The Sleep First campaign has been going strong for the past 6 weeks, and we are so thankful to all those who have already showed their support by donating to this cause so dear to our hearts. Simone’s Kids is passionate about providing quality education within a Christ-centered environment to each of our students, in turn saving them from the vicious cycle of poverty. We realize that education extends far beyond the walls of the classroom and seek to transform all aspects of our students’ lives. Our students work hard at school and deserve to go home to sleep in a clean, warm bed.

Unfortunately, this is not the reality for so many of the students at God’s Hope schools. One such student is sweet Joseph in our primary 1 class. Joseph is 7 years old and lives across the street from God’s Hope Primary School with his grandmother. He has never seen his father and his mother was forced to leave him here when she traveled to another country to look for work. His grandmother, Jjaja Josephine, was the only relative he had left to look after him. This is not an easy feat, as Jjaja Josephine suffers from many of the ailments that come along with old age. Being too sick to work, the only skill she has left to help provide for herself and Joseph is digging in their small garden for food. Even still, there are many days she fails to dig because of immense back and leg pain.

As you can imagine, this predicament leaves Joseph and Jjaja Josephine with almost no money to live on. They live in a house made of tin sheets bolted together and the majority of their belongings are decades old. The mattresses they sleep on have long been spoiled, filled with stains from years of use with no bed sheets and so worn down that it would almost be better to sleep on the ground. Without a reliable mattress to sleep on, Jjaja Josephine’s back pain can only worsen, and Joseph must attend class sleep deprived. Without a mosquito net to sleep under, Joseph is a chronic sufferer of malaria, which causes him to miss class often.

Because of your generous donations, we were able to change this predicament for Joseph and Jjaja Josephine. The day they were brought a new mattress, bedsheets, blanket, and mosquito net was a happy day indeed. Jjaja Josephine met us with a beautiful smile and arms spread wide ready to give a hug of thanks. Joseph ran to jump on us and then ran to tell his friends. He couldn’t wait to show them his brand-new mattress or to try it out himself. It sure is humbling to see an item I take so for granted spread so much joy and excitement to those living without it.

There is still time to assist us in transforming the home lives of other students and families just like Joseph and Jjaja Josephine. The Sleep First campaign will continue until we have reached our goal. If you would like to place a donation and help us reach this goal, please follow the link here: https://simoneskids.givingfuel…. Our students could not have the opportunities and blessings they do without your generosity. Thank you for your faithfulness in supporting our cause to transform the lives of the impoverished, hurting, and broken through education and the love of our sweet Savior. God bless you all!