00

2011-09-30T17:54:00.000-04:00

Once again, lots of great stuff to share!

2011-09-27T11:23:00.003-04:00

1. Thanks to The Hynes Family in Holmdel we now have enough money to buy a school bus AND build the clinic! And here it is! Thank you Hynes Family! You are making a difference in the lives of the children AND the village of Mbiriizi!

2. More good news ... Jeff Tuccillo will be running in the New York City Marathon again this year! The date is November 6 and we are looking for people to cheer him on and help him raise money for the computer lab. If you are a runner you can appreciate the fact he ran FOR THE FIRST TIME last year and ended up in the top 10%! And, he is getting ready to do an IronMan next year to help us raise money. AMAZING!

3. Thanks to 10 Starbucks ... Middletown, Matawan, Manalapan, Marlboro, East Brunswick, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Westfield, Edison and Piscataway ... we are having our clothing (and all other stuff that is fabric!) drive through November 13. If you live in those areas, go into Starbucks and get rid of your stuff! To date we have raised $11,250 through this program since our start two years ago! Thanks, Starbucks!

4. Good news! I have been elected President of the Association for Promotion of Tourism in Africa for the NE chapter! Great opportunity to help Africa and become involved in the bigger picture!

5. October 22-23 I will be in Atlanta at the Adventure in Travel Trade Show and Faith in Travel Show. I will have a booth as well as presenting several seminars plus I will be able to reach 11,000-20,000 people with our wonderful message! Wish me luck!

6. We are collecting baseball caps ... if you want to do a collection of them it would be great for us! That will be one of the things that we will be putting in the Christmas goody bags.

7. With the advent of the new clinic we will need doctors and nurses for the March 2012 trip ... dates are March 15-27 ... let me know if you want to join us.

8. The summer trip is June 14-26 and this is the trip where we will be trekking with the gorillas. This trip will be $4,000 because we have to buy $500 gorilla permits and we can only take 8 people. We have 7 signed up ... just one more can go ... let me know if you want to join us!

9. Thank you all who contributed to our Christmas in July promotion ... we have enough money to put on a wonderful party for the children and giving each girl a new dress and each boy a new shirt. Your kindness is greatly appreciated.

10. We are looking for laptop computers to be donated; they would be used at the school and one given to Africa, the General Manager of the GolfLane hotel (where we stay) for his son who is entering college.

11. We needed drivers for the Starbucks pickups in Westfield, Edison and Piscataway and we have them! Francesca Vernoia and Ana Pereira (from Hoboken and Linden) are handling the pickups from those areas. Thank you, ladies ... you have made our job easier!

12. I am going to Uganda October 10 and am so excited because I will be there for Ronnie and Jess's engagement party! It will be Saturday, October 15 and should be fun!

13. While there I will visit with the 25 children we have in secondary school, meet with the architect and get blueprints/costs for production, take several children for echocardiograms and many other activities with Geofrey to continue our successful program.

Thank you all for your wonderful and on-going support and love for these children!

Where did the summer go?

2011-09-05T11:34:00.000-04:00

We had a terrific trip to the school July 7-19. We now have 1,020 children in the school of which approximately 250 are orphans. In addition we support 25 orphans who are in secondary school ... S-1, -2, -3 ... and will continue to do so until they complete all their education. Fourteen of our orphans, who were Rwandan, have moved back to Rwanda with their guardians. The country has some very enticing offers to get the people back so we wish them well.

Michele, Becca Brandt and Missy Pine repaired over 100 uniforms and taught some of the children how to sew. The sewing room is officially called Namata Michele's Sewing Room. The children learn quickly and Michele is a wonderful teacher.

Tony, Melissa Kinsella and I did all the orphan "inventory". Melissa was the gift lady and did a GREAT job at providing gifts to each child whose picture was taken.

We still have some medical issues but it is looking very promising that we could have our clinic by end of 4th quarter this year or 1st quarter next year. Once we do that we will want to have an American doctor and an American nurse (or nurse practitioner) in the clinic. Lydia will continue as the nurse but she needs supervision.

Thanks to Becca and others we have enough file folders that there is now a file on each child for medical purposes. Lydia has two file cabinets and is required to keep the files up to date. Since the files are in Geofrey's office we have better control over the reporting process.

Joan Nakidde, our young lady with the degenerative left hip, now has a birth certificate and passport. We have a new X-ray and have started communicating with the local medical folks who are willing to do the work here in the United States. Once I can meet with them and get a "medical emergency" letter, it will be easier to get her a Visa. I will be going back October 12 and hope to get that process started so we can bring her back with us after the Christmas trip (November 17-24).

By the way, who else would like to join Michele and me for this trip? Cara Vitale and Pru Frechette have already stated they wish to go. Would love to have more ... it is a very heart warming trip and helps you realize the true meaning of Christmas. Let me know by September 1 if you wish to go. By the way, Geofrey is thrilled with his new office. He has a beautiful desk, credenza and all the accoutrements of a headmaster.

Thursday, we gave each child a hard boiled egg. The chickens are producing approximately 300 eggs a day so it looks like one week we we can sell eggs; one week we can give each child an egg. We really need another chicken coop and 400 more chickens so that each child gets an egg a week and we can sell eggs every week.

Some of the upcoming projects:

Raising money to buy a school bus;
Raising money to build another chicken coop and buy chickens;
Buying a copy machine (need it for report cards, school records, medical records);
Installing gutters for rain catchment;
Installing solar panels for power;
Continuing with the dental work (all the orphans are now up-to-date on their dental work);
Building a building and installing computers;
Building a small house on campus for visiting medical personnel;
Installing lightening rods.

In other words, we just keep moving forward!

And, our Starbucks fundraising in 11 stores starts back up September 6. Thanks to Marilyn Halter and her folks they have committed to helping us long term by having collection boxes in their stores for two eight week periods each year. Since April 2010 we have collected 37.5 tons of clothing/shoes/purses/belts/shoes which has generated $11,250. LOVE my Starbucks!

Heads up on the next three trips

WINTER 2011
Dates: November 17-24, 2011
This is our holiday trip where we put on a Christmas party for the children ... gifts, cake, fireworks, you name it $2,500 all inclusive (same as above without a safari!)

SPRING 2012
Dates: March 15-27, 2012
This is the annual medical trip to continue improving the health care of our children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School as well as the village of Mbiriizi. $3,500 all inclusive (airfare from a Newark, all airport transfers, hotel, food, guide and transportation
for the entire trip, water, safari .. the works). The only extra money you need is for souvenirs!

SUMMER 2012*
Dates: June 14-June 26, 2012
The summer trip is a work trip ending with a trek with the gorillas.
$4,000 all inclusive (airfare from Newark, all airport transfers, hotel, food, guide and transportation the entire trip, water, trek ... the works) The only extra money you need is for souvenirs and tips!

*We can only take 8 people on this trip because that is the limit for trekking with the gorillas. So far it is Michele and Tony Costa, Doug Brown, Vernoy Paolini and her niece, Amy, and me (that's 6). Let me know if you are planning on this trip.

In closing ... as always ... we have a need for sponsors for the orphans. For $1 a day you can provide a child with food, lodging, clothing, education and health care ... will you help? Just go to www.sylviaschildren.org and click on the top right hand corner ... donate now ... and fill out the form. Your help is so greatly appreciated.

Thanks for caring about Sylvia's Children!

More Birthday Celebrations at Mbiriizi School

2011-07-22T10:38:00.004-04:00

Becca Brandt celebrated her birthday July 14th with 1,020 children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School in Uganda, Africa.

She will never forget it!

Birthday Party at Mbiriizi School

2011-07-15T11:37:00.002-04:00

It's time for our annual birthday party for all the orphans. Along with the children, this year Becca Brant celebrated her birthday with us at Mbiriizi; this is what it looks like when you serve 1,025 children lunch!

2011-07-05T15:27:00.000-04:00

I hope you all went out and celebrated the 235^th anniversary of our freedom yesterday on the 4^th of July. We were in Long Branch for Oceanfest 2011 and it was AWESOME ... best fireworks on the Jersey Shore. And, how wonderful to have 250,000 gathering to enjoy our country's freedom. Now, the update.

1. We leave Thursday for the summer trip ... Becca Brandt, Melissa Kinsella, Melissa Pine, Michele, Tony and me. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers ... much work to do!

2. Many wonderful people have been doing fundraising for us ... Mary Aruffo at the Thomas E. Bowe Elementary School, Noelle Magrino @ Holmdel High School, Shawn Boehmke @ Indian Hill School in Holmdel, Lisa Lenn @ St. John Vianney in Holmdel ... everyone has chipped in and raised money or collected clothes (as part of our clothing drive which generates money as well). Thank you ALL!

3. Special thanks to the Joseph J. Catena School in Holmdel who raised $3,500 for our chicken farm! Now our children can get at least two eggs a week which will help them have some protein. Through Stacy Krauss of Cisco the J.J. Catena School also arranged for a webcast the day after Memorial Day where the kids from their school and our school could talk to each other. It was wonderful for both sides to hear similarities as well as differences.

4. Starbucks has been a wonderful partner for the clothing drive. For the 14 months that we have been doing this in 11 stores we have generated 37½TONS which represents $11,250 for the school. Thanks, Starbucks! The next one starts September 6 and runs into November. If you, your business or your local Starbucks wants to participate we can arrange to have a box set up there and have a driver pick up when filled. In addition to Starbucks, Indian Hill School, St. John Vianney, and St. Benedict's had collection boxes so all helps!

5. Special thanks to Hank Bauer, Beth Ruda, Dan Webster and Christian Cross - they were drivers who picked up all those clothes. And, of course, Brenda Thane who started all this. (Special thanks to PODS of Central Jersey for this wonderful POD that contains the clothes!)

6. Congratulations to Dr. Trish Gilbert who received the MDA Vision of Hope award for her work with our school and her tireless efforts to help us make a difference in their health care. Congrats, Dr. Gilbert ... thanks for being such a wonderful member of our team.

7. This is Christmas in July time. We have to start our fundraising now so we can buy each girl a new dress and each boy a new shirt as well as giving them lots of fun stuff in a "goody" bag and a Christmas party. You can go to the website to donate (www.sylviaschildren.org and hit the donate button on the top right).

8. We still need musical instruments ... rummage through your attic and closets ... with musical instruments we could have a band at the school and generate revenue by performing at weddings and other social functions.

9. And, for those who donated knickers, thank you so much. We are set for a while. Also, thanks to all who donated file folders ... it is just amazing to me that you can't buy a file folder at a stationery store in Masaka, Uganda.

10. Joan Nakidde, with the crutches, still needs to come to the United States for surgery. This trip we will get her a passport and a new Xray which I will bring back to the U.S. to the doctor that has offered to do the work. I will have him write a medical necessity letter which should help us get a Visa.

11. We have a church in Kansas that has offered to raise the money for our clinic, thanks to Main Street-er Jeanne Stinson. Thanks, Jeanne!

12. Working with the Lakewood Blue Claws we put on a Wine Festival that generated over $6,000 for Sylvia's Children. Next year's dates are June 2-3 ... plan on coming!
13. On Monday, August 1, the Southern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce is putting on a golf tournament to benefit Sylvia's Children. It will be held at Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune ... if you are a golfer, come on out and play!

14. Lastly, a Facebook savior has arrived in the guise of Bayley Pendergrist! She is going to get us to 10,000 friends by year end. Will you help her? Can you get YOUR friends to join Sylvia's Children Facebook page?
If I have forgotten to thank someone, please forgive me. So many of you are so generous with your time, your talents and your donations I may have missed you ... it doesn't mean I don't appreciate you ... it just means I forgot to check my list!

Thank you all for everything that you do.

Last, but not least, would you share this newsletter wtih just one more person? We need to share this wonderful experience and get more people involved as we continue to grow the school!

Thank you!

Long Branch Resident Tony Costa Given Silver President’s Volunteer Service Award for African Charity Involvement

2011-06-18T09:08:00.000-04:00

In the course of our day to day lives, 350 hours may not seem like much. But for Tony Costa it’s worth its weight in silver. That’s because the Long Branch resident has just been presented with a silver President’s Volunteer Service Award for volunteering 350+ hours to Holmdel-based charity, Sylvia’s Children.

Costa, a trustee for the organization, logged the hours while volunteering his time on various projects for Sylvia’s Children, both in New Jersey and in Uganda, where the charity does most of its work. Sylvia’s Children was founded in 2003 by Sylvia Allen, and seeks to better the lives of the over 1,001 children living in the village of Mbiriizi. One third have been left orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.

Costa received the award after qualifying for the 2010 Spirit Hours Honor Roll, an initiative of Bank of America’s award-winning Community Volunteers, a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, presented by the White House each year.

“Thank you for all you are doing to set opportunity in motion for the people in your community, and to help those with whom you work achieve their dreams,” said Brian Moynihan, Chief Executive Officer of Bank of America, in a letter to Costa.

In a letter from President Barack Obama, it states: “Thank you for helping to address the most pressing needs in your community and our country…Your volunteer service demonstrates the kind of commitment to your community that moves America a step closer to its great promise.”

Over the past eight years, Sylvia’s Children has raised a staggering $400,000, all of which has gone directly to the village’s Advanced Primary and Day Care School, and its 1,001 children. It has built a fresh well and a fully stocked library; purchased seven acres of land which it has used to build a corn milling business; donated Internet-equipped computers; constructed a dormitory with triple-decker bunk beds; built a playground; provided sporting and musical equipment; and built three additional double classroom blocks as well as providing a full-time nurse and new stoves for increased cooking efficiency.

It has also brought over a team of American doctors, nurses and dentists, all of who have worked to treat and even save the lives of dying children.

The mission of Sylvia’s Children is to create a self-sustaining model in African entrepreneurship, based on Social Capitalism, which can then be provided to schools in surrounding villages. Allen’s near-future plans are to finish the model with a chicken farm, a uniform sewing trade, a computer center, an arts and crafts cooperative, a women’s cooperative and a medical clinic, which will all allow the school to be completely self-sustainable.

For more information on Sylvia’s Children, visit www.sylviaschildren.org

Sylvia Allen Named “Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals

2011-05-20T08:12:00.006-04:00

(NEPTUNE, N. J. – May 19, 2011) -- With tears in her eyes and a standing ovation by an audience of 150, Holmdel businesswoman and founder of Sylvia’s Children, Sylvia Allen graciously accepted an award on Monday night as 2011’s Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston.

Allen was chosen as the recipient of this award because of her unwavering commitment to the over 1,000 children in Mbiriizi, Uganda, and the African village’s Advanced Primary and Day Care School. Since founding Sylvia’s Children in 2003, Allen has undoubtedly made vast improvements to the infrastructure of the school, the economy of the village and the well-being of the children, one third of who are orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic.

Allen was nominated by Steven Le Vine, a close friend and former employee of Allen Consulting, Allen’s marketing firm. Formerly a resident of Freehold Boro, Le Vine, now of Hollywood, CA., was unable to attend, but had a letter presented to Sylvia in his honor.

“How does one summarize, or even describe Sylvia Allen?” the letter read. “One does not. Because there are not enough words in the English language to put into words how dynamic and inspirational an individual she is. Instead, she is described through smiles, tears and lots of heart. That is how she affects the world around her.

“It is my great honor to help present you with the recognition you so much deserve for the amazing work you do each and every day.”

“I was both humbled and honored by this award because it was offered by my peers. Of course, I was so nervous when accepting the speech I took my shoes off which brought some humor into the room,” stated Allen.

Since 2003, Sylvia’s Children has raised over $400,000, all of which has gone directly to the school and its 1,001 children. It has built a well and a fully stocked library; purchased seven acres of land which it has used to build a corn milling business; donated Internet-equipped computers; constructed a dormitory with triple-decker bunk beds; built a playground; provided sporting and musical equipment; and built three additional double classroom blocks as well as providing a full-time nurse and new stoves for increased cooking efficiency.

It has also brought over a team of American doctors, nurses and dentists, all of whom have worked to treat and cure many of the children’s various ailments. Some have even saved lives of dying children.

The mission of Sylvia’s Children is to create a self-sustaining model in African entrepreneurship, based on Social Capitalism, which can then be provided to schools in surrounding villages. Allen’s near-future plans are to develop a chicken farm, a uniform sewing trade, an arts and crafts cooperative and a health clinic which will all allow the school to be completely self-sustainable.

“Sylvia’s philanthropic efforts exemplify the meaning of philanthropy,” said Dawn K. Knill, CFRE, the director of development for SAGE Eldercare. “She clearly demonstrates a high quality of leadership in fundraising. Her commitment to the advancement of philanthropy, along with her personal commitment of time, efforts and financial resources clearly illustrates her love of humankind.”

For more information on Sylvia Allen and Sylvia’s Children, visit www.sylviaschildren.org or call (732) 946-2711.

# # #

SIDEBAR

Sylvia’s Children’s ‘Pods of Performance’

One ongoing fundraiser for Sylvia’s Children is a partnership with 11 participating Starbucks locations in New Jersey. During this ongoing clothing drive, the organization and coffee chain will accept all types of usable and wearable clothing for all seasons, including anything from shoes and handbags to shirts and dresses. It will also accept comforters, soft toys, small rugs and linens. Funds raised from this drive will be used to finance a desperately needed health clinic for children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Uganda. So far, over 17.5 tons of goods have been donated, and over $5,000 has been raised for the school.

Participating locations include Middletown, Marlboro, Matawan, Manalapan, Edison, Union, Westfield, East Brunswick, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, and Piscataway. For a complete list of items accepted for donation, visit www.sylviaschildren.org

Starbucks and Sylvia’s Children Partner Up For Spring Clothing Drive

2011-04-24T23:22:00.002-04:00

HOLMDEL, NJ… Starbucks has partnered with Sylvia’s Children, a 501(c)3, to help raise funds for children in Africa. Sylvia’s Children is conducting a clothing drive at eleven Starbucks locations in New Jersey through June 15th. Participating locations are: Middletown, Marlboro, Matawan, Manalapan, Edison, Union, Westfield, East Brunswick, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, and Piscataway.

Items being accepted for the drive include all types of usable and wearable clothing for all seasons, shoes, handbags, belts, small hard and soft toys, including Beanie Babies, stuffed animals, and rag dolls; linens, draperies, comforters and small rugs. For a complete list of items accepted for donation please visit www.sylviaschildren.org. Donated items should be placed in 30 gallon black plastic bags and dropped in the collection boxes at the Starbucks’ locations listed above.

Funds raised from the clothing drive will be used to finance a desperately needed health clinic for children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Mbiriizi, Uganda.

The school is comprised of 1,001 children, 250 of whom are orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic. It is the first of many models of African entrepreneurship being created by New Jersey-based charity Sylvia’s Children, an organization which raises funds and awareness for orphaned African youth. The non-profit seeks to help the school create a self-sustainable economy for itself, which will then be shared with schools in surrounding sub-Saharan African villages.

Since its launch in 2003, the organization has succeeded in ensuring an annual sponsorship for 117 of the 250-orphaned children and has raised $400,000, all of which has gone directly to the school. It has built a well and a fully stocked library; purchased seven acres of land for corn planting and milling; constructed boys’ and girls’ dormitories with triple-decker bunk beds; built a playground; started a chicken business and sewing business and built three additional double classroom blocks as well as providing a full-time nurse and new stoves for increased cooking efficiency.

For more information visit www.sylviaschildren.org, call (732) 946-2711 or e-mail Sylvia’s Children founder Sylvia Allen at Sylvia@sylviaschildren.org

Sylvia Allen's Success Story

2011-04-11T08:23:00.004-04:00

As a young girl growing up in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN, Sylvia Allen, of Holmdel, N. J., has always persevered against disparaging gender-based inequities; usually leveraged against her for being female.

Allen was a born entrepreneur, as she started her own business, selling holiday and gift cards door to door when she was 12. She told her mother she wanted cashmere sweaters like everyone else in her school. Her mother said, “Get a job,” so, she did. It was so successful that when she went off to college her customers complained!

Following high school graduation, Allen attended the University of Minnesota, where she received her B.A. in Speech and Theatre Arts. Upon graduation she went to work in radio and television in Minneapolis. It was while she was working in television, producing a daily 15-minute woman’s show and a daily two-hour talk show that she encountered the discrimination that made her move to New York. When she asked the executive producer for a credit line, he refused, stating it was because she was a woman. With that, she retorted with “That’s fine. I quit.” That was May 1965 and by June 1965, she was settled in New York City.

Shortly after, Allen worked for a wide range of organizations including Videotape Center, Teletape Productions, Leacock-Pennebaker (where she worked with Bob Dylan, Truman Capote and Norman Mailer, to name just a few.) In addition she has worked for Fortune 500 companies including McGraw-Hill Publishing and AT&T.

In 1979, when it was still frowned upon for women to even be offered managerial roles within corporate culture, Allen charged forth, starting her own company altogether, Allen Consulting. Three decades later, Allen has taken her internationally recognized marketing firm to glorious heights.

As one of New Jersey’s leading PR agencies, Allen Consulting has been heralded for its ability to provide brass ring media relations services to both for-profit and non-profit organizations for 32 years, and has arguably become a cornerstone in the reinvention of many of New Jersey’s downtowns. Last year alone, her firm produced more than 100 events and raised over $1 million worth of sponsorships for clients. She has represented clients such as the PNC Bank Arts Center, the San Gennaro Festival in New York and the world renowned Iditarod in Alaska.

In 1990, while teaching at New York University and running her business full-time, she decided she needed to go to graduate school so she registered at Empire State College, where she graduated Cum Laude with an M.A. in Culture and Policy.

Allen has been honored with over 50 awards including the Athena Award, Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year, New Jersey Governor’s Jefferson Award, Garden State Woman of the Year, Governor’s Tourism Award, New Jersey’s Top 50 Women in Business award, and the Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction Award.

But Sylvia Allen is not only a lauded entrepreneur, she is also an internationally recognized author, having written four books including “A Women’s Guide to Sales Success” and “How to be Successful in Sponsorship Sales,” as well as numerous articles on sponsorship sales and marketing. She is also a fundraising consultant and sponsorship sales expert, who frequently tours the world, traveling to countries like China, India, Ireland and Iceland, to present seminars about selling sponsorships. And in 2006, she was inducted into the International Festival & Events Hall of Fame.

Allen is also a teacher, having been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Marketing and a Program Advisor for New York University for over 20 years. She has commanded leading board positions for myriad organizations, including being the co-founder of Women in Sports and Events (WISE), the Vail International Multi-Image Festival and the American Sandsculpting Championship; Past President of the Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association (JSPRA) and Tower Hill Choir; and Past Chair of the Sponsorship Committee of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, among a handful of others.

In 2003, Allen, who was at the top of her game, professionally speaking, decided to travel to sub-Saharan Africa as part of a volunteerism trip with World Vision, and never expected to encounter such a life changing experience, causing her to start her own non-profit organization, Sylvia’s Children.

She founded the organization following a journey to Mbiriizi, a small village in the African country of Uganda, where she came across hundreds of children who had been left orphaned by the devastating AIDS pandemic plaguing their community.

Before departing, Allen was asked by the head of the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day School to be the adopted grandmother of the children, the highest honor in the culture. She graciously accepted this new role, but not without declaring her life’s new mission: to raise awareness and funds to better the lives of the children by providing them with education, shelter, food and clothing.

Allen and her team of committed volunteers have since had the opportunity to make a notable difference to this village and its residents. Sylvia’s Children has raised over $400K; has dedicated a library stocked with books; has built four classroom blocks; and has constructed a fresh well, a dormitory with triple-decker bunk beds to house the students, and housing for the teachers, to name just a few of the things they have accomplished. The organization has also installed computers with Internet access and has supported the children with endeavors that help cultivate their creative juices, by donating musical instruments and sporting equipment. Additionally, Sylvia’s Children has brought a dentist to the school, as well as nurses and doctors, some of which have treated or cured such ailments as Syphilis and umbilical hernias; and have saved lives.

Sylvia’s Children has so far been able to sponsor over 150 of the school’s orphans of the 1,001 students attending the school. No task is ever too big for Allen, as her goals are to implement a corn milling business; a chicken farm, supplying the children with protein and bringing a source of revenue for the shrunken economy; a health clinic; an arts and crafts cooperative; and a uniform sewing trade, in which the children can learn to sew, while local widows can stitch uniforms for the students. Other plans include solar for electricity, a building and computers for the children, and housing for visiting medical personnel.

Allen’s goal is to develop an educational program that includes African entrepreneurship that can then be taken to surrounding sub-Saharan African villages, in order to give them the tools to create sustainable economies.

She is also currently in the process of writing a book entitled Oasis of Hope, which will feature her story of how one person can made a difference in Africa. Following the book, Sylvia plans to start another non-profit called ‘Single Points of Light,” which will expand on her current plans, opening them up to the rest of the sub-Saharan African continent.

2011-04-07T12:17:00.004-04:00

Great News
From The Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School In Uganda!

This is the wonderful greeting we received when we got to the school ... 1,000 children singing and dancing and welcoming us to our African home. On the left is Yahaya who is third in command at the school and knows every child's name and recognizes every child by sight ... an amazing man!

There is so much to share this will be a list of different items, in random order, not necessarily in order of importance as they are ALL important.

1. Sarah and the kitchen ladies were THRILLED with their new knives. I wish we had taken a picture! Thank you, all, who donated!

2. Thank you to all who donated toothpaste so the children can continue to improve their teeth!

3. As a result of our medical team two weeks ago, 300 children were seen with 40 that needed additional work which meant I took them to the Byansi clinic in Masaka. They needed X-rays, EKG's, CBC's, etc. This brought home to me that we need a van! I think, with a van, we can at least get the children to the clinic on a regular basis until we can afford to build our own clinic. We need to raise $30,000 so we can buy a new one (probably a Toyota). Anyone who has contacts that can help us with this please step forward!

4. March 26 and April 1 there were two Band Aid for Uganda concerts which generated over $2,000 for Sylvia's Children. Special thanks to Lexi Griggs and Danielle Ruda for all their hard work.

5. We need musical instruments! The school wants to start a band because that is one way they can generate revenue by playing at weddings and other celebrations. Any and all gratefully received!

6. We now have five gift chickens ... Derek, Michele, Claire, Clarence and Briane! The flock is growing!

7. Other things we need at the school ... Ace bandages, ice packs, girls panties (they call them knickers!) and sanitary pads.

8. Next trip is July 7 through the 19th and we already have 10 people going! Want to join us? You will work hard but the pleasure of being with the children will far outweigh the hard work ... you will come away loved more than you have ever been loved before. Karyn Young-Engelman, one of the nurses on this last trip, called the school an Oasis of Hope. She summed it up so beautifully ... thanks Karyn.

9. The Starbucks clothing drive starts April 15 and runs through June 19. We need volunteer drivers to do pick ups at the stores! Would you be willing to volunteer? If yes call me at 732-946-2711 or cell 732-241-1144.

10. We will be bringing Geofrey to the United States on one of our return trips so he can visit various schools. I am looking for people to donate air miles from British Airways, KLM, Delta, Brussels Airlines or Continental as tickets are getting more and more expensive because of the fuel surcharges. Let me know if you have "spare" miles!

11. On Saturday, April 9 at 8 pm, Laurie Edwards is producing JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at the Millstone Theatre in Millstone, NJ. She is doing it as a fundraiser for Sylvia's Children. Go here to order ticketshttp://www.njtheatregroup.com

12. On the next trip we will be setting up individual files for each child so if you are cleaning out your office closets and have too many manila file folders save them for us! (I went to three stationery stores in Masaka and they didn't have any folders at all! Great opportunity for Staples!)

13. Finally, on Monday, May 16 the Association of Fund Raising Professionals is giving me the Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year award for budgets under $1,000,000 (W A Y under!). I would love to have you celebrate with me. Just go to www.afp-nj.orgfor all the information!

Jesus Christ Superstar!

2011-04-01T13:46:00.008-04:00

In time for Easter, come see the stars in
Jesus Christ Superstar!

Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 8pm
Millstone Performing Arts Center
(just minutes from Freehold)

Use coupon code SUPERSTAR
for half-priced tickets!
(Regularly $45 but $22 with discount code)

Just click here to start!
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR tells the story of the final days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth dramatizing Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, the unrest caused by his popularity, his betrayal by Judas, his crucifixion and ultimate resurrection. Featuring songs including "I Don't Know How to Love Him", "Everything's Alright" and "Superstar", you'll be wowed!

The NJ Theatre Group is a theatre company performing out of the 1,200-seat Millstone Performing Arts Center - just minutes from Freehold. This performance will support the development of a sustainable chicken farm for more than 1,000 children in Uganda through Sylvia's Children.

Save 50%

Use coupon code SUPERSTAR to receive your discount on all tickets purchased! Just click here to start!

Offer Expires: April 9, 2011

Updates & Good News!

2011-03-17T12:24:00.004-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
6:30 pm tonight we leave for Africa! Hopefully this will be an uneventful flight (as contrasted to the "excitement" of the Christmas party flight!). We will be there until March 29 when we come back to the United States.
Future Trip

The next trip will be July 7-19 and I would love to know, quite soon, who is planning on going. We are running into pricing issues because of the oil situation and I am hoping I can keep the $3,500 price the same. If I get the reservations in by mid-April it looks like it will be possible. Please join us ... it is a heart-warming and life changing experience.

Starbucks Fundraising Activities
Thanks to Marilyn Halter and her bosses Craig Schneider Thanks to Marilyn Halter and her bosses Craig Schneider and Joe Hallinan (and ALL her managers) we had another successful clothing drive at 12 Starbucks stores. Since last year we have raised a total of $6,500 and we are hoping to expand to other districts. The next cycle for Middletown, Matawan, Marlboro, Manalapan, Menlo Park, East/North/New Brunswick, Westfield, Piscataway, Edison and Union will be April 15-June 19. As usual, thanks for all your support.

In addition, Marilyn's group will be cleaning a park in New Brunswick next month and will donate the money they receive for volunteering to Sylvia's Children. In addition, we will put a plaque in the park, acknowledging their efforts on behalf of Sylvia's Children.

Thanks To Monmouth University
Thanks to Nicole Vitale, Monmouth University donated a large percentage of their proceeds for the production of the Vagina Monologues to Sylvia's Children. They did a two night performance which generated over $1,200 for Sylvia's Children. Nicole currently sponsors a child and has a warm spot in her heart for what we are doing.

Joseph J. Catena School
The children at the school are penpals with our African children. I am taking (on this trip) all the pen pal letters that the children will then answer. In addition, the school has raised $3,500 for the school and, in addition, one of the parents (who is with Cisco) has arranged for a webcast where both sides can actually see each other! We will be doing a test on Wednesday to make sure it works!

Indian Hill School
March 21-25 the students at Indian Hill School in Holmdel, NJ will be collecting items for our Christmas trip. This will include pencils, erasers, stickers and baseball caps. I love meeting with the children because they are so willing to help those less than fortunate than them. (This all came about through Jordan Gilbert's efforts ... thanks Jordan for caring!)

St. John Vianney
Lisa Lenn at St. John Vianney has invited me to speak to several freshman through senior classes and what a delight. Thanks to her we can have a collection box at the school, during the same time period as we have it at Starbucks. They also have a cultural night April 28 that I had hoped to attend but had a seminar speaking conflict! Next year ... thanks Lisa.

Rutgers MBA
Laurie Edwards is a busy little bee! In addition to producing JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at the Millstone Theatre on April 9 (to benefit Sylvia's Children) she is working on her MBA! And, as with all MBA students, they have to have a real world project to work on ... guess what they selected! They will prepare a total social media program for us that will take us into a stronger presence on the web, in Facebook, on Twitter ... using those resources to raise money and help us achieve our goal of raising $100,000 for the clinic and $30,000 for the van. Thanks, Laurie.

Thomas E. Bowe School
And, thanks to Mary Aruffo, this school is doing a fundraiser by selling the wonderful Sylvia's Children red/green bracelets for $2 each (they have 250 so could generate $500)!

Holmdel High School
Know your Danielle Ruda, a senior, is producing a Band Aid for Uganda (aka Battle of the Bands) on Saturday, March 26 from noon to 3 pm. Her mother, Beth, has done a spectacular job of getting prizes as well as sponsorship for this event (and great PR). Last year they raised over $2,000 ... it sounds like they will do even better this year! Thanks, ladies.

Middletown South High School
Last, but not least, Lexi Briggs (whose father is a dentist and sponsors three children) has succeeded in getting a Band Aid concert at Middletown South for Friday, April 1, from 7-10 pm.

Lots of News and Stuff!

2011-02-24T13:05:00.004-05:00

First, Michele is now handling the Twitter account. Follow by going to Twitter and typing in "sylviaschildren" and follow her updates on the school and the country.

Second, go to our blog http://sylviaschildren.blogspot.com for regular updates. Go down the right hand side and click on all our updates, see pictures and enjoy our progress.

Need Your Help
We leave on Thursday, March 17 for the medical trip. When we were there last I saw that the kitchen knives were in terrible shape. If you are cleaning out your utensil drawers and have extra knives, send them our way. I am sure they are in better shape than those at the school.

Also, we did all the packing on Sunday and discovered we need 1,000 small tubes of toothpaste. If you can donate them, great! If not, find out if we can get them wholesale.

Lastly, not for this trip but for our Christmas trip, start collecting unused jewelry. We do a Christmas party every year and have jewelry for the staff. The men can pick gifts for their wives/girlfriends and the ladies can select what they would like to wear. It is so much fun to watch them enjoy themselves.

Upcoming Fundraising Activities
On Wednesday, March 2, Monmouth Univerisity is producing the Vagina Monologues and Sylvia's Children will benefit from this event. The show is 7:30pm and will be held in the Rebecca Stafford Student Center on the second floor in the Anacon Room. Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door and are available at the info booth of the Student Center. Please come, enjoy the show and help Sylvia's Children.

Then, on Saturday, April 9, the Millstone Theatre will be presenting JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and, once again, Sylvia's Children will benefit. Stay tuned for address, prices and time. Thank you Laurie Edwards for offering to do this. (I have seen plays produced by her... they are Broadway quality... plan on attending!)

Meet Derek and Michelle
As mentioned in the last newsletter, Derek and Michelle are the beginnings of our chicken farm! They were gifts from Molly and Derek's family to thank us for making Molly's ears and Derek's arm well. We have one more that Michele (my daughter, not the chicken) named Claire and we will post a picture when we get back from Africa end of March. We are very excited because several people have already donated money for chickens and the Joseph J. Catena School in Freehold (our sister school) is raising money for the rest of the flock!

Another Successful Clothing Drive
Thanks to Starbucks (my favorite!) we have had another successful clothing drive which generated 10,000 lbs. (5 tons!) and translates into $1,500! Since the beginning of this program last spring we have collected 21 tons of donations and raised over $6,500. If you have a local Starbucks and would like to approach them about helping us just give me a call and I will outline the whole program!

Awards
I just got word that the Association of Fundraising Professionals is giving me the Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year award. This was possible only through the efforts of all of YOU! Thanks for your help.

And the local Holmdel Journal notified me that I was one of three finalists in their community excellence awards for Business Person of the year (in with Vonage and Dearborn Farms). Good company but I don't think I will be the choice! Again, thanks to all of you for your support.

Lastly
Flat Stanley just returned from a trip to Ireland with me and will be joining us in Africa. Susan Muhler's son, Liam, sent him with me. Had a wonderful time writing the story (Susan is my Choir Director).

I have been elected to the Board of Directors for APTA, the Association for the Promotion of Tourism in Africa. It just seems like the right place to be as we not only make a difference in the village of Mbiriizi but Uganda and, hopefully, Africa. IT's a wonderful country and the people are lovely ... they need our help.

Please share this newsletter with your friends, have them visit the blog (http://sylviaschildren.blogspot.com), follow on Twitter (sylviaschildren) and check our Facebook page (Sylvia's Children).

The Start of our Chicken Farm!

2011-02-07T08:38:00.004-05:00

Meet Derek (the beautiful rooster) and Michele (the fat white one) who are the beginnings of our chicken farm. Both of these were gifts to us at Christmas time as a thank you from the parents and/or guardians of two children.

Derek, who is from Derek's guardian (that was the one young man's name), was named after the young man who had a broken arm and we got him to the hospital and had it fixed. Michele (the hen) was a gift from Molly's mother. Molly has had Otitis Media for 6 years and it was never cured. We finally found a doctor who cured it! Incidentally, Ronnie named the hen Michele because she was a "fat white chick").

Just found out today we have another chicken donated ... I am waiting for my daughter Michele to name it!

Jjubi Umar Has Recovered!

2011-01-31T20:04:00.006-05:00

New Year's Eve we had word that Umar was in the hospital and not doing well. He was recovering from Typhoid Fever but had to have surgery. We were very worried so asked nurse Brigitte Daley (we call her Saint Brigitte!), who lives right in Masaka, to go to the hospital and tell us exactly how he was doing.

Much to our relief he was well on his way to recovery and this picture, which was taken a couple of weeks ago, tells us he is fine. School started January 24 (they are on a school year January to November) and he is back in school!

This is just another example of how vital it is for us to have a medical clinic at the school so we can keep the children healthy. Thanks to all who kept him in their prayers.

Sewing Machine Building

2011-01-24T16:02:00.002-05:00

Here is the building, almost completed. As you have read earlier, Jeff Tuccillo ran in the New York City Marathon for Sylvia's Children. He finished 4032 in a field of 46,500 with a time of 3:26:08. That put him in the top 9% of the runners! Jeff was running for Sylvia's Children and generated over $10,000 through his participation in the race.

This was his first time in the ING NYC Marathon and he is to be congratulated for a job "well done"! Jeff is 47 years old, an outstanding and energetic entrepreneur with several enterprises, and father of two.

Several years ago he donated money for a library at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Uganda, Africa, naming it after his wife, Vicky. All of us at Sylvia's Children are bursting with pride at his success. Thanks, Jeff, for having such a kind, wonderful, caring and giving heart!

New Year's Postcard From Uganda

2010-12-31T19:08:00.001-05:00

To all our extended family~

This new year, when we are popping champagne and making our resolutions to lose those "extra 10 pounds", let's try to remember how fortunate we are and how much we do have in comparison with others around the world.

Let's be thankful for our families and friends, for our health and for everything we are fortunate enough to be blessed with.

And let's make one of our resolutions this year a totally unselfish one ~ let's resolve to make this a better world to live in for everyone...please keep Umar Jjubya in your thoughts this New Year, he is one of our orphans who is very sick right now and needs all of our strength to get better.

All the best in the new year to you and your families and thank you for continuing to be part of ours!

Sylvias' Children

Charity seeking medical doctors, nurses for Ugandan trip in 2011

2010-12-29T16:11:00.003-05:00

Sylvia’s Children, a 501(c)3 organization based in New Jersey, is looking for all types of medical professionals interested in a voluntourism opportunity caring for children in Uganda, Africa, March 17-29, 2011. Those interested can contact Sylvia Allen at sylvia@sylviaschildren. org or call 732-946-2711.

Sylvia’s Children supports more than 1,000 children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School, located in Uganda, Africa, and situated 40 miles away from the nearest health facility. The charity has been making one medical trip a year for the past two years to help service the needs of the population.

According to a press release, there is very limited access to health care in this part of Uganda, and care that is available is often years behind the standard of medical care in developed parts of the world. Something as simple as sanitary supplies for girls is often not available or unaffordable.

As such, the charity is looking for nurses, nurse practitioners, pediatricians, dermatologists, ENTs, dentists, dental assistants, physical therapists and infectious disease specialists who would be interested in making the trip to help provide care. The cost of the trip is $3,500 all inclusive—airfare, hotel, all meals, ground transportation, water, and a three-day safari at the Mweya Lodge.

Last year the group of volunteer nurses and a doctor examined each child and created a medical history for each youngster. Children were treated for a range of ailments, including diseases of poverty, consequences of malnutrition and complications of HIV/AIDS. The group also carried over donated medical supplies that were used for treatments.
The charity was launched seven years ago by Sylvia Allen, a New Jersey businesswoman who made her initial trip to Uganda with a mission group she met while teaching at New York University. The Mbiriizi school was one of the places the group visited. A quarter of the children at the school had been orphaned or lost one parent to the AIDS pandemic plaguing their country. The mission of Sylvia’s Children has been to raise awareness and funds to educate, feed, clothe and shelter these children at the school, according to the press release.

Since starting the organization, Allen has succeeded in getting annual sponsorship for 93 of the 235 orphaned children and has raised $400,000-plus, all of which has gone directly to the school as all administrative expenses are covered by her public relations firm, Allen Consulting. She has also constructed a fresh water well; built a library and filled it with books; purchased 7 acres of land; donated a computer with Internet access; constructed a dormitory; built a playground; bought additional bunk beds for the boys’ dorm; provided sporting and musical equipment; and built three additional double classroom blocks as well as hiring a full-time nurse and building new stoves for increased cooking efficiency.

In addition, two businesses have been started. With the building of a chicken coop and raising chickens, each child can now get one egg a day (needed protein) and the extras can be sold at the market. In addition, the school now has a building with 40 sewing machines so the children can learn a trade and additional business can be garnered by sewing uniforms for the private schools in the area.

Catena pupils link up with Ugandan youths

2010-12-17T09:59:00.004-05:00

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Sylvia Allen, the founder of a nonprofit organization that provides children in Uganda, Africa, with services and necessities, recently put into place a program that now connects Ugandan youngsters with children in Freehold Township.

The children are writing to each other as pen-pals.

Recently, Freehold Township postal worker Jennifer White brought a “special delivery” of hundreds of letters to students at the Joseph J. Catena School, Burlington Road, from pupils who attend the Mbirizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Uganda.

Read on........

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-16T16:08:00.013-05:00

This year every girl got a new dress and every boy a new shirt plus a “goody bag” with sun visor, crayons, sunglasses, pencils, crayons, thumb puppets, candy and more! We stuffed 1,000 bags! Here you see 1,000 children assembled in their new “outfits”!

In addition, we had a wonderful lunch with Betty’s great rice and meat sauce, cake and soda. Serving 1,000 can be fun, particularly when it decides to rain halfway through! J .

We also had jewelry so the staff was able to have a “shopping spree” in the library. This is becoming an annual affair and is fun for all of us! All the jewelry is donated and then laid out according to necklaces, bracelets, rings, watches, pins and miscellaneous. Sylvia with the lovely Sara from the kitchen (and ALL the jewelry and ALL the stuffed bags!

For many of us, this trip provides us with the real meaning of Christmas. It is a joy to provide these children with something they might never get as well as providing those of us who went a lifetime memory of joy and happiness.

From all of us at Sylvia’s Children and the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Uganda, Africa we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Joyous and Happy New Year. Let’s pray for peace around the world in 2011!

Building for Sewing Machines Nears Completion!

2010-11-23T12:01:00.001-05:00

The building to house the sewing machines is almost done and, thanks to Jeff Tuccillo, the sewing machines will be in on time for the beginning of school in February ~ thanks again to Jeff for running the NYC marathon this year!

Jeff Tuccillo Gives over $10K Thru NYC Marathon!

2010-11-10T03:44:00.009-05:00

Jeff Tuccillo, a "newbie" to the New York City Marathon, finished 4032 in a field of 46,500 with a time of 3:26:08. That put him in the top 9% of the runners! Jeff was running for Sylvia's Children and generated over $10,000 through his participation in the race.

This was his first time in the ING NYC Marathon and he is to be congratulated for a job "well done"! Jeff is 47 years old, an outstanding and energetic entrepreneur with several enterprises, and father of two.

Several years ago he donated money for a library at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Uganda, Africa, naming it after his wife, Vicky. All of us at Sylvia's Children are bursting with pride at his success. Thanks, Jeff, for having such a kind, wonderful, caring and giving heart!

South African Zulu Singers To Visit New Jersey

2010-10-17T08:50:00.003-04:00

Holmdel, NJ… New Jersey once again welcomes South African singing sensation Thula Sizwe, who will be doing a limited engagement tour of the Northeast this fall and will be performing several concerts in New Jersey. The group is composed of ten voices ranging from the deepest bass to the highest of tenors. They sing in the traditional Zulu call-and-response style and dance to the drum, to clapping hands, and to the sounds of their own voices.

The a capella singing group will perform on Saturday, October 30^th at the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel. A portion of the proceeds of this concert will benefit Sylvia’s Children, a 501(c)3 that supports the Mbiriizi Day Care and Primary School in Uganda, Africa.

Tickets for the Atlantic City concert are a suggested donation of $25 each, and can be purchased by contacting Sylvia’s Children at 732-946-2711. A special group rate is available at the Sheraton for overnight stays and includes two tickets to the event.

For details, visit http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/book/sylviachildren

Considering Your Next Trip?

2010-10-14T14:19:00.009-04:00

Here's a FREE ticket
for the Travel & Adventure Shows
Visit Sylvia at the Sylvia's Children booth # 532 at the Travel & Adventure Expo October 16 & 17. The expo is being held at the Meadowlands Expo Center in New Jersey. Click the link below to get a free ticket offer (valued at $ 15/per ticket).

Shop and compare discounted travel packages, enjoy hands on activites like ziplining, a scuba pool and rock climbing wall, and enjoy travel seminars about distant places.

Featured presenters at the expo include travel expert and author Arthur Frommer; Patricia Schultz, author of "1,000 Places To Go Before You Die"; and TV host, writer and travel expert Julia Dimon.

To Access the free ticket offer, visit:
www.adventureexpo.com/consumer
Type in PROMO CODE: EXHFREE

Sylvia’s Children Founder Recognized By Energizer Company

2010-10-07T21:36:00.003-04:00

Energizer, the brand recognized across the United States for its pink bunny that “keeps on going”, has named Sylvia Allen, founder of Sylvia’s Children, as a semifinalist in the Energizer Keep Going® Hall of Fame.

The Energizer Keep Going® Hall of Fame was created in 2006 to recognize the unsung heroes who inspire others with their perseverance and motivation, who live their lives with the same enthusiasm and never-quit spirit as the Energizer Bunny®. This year the company recognized 100 semifinalists from across the country.

Ms. Allen founded Sylvia’s Children in 2003 after a trip with a mission group introduced her to the Mbiriizi Primary and Day Care School in Uganda, Africa. Struck by the poverty and number of children orphaned as a result of the AIDS pandemic, Ms. Allen was moved when the children at the school invited her to be their grandmother, an honored position in the culture. A staunch believer in the power education; Ms. Allen has been on a tireless crusade to help improve lives of the children at the school by providing more access to and better education. She lives by the motto “helping children, one child at a time”.

Sylvia’s Children raises awareness and funds to educate, feed, clothe and shelter these children, one-quarter of which have been orphaned due to AIDS. The non-profit seeks to help the school create a self-sustainable economy for itself, which will then be shared with schools in surrounding sub-Saharan African villages.

For more information about Sylvia’s Children, visit www.sylviaschildren.org or call (732) 946-2711 or email Sylvia Allen at sylvia@sylviaschildren.org .

Sylvia’s Children on the Move!

2010-09-20T17:27:00.004-04:00

October and November are busy months for Sylvia’s Children! Lots and lots happening. And, how wonderful because it all goes toward helping the children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Uganda, Africa. Here goes!

September 15-November 1

For the second time Starbucks is holding a clothing drive at 12 of their stores to help Sylvia’s Children. The stores are located in Middletown, Matawan, Manalapan, Marlboro, Edison, Union, Westfield, East Brunswick, New Brunswick, Shrewsbury, Freehold (Route 9/33) and Piscataway. You can donate old clothes, shoes, belts, purses, toys … the works. The last collection time we received 16,000 pounds (that’s eight tons!) which generated over $3,000 for our health clinic. Starbucks also wants to do this on a regular basis as part of their corporate social responsibility philosophy.

The clothing is stored in a pod which has been donated by Central PODS of New Jersey, the printing the boxes was done by AlphaGraphics in Red Bank, and the boxes donated by Red McJunkin Man.

The Starbucks stores in Marilyn Hatcher’s district played in a baseball tournament with other stores and called themselves Ugandan Hope. (See attached pictures). Through there participation Sylvia’s Children will receive a donation equal to the time spent at the event. I LOVE my Starbucks folks! (And, my Starbucks iced tea!)

September 30-October 6

Sylvia will be going to Uganda to visit the school and do some work in preparation for the Christmas trip in November. Every year Sylvia’s Children puts on a Christmas party for the children and provides them with gifts. Thanks to everyone’s generosity this year every boy will get a new shirt and every girl a new dress. Plus, lots of fun stuff … stickers, sunglasses, candy, thumb puppets, bracelets for the girls, pencils, crayons … things they would never get without our being there. And, we have a party with a cake, beans and rice with meat, and soda. We get to serve them … it is a humbling experience.

October 10

Sylvia will be making a presentation at Grace Lutheran Church in Freehold, New Jersey. The presentation will be at both services and for the Sunday School. Grace Lutheran Church sponsors a child at the school and will be able to see pictures of who they sponsor as well as understanding how important their sponsorship is to a child who is an orphan.

October 13

Sylvia will be making a presentation to the STEP group at Manalapan High School at 7:30 in the morning! The STEP group will be sponsoring a child and want to understand, as the folks at Grace Lutheran Church do, what the school is like and how they are helping to make a difference in a child’s life. They will learn that they are the conduit to a child getting out of poverty through education.

October 16-17

Sylvia’s Children will be exhibiting at the Adventure in Travel Trade Show at the Meadowlands on October 16-17. Free tickets are available by calling 732 946 2711 and talking to Susan or visit http://www.adventureexpo.com/consumer and enter promo code: child. It’s a great opportunity to see all the different travel opportunities in the world and, of course, to find out about traveling to Uganda with Sylvia’s Children.

October 28

On Thursday, October 28, Sylvia will be speaking to the Spring Lake Rotary about Sylvia’s Children, thanks to the efforts of Nancy Hazelgrove. The Rotary has a strong International presence and looks for programs, like Sylvia’s Children, to help make a difference in the African community.

October 30

Saturday, October 30, come to Atlantic City and enjoy a concert by Thula Sizwe, a Zulu performing group that is helping Sylvia’s Children raise money for the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Uganda. The concert will be from 7:30-9:30 pm at the Sheraton in Atlantic City. And, good news! Want to stay over? The Sheraton is offering a $149 per double occupancy hotel stay that INCLUDES your tickets to the performance! Come, enjoy exuberant, wonderful singing and dancing and then party the night way in Atlantic City. Visit http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/sylviachildren for reservations and information.

October 31

Thula Sizwe will be participating in the 10 a.m. morning service at Holmdel Community United Church of Christ at 40 West Main Street (all are welcome). This will be followed by a pot luck lunch (again, please come and join in the fellowships and fun.). Then there will be a 2 pm concert featuring Thula Sizwe. A free will offering will be taken. This is a joint concert between Thula Sizwe and Sylvia’s Children.

Post Halloween candy drive

The first and second grades at Village School will be collecting left over Halloween candy for the children at the school. Last year they donated over 300 pounds and the children at the Ugandan school were able to have holiday treats!

November 7

Jeff Tuccillo, Katonah, New York is running in the New York City Marathon for Sylvia’s Children. Jeff donated money several years ago so the library could be named for his wife … we now have the Vicky Tuccillo Library and he continues to raise funds for Sylvia’s Children. He has run over 1,000 miles to become qualified to run this year and wants to raise $14,000 so we can buy 40 sewing machines and construct a building to house them so the children can learn a trade. In addition the widows could come in at 4 pm and learn to sew uniforms which would provide income to the school, income for the widows and have a positive economic impact on the community.

November 14

The first annual Ranney 5 mile walk for Sylvia’s Children. Michelle Drappi, a senior at Ranny School, has organized this event. The hours will be 11 to 4 on Sunday November 14. Stay tuned for more information.

November 18-25

Lastly, Michele Costa, Celia Doty and Sylvia Allen will be going to Uganda on these dates to put on a Christmas party for the children. There is nothing more heartwarming that helping these children and watching their eyes light up over the excitement of Christmas presents and a party. You should join us some year!

For information on Sylvia’s Children and future trips, visit http://www.sylviaschildren.org or call 732 946 2711 and talk to Sylvia.

2010-09-18T22:51:00.009-04:00

Thula Sizwe: The Group Zulu

Sponsored by: http://www.sylviaschildren.org/

Saturday, October 30, 2010
7:30—9:30 pm

Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel
Atlantic City, NJ

Tickets: $25 suggested donation

Call 732-946-2711 or visit http://www.sylviaschildren.org/

Stay the night and receive two tickets for the concert!

Special Sheraton group rate of $149 for 2 adults.
(includes two tickets to the concert!)

Group rate is available until 10/05/2010.

Visit http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/sylviachildren for reservations & information.

Our Next Trip

2010-08-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

We are getting ready for our Christmas trip November 18-25, 2010.

Would you like to join us in Uganda for the most wonderful Christmas party you will ever have? The cost is only $2,500 which covers EVERYTHING ... air fare, hotel, food, transportation to and from the school, even bottled water! Won't you join us?

Call me @ 732 946 2711 or e-mail me at sylvia@sylviaschildren.org

Put Our PSAs On Your Website!

2010-08-14T01:57:00.010-04:00

Sylvia Allen has published 3 excellent Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and we would like you to help us promoting these. You are listening to one of them!

You will find the PSA subjects and links below and you can help us get exposure as follows:

Put the links on your website or blog.

Put the links in your eMails.

Send them to your local newspaper

Send them to your local radio stations.

Here are our PSAs:

"Who We Are"
http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WXkm0XG4

"We Need Your Help"
http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/W6jQBD64

"Help Us Build A School Clinic"
http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/W1Q7Tw64

Thank you for your help.

PS Please turn off the message in the upper right corner before listening to the above PSAs!

2010-07-16T14:05:00.003-04:00

New Brunswick Theological Seminary Commencement 2010 Dr Reynard Smith, Rev. Dr. Dean Jessica Davis and Rev. Dr. Warren Dennis. Dr. Dennis is wearing an AIDS remembrance pin lovingly made by the children of Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School in Uganda, Africa.

Thank you Dr. Dennis!

News From Sylvia!

2010-06-27T10:15:00.004-04:00

It's newsletter time again and more news to share about our Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Uganda, Africa. Sometimes it is hard to know where to start because so much happens in 60 days! However, here goes!

TRIP

Thirteen of us went to the school from June 17-28 and it was, once again, a great trip. Everyone worked! Joe Corpina worked in the kitchen and had the ladies trained to be singers and dancers! Way to go Joe! Michele Costa and her crew (Ruby and Briana Stanfield) worked tirelessly repairing uniforms for the children. Gina Fontes, Jon Bellomo and Kyle McMorrow were our video crew from Hofstra University and they did a GREAT job. We are anxiously awaiting the final product.

If there was any down time Joe, Jon and Kyle played soccer, tug-o-war and basketball with the children. Ken Schneck, Caitlin Landuyt and Doug Brown were on the orphan inventory team and were very thorough in their efforts. In addition, they visited all our orphans in secondary school (more to follow on that under medical/dental). Tony Costa spent three days teaching guitar to the children and Cris Vitsorek (who brought computers for the school) was training Florence, the headmistress, on how to use the computer.

Sylvia worked with the folks on orphan inventory and, on Wednesday and Thursday, took 40 children each day to the dentists. They loved Grand Slyvia on the trip to the dentist; they weren't too sure on the trip back! So, that was the schedule Monday through Thursday.

Friday was party day! OK, so it rained a little ... nothing could dampen our spirits! First we dedicated the Teachers' Housing which is now done thanks to a generous donation by JoDee Anderson (Bayshore Hospital Nurse of the Year) and her husband. This was followed by cake cutting and having 1,000 children singing happy birthday to you to Briana who turned 17 while in Africa. What a wonderful memory for the rest of her life! Then, it was time to serve lunch.

We have some experience at this so are getting good at feeding 1,000 children rice and meat in sauce (or peanut sauce for the vegetarians)! We did it all in 1 hour 45 minutes! Of course, the day ended with singing and dancing and crying as we all realized the week had come to an end (several said "can't we stay one more week?).

We then drove that night to Isasha Park (which is one of the sub parks within Queen Elizabeth State Park) and had a quiet, restful night in wonderful little round pod houses. Next day, off to the park to see tree lions and we did! What a beautiful sight! After that, drove to Mweya Lodge, seeing many elephants and other animals along the way; took a boat ride down the Kazinga Channel to see hippos, water buffalos, alligators and hundreds of different bird species.

That night Briana had another birthday party at the Mweya Lodge ... turning 17 in Africa is fun! Sunday did a game drive ... saw a leopard, lion and tons of elephants. Drove to Kampala to do some shopping at the market and then to the hotel as we had to be at the airport @ 3 am. Trust me folks, we will never do those flights again!

TEACHERS' HOUSING

It was so wonderful to be able to dedicate the teachers' housing! There are a total of 10 units, five for men and five for women, and we can now rest easy that our children will be better protected. Thank you JoDee and Lawrence for your wonderful, generous, kind contributions.

STARBUCKS FUNDRAISER

Thanks to the brainchild of Brenda Thaner, we were able to have a clothing drive at 11 Starbucks stores in New Jersey. The dates were May 1 to June 15 and we collected 16,000 pounds which, when multiplied by 15¢ a pound generated $2,400 for Sylvia's Children. The employees loved it, the customers loved it and we loved it! As a result we will be doing another one, hopefully expanded through New Jersey, September 15-November 1. Stay tuned for locations!

Sylvia's Children will be one of the charities of choice when the Starbucks NJ folks do their annual baseball game competition. We feel so honored to be working with a company of this caliber and integrity.

LAKEWOOD BLUE CLAWS

Sylvia's Children is one of the 501(c)3 organizations being featured by this year's Lakewood Blue Claws. Thanks to Josh Feinberg, who has moved on to the Oakland Raiders, we have had exposure through their marketing materials and will have a display on July 28 (that's a Wednesday) at the ballpark. Does anyone want to "staff the booth" with me? Could be fun!

MILLSTONE THEATRE FUNDRAISER

On Saturday, July 31, the Millstone Theatre will be putting on a special Elvis performance that will benefit Sylvia's Children and CentraState. Thanks to Laurie Edwards, producer extraordinaire! For tickets visit www.NJTheatreGroup.com.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

This year, for our Christmas party for the children, in addition to all the fun goodies ... sweets, sunglasses, visors, stickers, pencils, glow necklaces ... each girl will receive a new dress and each boy a new shirt. We are doing this fun drive now so we can purchase the products in Uganda in time for Christmas. Not only is this great for the school it is great for the community's economy.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

We are celebrating Christmas in July so the children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Uganda, Africa CAN have a wonderful Christmas. Every year we put on a Christmas party with a Christmas "feast". The meal is beans and rice (but with meat added for the occasion!), soda and cake. This year we would like to give each boy a new shirt and each girl a new dress. (Many of these children only have one uniform and one change of clothes.)

A new shirt is $6.00 and a new dress is $8.00. We have 1,000 children at the school. Will you help us give these children a beautiful Christmas? If paying by check, please make payable to:

Sylvia's Children, Inc.., 89 Middletown Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733

Or, you can go to the website www.sylviaschildren.org and click on the Donate Now button on the top right.

TEETH AND THREADS FUNDRAISER

Ken Schneck, one of our summer travelers, came up with a great idea for a fundraiser. As you saw in the first paragraph dental work was quite a project! Also, repairing uniforms.

So, out of that came the Teeth and Threads fundraiser. We need 1,000 people to send us $20 each ... if we can do that we can give EVERY child a new uniform and get all the teeth taken care of! Want to donate? Just go to www.sylviaschildren.org and click on the Donate Now button in the top right corner. Or, you can mail a check to Sylvia's Children, 89 Middletown Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733

Off to the dentist!

MEDICAL/DENTAL UPDATE

LOTS of dental work needed. However, thanks to the generosity of two people we were able to raise $5,500 of the $7,500 needed. And, I cannot begin to thank ALL the dentists that donated toothbrushes, tooth paste, the works! It was wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

CHICKEN FUNDRAISER

Briana Stanfield delivered $3,500 to the school to start the chicken farm. Now, we need chickens! For $2.00 you can buy (and name) a chicken; for $20.00 you can have a brood and for $80.00 you can have a flock! Again, just go to the website. Don't forget to tell us the name of your chicken(s)!

NEXT TRIP

Want to come with us November 18 to the 25th? This is when we put on a Christmas party for the children and I guarantee it will be the best gift you will ever give yourself. They are full of love and vitality and are grateful for anything that we give them. The cost is $2,500 and, for this trip only, there is no safari.

Just FYI ... the medical trip is in March, summer trip latter part of July/early July and ... SAVE THE DATE! June/July 2012, after visiting and working at the school, we will go trekking with the gorillas! Get those walking shoes out and be prepared the opportunity of a lifetime. All inclusive price is still $3,500 BUT we have to add an additional $500 to get a gorilla permit! :)

2010-06-21T12:36:00.002-04:00

Water carrying in the 21st century @ the Mbiriizi school in Uganda, Africa. Wagon courtesy of Matovu Tony (purchased after he thought HE was going to have to carry water!)

2010-06-17T15:25:00.002-04:00

THANK YOU STARBUCKS AND THANK YOU STARBUCKS’ CUSTOMERS!

The clothing drive was a phenomenal success!

You donated 16,000 pounds which generated $2,400!!!!!

Your donation paid for seven orphans for one full year … food, clothing, lodging, education and health care!

Watch for another clothing drive in the fall!

Holmdel Medical Practitioner Named “Nurse of the Year” After Assisting Over 1,000 African Children

2010-06-17T10:11:00.003-04:00

HOLMDEL, NJ… When registered nurse JoDee Anderson traveled to Uganda, Africa, this year with charity organization Sylvia’s Children, she knew she would be helping to change the lives of countless children, many left orphaned by the AIDS pandemic. However, she never realized that she would also be changing the lives of those who work around her at home.

Recently, after returning from her philanthropic mission, she was awarded the prestigious title of “2010 Nurse of the Year” by her peers at The Willows in Holmdel, an assisted living community connected with Bayshore Community Health Services.

Since Holmdel-based Sylvia’s Children was founded in 2003, many nurses and doctors have jumped on board to make a difference by providing their necessary, skilled medical services to the 1,001 children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Mbiriizi, Uganda, Africa.

On the first medical trip in 2009, Long Branch nurse AnnMarie Gray brought with her a dose of Penicillin and bandages, which she used to cure a 5-year old girl with Syphilis and five children living with umbilical hernias.

On the organization’s most recent medical trip this past March, three nurses, including Anderson, Betsy Ann Gilbert of Crestwood, KY., and Dora Burke of Cranford, N. J., as well as Dr. Tricia Gilbert, a Pulmonary and Intensive Care Specialist at New Jersey’s Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, all visited the school and provided a rigorous clinical examination of each child to produce individual medical histories as a baseline for future medical service.

They also administered treatment for many of the ailments they encountered, most of which included anything from diseases of poverty to consequences of malnutrition and complications of HIV/AIDS; and even arranged for much-needed and sometimes life-saving operations for some of the children.

But this certainly won’t be the last medical trip; there is already another one scheduled for March 2011, and Sylvia’s Children founder Sylvia Allen firmly emphasizes the need for more nurse practitioners, nurses and doctors to come on the journey.

“The most important thing anyone can do is to save a child’s life,” states Allen. “From the start, a child is given the blueprint to change the world, if enabled with the compassion of others. In sub-Saharan Africa, these children feel as if they have fewer opportunities, but that is not the case. Just by feeling the warm touch of a nurse’s hand or by relieving these children from their unfortunate ailments, we can help to change the world one child at a time.”

This school is the first of many models of African entrepreneurship being created by Sylvia’s Children, an organization which raises funds and awareness for orphaned African youth. The non-profit seeks to help the school create a self-sustainable economy for itself, which will then be shared with schools in surrounding sub-Saharan African villages.

Since its launch, the organization has succeeded in ensuring an annual sponsorship for 98 of the 235-orphaned children and has raised $330,000, all of which has gone directly to the school. It has built a fresh well and a fully stocked library; purchased seven acres of land; donated an Internet-equipped computer; constructed a dormitory with triple-decker bunk beds; built a playground; provided sporting and musical equipment; and built three additional double classroom blocks as well as providing a full-time nurse and new stoves for increased cooking efficiency. In addition the orphans that go on to secondary school continue to receive sponsorship until they graduate.

For more information, to sign up for a trip or to become a volunteer, visit www.sylviaschildren.org, call (732) 946-2711 or e-mail Allen at Sylvia@sylviaschildren.org.

Ugandan School Sounds Off on Need for Musical Instruments

2010-05-30T13:02:00.000-04:00

Since the Oscar night win of Roger Ross Williams’ “Music By Prudence,” a short film that tells the heartfelt story of Zimbabwean band Liyana’s journey to fame, which was replayed for days due to co-producer Elinor Burkett’s Kanye West-inspired Academy Awards speech, Americans have a newfound appreciation for discovering authentic African bands.

Riding on that wave of interest are the students at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in the village of Mbiriizi, Uganda. The school, which is comprised of 1,001 children, with a quarter of them left orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic, is currently on the hunt for donations of various musical instruments, which they will use to start up their own Ugandan band. The goal is to have the student band hired to perform at local events and help cover school expenses.

The school is welcoming any and all donations of musical instruments, including everything from classic marching band fare like trumpets, trombones, tubas and marching drums to guitars, violins, tambourines and keyboards.

The school is the first of many models of African entrepreneurship being created by New Jersey-based charity Sylvia’s Children, an organization which raises funds and awareness for orphaned African youth. The non-profit seeks to help the school create a self-sustainable economy for itself, which will then be shared with schools in surrounding sub-Saharan African villages.

Since its launch in 2003, the organization has succeeded in ensuring an annual sponsorship for 93 of the 235-orphaned children and has raised $300,000, all of which has gone directly to the school. It has built a well and a fully stocked
library; purchased seven acres of land; donated an Internet-equipped computer; constructed a dormitory with triple-decker bunk beds; built a playground; provided sporting and musical equipment; and built three additional double classroom blocks as well as providing a full-time nurse and new stoves for increased cooking efficiency.

For more information, or to donate instruments, visit www.sylviaschildren.org, call (732) 946-2711 or e-mail Sylvia’s Children founder Sylvia Allen at Sylvia@sylviaschildren.org

Update from Sylvia

2010-05-13T14:47:00.002-04:00

It has been almost eight weeks since we returned from the medical trip and so much has happened, all in the positive.

The trip was rough.

The group was able to give a physical exam on all 1,000 children and what a group we had. Dr. Trish Gilbert with three nurses ... Dora Burke (Aunt Dora), Betsy Ann Gilbert (Trish's Mother-in-law) and JoDee Anderson (a nurse NOT related to Trish!) ... and her Father, Joe Todisco, worked non-stop to get everything done.

Found some medical problems ... some of which have already been solved and others that we are working on. One boy needed to have surgery on his arm ... one of the members of the trip stepped forward and paid for it. Thanks to Joe, Derrick will be fine!

Eight children had heart murmurs so they were taken to the clinic (run by an American doctor) for Echocardiograms. Two of them will need surgery within the next two years or it could be fatal. Currently have someone who will pay for transportation of the children and families to the U.S. - we just need a hospital/doctor to donate the service. Do you know of anyone we could approach?

The teeth are in terrible shape. I took two trips to the Masaka dentist: 12 children day one and 17 day two. Never liked going to the dentist that much in my life and discovered the African children like it even less! Apparently one of the "threats" that parents use is "If you don't behave you are going to the doctor/dentist." Whew.

We can certainly help the younger children by teaching them how to brush and having fluoride rinses. (We need 1,000 toothbrushes, 1,000 tubes of toothpaste and 1,000 fluoride rinses to start solving this problem.) Thanks to Dora, we now have large water containers outside each classroom and children can learn to brush their teeth. They can also drink more water as many of them were dehydrated.

It is so wonderful that we now have a baseline medical history for the children and can begin charting problems and successes!

REVENUE GENERATING ACTIVITIES

1. March 20 (the day we got back!) there was a Battle of the Bands (called Band-Aid for Uganda) at Holmdel High School which raised over $2,000 dollars.

2. The Joseph J. Catena School in Freehold held a penny wars and raised $1,080 which pays for three orphans to go to school.

3, And, the Joseph J. Catena School has been selected to be the sister school to the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School.

4, The third grade at Village School in Holmdel has been writing letters to P-3 and the P-3 children have been writing back. They are beautiful letters, from both sides, and the children are establishing wonderful international bonds and understanding.

5. With the JJ Catena school it is our hope to have children from Kindergarten to Fifth grade establish the same type of relationships with Top Class through P-5 and maintain those over a period of time. (Do any of you remember having a Pen Pal? I do ... mine was in Norway!)

6. Briana Stanfield and her mother, Ruby, have been promoting Sylvia's Children in Wayne, NJ and have had me speak to a number of groups. One of them, the Mothers' Club, is doing a clothing drive on Monday, May 17, to raise money for the chicken farm.

7. Brenda Thaner, from Middletown, has organized an eleven (11) Starbucks locations program for a clothing drive as well. From May 1 to June 15 people are being encouraged to bring their old clothes, shoes, stuffed toys, blankets ... you name it ... and drop them in the collection boxes at these 11 stores. (By the way, these boxes were designed and donated by AlphaGraphics in Red Bank who are WONDERFUL supporters of Sylvia's Children.) PODS donated a storage area that is parked in my turnaround. Our goal is 100,000 pounds which, at 13¢ a pound, would generate $13,000 which would allow us to buy 40 treadle sewing machines and build a facility to house those machines. Then the children can learn a trade and we can bring in the widows at 4 pm to learn how to sew uniforms which will be a revenue-generating business.

8. On Friday, May 14, Ryan Dolan is running the second annual Battle of the Bands (Band-Aid for Uganda) which will help us raise money for the sewing machines and building as well.

9. Sylvia's Children has been selected by the Lakewood Blue Claws (The Philadelphia Phillies farm team) as one of their charities for the year. We have to sell some tickets, though; anybody want some tickets (I have 100 left!) ... only $10 each! Any game you want ... just buy the tickets.

10. We had an exhibit at Monmouth University for two months and what a wonderful experience! We closed on April 30 with African food, a drumming circle and over 100 people! Next Brookdale and then Georgian Court in the fall. If you have any contacts with colleges or universities that would like to host this unbelievable exhibit, give me a call (732 946 2711).

And there is more and more ... just not enough time and room! We are getting ready to go back June 17-29 with 13 people! We are all so excited!

Nathan Myhrvold: Could this laser zap malaria?

2010-05-11T14:36:00.001-04:00

Nathan Myhrvold and team's latest inventions -- as brilliant as they are bold -- remind us that the world needs wild creativity to tackle big problems like malaria. And just as that idea sinks in, he rolls out a live demo of a new, mosquito-zapping gizmo you have to see to believe.

2010-05-10T15:30:00.006-04:00

Sylvia’s Children Takes Business Model To Ugandan School

May 10th, 2010

By Andrew Robertson

Sylvia Allen has used her expertise in sponsorship and public relations as head of New Jersey’s Allen Consulting to spearhead Sylvia’s Children Inc., a non-profit created to help the children of Masaka, Uganda using a unique twist on education. When she reaches her ultimate goal, she will then apply the same model to ...... Read On!

Sylvia’s Children Starbuck's Clothing Drive!

2010-04-30T15:46:00.005-04:00

It’s spring cleaning time and time to clean out those closets!

Sylvia’s Children is conducting a spring clothing drive at eleven (11) Starbuck’s Locations:

Middletown… Matawan … Manalapan … Marlboro … Edison… Union … Westfield … East Brunswick … South Brunswick … New Brunswick …Piscataway

We accept clothing, shoes, small toys, handbags, belts, linens … the heavier the better! Please place all items in a 30 gallon black plastic bag, if possible. Through your generous clothing donations we gain funding for our health clinic, which is so desperately needed.

Sylvia’s Children is a 501(c)3 organization that supports a school in Uganda, Africa that has 1,000 students, of which 25% are orphans.

Help us make a difference in these children’s lives.

For pick, call Brenda @ 732-833-4078 or
Sylvia’s Children @ 732-946-2711

2010-04-13T09:28:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday, April 28, Sylvia will be receiving this award which recognizes individuals whose exemplary volunteer service beyond the borders of New Jersey has made the world a better place while reflecting favorably on the people of the Garden State.

This award is in recognition of her work with Sylvia's Children for the last seven years.

Eight Holmdel Bands Compete to Raise Money for Orphaned Ugandan Youth at Holmdel High’s “Band Aid for Uganda”

2010-04-07T10:07:00.005-04:00

HOLMDEL, N. J. – With guitars and drumsticks in hand, a handful of Holmdel High School students recently put their musical skills to good use: to educate their peers and elders a bit about a humanitarian crisis in Africa, and helped raise $2,000 in the process.

On March 20, eight Holmdel bands, including Anacin; Jubaroo; Peach Snapple Brownies; Untitled; Insomnia; C Level; Definitely No; and Terminal, joined forces to headline “Band Aid for Uganda,” a Holmdel High School musical competition fundraiser for Holmdel-based charity, Sylvia’s Children. The winning band, DEFINITELY NO, was awarded with three hours of recording studio time at Retromedia Sound Studios in Red Bank, N. J.

“I am so excited about children helping children. This was a very successful event and we look forward to many years of working with Holmdel High School,” stated Sylvia Allen, founder of Sylvia’s Children.

The non-profit organization was founded in 2003 with the mission of supporting children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care school in the village of Mbiriizi, Uganda, Africa, by raising awareness and funds to educate, feed, clothe and shelter them. One-quarter of the 1,001 children at the school have been orphaned due to the AIDS epidemic.

Since its launch in 2003, the organization has succeeded in ensuring an annual sponsorship for 95 of the 235-orphaned children and has raised $300,000+, 100% of which has gone directly to the school. It has built a well and a fully stocked library; purchased seven acres of land; donated an Internet-equipped computer; constructed a dormitory with triple-decker bunk beds; built a playground; provided sporting and musical equipment; and built three additional double classroom blocks as well as providing a full-time nurse and new stoves for increased cooking efficiency.

“Band Aid for Uganda” is the brainchild of Ryan Dolan, a Red Bank Catholic High School student, and was spearheaded by Holmdel High School student Danielle Ruda and her team of Noelle Magrino, Rachel McLaughlin, Jen Wiedeman and Brian Charalambous, as well as Principal William Loughran.

For more information on Sylvia’s Children or “Band Aid for Uganda,” visit www.sylviaschildren.org or call (732) 946-2711.

Sylvia and The Medical Team in Uganda!

2010-03-19T10:48:00.004-04:00

The medical team at Mbiriizi school in Uganda. We gave medical and dental exams to 1,000 children. Sadly we leave tonight. For details, please click here!

Special Recognition Plaque for Mr. Ken Melrose

2010-03-09T16:49:00.004-05:00

Mr. Ken Melrose, former chairman of the Toro Corporation, was presented with a special recognition plaque from Sylvia Allen.

Mr. Melrose generously gave a donation to Sylvia's Children for the library. His generosity made it possible for these children to expand their learning outside Uganda and into the world.

It is through the generosity of industry leaders like Mr. Melrose that we able to continue our work to change the lives of these children through improved education and health. He has already demonstrated his belief in education As the founder of his own health care foundation, Mr. Melrose demonstrates as well his understanding of the importance of quality health care.

Thank you, Mr. Melrose, for your kind, caring and giving heart.

Monmouth University Shines Light on Ugandan Orphans Through Lens of Holmdel-based Charity

2010-03-08T12:47:00.004-05:00

WEST LONG BRANCH, N. J. – Monmouth University’s School of Social Work and the Center of Distinction for the Arts will present “Sylvia’s Children,” a two-month-long exhibition of the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in Mbiriizi, Uganda, Africa, starting on March 1.

The educational public display officially kicked off with an opening reception on Friday, March 5 from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Pollak Theatre Gallery, Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Ave, West Long Branch and will have a closing reception on Friday, April 30, 2010.

Exhibition attendees will be able to fix their eyes upon countless photos of the school and its 1,001 students, as well as get the opportunity to view genuine artifacts from the surrounding area, including African musical instruments, clothing, woven mats, toys, baskets, bark cloth and other items indigenous to Uganda. In addition, products made by the children at the school will be for sale including beautiful beaded jewelry, baskets, woven purses, nativities made from banana leaves, “garbage” balls, Ugandan slave bracelets, and beads of life necklaces.

The exhibition is the brainchild of Sylvia Allen, the Holmdel-based founder of Sylvia’s Children, a charitable organization created with the mission of supporting children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care school in the village of Mbiriizi, by raising awareness and funds to educate, feed, clothe and shelter them. One-quarter of the children at the school have been orphaned due to losing parents to the AIDS epidemic.

Since launching the organization in 2003, Allen has succeeded in ensuring an annual sponsorship for 93 of the 235-orphaned children and has raised $300,000, all of which has gone directly to the school. She has also constructed a well; built and fully stocked a library; purchased seven acres of land; donated an Internet-equipped computer; constructed a dormitory with triple-decker bunk beds; built a playground; provided sporting and musical equipment; and built three additional double classroom blocks as well as hiring a full time nurse and building new stoves for increased cooking efficiency.

“We are so excited about this opportunity to showcase our school and our children and their talents,” said Allen. “We are also grateful to Monmouth University for providing us with the space and exposure. The exhibit is exciting, interactive, educational and inspiring. We are particularly grateful to Alphagraphics in Red Bank who designed our display boards and provided us with such professional and ethnically accurate look.”

Through the gallery exhibition, Allen hopes to inspire and educate the public on how they can participate in helping to create a self-sustainable model for underserved third-world schools, like the one in Mbiriizi, and thus supporting the children.

If you would like to attend the closing reception, please RSVP by calling Allen at (732) 946-2711, or by e-mailing Sylvia @sylviaschildren.org, no later than Feb. 26.

For more information on Sylvia’s Children, visit www.sylviaschildren.org

To find more information on the exhibition, visit www.monmouth.edu/arts_events/exhibitions.asp

New Blog!!

2010-02-23T08:50:00.002-05:00

Tricia Todisco Gilbert, MD

Holmdel, New Jersey, United States

Is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician (Pulmonary and Intensive Care Specialists of New Jersey) in East Brunswick, NJ. She has been a volunteer with Sylvia's Children for 3 years. Tricia and a group of dedicated volunteers are accompanying Sylvia to the Mbiriizi Primary School in March. Read what Tricia has to say:

"Today I started packing up supplies for our trip and was not surprised and incredibly thankful for the generosity of my family, friends and local medical community. Many of the donations (supplies and cash) were made anonymously, so I don't know who you are- but thank you and know that you have just improved the health conditions for a village and it's 1001 children."

Read more...

FAMILY OF DOCTORS AND NURSES HEADS TO UGANDA TO TREAT ORPHANS

2010-02-06T13:30:00.004-05:00

New Jersey Organization Seeks to Raise Awareness of Medical Crisis

HOLMDEL, N. J. – Over 1,000 children in Africa will feel much better next month when their adopted grandmother Sylvia Allen, founder of Sylvia’s Children, returns to their village. But this time, she’s bringing a surprise: a family of American doctors and nurses.

Through her 501(c)3 organization, Allen has had the opportunity to visit Mbiriizi, Uganda eight times since 2003. On her upcoming ninth trip from March 11-20, she has enlisted the help of various medical volunteers, including Dr. Tricia Gilbert, a Pulmonary and Intensive Care Specialist at New Jersey’s Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and three nurses: JoDee Anderson of Holmdel, NJ, Betsy Anne Gilbert of Crestwood, KY and Dora Burke of Cranford, NJ, and Joseph Todisco, a retired EMT and firefighter from Bay Head, NJ.

When the group arrives at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School, a school 40 miles away from the nearest health facility, they will have with them donated supplies, such as bandages, sutures, syringes, wound cleansers, crutches, glucometers, antibiotics, antiepileptic drugs, stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs. They will then begin a rigorous clinical examination of each child to produce their medical history as a baseline for future medical service. Because they will only be in Uganda for five days, they will each need to work extra hard by seeing an average of six children an hour within a working day of only six hours.

When that is complete, Dr. Gilbert, along with the nurse volunteers, will get started on administering treatment for any ailments which they encounter, which can include anything from diseases of poverty, consequences of malnutrition and complications of HIV/AIDS.

Says Gilbert, “I am both thrilled and humbled by this opportunity. It is a chance for me as a physician to practice medicine purely for the love of medicine and to serve the people. It is my hope that we are laying the foundation for a sustainable health program that focuses on prevention, education and health maintenance.”

The purpose of the trip is to create awareness among the medical profession as to the urgency of having a health clinic at the school that not only serves the children of the school and their families but the village at large.

Launched seven years ago by Allen, Sylvia’s Children was started with the intention of supporting children in the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care school in the village of Mbiriizi, Uganda, Africa, 25% of whom had been orphaned due to losing one or both parents to the AIDS pandemic plaguing their country. Its mission has been to raise awareness and funds to educate, feed, clothe and shelter these children at the School.

Since starting the organization, Allen has succeeded in getting annual sponsorship for 93 of the 235 orphaned children and has raised $300,000, all of which has gone directly to the school. She has also constructed a fresh well; built a library and filled it with books; purchased seven acres of land; donated a computer with internet access; constructed a dormitory; built a playground; bought additional triple decker bunk beds for the boys’ dorm; provided sporting and musical equipment; and built three additional double classroom blocks as well as hiring a full time nurse and building new stoves for increased cooking efficiency.

The entire thrust of Sylvia’s Children is to create a self-sustaining model that can then be taken to schools in surrounding villages. The seven acres of land have been planted in corn and the school now has a corn milling business. Allen’s next plans are to develop a chicken farm, a uniform sewing trade, an arts and crafts cooperative, a health clinic and a fair-trade coffee business, which will allow the school to be self-sustainable. For more information please visit www.sylviaschildren.org or call (732) 946-2711.

The grandmotherly love of Sylvia Allen

2010-01-12T09:15:00.010-05:00

By Star-Ledger Staff

Improving lives of Ugandan children is a top priority for Holmdel entrepreneur."The kids have triggered some emotions, given me focus and direction and a purpose for life. Some people never have a purpose."

STORY BY DALILA-JOHARI PAUL / STAR-LEDGER STAFF
PHOTO BY TONY KURDZUK / FOR THE STAR-LEDGER

In Masaka, Uganda, intuition tells Sylvia Allen that a man dying of AIDS needs to feel a human touch to know he is still alive. Rather than a prayer, Allen offers to simply hold his hand.

The day before, respect compels Allen to reassure midwives gathering outside that she is a guest in their town and just like them — a woman, a mother, married and a business owner. In return, they share their personal stories.

Yet on the last day of her first trip to East Africa, it is an odd request a man brings from the children playing in a nearby schoolyard — for her to become their adoptive grandmother — that gives Allen a purpose.

Today, Allen is the founder of Sylvia’s Children, a charity devoted to helping the 1,001 students and orphans, ages 3 to 14, at the Mbiriizi Primary School in Masaka, Uganda. Since that first trip in 2003, the 73-year-old Holmdel resident has raised $250,000 for the school.

Click to read on......

2009-12-22T10:17:00.008-05:00

Mr. Ken Melrose, former chairman of the Toro Corporation, generously gave a donation to Sylvia's Children for the library. His generosity made it possible for these children to expand their learning outside Uganda and into the world.

It is through the generosity of industry leaders like Mr. Melrose that we able to continue our work to change the lives of these children through improved education and health. He has already demonstrated his belief in education As the founder of his own health care foundation, Mr. Melrose demonstrates as well his understanding of the importance of quality health care.

Thank you, Mr. Melrose, for your kind, caring and giving heart.

2009-12-19T14:56:00.003-05:00

COME WITH US TO UGANDA, AFRICA - HELP US IMPROVE 1,000 CHILDREN’S LIVES!

Calling all medical personnel to Uganda, Africa!

Thursday, March 11-Friday, March 19, 2010
$2,750.00*

We need nurses, nurse practitioners, a pediatrician, a
dermatologist, an ENT doctor, and an infectious disease specialist.

Want to make a difference in 1,000 children’s lives?

Come with us to the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School in March … it will change your life.

*Price quoted are all inclusive for the trip, including air fare, hotel, all meals, ground transportation, and water. You will be responsible for your own shots, VISA and travel insurance. That’s it!

Any questions?
Call Sylvia @ 732-946-2711
sylvia@sylviaschildren.org

Www.sylviaschildren.org/
http://sylviaschildren.blogspot.com/

Mukulike Okutuuka ku Mazaalibwa

2009-12-07T14:44:00.002-05:00

This is the greeting used by all Ugandans during the Christmas season to greet each other as they congratulate one another for yet another Christmas added to their age. And, when you look at age statistics in Uganda … median age is 15 and most do not live beyond 51 … it is an important greeting.

We need your help to make Christmas wonderful again this year for the children at the Mbiriizi School in Uganda, Africa. In the past you have generously donated for the Christmas gifts and it is my sincere hope that you can do the same this year. Last year we gave each child a blanket as that was their wish … they just wanted their own blanket.

This year each child will receive a Santa hat, candy, stickers, sun visor and sunglasses, sports balls, a candy cane, pencil and pencil sharpener, and an activity book. There are 1,002 children at the school of which 236 are orphans as a result of the AIDS pandemic. This will be the fourth year that we have put on a Christmas party for the children and the third year that we have been there to see the joy on their faces and to experience their happiness with their presents. Many of these children never had the joy of Christmas before Sylvia’s Children was formed.

Please help us make this another memorable year for these children. Every little bit helps. Thank you for having a kind, caring and giving heart. Click here to make donation. http://www.sylviaschildren.org/Donations/donation.html

Amazalibwa Agesanyu & N'Omwaka Omujaa Ogwemirembe that’s Merry Christmas in Lugandan!)

Sylvia Allen
732 946 2711/cell 732 241 1144
89 Middletown Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733

October Update

2009-10-31T14:36:00.000-04:00

For all of you who have been visiting the website, we are in the process of renovating it so bear with us. We need a good web person with a kind heart to donate their time to help us get it back in shape. If you are one of those, give me a call (732 946 2711).

Lots of good stuff to announce since the last newsletter:

1. A group of five students at Colts Neck (NJ) High School is undertaking a project to raise money for the school.

2. We have Ryan Dolan at Red Bank Catholic (NJ) High School who is collecting printer cartridges and old cell phones to raise money for Sylvia's Children.

3. A young lady in Wayne, NJ is using Sylvia's Children to get her Girl Scout Gold Award.

4. Doreen, my ballet teacher, had me participate in her temple's Mitzvah Day and we got several people to sign up as volunteers as well as selling some of the products.

5. We had our African craft sale and generated over $800 for the school.

6. Jeff Tuccillo is running to qualify for the 2010 New York City Marathon and will be running for Sylvia's Children. Let's start thinking about how we can sponsor him and make this a beautiful story for the world.

7. Go to this website ... http://www.v2v.net/starbucks ... and give your kudos for Sylvia's Children. Let's see if we can get their attention another way!

I found this WONDERFUL QUOTE ... for those of us who have had the wonderful experience of going to Uganda, Africa I think this will resonate with you. It is from William Dempster Hoard, 1836-1918, a politician and publisher:

"Happiness doesn't depend on what we have but it does depend on how we feel toward what we have. We can be happy with little and miserable with much."

As we prepare for our annual Christmas trip to the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day School in Uganda, Africa we look at how little these children have and, yet, how happy they are. This year, for the Christmas party, each child will receive a Santa hat with a pencil, pencil sharpener, a Christmas Stars kazoo, a sun visor, sunglasses, candy cane, stickers, wrapped candy and crayons. They will be thrilled. As many of you know, we gave each of them their own blanket last year and this summer each child got a new pair of CROCS and socks.

We need your help to make this Christmas another memorable one for the children. We are approximately $2,000 short in our fundraising and I am asking if you will help us. I don't want to touch the money that has been donated for other components of the school nor do I want to touch the sponsor support money so I am asking if you could send a check or go to the website ... www.sylviaschildren.org ... click on the donate now button and fill in what you can give. It would be so greatly appreciated. And, on behalf of the children THANK YOU for caring.

With love,
Sylvia

Update from Sylvia

2009-09-03T11:28:00.000-04:00

This will be a detailed update since it has been two months since I've last communicated! First, you are getting list of the trips; Second, a report on this summer's trip written by Jeannie MacDonald who was on the trip. Grab a cup of coffe, put your feet up, read and enjoy!

1. Trip #1 ... November 26-December 3 ... This is the Christmas party trip where we give the children gifts and just enjoy the school. Our church did Christmas in July and so far we have $750 towards Christmas (need $5,000 to cover gifts and party). Currently three are signed up to go on the trip... if we get six the cost will only be $2,000 per person from Newark (that includes airfare and everything), four it will be $2,250. Need to know by October 10 (sooner if this will be your first trip because you need to get shots.)

Trip #2 ... March 11-24, 2010 ... This trip will be four days at the school and one day in the village of Tekerah to see how they do a clinic there. During the time at the school (and clinic if Brigitte wants) I would like us to examine as many children as possible. At our school, we can use the large assembly hall and almost do a round robin. (However, that I would leave up to all of you ... I am not the medical expert.) At the end of the trip we will take a short jaunt to Mweya Lodge and take a morning safari ride; afternoon boat ride to see hippos, elephants taking a bath, water buffalo and tons of beautiful bird life; and relax. Monday, the 23rd we will then go back to Kampala and fly out that night, getting into Newark around noon on the 24th. That trip is $3,500 from Newark and, as with all the others, totally inclusive. The only money you will need will be for souvenirs and tip to our guide. We need to raise $45,000 for the clinic which would include both a front and back reception area (front for the village and back for the school), two examining rooms, equipment, bathroom facilities, nurse and doctor for a year, and supplies. If we get them started, within a year they can be self-sustaining and have a profit margin.

Trip #3 ... June 17-30, 2010 ... This trip is also $3,500 and includes, again, a trip to Tekerah, attending Geofrey's father's church and being at the school with a short safari at the end. During the time at the school we need to update the orphan inventory to get current pictures, update their ages, what class they are in, etc. Would love to re-visit Mahinga lodge; however, their rooms are not singles and other than being the most wonderfully relaxing place on earth with a view of the African Savannah, there isn't much to do. However, it is in that gift shop I bought a card with a Ugandan phrase: NEVER RUB BOTTOMS WITH A PORCUPINE. They have basic wisdom!

Our goal for all of this is to have the school be independent of us ... a clinic that would generate revenue, a sewing business, a chicken farm, corn growing and milling, arts and crafts ... all of which would generate revenue, create personal pride for them, allow some of the children to learn a vocation and remove them from dependence on us.

Sylvia's Children: Summer Trip to Mbiriizi, Uganda

Sylvia Allen's sixth trip to the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School in Mbiriizi, Uganda was a rewarding and unforgettable experience for the 13 travelers who accompanied Sylvia this past June. The group consisted of three teachers, two nurse practitioners, one nurse, a pastor-in-training, a performing artist, several business people including Sylvia's two children, and Sylvia who is the inspiration behind all of the trips and this story. The members of this group came from Washington State, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and the Netherlands. Their common link was the desire to help the 1,002 students at the school that Sylvia has been supporting through donations to her 501(c)3 nonprofit charity. She created the charity single-handedly in 2003 and named it Sylvia's Children.

As the bus pulled into the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School the last Monday in June, more than one thousand students and teachers were lining both sides of the school entrance road to sing songs of welcome. They saw the big safari bus before they saw the visitors. A waving sea of hands greeted us as we got off the bus and passed through the middle of the lines. The children and staff were clearly excited about the visit of Grand Sylvia, as everyone at the school calls their adopted grandmother, Sylvia. The visitors were amazed by the warmth, big smiles, embraces, handshakes, traditional dancing, and singing --including songs written especially for Grand Sylvia-- in this initial welcome and throughout the week. The Ugandan people express their joy and appreciation so openly. Sylvia had told the visitors what the reaction from the children and staff would be to our visit; to experience it was overwhelmingly wonderful. Now for some background information to better help understand the trip.

Each time that Sylvia visits, she brings something for the children that she feels they need. In past years she brought each child a blanket- their request for a Christmas present- and a new shirt. She decided that the birthday gift to the 1,002 children currently enrolled would be a pair of new "CROCS" and new socks. Why crocs that many think are not very comfortable and not very attractive? Sylvia realized from her many visits that crocs are perfect footwear for the alternating dry and dusty to wet and muddy conditions typical of Uganda's changing seasons.

Once Sylvia decided on the footwear she had to find a way of obtaining and shipping 1,000+ crocs. She and a teacher at Holmdel Village School met with Principal Liz Giacobbe and the plan for a shoe drive came into being. The shoe drive was a school-wide service-learning project overseen by Principal Liz Giacobbe and Assistant Principal Dionne Ledford. They wove the shoe drive project into the theme of the school's 2008-2009 character education program, 'If the Shoe Fits Wear It', and tied it to the character trait of May, fairness. Sylvia did two presentations at Holmdel Village School to share her vision through a slide presentation and display of artifacts. She explained to the students and staff why the project was so important, to her and to the students at the school she supports.

Finding one thousand pairs of crocs in the right sizes turned out to be a challenge, much more difficult than expected. Holmdel Village School students and staff rallied behind the enormous undertaking and generously donated the majority of the crocs, over 800 pairs. Holmdel Community Church members and Crocs, Inc. stepped in to supply the croc sizes that were still needed after the Holmdel Village School Shoe Drive ended the first week in June. The students and families from Home Away From Home Academy had a sock drive earlier in the school year and collected 600 pairs of socks and Sylvia made up the difference from donations to Sylvia's Children. Many local businesses also helped in the effort to get crocs. Jen, the store manager of Michael's in Holmdel personally transferred boxes of crocs from other Michael's stores around New Jersey when it became clear that supplies were running out locally. A Middletown Studio 35 hairdresser, the Children's Place in Holmdel, and Cost Cutters throughout Monmouth County also were part of the effort. In the end there were enough crocs and socks collected to ensure that all 1,002 students would get a birthday gift. (Birthdays are celebrated in July for all of the students to make it less painful that many orphans don't know how old they are or when they were born.) There were even a few large sizes left for very appreciative teachers.

The crocs and socks were sorted on two Sunday afternoons in mid June at Sylvia's Holmdel home and then packed as tightly as possible into army duffel bags. Each of the 13 travelers was allotted one suitcase for personal belongings and one duffel bag. Sylvia needed travelers not only to help at the school but also to get supplies there. Eight duffel bags had to be checked as extra baggage at a cost of 150 dollars per bag. The Holmdel Foundation for Education Excellence generously helped with the extra shipping charges as well as the Holmdel Community United Church of Christ. It would have been prohibitive for Sylvia to foot the bill for this project. The cost of the socks and crocs would have easily exceeded five thousand dollars and the shipping expenses for 21 duffel bags without her group would have been over three thousand dollars. The project was truly a community effort; thanks and appreciation need to be extended to hundreds of people who got involved. Let's now return to the June trip to Uganda.

The trip was a very full, two-week, whirlwind of activity; Sylvia has the routine down. It takes the better part of two days just to get to the area of Uganda where the school is located- two eight-hour plane rides and a two-hour bus ride out of the capital city of Kampala. So four days were spent in travel. The group stayed in the closest large town to where the school is, Masaka, where there are a few hotels that can accommodate a group of 13 people. It's then another 45-minute drive from Masaka to Mbiriizi on a two-lane 'highway,' which might qualify as a secondary road in the U.S. The group did this trip twelve times during the course of the stay.

On the first day at Mbiriizi School, after the overwhelming welcome, Sylvia and the group spent close to three hours passing out the crocs and socks to almost all of the preschool through middle school students. The students who were absent got theirs when they returned to school; there were a dozen or so who were not there on our first day. The students loved their new shoes and socks; most had never had new shoes, especially shoes that fit. Some kneeled or bowed to show their gratitude, some just beamed. There was no fussing over color or style, just appreciation. Almost every student said, "Thank you."

On the second two days many group members helped Sylvia in the annual orphan inventory. There are currently 240 orphans who live in two dormitories built with funds from Sylvia's Children and the number continues to rise due to the Aids Pandemic. Sylvia keeps accurate records to ensure that each orphan at the school is accounted for and has only one sponsor. She also needs their updated personal history. As stated earlier, many orphans don't know their birthdates or how old they are making their current grade placement an important detail. However, students at the school are placed in grades based upon their achievement and not their age; size and height are not accurate indicators of grade. One class could have an age span of several years. The orphans often lag behind their similarly aged peers for reasons that are probably obvious to the reader.

On Wednesday, the visiting teachers in the group were given the opportunity to teach a lesson to the students in Primary One, Primary Two, and Primary Seven. Teaching is different with 55-60 children packed four to five on a bench in small cement-wall classrooms; however, the Ugandan students were attentive and motivated and the Ugandan teachers were receptive and appreciative. It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved and an eye-opener for the visiting teachers. Teachers at Mbiriizi sharpen pencils with razor blades that children bring from home at the beginning of the school year. Scissors, markers, crayons, textbooks, books for the children to read, teaching materials, learning toys, electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing are conspicuously absent. Sylvia is working on these things, but first classrooms had to be built. The good news is that parents are sending their children to school and not keeping them home to work for them, especially to do the job of fetching the day's water. It was obvious to the visiting teachers that the Mbiriizi students are bright, capable, and eager to learn. The Mbiriizi teachers are bright and capable as well and they are determined to give their students a future with better choices. The students' parents know that there is little they can do to change the course of their lives. Their hope and dreams lie in education for their children, a gift that Sylvia is providing by the addition of classroom buildings, the library, and school supplies not to mention the new kitchen, clinic, and borehole that keeps the children fed, healthy, and hydrated so that they can learn. She is now working to purchase more teaching resources and more student books for the new library.

The three medical professionals in the group had work all day and every day. With 1,002 students and dozens of staff members there is always someone needing medical attention. The school nurse, recently hired by Sylvia to work in the new school clinic, was happy to have extra hands and expertise, especially when a ten- year old student named Ibrahim arrived at the clinic on Wednesday. He had become severely burned the previous evening when he tripped carrying a pot of boiling water for his family. His parents brought him to a medical clinic in the town of Mbiriizi and that clinic nurse wrapped his arms in gauze; without better medical supplies, that was all that could be done for him. Ibrahim walked his usual four-mile route to school on Wednesday morning and his first period teacher immediately sent him to the school clinic. The nurses worked together to remove the gauze that had adhered to his oozing wounds, scraped off the burned flesh, applied antibiotic cream that was brought over on this trip, and re-bandaged him. They had no painkiller medication to make the procedure bearable. Yet, when they asked Ibrahim if he was hurting, his reply was, "Yes, thank you." He suffered from second and third degree burns. He never cried. The nurses knew that his chance of dying from infection was high and that if he lived he would have disfigured arms without a doctor's help. Ibrahim's parents were notified. He was put on the group's bus and, along with the nurses and his father, was taken to the closest emergency room 45 minutes away in Masaka. The charge for his emergency room treatment was less than ten dollars but more money than his parents could afford. Sylvia's Children paid for the bill. The August monthly report to Sylvia shares good news; Ibrahim is doing well.

Most people in Mbiriizi have never ridden in a car or bus. Few own any kind of transportation other than a bicycle. The school does not have any vehicles to transport children or staff anywhere. Taxis are motorbikes and most people cannot afford them. The school needs a way to transport students and staff who need emergency medical care but there are other needs to be tackled first. Sylvia is working to get the school clinic more medical equipment and supplies to make the clinic more effective. She is grateful to a New Jersey doctor who recently made an extremely generous donation of two thousand dollar's worth of medical supplies to the Mbiriizi School Clinic. The supplies were brought over on the June trip and were being used the first day. Sylvia hopes that other doctors who are in a position to donate supplies will follow this New Jersey doctor's lead.

On Thursday, the school staff set up a cultural exhibit of many of the jobs and crafts that are part of the life of the school. The nurse demonstrated the making of medicinal tea using commonly found plants and herbs. A kitchen worker showed how millet is ground into flour to be used to make porridge and flatbreads. A teacher showed how coffee beans are ground or packaged as beans in banana leaf cases. Another teacher demonstrated sewing school uniforms on an old treadle sewing machine that does not need electricity. A group of teachers and students were weaving bags and placemats and making brooms with grasses they had collected. There was a display of beaded jewelry and decorations that the students and staff make to give to Sylvia to sell in shops in Uganda and here in the U.S. The earnings are helping the school on the road to self-sufficiency. Several orphans demonstrated how they wash their clothing; it is a daily task to wash their one uniform and hang it to dry for the next day. The orphans are also responsible for washing towels, bedding, and any other clothing they own each Saturday.

Over the course of the week, the visitors saw all of the school facilities, both to see the wonderful progress that has been made in six years and also to learn about the needs that remain. The visitors toured the orphan dormitories where children sleep in bunk beds two and sometimes three to a bed and are happy to have a bed. We saw the borehole from which water for the school is manually pumped, the partially completed shell of the new teacher housing (a story for later), the new building which houses the library and the clinic, the bathrooms, the open-air auditorium and classrooms, and the new kitchen. The teachers and administrators, with Sylvia in the lead, also provided the visitors with a walking tour of Mbiriizi, an eye opener for those visitors who had not seen the conditions of villages in third world countries. The Ugandan people are doing the best they can without safety nets that people in the United States are accustomed to and expect. It is hard to see and even harder to understand the living conditions of the people in Mbiriizi.

On the last day of the visit, there was a wonderful birthday celebration at the school. Every student gets a birthday present during Sylvia's June/July visit; each was treated to a big bowl of rice and beans and the long anticipated, semi-annual treat of a bottle of soft drink and everyone wore their new crocs! The visitors served the meal to all of the students, starting with the Baby Class and ending with Primary Seven. Rice was scooped out from under the banana leaves that serve as lids for the huge kettles. Beans were poured on top from different kettles, equally huge. The serving took almost two hours to complete. As meals were finished, children washed their dishes in basins of water on the grass so that the next group could eat. That required many water trips to the borehole. The kitchen staff then served the same meal of rice and beans to the school staff, visiting parents, and Sylvia and the group. Everyone ate in the traditional Ugandan way, with his or her fingers.

There were two wonderful programs put on by the students on the last day. A morning presentation involved all of the students at the school from Baby Class through Primary Seven. It was created and directed by Jeroen Moerik, a performing artist from the Netherlands, and some group members and had been practiced in segments throughout the week. An afternoon presentation in the auditorium included many classes singing and dancing. Sylvia's son and a group of student guitarists sang and played the song the students wrote and set to music during the week. The Mbiriizi teachers, Sylvia, and the visitors were also on stage dancing to African music, with the children in their new colorful crocs. The Headmaster and administrators of the school gave short speeches to share some of the highlights of Sylvia's sixth visit with the visiting parents. They thanked Sylvia and the group for caring enough to travel to Uganda to help them and presented personalized gifts that they had made for each visitor, including an African tunic for the men and dresses for the women. Sylvia explained how each of the students got crocs and socks. The Headmaster gave each new visitor a Ugandan tribal name, a tradition reserved until the program on the last day of each visit. The students sang songs that included lyrics of thanks to Grand Sylvia for her love and her help. The program concluded with more than a thousand people in the auditorium holding hands and singing The Friendship Song. It was an emotional farewell as the bus pulled out of the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day Care School the last time for this trip. The students and staff lined the school entrance road singing and waving, just as they had when the group first arrived.

There was more to the two-week trip that could be a sequel to this story. The two-week stay also included two planned weekend activities: a trip to the Equator, a drum factory, and Tekera School Cooperative during the first weekend and to Murchison Falls National Park on the Victoria Nile for a safari the second weekend. Each activity was wonderful. But the true highlight of the trip was working at the Mbiriizi School. It was an enriching experience for the Ugandans, Sylvia, and this year's group. It was a special time that will remain forever in the hearts and minds of those of us who went. It was a unique cultural experience learning about and becoming friends with the people in Mbiriizi, Uganda.

The new teacher dormitory that was mentioned earlier in this story was started last spring. It remains a brick shell one third done, built with money from Sylvia's 501(c)3 that Sylvia had been promised would be reimbursed in three payments over three years. She was informed less than a week before the trip that the funding had been withdrawn. This was a major disappointment. Teacher housing is a security measure, not a luxury, for the 240 orphans who live full time at the school. Without it there will continue to be no adults present before and after school hours, including the vulnerable night hours. Sylvia and the Mbiriizi teachers remain hopeful that the teacher housing will receive the donations needed to complete it.

As this story winds to an end, there are a few details to share about the village of Mbiriizi and the school that did not yet make it into this story. Although an electric power line runs through the country, few Ugandans are connected to it. Sylvia has provided one line into the school's main office for the one computer at the school. That is it for Mbiriizi. Almost all of the electricity that flows through the power lines is sold to countries south of Uganda to people who can pay for it. In Mbiriizi, there is no electricity, no indoor or outdoor plumbing, and no running water. Kitchens are small wood burning stoves used outside the small one or two room dwellings in which people live. The school borehole now provides clean water to the school; water must still be pumped manually and carried in special water containers to wherever it is needed-to the kitchen for cooking, to the new school clinic for medical needs, and to various locations around the school grounds for washing hands and drinking. But it is clean water. The children and staff understand how fortunate they are that Sylvia provided the funding for the borehole. Most of the people in Mbiriizi, as is true all over Uganda, spend hours each day lugging water from the closest water hole and boiling it to make it safe for consumption. The visitors saw children as young as four years old walking along the roads in search of water. They fill their containers and walk long distances holding the containers or carrying them on their heads; adults sometimes strap three or four containers to their bicycles and then push the bicycles. It is no wonder that one of the songs written by the staff and sung by the children for Sylvia includes a line, "We are so happy. Thank you for the water."

There are 54 countries on the continent of Africa and each is unique. Uganda is one of the sub Saharan countries that comprise Eastern Africa. It is about the size of Oregon has the distinction of being one African country that has the equator cross it. Enormous Lake Victoria is in the southeastern part of the country and its water is the boundary between Uganda and two of its neighbors, Kenya and Tanzania. With such a body of fresh water it is hard to comprehend why there is still no infrastructure to get the water to the people who need it. There are snowcapped mountains in the southwestern part of the country, the Victoria Nile runs through tropical and savanna land in the north, and throughout the center of the country are beautiful rolling hills. Wildlife abounds and natural resources such as minerals and oil are plentiful. Yet, except for small sections of the capital city, Kampala, the standard of living in Uganda is much like it was in much of the rural United States in the 1800s. The initial shock of such living conditions gave way, over the course of the stay, to a realization that the Ugandan people have little materially yet lead remarkably happy lives. They work hard, live close to the earth, have strong family and community connections, and are understandably proud of their country and culture.

Monetary assistance to Uganda that goes toward education, wells for clean water, clinics for health care, and better infrastructure will be money well spent for millions of people. Sylvia Allen is making an enormous difference in the lives of the Mbiriizi students and their families. She continues to work toward the goal she has set of making this school self-supporting by 2012. Then she wants to move on and begin again. Sylvia's June trip to Uganda was an amazing cultural connection. The people of Mbiriizi and the visitors from abroad share a common belief. One person with passion and conviction can bring about amazing positive change to people in need around the world. Thank you for your work in Uganda, Grand Sylvia. You are an inspiration to everyone who is fortunate enough to be involved with you and your work.

Jeannie MacDonald, "Nakandi", First Grade Teacher at Holmdel Village School, Holmdel, NJ, USA

Contact Info
Sylvia's Children, Inc., a 501(c)3 Charitable Organization
Sylvia Allen, Founder and President
732-946-2711
www.sylviaschildren.org
sylvia@sylviaschildren.org

Tune in to New Jersey 101.5 FM on Monday!

2009-08-26T15:40:00.003-04:00

Tune in to New Jersey
101.5 FM on Monday!

Sylvia was interviewed by New
Jersey 101.5 Radio, and you can
listen to it this Monday, August 31!
The interview will be broadcast periodically all day.

Just click here to tune in.

It's the perfect way to close out
the summer!

It’s a moment of great memory and honour

2009-08-14T09:50:00.001-04:00

It’s a moment of great memory and honour to update you on the children and the school at large.

The school academic term two closed on 7Th/08/2009 and term three is due to open on 31St/08/2009. Second term closed with the total of 1002 children. The details of the enrolment are as shown: -

We closed the term with four hundred ninety five boys and five hundred seven girls.

Health: -
Since your departure from school and according to the weather you experienced, many children suffered from flue and cough accompanied by malaria. Some went as far as being admitted in the nearby hospitals. Katumbs Ibra is now very well.

Children’s performance: -
Due to the fact of the sickness mentioned, some children academically declined but we hope to pick them up next term.

P.7 Graduation: -
This year we have 54 candidates due to graduate on 5Th and 6Th Nov, 200 and we have great hope that they will perform very well.

Best of regards.

Geofrey Kauma, School Principal

Our 2009 trip to the Mbiriizi School in Uganda.

2009-07-28T22:18:00.002-04:00

Update From Sylvia

2009-07-27T00:11:00.000-04:00

My church just completed a Christmas in July drive for Sylvia's Children and raised $610 towards our Christmas presents for the children this year. We still need to raise at least $4,000 more to cover the presents and party but we are well on our way!

Also, on Saturday, September 19 they are having a Century of Hope bike tour to raise money for Sylvia's Children. (see attached ... if you know any riders there are three routes: 4, 25 and 100 miles). And, if you don't want to ride and just volunteer that would be great too!

Lastly, on Sunday, September 20 the church service will be completely dedicated to Sylvia's Children. I would love input on the service and also who would like to participate. I had thought we should end the service with the Friendship song but am open to suggestions. If possible, I would also like to do a meal as we did last time but that is open for discussion/participation as well.

So, let me know if you want to participate and your ideas for making it a meaningful experience for everyone who attends. We will, of course, have video and a ppt presentation but we would need a children's message (Jeannie: any ideas?), anthems (maybe even a drum circle ... there is a woman who does that) and whatever else you can think of! Since I will be on the road a lot over the next five weeks I need us to start thinking about this now. I am trying to see Rev. Rusty before I leave on Friday to get a sense of what he would like us to do.

Signing off for now! Thanks for always caring.

Sylvia Allen
732-946-2711/cell 732-241-1144
89 Middletown Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733

Back from Uganda and Much to Share

2009-07-16T16:41:00.001-04:00

June 24 to July 7 fifteen of us were in Uganda, Africa, visiting our school as well as visiting a women's cooperative and taking a short safari! As always, there is always a mix of emotions and activities that go with a trip like this but here are the highlights.

1. The Continental check in at Newark was a breeze, thanks to the efforts of two wonderful women! Michele and I have sent a thank you note to Continental, commending them on their performance.

2. The Continental/Brussels connection worked well too. I think we have found a winning combination!

3. We visited Tekerah where Bruce and Brigitte Daley have their school, organic farm and women's cooperative. The women were delightful and I'm sure our group helped with all their purchases from the store! Beautiful baskets, Christmas decorations, earrings, mattes, nativity sets ... the list goes on and on. We got many good ideas for a possible women's cooperative at Mbiriizi.

4. Saturday was equator and drum factory day. Tony got to have his chapatti chips and guacamole and we all had an opportunity to buy some beautiful original African art.

5. Sunday we went to church and presented the church with a spectacular quilt hanging for their sanctuary. Made by Judy Antisell and Lynn Liebenow from the quilt pieces drawn by the children in 2007, they fashioned one for the church and one for the school. They measure 48" across and 60" high ... spectacular. We then came back to the Hotel Zebra and all had lunch together.

6. And, Hotel Zebra will be our regular hotel from now on. What wonderful owners and staff. We had an impromptu drum concert on Wednesday night (staff and guests) and then lots of drumming, singing and dancing from staff and guests and others. A sheer delight.

7. The one disappointment at the school was the unfinished teachers' housing. We were building a ten unit facility so the teachers could live on campus to protect the children from the rash of arson attacks taking place on schools in Uganda. We started it because we had a promise of $18,000 over three years from a couple who backed out of their gentleman's agreement just a few days before we left. We desperately need to finish this housing, so if you know of anyone who would like to sponsor this please let us know.

8. Monday through Friday we were at the school. Monday we gave each child (1,000+) a new pair of CROCS and a new pair of socks. Billie, who had been our guide in December, took the bus down from Kampala to help! Tuesday we took 16 children by bus to the Masaka clinic to have a blood test to confirm if they had syphilis or malaria. They all came back negative! :) Wednesday a young man came in with second and third degree burns and the medical people on the trip did a wonderful job of treating him. He never cried! Thursday a quick trip to hospital for Abraham (the burned young man) to make sure he was ok and would get better ... which he will.

Our nurse and nurse practitioners did a great job. Friday was performance day with Jeroen, assisted by Eileen, directing 1,000 children in a performance of American music presented by African children. Quite a spectacle. In the afternoon we fed the children and then had a farewell ceremony. They made special African robes for us so the finale was quite spectacular (and, of course, sad.)

9. Had a wonderful demo of African life and crafts in the square at the school. They showed us how they grind millet, brew leaves for an herbal cold remedy, make Matoke and then a fabulous array of beaded jewelry, woven mattes and purses, beads for life and more that we could take back with us to sell for the benefit of the children.

10. We currently have 236 orphans at the school with 98 of the boys in the dormitory and 89 of the girls with the balance living with guardians. Only 80 are sponsored so we really need to get more children sponsored. Only $1.00 a day feeds, clothes, educates and houses them ... let me know if you would like to be a sponsor.

11. The trip ended with a L-O-N-G bus ride to Paraa Lodge in northern Uganda where we saw spectacular giraffes and tons of other wildlife ... hippos, water buffalo, fishing eagles, African buck ... the list could go on and on.

The next trip is November 26 through December 3 and the cost will be $2,500 as we do not do a safari on this trip. The trip is totally dedicated to providing a Christmas party for the children. My church is currently doing a Christmas in July fundraiser (Holmdel Community United Church of Christ) and a school in Wayne is doing fundraising in the fall so we should be able to provide each child with a Christmas "bag" filled with goodies.

Lastly, if any of you love cycling, the church is holding a Century of Hope Bike Tour Saturday, September 19, starting at 8 am. With a choice of 4, 25 and 100 mile routes there is something for everyone. It is a wonderful effort by two choir members, Howard Kradjel and Don Pope.

Thanks for your interest in Sylvia's Children and for caring about those less fortunate that us.

Sylvia is on Womens's Radio!

2009-06-23T13:49:00.003-04:00

Sylvia Allen is an author and PR Professional by day, but in her "spare time" she forwards a larger vision....to provide health and education to hundreds and hundreds of kids in Uganda, many who were orphaned by AIDS.

In the world, there are 18 million orphans due to the deadly disease; 15 million of these are in Africa, and most are in the sub-Saharan areas of Africa. This is the time of year when Sylvia makes her annual visit to her village in Uganda.

This year, she will be taking some 15 professionals/volunteers with her to serve the community in their areas of expertise, people who also have day jobs in education, medicine and more. Allen joins Speak Up! to talk about her new goals and what's happening to her kids in Uganda.

To listen to the interview, click here!

The itinerary for Africa:

2009-06-22T09:10:00.000-04:00

6/24 ... CO 60 EWR to BRU leave @ 6:10 pm, arrive 7:45 am 6/25

6/25 ... SN 465 BRU to EBB leave @ 10:40 am, arrive 9:45 pm
Staying at Ivy House 6/25 pm

Hotel Zebra 6/26 to 7/3 ... 256 481 20936 (Masaka, Uganda, Africa)

7/4 to go Paraa Lodge

7/6 ... SN 483 EBB to BRU leave @ 8:35 pm, arrive @ 6 am 7/7

7/7 ... CO 61 BRU to EWR leave @ 9:45 am, arrive 12 noon

My cell is workable everywhere; Michele's cell is workable everywhere (732 865 4775).

Sylvia Allen
732-946-2711/cell 732-241-1144
89 Middletown Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733

GREAT news!

2009-06-14T21:58:00.001-04:00

CROC came to the rescue and we have all the shoes and socks we need for Africa. What a wonderful gesture on their part! They have a foundation that provides shoes to non-profits. BUY CROCS!

Shoes Still Needed For Children’s Charity

2009-06-11T16:20:00.001-04:00

Holmdel, NJ… Sylvia’s Children has an urgent need for “Crocs” style shoes. A shoe drive was held last month to collect 1,000 pairs of the shoes, one new pair for each student currently enrolled in the school that the charity has been supporting in Uganda, Africa.

“Crocs” style shoes were chosen because they are easier to care for in the alternately muddy and wet, dusty and dry conditions of the African savannah. Shoes in women’s sizes 3, 4, and 5 are still desperately needed to ensure each child receives a pair.

For more information about donating “Crocs” style shoes in women’s sizes 3, 4 or 5, or to report a place where they are available, please call Sylvia at 732-946-2711 or 732-241-1144.

The shoes are being delivered to the children at the end of June, so donations must be received no later than June 19. For more information about Sylvia’s Children visit www.sylviaschildren.com. One hundred percent of all donations go directly for the care of these children.

2009-06-05T15:21:00.003-04:00

Woman Of The Month: Sylvia Allen

As a young girl growing up in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN, Sylvia Allen, of Holmdel, N. J., has always persevered against disparaging gender-based inequities; generally leveraged against her for being female.

Allen was a born entrepreneur, as she started her own business, selling holiday and gift cards door to door when she was 12. She told her mother she wanted cashmere sweaters like everyone else in her school. Her mother said, “Get a job,” so … she did. It was so successful that when she went off to college her customers complained!

Following high school graduation, Allen attended the University of Minnesota, where she received her B.A. in Speech and Theatre Arts. Upon graduation, she went to work in radio and television in Minneapolis. It was while she was working television, producing a daily 15-minute woman’s show and a daily two-hour talk show that she encountered the discrimination that made her move to New York. When she asked the executive producer for a credit line, “Produced by Sylvia,” he refused. When pushed as to why, he said “Because you are a woman.” “That’s fine,” she said. “I quit.” That was May 1965 and by June 1965, she was settled in New York City!

Allen has worked in a wide range of organizations including Videotape Center, Teletape Productions, Leacock-Pennebaker (where she worked with Bobby Dylan, Truman Capote and Norman Mailer, to name just a few.) In addition, she has worked for Fortune 500 companies including McGraw-Hill Publishing and AT&T.

In 1979, when it was still frowned upon for women to even be offered managerial roles within corporate culture, Allen charged forth, starting her own company altogether, Allen Consulting. Three decades later, Allen has taken her internationally recognized marketing firm to glorious new heights. As one of New Jersey’s leading PR agencies, Allen Consulting has been heralded for its ability to provide brass ring media relations services to both for-profit and non-profit organizations for 31 years, and has arguably become a cornerstone in the reinvention of many of New Jersey’s downtowns. Last year alone, her firm produced more than 100 events and raised over $1 million worth of sponsorships for clients. She has represented clients such as the PNC Bank Arts Center, the San Gennaro Festival in New York and the world renowned Iditarod in Alaska.

In 1990, while teaching at New York University and running her business full-time, she decided she needed to go to graduate school so she registered at Empire State College, where she graduated Cum Laude with an M.A. in Culture and Policy.

Allen has been honored with over 50 awards including the Garden State Women-Owned Business of the Year award, Top 50 Women in Business in New Jersey award, ATHENA Award and the Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction Award.

But Sylvia Allen is not only a lauded entrepreneur, she is also an internationally recognized author, having written four books including “A Women’s Guide to Sales Success” and “How to be Successful in Sponsorship Sales,” as well as numerous articles on sponsorship sales and marketing. She is also a fundraising consultant and sponsorship sales expert, who frequently tours the world, traveling to countries like China, India, Ireland and Iceland, to present seminars about selling sponsorships. And in 2006, she was inducted into the International Festival & Events Hall of Fame.

Allen is also a teacher, having been an Adjunct Associate Professor of Marketing and a Program Advisor for New York University for over 20 years. She has commanded leading board positions for myriad organizations, including being the co-founder of Women in Sports and Events (WISE), the Vail International Multi-Image Festival and the American Sandsculpting Championship; Past President of the Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association (JSPRA) and Tower Hill Choir; and Past Chair of the Sponsorship Committee of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, among a handful of others.

In 2003, Allen, who was at the top of her game, professionally speaking, decided to travel to sub-Saharan Africa as part of a volunteerism trip with World Vision, and never expected to encounter such a life changing experience, causing her to start her own non-profit organization, Sylvia’s Children.

She founded the organization following a journey to Masaka, a small village in the African country of Uganda, where she came across hundreds of children who had been left orphaned by the devastating AIDS pandemic plaguing their community.

Before departing, Allen was asked by the head of the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary and Day School to be the adopted grandmother of the children, the highest honor in the culture. She graciously accepted this new role, but not without declaring her life’s new mission: to raise awareness and funds to better the lives of the children by providing them with education, shelter, food and clothing.

Allen and her team of committed volunteers have since had the opportunity to make a notable difference to this village and its residents. Sylvia’s Children has raised over $250,000; has dedicated a library stocked with books; has built four classroom blocks; and has constructed a fresh well, a dormitory to house the students, and housing for the teachers, to name just a few of the things they have accomplished. The organization has also installed computers with Internet access and has supported the children with endeavors that help cultivate their creative juices, by donating musical instruments and sporting equipment. Additionally, Sylvia’s Children has brought a dentist to the school, as well as nurses, one of which has treated such disorders as Syphilis and umbilical hernias.

Sylvia’s Children has so far been able to sponsor over 200 of the school’s orphans, which equates to one third of the 1,000 students attending the school.

No task is ever too big for Allen, as her goals for the next two years include the acquisition of seven acres of land allowing the school to operate a chicken farm, supplying the children with protein and bringing a source of revenue for the shrunken economy, and a sewing trade, in which the children can learn to sew, while local widows can come stitch uniforms for the students. Additionally, she would like to implement a fair-trade coffee business allowing the sale of coffee beans to be exported directly to other countries.

Allen then plans to have an eight-year model of African entrepreneurship completed in two years, which can be taken to similar underserved African schools, in order to give them tools to create sustainable economies by incorporating Social Capitalism into their systems by way of a grassroots plan.

She is currently in the process of writing a book entitled Single Points of Light Illuminating Darkest Africa, which will feature a collection of chapters, each one spotlighting one person who is making a difference in Africa. Following the book, Sylvia plans to start another non-profit called ‘Single Points of Light,” which will expand on her current plans, opening them up to the rest of the sub-Saharan African continent.

Sylvia Allen: Featured Fundraiser

2009-06-04T20:03:00.001-04:00

by Jason Dick on June 1, 2009

The featured fundraiser this month is Sylvia Allen of Sylvia’s Children. Sylvia’s Children is a 501 (c) 3 that works with school children in Uganda.

What keeps you going? Why do you keep working in development?

I have a goal of making a difference in children’s lives through education. We have grown from a school that educates 439 to one that educates 1,002. Once we have developed some businesses within the school and they become self sufficient, we will have developed a model that can be used anywhere in Africa.

What tips/advice do you have to other fundraisers in your field?

Forget that you are a non-profit and work like a for profit agency. Develop a business plan, understand the elements of marketing, quit begging and being afraid to ask for money. If what you are doing fulfills a need, be proud of it and act that way in your fundraising efforts.

What is the most frustrating or difficult thing about fund development?

For me it is finding the time! I run a full-time marketing and public relations agency and there are just never enough hours in the day!

Do you have any memorable donor visits or solicitations that you’d like to share?

The most wonderful solicitation came after many “subtle” telephone calls to my Mother who ultimately sent a check to pay for all the books in the library. It was a thrill!

What is the most exciting thing about fundraising?

Knowing that you are making a difference in people’s lives. Even if we only educate 1,000 children we have improved their standard of living. You leave a legacy long after you are gone.

Update From Sylvia

2009-05-31T07:57:00.001-04:00

We will have a final trip conference call next Saturday (June 6) at 12 nn EST. The call in number is 866 507 5507 and the conference code is 9462711#. Only 24 days to go!

All New Jersey people ... we will meet on June 24 at the house @ 2 pm and all go from here. (For International flights we have to be at the airport 3 hours ahead of departure time.) We can park the car overflow at the church (have their permission).

Lastly, thanks to Jeannie MacDonald at the Village School we have new Crocs for the children at the school and thanks to Carmine and Phyllis Visone at Home Away From Home Academy we have enough socks so that each child will get a new pair of shoes and a new pair of socks. The sock/shoe assembly party will be Sunday, June 7 from 12 to 4 pm. Refreshments will be served and Claire is bringing dessert!

Talk to you all next Saturday!

Sylvia Allen
732-946-2711/cell 732-241-1144
89 Middletown Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733

A list of some odds n' ends for the trip.

2009-05-28T09:51:00.000-04:00

Things that some of us wish we had while in Uganda

1. Mini flashlight (constant power cuts)
2 Cough Drops
3. Antibacterial wash
4. Hand wipes/Baby wipes
5. travel tissue packs
6. travel size shampoo
7. roll of toilet paper to carry in back pack
8. Benadryl cream/anti-itch cream
9. Nyquil & Dayquil (just in case)
10. Granola bars/ Power bars (long bus rides)
11. Vitamins (if you take them, bring extra)
12. Pack one change of clothes and any Medications in a carry on, just in case!
13. Sunscreen

Trip Check List!

2009-04-27T08:23:00.001-04:00

Here is a summary of the upcoming trip to Africa, June 24-July 7, 2009.

We will have two nurse practitioners (who are almost like doctors) and one nurse on this trip so will be able to work with the nurse and the children. How many of the children have the head fungus? I am trying to get enough medication to cure that.

In planning the trip, here is our itinerary for the entire time.

* Wednesday, June 24, leave Newark, NJ @ 6 pm
* Thursday, June 25, arrive Entebbe @ 9:45 pm
* We will be staying at Ivy House that night. Ronnie from Churchill Tours will be picking us up.

* We will leave Kampala no later than 8 am on Friday, June 26, as we are visiting Brigitte's school and seeing the women's cooperative. You had said you would like to join us. Could you meet us in Masaka and we will take you with us? (We are staying at the Hotel Zebra.) Three of the people from our group ... Jeroen, Tony (my son) and Kristen ... will come down to your school after we are dropped off at Tekerah because Jeroen, who is the children's dance teacher, wants to see the facility and what he will be working with. We can take you back when we go to pick them up.

* Saturday, June 27, I will take the group to the Equator and the Drum Factory and take those that came to your school on Friday to Tekerah on Saturday. They will be tired and will want to get some sleep.

* Sunday, June 28, we will come to your church. Do you want us to meet you around 9:30 in front of the Petrol station, as in the past? Then, you can return with us, have lunch and get to meet everyone. They will probably have questions that I have not been able to answer.

* Monday, June 29 through Friday, July 3 we will be at the school. Following are activities that we would need to do in the week:

1. Jeroen and Kristen want to produce a dance special with all the children. They would like to have one hour per class during the week to do this with the opportunity for a rehearsal on Friday morning (July 3). Can this be arranged?

2. Tony is writing music for this dance special and wants to teach the children how to play it. Tuesday he would like to be able to have a rotating schedule, as he did during the summer of 2007, and then have Wednesday and Thursday, all day, with the 30 children that will be playing guitar and the drums for the performance on Friday.

3. Friday we would like you to allow us to perform this work "in the square" (the same way the children march around before "moving up") and, if you wish, you could invite the local politicians you had at Christmas time and the parents. The dance Jeroen is planning combines the African and American cultures and demonstrates our working together. I am assuming you will allow us to serve the children again for a party on Friday afternoon?

4. We are currently undertaking a shoe drive in one of the schools so we can bring one pair of shoes for each child. We already have enough socks to give each child a new pair of socks. We will need to determine the best way to distribute these shoes and socks. We are doing whole sizes (no half sizes) so some of them may be a little big but they will grow into them.

5. We have 500 T-shirts from Home Away From Home Academy for the new children and for some of those whose shirts are worn out. We will need to distribute those.

6. Several of our group are teachers and want to sit through some classes.

7. We will also need to update the orphan children's photos for our files. Would you please send me a complete list of the orphan's names to I can make sure we have a form ready for them? Make sure you put their ages and what grade they are in.

8. We will have the very large safari bus this time and don't know if it will be possible to visit people's homes. 14 people is a lot and that bus is VERY big! I do think, even if we don't visit homes, that I want to have the people walk through the village, as we did before, so they can experience ... albeit briefly ... the walking that the children do.

Sylvia Allen
732-946-2711/cell 732-241-1144
89 Middletown Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733

Summer Project 2009

2009-04-24T11:39:00.002-04:00

June 26th - July 3rd Artist in Residence Jeroen Mourik will spend one week at the Mbiiriizi Primary School in Masaka (Uganda) creating a Festival Spectacle with the 1,000+ pupils of the school.

The spectacle will celebrate Uganda and American culture on behalf of Sylvia’s Children, a charity based in the USA. Continue reading...

Physicians Needed!

2009-04-23T09:03:00.001-04:00

Exciting news! We have the beginnings of a consortium of doctors who will be helping us raise money for the health clinic. We only need $40,000 to start a clinic and these doctors think that is reasonable.

We have an OB-GYN, a Dermatologist, an internist and a health educator. We need doctors who have experience with STD's and AIDS as well as tropical diseases such as malaria.

We are planning a trip in March 2010 to go over there with a medical staff and determine the health of all the children at the school. And, if we are successful at building the clinic we will have a space in which to work.

Are you a doctor? Would you like to go? Call Sylvia @ 732 946 2711 or e-mail her at sylvia@sylviaschildren.org.

It could be the trip of your lifetime as you will be saving lives....

Trip Vaccinations!!

2009-04-22T10:47:00.002-04:00

You should have all your shots done by mid-May so you can then apply for your Visa (VisaHQ via the Internet is the easiest).

Great News About Our Trip!

2009-04-18T15:39:00.001-04:00

We are at our limit for the trip! Still waiting for a confirmation from Chris Arnold but he will be coming from South Africa so I don't have to worry about airfare! Eileen: You will be pleased to know the lights are up! We have a new nurse and it seems to be working out well. Lastly, I will send another reminder, but we will be doing a 12 noon conference call on June 6 for "last minute" stuff.

Thanks to Jeannie MacDonald, Village School is doing a shoe fund raiser so we have 1,002 pairs of shoes when we go. Carmine (Home Away From Home Academy) already has the socks. On Sunday, June 7, from noon to 4 pm we are having a shoe "bagging" party. Any and all that can come are welcome! Just let me know ... some other things in the works but don't want to jinx them by talking too soon so ... stay tuned!

2009-04-13T22:50:00.002-04:00

CJ's performance of "What a Wonderful World" at a fundraiser for Sylvia's Children, a charity that raises money for an orphanage in Uganda, Africa.

Movers & Shakers: Sylvia Allen in Africa

2009-04-05T21:02:00.001-04:00

"Make a difference, one child at a time." This is the philosophy that Sylvia Allen, of Holmdel, N. J., has most notably embraced since she traveled to Africa in 2003 as part of a volunteerism trip with World Vision, and which she implores others to think about taking part in everyday.

A powerful businesswoman, published author and president of Allen Consulting, her own award-winning PR and Integrated Marketing Communications firm, which has arguably become a cornerstone in the reinvention of many of New Jersey's downtowns, Sylvia started up her own nonprofit organization Sylvia's Children six years ago.

She founded the philanthropic organization following a life changing journey to Masaka, a small village in the African country of Uganda, where she met hundreds of children who had been left only to their own devices after losing one or both of their parents to the devastating AIDS pandemic wreaking havoc on their community.

For more of this story, click here.

African trip opens nurse's eyes to need

2009-03-28T14:07:00.001-04:00

Red Bank woman aids impoverished Ugandan kids

LONG BRANCH — AnnMarie Gray, a registered nurse who finds per diem work at Monmouth Medical Center, often splits her time caring for patients in either the Emergency Department or on the pediatrics floor.

So it is no surprise that away from work, Gray, 33, who lives in Red Bank with her husband, Brian, also balances a variety of care-taking assignments. She and her husband now foster service dogs for a foundation that distributes the puppies to the visually impaired. Then the Grays — who hope to become parents themselves one day — began to open their home each summer to children from war-ravaged areas seeking the relative peace of the Jersey Shore.

At first, Gray was merely going to drop off some medical supplies donated by her brother to a Holmdel-based charity known as Sylvia's Children, run by public-relations maven Sylvia Allen, 72. Gray began to learn about Allen's work with the Mbiriizi Primary School in Masaka, Uganda, where about 300 of the 1,000 pupils, age 4 to 14, have been orphaned because of the AIDS crisis. For years, Allen has been making two trips a year to the school where in 2003 she was asked to serve as "grandmother." She created and registered the nonprofit Sylvia's Children, where 100 percent of every donation goes to the school.

To Read More, click here!

Make A Difference: One Child At A Time

2009-03-26T16:48:00.002-04:00

“Make a difference, one child at a time.” This is the mantra that Sylvia Allen, of Holmdel, N. J., lives by and believes down to her core.

Six years ago, the savvy businesswoman, published author and president of Allen Consulting, her own award-winning PR and Integrated Marketing Communications firm, started up the charitable organization following a life changing journey to Masaka, a small village in the African country of Uganda, where she met hundreds of children left to fend for themselves after losing one or both of their parents to the horrific AIDS pandemic ravaging their community.

Read More at Make A Difference: One Child At A Time

March 2009 Newsletter

2009-03-26T09:00:00.001-04:00

How time flies and so much is happening!

Since our last issue here is the news (some good, some not so good) … read on!

1. First and foremost, we have a new nurse at the school. Special thanks to Bridget Daley who is just, in my opinion, a saint!

2. We currently have 13 people going on the June trip and still could take two more. I had reserved 15 rooms in case we get more and can cancel them if need be. In addition, the air fare has held steady. If you want to go the dates are June 24 to July 7 and, based on our conference call this week with everyone going, it should be wonderful.

3. Good news on this trip is we have a nurse coming with us again.

4. Thanks to the efforts of Jeannie MacDonald we are doing a shoe drive at the Village School in Holmdel and will be able to provide every child with a new pair of shoes. (The young girls at Ranney cut out 1,000 little feet so people can just pick them from a shoe “tree”).

5. And, thanks to Carmine and Phyllis Visone of Home Away From Home Academy we will be able to give every child a new pair of socks to go with the shoes! In addition they are providing all the new students with the wonderful Home Away From Home shirts that we took over two years ago. When we visit, Wednesday is Home Away From Home day.

6. I was the featured speaker at Glassboro Middle School’s Black History Month celebration on February 27. What a wonderful experience … 600+ fourth, fifth and sixth graders and you could have heard a pin drop. They are undertaking a fund raising effort with book plates ($5.00 per plate) so we can begin to accrue money for textbooks.

7. And, speaking of textbooks, Doug Brown has been interning with Sylvia’s Children and has written a grant application to the Weyerhauser Foundation in Minnesota for $43,000+ for textbooks. Keep your fingers crossed that the combination of his writing talent and my Minnesota roots will help us get this! While we are at it, he has done a tremendous job at finding grants, writing them and unearthing volunteers. Thanks, Doug.

8. Ryan Dolan, a sophomore at Red Bank Catholic, is producing 14 Battles of the Bands through Monmouth County with a final battle to be held some time late summer. His goal is to raise enough money to buy the sewing machines and build the building to house them. He is an amazing young man and we are so lucky to have him helping us.

9. Michelle Drappi and some of her friends at Ranney School (15 also!) are organizing a five mile walk for October to raise money for Sylvia’s Children.

10. Don Pope and Howard Kradjel, who are members of my church choir, are organizing a Century of Hope bike ride for September 19 to raise money for Sylvia’s Children. We will have a four mile route (for families), a 25 mile route for people a little more experienced and then a 100 mile route (that’s where the Century comes in) for the real pros. Our goal is to have 100 riders … let us know if you want to participate!

11. The Gates Foundation turned us down; however, we may go back in with a revised approach based on some of their criteria. Stay tuned!

12. We currently have 1,002 children in the school and 18 more new orphans. We need orphan sponsors since some people have dropped out. It’s only $1.00 a day.

13. Finally have an entrée into Starbucks for the coffee … keep your fingers crossed!

June will be the culmination of six years of work and wonderful progress. Thanks to all of you for your interest and support.

IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU

2009-03-17T11:33:00.002-04:00

Posted by Michael Duffield on March 14th 2009 in Organizations

A trip to Uganda six years ago put Sylvia Allen face to face with people in desperate need. She saw households headed by children as young as 12 years old, and schools filled with orphans; all of this the tragic effects of the AIDS epidemic. She describes herself as having been “emotionally drained” by what she saw. Allen, by nature, is not one who thinks problems will solve themselves or that they are someone else’s to fix. And while she never, ever thought she would start a non-profit, if that was what was needed, she was going to do it.

“We have an obligation, those of us who are living comfortably… to help other people,” she said. So when the head of Mbiriizi Primary School in the village of Masaka asked her to be the school grandmother, she said, “Yes!” She accepted this new responsibility with her characteristic enthusiasm and determination.

Grandmotherly letters to students and an occasional gift would not be enough. No, Allen returned home and formed Sylvia’s Children, then set about improving the lives of her new grandchildren.

Read on....

Happy Valentine's Day and Update!

2009-02-11T23:58:00.001-05:00

First, let me wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day … day when we profess our love to those near and dear to us. Those of us who have traveled to the Mbiriizi School in Uganda, Africa know all too well the wonderful meaning of unconditional love. The children are very special – kind and loving – which makes each of us feel special as well. Can’t wait to get back!

And, speaking of getting back. You still have time to sign up for the summer trip which will be Wednesday, June 24 to Tuesday, July 7. The total price is $3,500 all inclusive … all you need money for is to tip our guide and driver (whom you will love because WE love them) and any souvenirs you wish to bring back. I just need to know by March 1, 2009, which is our cutoff date. You need enough time to get the necessary shots, update your passport (if required), get your VISA and arrange for insurance. Want to go? Call me at 732 946 9639 or e-mail me Sylvia@sylviaschildren.org. Would love to have you join us.

Several wonderful things are happening but, first, let me get the “downer” news out of the way. Revenue from sponsors is down … some people are only staying with the child for one year. I think this is too disruptive to the child so I am asking people, who want to sponsor, if they will stay with the child during their education. These children don’t need any more unsettling things in their lives … I want to give them some stability.

Now, having said that, we are exploring other revenue opportunities and this is exciting.

1. Home Away From Home Academy, the sister school, has 1,000 pairs of socks for the children plus 500 more green HAFHA t-shirts for the new classes and the children that didn’t get them before. Thanks, Carmine, for your generosity.

2. Michele and I attended a dinner for APTA (Association for the Promotion of Tourism in Africa) where I was allowed to give a presentation. Three people have already contacted me about doing fundraisers. Stay tuned!

3. February 27 I will be a featured speaker for Black History Month at a primary school in Glassboro and then meeting with a committee the following week to determine what kind of fundraiser they can do.

4. Will also be going to a school in Wayne … just waiting for a date.

5. Three young ladies at Ranney School are doing the feet cutouts and listing size and whether it is male or female. I am going to get one (or more) of these schools to do a shoe drive. We WILL have shoes!

6. Ryan Dolan, a sophomore at Red Bank Catholic, is planning 14 Battles of the Bands (14 different schools) with a final battle with the winners from each school. (Low end estimate? We could make several thousand dollars.)

7. The Sunrise Optimists and Sylvia’s Children are co-producing Diversity Day in Freehold Township on June 7, 2009. The purpose is to celebrate the uniqueness of all children and feature different children’s cultural entertainment. We are splitting the proceeds and could be several thousand dollars.

8. Two gentlemen from my church are planning a 100 mile bike ride (September 19) called CENTURY OF HOPE as a fundraiser for Sylvia’s Children. Let me know if you want to ride with them!

Now, some other news. We currently have three interns here at Allen Consulting … all working on Sylvia’s Children! Mary Ellen Banfield is writing business plans for the coffee and crafts businesses; Doug Brown is researching and applying for grants; and Jill Terri is doing PR on the Battle of the Bands, Diversity Day and Century of Hope.

We currently have an arrangement with Pay Pal and Constant Contact. If any of you (or your friends) sign up with them Sylvia’s Children gets a commission. We are low in donations and this is just another resource to help us meet our financial obligation to the school.

We did receive the money for the books for the library. The $10,000 came from Grandma Dorothy, known to me as Mother. It’s a very generous gift and we (and the children) shall be eternally grateful.

Lastly, click http://www.thebroadsseries.com/ and go to Philanthropist. Tiffany did a great job on this site and is still pitching to get a 12 part series on the air. Let’s all send positive vibes to the TV world to just do it!

Thanks to all of you for your interest, your love and your support. Happy Valentine’s Day and Welaba!

Welcome to our newest Uganda trip member!

2009-02-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

We have another new member to our trip ... Debra Reid. Please welcome her to our family.

Debra's association from Joy Tours and Safaris was at last Thursday's APTA meeting ... Michele ... remember the man who said his friend wanted to go? She is!

That puts us at 11 up until July 4 when Dario joins us for the safari. We can still take two more if anyone shows any interest!

Good News!!

2009-01-11T22:48:00.000-05:00

We have two more new people coming this summer! Let me introduce you to Jeannie and Bill MacDonald from my church. Jeannie sings in choir and both of them are teachers... we are very lucky to have them on board with us!

For people in this geographic area (that includes Katonah, Vicky!) I would like to plan a little Sunday afternoon get-together to go over a number of things and have everyone get to know everyone else! (Eileen, Pam and Kristen ... you won't be left out 'cuz we are also going to do a conference call some weekend in February (either the 15th, 21, or 28 ... what would everyone like?) How is Sunday, February 8 from 3-5 ... a little wine, a little cheese, some "noshes". Please let me know if that works for you.

Sylvia Allen
732-946-2711/cell 732-241-1144
89 Middletown Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733

Do you accept credit cards for payment?

If you did, you would increase your revenue 20% PLUS you would be helping Sylvia's Children.

Go to this link and get started now! https://www.paypal.com/us/mrb/pal=DN9SJRT5ES8VQ

Happy Holidays From All of Us!

2008-12-25T00:52:00.002-05:00

Sylvia's Children Celebrates Five Years in Africa!

2008-12-19T09:14:00.002-05:00

On Friday, November 28, four people flew to Uganda, Africa for the sole purpose of providing a Christmas party for the children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School and Day Care. As usual, the trip was full of wonderful surprises! The four people on the trip were Eileen Turcotte (from Boston and a traveler from the summer excursion), AnnMarie Hanrahan Gray (a wonderful nurse), Michele Costa (trustee of Sylvia's Children and Sylvia's daughter) and Sylvia Allen, founder of Sylvia's Children.

On Monday, December 1, the group was met by 907 children singing and dancing a special song written for Sylvia's Children. That day was spent getting ready for a large five year celebration which had been planned by Geofrey Kawuma, the founder and head of the school. And, what a celebration! The day was spent looking at children and diagnosing what was wrong and providing a solution. Nurse AnnMarie was a saint! She cured one child of an STD that she was born with and accurately diagnosed something within three children that was totally curable with an ace bandage!

On Tuesday, December 2, the entire school -- headed by a band -- paraded two miles through town. Each class had made their own sign and all 907 children paraded in a line through town. And, the townspeople turned out for the parade. There was even a Santa in the parade! In the afternoon, each child was given their own blanket as a special Christmas gift from Sylvia's Children. Do you want to know the true meaning of Christmas? See the joy of a small child, who has nothing, receiving their own blanket and wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Wednesday, December 3, was hectic! It was "moving up day" for the 4 and 5 year olds as they graduated into first grade. The ceremony included speeches by the mayor and councilmen as well as a Vice Chairman of the Masaka-Luongo district (think: Monmouth/Ocean County size for the district). All of the speakers talked about how wonderful the school was (and is) and how it continues to be a model school for the community. After handing out the diplomas a five tier cake was cut and everyone shared in the celebration. Then, the group served lunch to 907 children and 400 parents! Lastly, Christmas presents were handed to each child.

The trip was an opportunity to experience the joy of giving and sharing. The next summer trip will be June 24 to July 7 and the next Christmas trip will be November 26 to December 2, 2009 if anyone wishes to go! (For information contact Sylvia Allen @ 732-946-9639 or via e-mail sylvia@sylviaschildren.org.)

Uganda in June/July 2009

2008-12-14T23:34:00.004-05:00

By now you have all received the newsletter about our Christmas trip which was wonderful! And, it's time to start planning for summer!

Here are the details:

1. The cost is still only $3,500, in spite of higher air fares. We will be staying at the Hotel Zebra, which we have already checked out, and it is fine.

2. If you have NOT gone before, you will have to get your shots. My suggestion? Contact Passport Health as they know all the rules. Depending upon what you have (and don't have) it could cost as much as $2,500.

3. Once you have your shots you are good to go! We will send information as we go along but getting the shots (and an updated passport with a minimum of one year to go before it expires) is the most important.

As the newsletter said, the itinerary is as follows:

Leave Friday, June 26, arriving Entebbe (Uganda, Africa) on the 27th.
Spend Sunday June 28 through Friday, July 3 at the school
July 4 leave for Murchison Falls to see giraffes, zebras, lions ... and more!
July 4-5 be on Safari in Murchison Falls.
July 6 leave for Tekera (near Masaka) to visit the school, clinic and women's cooperating run by Bruce and Bridget Daley on Tuesday, 7/7.
July 7 pm ... return to the United States, arriving back on Wednesday, July 8.

This is a tentative schedule, based on flight availabilities. THERE ARE NO EXTRA CHARGES. The $3,500 covers all air fare, hotel, land transportation, water, food, the works. The only extras will be if you are flying in from Washington, Massachusetts or Iowa and have airfare from those locations. We will work with you to ensure that you get good connecting flights at a reasonable rate.

The interest in this trip is high and we will only be taking 16 people (counting me!). If you wish to come on this trip I will need a $1,000 (non-refundable) deposit to hold your spot. I will need this on or before January 15, 2009 (we need a minimum of 10 to ensure a good air fare). The balance of the trip won't be due until May.

So far, these are the people that have already indicated they are coming (need your deposits by January 15, 2009 - please write out to Allen Consulting or Sylvia Allen - I can't put it through Sylvia's Children as it is not a true donation and throws off our reporting to the IRS)

Pam Weigle
Vicky Tuccillo
Eileen Turcotte
Kristen Thomas
Tony Costa
Michele Costa
Sylvia Allen
Jeroen Moernik and his partner (they are coming from the Canary Islands - Jeroen will be with us all week, his partner will join us just for the Safari part).

There are others of you who said you would like to come; if I inadvertently left you off the list, I sincerely apologize.

Looking forward to another exciting, stimulating, rewarding trip.

Sylvia Allen
732-946-2711/cell 732-241-1144
89 Middletown Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733

Back from Africa!

2008-12-12T13:13:00.003-05:00

We have just returned from an exciting, whirlwind trip to the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School in Uganda , Africa . And, although there were only four of us, we got a lot done! The four were Michele Costa, my daughter; Eileen Turcotte, from the summer trip; and< AnnMarie Hanrahan Gray, a nurse from Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch.

Read More!

Overcoming Obstacles One At A Time

2008-11-19T16:04:00.002-05:00

So far we have been upbeat as we continue to make strides in our efforts to help the children at the Mbiriizi Advanced Primary School in Uganda, Africa. However, this time there have been glitches … we are still making progress but we have had some setbacks.

Click here to learn what has recently happened!

November Update

2008-11-11T16:40:00.001-05:00

Just to bring you all up to date on what has happened in the last couple of weeks.

Samaritan's Feet has 1,000 pairs of shoes ... mostly adult. I have told them to hold onto them until we can do the CHILDREN. I sent the complete list, with sizes, but that didn't seem to "get through". Joe sent me a website ... Shoes4Africa ... who would be willing to check that our for me?

1,000 Red Cross blankets are being delivered Monday am. I then have to get them shipped; one step at a time!

I have sent the money for the Christmas party which Geoffrey is also making a fifth anniversary celebration so parents and guardians alike - as well as the children - will be there. Six of us will be going, with two of the people nurses which means we will be able to take lots of supplies and have the ladies check out the children that we have been worrying about.

We will not be able to take the Sylvia's Children/Red Cross t-shirts as originally planned. The Red Cross has been trying to get people to sponsor but it has been rough going because of the economy. We decided that we would take more time, do it right, and take them in the summer.

For Christmas, then, I will do as last year and purchase fun little gifts from Oriental Trading which we will take with us. Michele -- maybe you can help me with this.

And, speaking of summer, I will know end of December if we are having television coverage. I have Jeroen Moernik, who does dance training for children, coming. He will be preparing a special program combining African and American dance which will be highly photographable. And, in order to make that work, we will have to spend five days at the school.

So we will leave on Friday, June 26, work at the school through July 3, and then go to Murchisson Falls for Saturday, Sunday, coming back Monday afternoon and leaving either Monday night or Tuesday, depending upon flights. We are still trying to keep it to $3,500. Could I have a tentative count of "formers" who will be coming on this trip? Currently I have Jeroen, Tony, Michele, Kristen Thomas (from Seattle, WA), Doug and me as definites.

I believe Claire is also coming, as well as Eileen, Joe and Vicky but I just need a confirmation. We can only take 16 so I always want to give "right of first refusal" to the ones who have been involved since we started going over. I have five others that have said they want to go but I won't contact them until I hear from all of you.

Lastly, I have a dilemma and need your input. Geoffrey can buy 4 acres of land for approximately $4,500 which would be great for the vegetable garden which would provide for the school as well as having products for sale. We don't have the money; I would have to dip into the sponsorships dollars and I don't feel comfortable doing that. Do you have anyone in mind who would like to donate that money? Really need input and help on this.

Thanks to all of you for you on-going support and love of the children. This is going to be a tough year.

Sylvia Allen
732-946-2711/cell 732-241-1144
89 Middletown Road
Holmdel, NJ 07733

Christmas Uganda Trip

2008-10-31T13:45:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone ...

There will be six of us going at Christmas time, leaving November 28 and getting back on December 5. Geoffrey is planning a five year anniversary party to coincide with the Christmas party so many of the parents and guardians will be there as well.

And, they are having "moving up" day again so I get to wear my Harry Potter look-alike cap and gown. Hopefully someone will be better at video than I am and we can capture some good footage.

Donations are down by over 50% so we are looking for any and all possible donations. As usual, your help is greatly appreciated.

As always, thanks for caring and helping.

Sylvia Allen

Help the Jersey Coast Chapter & Sylvia's Children

2008-10-06T12:27:00.002-04:00

Make This Holiday A Memorable One!

The Jersey Coast Chapter recently partnered with Sylvia's Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to feeding, clothing, housing and educating hundreds of African children, to help service children in one of the most vulnerable areas of Uganda, Africa. Sylvia's Children currently supports Mbiriizi Primary School, which consists of 1000 children between the ages 4 - 14, of which 216 are orphans due to the AIDS crisis.

The holidays are a great time to reflect on our own lives and appreciate how fortunate we are to have the comfort of our own homes and our families by our side. It is also a great time to help those that are less fortunate than us and offer them a chance to enjoy the simple things that we take for granted.

Please take this time to consider helping the Jersey Coast Chapter and Sylvia's children make this holiday year special for the 1,000 children at the Mbiriiizi Advanced Primary School in Uganda, Africa. Your donations will allow each child at the school to have a new t-shirt and their own fleece blanket.

CLICK HERE to learn how you can help.

Can We Count On You?

Sylvia's Children celebrates 2008 World Orphan Week

2008-10-03T09:39:00.000-04:00

Do you know how many orphans currently exist in the world? 133 million children have lost one or both of their parents (according to SOS Children's Villages USA), and 15 million of that number are orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic.

Read on.....

Help Us With Christmas Presents!

2008-09-30T10:19:00.000-04:00

Five of us are going to Uganda November 29-December 4 to deliver Christmas presents to the children at the Mbiriizi Primary School in Masaka, Africa.

Would you like to help? For $10 you can provide a blanket, for $5 a new shirt, for $20 you can help us make the Christmas party special. To do all three? Only $35.

You can mail a check to Sylvia's Children, 89 Middletown Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733 or go to www.sylviaschildren.org and click on the "Support" tab you can donate through PayPal. Of course, you can always do more if you want!

Thanks for helping us make a difference in these children's lives.

Katonah woman has library built in her name in Africa

2008-09-27T14:52:00.003-04:00

After visiting Africa last year, Vicky Tuccillo had no idea that it would change her life. In July, the Vicky Tuccillo Mbiriizi Library was built and named in her honor in Uganda.

"It is just amazing," said the 43-year-old Katonah resident. She said that she first visited the country in June 2007.

"I was always interested in going to Africa, but I was very skeptical because I have two children and I did not know how safe it was," said the stay-at-home mother. "But then I met Sylvia Allen at a travel expo in 2006."

Sylvia Allen, 71, is the founder of Sylvia's Children, a nonprofit organization established in 2003. The organization supports the Mbiriizi Primary School in Masaka, Uganda.

"I decided to start the organization after I was adopted by the kids from the school as their grandmother," said the Holmdel, N.J., resident.

There are 907 children in the school from ages 4 to 14, of which 267 are orphans.

After realizing that it would be a great opportunity, Tuccillo traveled to Uganda for 12 days with a group of 12 and worked at the school taking inventory and getting sponsorship and funding.

"It was just great. I cried every day when I left because I missed them," she said. "Some of the kids are orphans and some have AIDS, but as poor as they are, they would only ask you for the basic necessities such as backpacks or paper. They never asked for iPods or Xboxes."

After realizing just how dedicated she was to helping children in Africa, her husband, Jeff Tuccillo, 45, donated $10,000 in her name to have a library built in Uganda as a Christmas gift last year.

"She was very much into helping children in Africa, and it was her passion," said the businessman. "I did it because I knew that it is something that she would love and it would mean something to her."

"It was a nice surprise. He has never been there with me, but he knew how passionate I was about this," she said.

On her second trip this past July, she saw the 2,500-square-foot library.

"It is a beautiful library," she beamed. "But there are no books, and we need money for books."

Tuccillo plans to go back to Uganda next June and hopes to do more for the school.

"People like Vicky and her husband are rare treasures," said Allen. "Their kind and generous hearts are greatly appreciated by the organization and the children at the school. They are making a difference."

Tuccillo said she is also looking forward to seeing the library filled with books one day.

"It is so amazing how we take these things for granted," she said. "Our children have libraries and we think nothing about it. These kids have no books, no library and sometimes no paper."

Jersey Coast Red Cross

2008-09-02T17:51:00.002-04:00

I have just had a WONDERFUL meeting with Dr. Steven Crawford and Tara Kelly of the Jersey Coast Red Cross. They are very interested in helping us make a better life for Sylvia's Children!

We will be working with them on raising money so we can provide each child with a blanket and T-shirt at Christmas this year. That's number one!

Number two, Dr. Crawford wants to discuss the health care needs for the school. Would each of you ... Trish, Gene and Joe ... call Dr. Crawford @ 732-939-4891 and talk to him about your experiences, observation and research? He will, in all probability, be going with us in June next year and wants to have as much information as possible about the conditions there. He also feels there are fundraising capabilities through Meridian. Please call him.

Lastly, click here and see what they have said about their relationship with Sylvia's Children! (Just scroll down a few pages.)

V E R Y exciting!

Great day and great opportunity and great people!

Update From Sylvia

2008-09-01T19:05:00.000-04:00

... hard to believe it is fall already! Where did the time go?

First, some not-so-good news:

Samaritan's Feet has cancelled their trip for November. According to his e-mail they were unable to get enough shoes and not enough people signed up to go with the organization to help us. He had mentioned that they would try in the spring. Of course, for those of us who worked so hard on our last trip to ensure that EACH child would get the right size, this is saddening. Also, I had hired someone to take the measurements of each foot and determine actual shoe sizes. And, lastly, Daniel Prins was working to get 2,000 pairs of socks donated. Let's hope that Spring becomes a reality.

Second, last call for the Christmas trip (leaving November 28, returning December 4):

Eileen will be going with Michele and me as well as Frank Dalotto and his wife so we currently have five. Frank is handling all the details for the trip ... airfare is around $1,900 and the balance of the trip is around $475 so it did come in less than $2,500. Make sure you get your Malarone and Visa. Michele and Eileen ... go for multiple entries - that's good for a year.

Third, our goal for just the orphans for 2009 is $80,100. When you look at everything else it comes to close to $150,000. Michele, Tony and I met today to discuss partnerships and alliances to see if we can extend our ability to raise money. If any of you have any speaking opportunities, let me know. I am going to put together a video/powerpoint presentation that will go anywhere.

Fourth, breathe a little easier as the rash of school burnings seems to have slowed down. And, special thanks to Eileen who is raising money to purchase solar powered motion sensitive spotlights that we will mount at each corner of the school and in the courtyard as a deterrent to anyone intruding. We will take them with us when we go for the December trip.

Lastly, the Back to school mailing went out Friday, to hit Tuesday which is one of the highest ranking direct mail days for response rates.

Thanks to all of you for your on-going concern and support ... every little bit helps!

Raising $$$$'s For $$$$ocks!

2008-08-23T13:33:00.000-04:00

When we were in Africa last month we measured all 907 children and 40 staff for the shoes that will be brought by Samaritan Shoes November 3 and 4 of this year. I am so excited; however, the shoe detail that did the measuring should receive the clothespin (for their noses!) award.

Some of the children only have one pair of socks and wear them all the time. I would love to give each person, with their new pair of shoes, two pairs of socks. I have gotten quotes and we can do 2,000 pairs of socks, with the Sylvia's Children logo on them, for $2,500.

Any help you can give in raising this would be greatly appreciated.

Hello My Baby.......

2008-08-12T23:42:00.002-04:00

Progress Update From Sylvia

2008-08-04T16:50:00.001-04:00

Just a short note to update you on our progress.

1. Meeting Samaritan's Feet October 31 in Entebbe and going with them to Masaka. Each person will get a new pair of shoes! Hopefully we will have 2,000 pairs of socks as well.

2. The Christmas trip is as follows:

So far it is Michele and me. If four of us go, the land costs are only $700 (plus airfare). If more, it just gets cheaper! Michele and I currently have a ticket that is around $1,700 (NOT on Ethiopian Airlines!). If it ends up just the two of us it goes up to $1,066. Would love to know who else would like to go.

The current plans are to leave Friday, November 28, getting into Entebbe on the 29th and staying there since we get in late. Leave the next day for Tropic Inn in Masaka. Spend Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (December 1, 2, 3) at the school for the Christmas party. Leave Masaka morning on the 4th, do the equator, drum factory, Entebbe if you wish, leaving that night. The more people that come with us the more we can take for the children. (Need to know by September 1 if you are planning on coming ... sooner if you can.)

The Red Cross is currently trying to raise $3,500 so we can have 1,000 shirts printed with Sylvia's Children and The Red Cross. In addition, they have blankets ... I am trying to get them to give us 1,000!

3. The back to school mailing will go out this week. I can send you a batch by U.S.Mail ... let me know what you would like to do.)

4. Finally have a meeting with the JFK/DHL lady on August 13. Keep your fingers crossed!

5. One teacher is currently living in the library which brings the number of adults on campus up to 4. When I am in Kampala I am trying to get the Red Cross to give us fire extinguishers. Also, would someone research solar floodlights? If we could put a floodlight at each of four corners it could be discouraging to intruders.

6. Lastly ... we currently have 97 of the 267 orphans sponsored. We need more sponsors ... let me know if you need some brochures to and out to people.

Lastly, lastly ... we have to raise $140,000 in 2008! :)

Sylvia Allen