Slowly but surely, we have seen things begin to return to normal in Sierra Leone. Our children were able to complete their school exams in July and August. We also eased our lockdown restrictions as the children have returned to school, and our staff has returned to their regular work schedules. An added bonus of transitioning back to our traditional schedule was the resumption of Skype.
If you did a happy dance when you received Karen Pyle’s email titled “Skype Resumes!” you were not alone. For 33 weeks, our sponsors and children really missed their monthly Skype calls. Skype calls give our children something to look forward to and an opportunity to build relationships with people who love and care about them.
With a little extra help from our sponsors, we are halfway through our first month of Skype back. As we looked ahead to resuming Skype, we had one more hurdle to overcome. Computers. The computers used for Skype were on their last leg before the lockdown. We also needed an additional computer as the Roots Project continues to grow. In October, Karen reached out to sponsors letting them know that Skype would soon be resuming. However, four new computers would need to be purchased first. After that, a generous sponsor offered a $1,200 matching donation, half of what Sorie would need to purchase new computers in Sierra Leone. A quick turnaround of an additional $1,200 donated by sponsors, and we were able to purchase new computers for Skype and resume calls at the beginning of November.
As our staff returned to work, Auntie Bernadette was able to, once again, coordinate Skype calls for our kids. After several full days of Karen rearranging Skype calls to adjust for more children attending school outside of the center and additional kids transitioning to the Roots Home, our kids, staff, and sponsors were ready to Skype.
Sponsorship goes beyond a monthly donation. It is cultivating personal relationships with the children you sponsor. Sponsorship is traveling to visit the center and our children. It is exchanging letters back and forth, watching them grow, and seeing them improve in school. Skype is only one way to foster a relationship between a child and their sponsor. If you have ever considered Skyping, you will not regret it!
We are so thankful that Skype has begun again. Our kids missed Skyping with their sponsors. Thank you to our sponsors who continue to pour into our children through Skype calls. We are grateful for the early morning sacrifices you make to be present for our kids.
Many blessings,
The Raining Season