Simone’s Favorite Things

A few of my favorite things…

A Classroom for Christmas was born in the beginning years of Simone’s Kids… I love the idea of giving children literally classrooms in their village for Christmas! What an amazing Christmas present education can be. In the first year of the “Classroom for Christmas” campaign, people donated bricks and roofs to provide the dream of a school building. The campaign has grown tremendously since 2011, and we have helped thousands of orphan and needy children get an education. One new resource that we provide is a Christmas Giving Catalog. I am sharing a few of my favorite things from the catalog and why…

The first favorite catalog item is the 100kg(220lb) sack of beans which costs $80. Each day the primary school uses only 17 kgs of beans, which means this bags of beans serves 420 students lunch for six days! That is 2,520 meals! Wow. What an impact a sack of beans can have. Also, the beans are my favorite food in Uganda- they are cooked in vegetables and taste so good!

My second favorite catalog item is the soccer ball, which costs $20. Let’s face the facts, the children live really difficult lives, but I have seen one soccer ball bring so much joy during breaks and provide an outlet for the children to be free. I have joined in on a couple of games and stood no chance against these kids, they are some serious soccer players. A soccer ball isn’t food or education, but it creates joyful memories the kids will treasure once grown. It gives them a chance to be a kid. We have soccer teams at both the primary school and high school and are always in need of more soccer balls.

My 3rd favorite catalog item is the book set for a classroom, which is $100. The book set creates an opportunity for both teachers and students to receive a higher quality education. Reading can truly open up a child’s mind and expand their critical thinking skills. Children are so excited when they are given a book to read.  Books are so valuable in the area we serve that we have to keep them locked up or they are likely to be stolen.

My 4th favorite catalog item is in the campus development section, and that is the boy’s bathroom. Currently, the boys’ bathroom at the high school is in such bad shape, it is one of the projects we weren’t able to take care of when we first renovated the school two years ago. I love everything clean and organized, and this bathroom is currently the opposite. The project cost $10,000 but is a must-have for the campus.

All the items in the catalog tremendously impact the school campus, and I hope you can find something in the catalog that fits your personality! Have a blessed holiday season!

Written By: Simone Puccinelli, Founder & President