International UDS Board Meeting

This morning, an international UDS board meeting was held. Kelvin Fomba, along with Godfrey Solomon and Roseline Sonday shared the successes as well as the current obstacles at hand in Liberia with board UDS members on the American end (via Google Hangout).

Kelvin brought to our attention the need for more materials for some of our vocational training courses like Cosmetology and Plumbing/Electricity. Some of the skills being taught, like braiding in Cosmetology, require specialized tools (i.e. mannequin heads) in order to best teach the techniques at hand. Because more and more students have been enrolling in these courses, a need has developed for more training supplies. Though these are real concerns to address, we are also so thrilled for the growth UDS has experienced in such a short time! There was talk of shipping donated supplies from the U.S. to Liberia, but due to the risks associated with trans-Atlantic shipping, and cost of transport, we are now turning our focus toward fundraising efforts on the U.S. side. Then, the materials can be bought in Liberia, which also benefits the local economy.

There are some youth in Liberia that are interested in taking classes at UDS, but who cannot afford the $75 registration fee associated (this includes $20 for the uniform and ID, as well as the cost for basic teaching materials). On a situation to situation basis, Kelvin has been accepting some of these youth anyway, and has had them doing volunteer work (such as janitorial and security) to compensate for the cost of their classes. We hope our fundraising efforts, which are currently being constructed, will help to resolve this matter as well.

Below are photos from today’s meeting:


Cynthia Asante (far left), Kelvin Fomba with Godfrey Solomon and Roseline Sonday (middle), and Anna Bertch (far right) all called in via Google Hangout.


Adam Pederson (far left), Miriam Monono (middle left), Philip Kaleewoun II (middle right), Dianne Anastos (far right), and Heather Cannon-Winkleman (not pictured) met in Minnesota.

We thank you for being our Star Supporter; it's an honor to have you walk this journey right along with us!

Gratefully,
Anna Bertch, Youth Board Member

Small Steps Lead to Big Goals

When you set a goal, it is always recommended to outline the small steps you plan to take, in order to bring it to fruition. Somewhere along your journey, it's natural to question when will you reach your destination; but, if you just keep walking, you will eventually see how every brave, thoughtful step worked together to bring your goal to realization. 

You walked with us each step of the way, as we strove to turn our dreams into a reality for these last three and half years. The benevolence you've shown for the children and youth in Liberia has allowed us to Reach New Heights in 2016, with acquiring and opening the Uniting Distant Stars Training Center. Now, as we move into 2017, you have provided the opportunity to launch our Vocational Training Classes, starting February 1st. 

Godfrey is holding one of the shirts selected for the vocational training students' uniforms.

We extend a whole-hearted "Thanks" for your unyielding generosity during our year-end campaign. You collectively raised $3,520 for our Tools for Success Campaign. Another $1,315 was added for the continuation of our Backpacks for Peace program, since sewing is one of the vocational training classes being offered at our center. This week our team in Liberia will be purchasing these Tools for Success to ensure our eager students benefit from our classes. 

During the first three weeks of 2017, Team Liberia has been busy with prepping for the upcoming classes. On Saturday, January 14, they held an informational program for students who passed the entrance exam. They invited people from the community and raised $110 in donations. $100 came from one of the guests, and $10 from a student who registered for classes; what a vote of confidence it is to collect this student donation! 

UDS Youth Leader Princess gives the opening address at the informational program.

You have provided a pathway for these young people to learn valuable skills.

Mrs. Audrey Johnson, who works at the airport donated $100 and gave an inspirational talk to our youth. 

The $110 donation was quickly invested in the ongoing renovations of our training center. They enclosed the open pathway between the property fence and the wall of building to create more usable space for our programs. They roofed it and cast the floor. 

Our team enclosed this pathway between the fence and outer wall of the building. 

UDS Co-Founder and Country Director, Kelvin Fomba, casting the floor for this new space. 

Our volunteers bringing in the sand and cement which will be hand-mixed before it is poured.

Thank you for staying the course with us, as we carry forward on our journey toward providing young Liberians with education and vocational training opportunities! 

2016 School Supplies Drive- Donor Recognition!

WARMEST THANKS TO OUR "2016 SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE" STELLAR SUPPORTERS:

Thank you Tracy Bishop, Julie Bland, Jeff Brown, and Ten Thousand Villages, for your generous donations! As promised, you are being mentioned as our featured donors for this campaign, because you contributed significantly to our 2016 School Supplies Drive this year! You played a key role in making it possible for our UDS youth to start the school year off with school supplies!

And of course, Thank You to all our other super-star donors:

Thank you!!!

You make everything STARtacular!

You are moving mountains with your heartwarming generosity! You made #GivingTuesday a remarkable success. Not only did you help unlock the matching gift of $500, but you raised another $320. In other words, you raised $1,320 (24%) towards our $5,500 goal.

It gets even better! One of our fabulous board members, Miriam Monono, started a fundraiser for UDS on Facebook, sponsored by the Network for Good, to raise a $1,000 that will be matched dollar for dollar by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Facebook is waiving the fees to make your online donations. Six donors raised $215 within the first three days. You can double your generous gift by clicking on this link and the blue Donate button as shown in the screen shot below. This fundraiser is in conjunction with our year-end campaign. Your holiday gift-giving for children & youth in Liberia can have a greater impact when it is doubled...raise a $1,000 to give $2,000 to provide educational and vocational training resources for children & youth in Liberia.

Also, we hope to see you this Thursday (December 8, 2016) at Ten Thousand Villages for their charitable event on Uniting Distant Stars​'​ behalf. Please stop by between 5PM and 8PM to shop for fabulous gifts, enjoy a treat on us, and learn more about our programs. For all in-store shopping during this event, UDS will receive a percentage​​;​ 10% of sales up to $150 and 20%​,​ if sales total more than $150. The store is located at 520 Selby Ave, St. Paul, MN 55102.

Finally, this post will close with a simple prayer request. Our team in Liberia has recruited 120 students for our January vocational training courses with a third signed up for computer training course. We have one young man, who signed up for the masonry course. Each course needs at least 10 students to offer it. He was given the option to select another​ ​one. He declined and said, "this his heart's desire". How can ​we refuse someone's dream? So we ask for your prayers to help us recruit nine other students who share this young man's passion. 

You are celebrated for making everything ​​STARtacular for children & youth in Liberia!!!

Our Cup is Overflowing With Gratitude Because of You

Your endless kindness and generosity are appreciated, celebrated and rejoiced by children and youth you support in Liberia. You have given Liberian children and youth hope, joy and love. You have overflowed their cups with opportunities to discover and learn new knowledge and skills. 

Thank you for supporting scholarship students!

Thank you for providing young students after school study classes!

Thank you for putting books on our library shelves to help young students learn! 

Thank you for giving young students the opportunity to achieve their educational goals!

The Uniting Distant Stars Volunteers and Youth in Liberia and Uniting States of America express our wholehearted Gratitude and Thanks for your benevolence! 

Spreading the news about your generosity & Save the Date: 11/17/16

You are the reason behind all our successes this year. We celebrate your gracious efforts everyday. Liberian children & youth are happy because of your generous heart!

Spreading the news: Uniting Distant Stars Co-Founder & Country Director, Kelvin Fomba, was interviewed on United Methodist Radio 98.7 FM in Liberia on Friday 11/11/16. He was accompanied by two of our youth leaders Roseline Sonday & Patrick Junusa Jr. and shared on what we accomplished with your help and where you will take us next. 

​Left to Right: Kelvin's interview at radio station; Patrick at his college graduation earlier this year; & Roseline wearing one of the backpacks she helped make.

Today, a local artist painted the UDS logo on our new center. Adding our brand to our building is another way to spread the news about your unyielding support of Liberian children & youth.

Your generosity is making a different for children & youth in Liberia.

Save the date: Thank you for being a valued part of the Uniting Distant Stars Community.

Each year, generous Star Supporters like you celebrate Give to the Max Day by making your online donation on GiveMN.org. Your generosity on this makes a difference far beyond the 24-hour giving event.

​Your generosity on Give to the Max Day will provide Liberian children & youth with the "Tools for Success". Thank you!

Please join us on November 17, 2016, for Give to the Max Day and help us continue to change lives through providing education & vocational training. 

Your donation on Give to the Max Day also may help UDS receive an additional donation of $1,000. How? On November 17, every gift made on GiveMN.org will be entered into an hourly drawing for a $1,000 GiveMN Golden Ticket to be awarded to a non-profit organization. Your gift of $10 or more could instantly turn into an $1,000! 

And, here's the really exciting part: Two donations made on GiveMN.org during the Give to the Max Day campaign will be randomly selected to receive a $10,000 Super-Sized GiveMN Golden Ticket! 

The more gifts we generate on GiveMN.org during Give to the Max Day, the more our chances increase to receive that additional 10,000 donation. Image what we could do with $10,000 to help children & youth in Liberia.

Our goal is to raise $5,500, and you can help us reach it!

Your generous gift will buy additional copies of books for our library, 12 more used computers for our lab, and 8 sewing machines for our training program. These are the "Tools for Success" needed for Liberia's children & youth to get the upper hand in developing knowledge and skills. 

​Your fabulous gift will add more books to our library (left), additional computers for our lab (center) & sewing machines for our training program (right).

Be sure to mark your calendar and make your gift on November 17 by visiting our campaign page "Tools for Success: Books, Computers, & Sewing Machines" at GiveMN.org.

Thank you for being our valued Shining Stars!

You Brought "Happy" to Young Liberian Students!

Your compassion and generosity filled our new learning center with happiness. On October 29, 2016, we held the grand opening of our new Uniting Distant Stars (UDS) Learning Center in Liberia. During this program, your gift of school supplies was delivered to the remaining children, who are the grateful recipients of your service. This post highlights the fun-filled day from the words of Kelvin Fomba, UDS Co-Founder & Country Director:

You helped make this program success. Kelvin in upper left hand photo. Students performing in upper right. Lower two photos show the students attending our grand opening program. 

First of all, we'd like to say thanks to the Almighty, the entire UDS team, and support team in USA and around the world for making this program a success. The program was so great, wonderful and exciting! The hall of our learning center was so congested, some people overflowed outside to the courtyard. We had about 450 kids, 150 parents, and about 30 special guests, including UDS Liberian team in Liberia attending the program.

UDS Learning Center is near many schools and as you can see the children can walk to it. 

As you can see, our overflow of people were in the courtyard. 

The miraculous part was this: all the kids were able to receive their school supplies individually along with their refreshments of popcorn and KoolAid.  Rev. Samuel Enders, CEO & Founder of African Dream Academy, served as the keynote speaker of the program. He was so impressed about the development at the new learning center and the large population of kids filling the great hall. He also pledged $10,000 Liberian Dollars (equivalent to $120 USD) to be collected nest week.

Your brought happy to these young students as they receive their school supplies. 

These smiles are for your kindness and support for their education.

You are the reason why these young students will succeed in school this year.

Rev. Samuel Enders is wearing the red & white striped shirt. 

Video of  Rev. Samuel Enders Introduction

As you can see in the photos, kids wearing the blue and red uniforms are from City of Joy School, The students in green and yellow uniforms are from Christian Kingdom Academy. Hossana Children Foundation  and Russ Wood Christian Academy students were not in uniform. 

                                                                Listen to the students chat before the program starts.

This is the largest program UDS has ever had. The kids performed numerous dramas, songs, and jokes that had everyone clapping and laughing. Also thanks, praises, prayers were shared from the kids, youth, parents, guests, the schools' administration to You and all our UDS family in Liberia, USA, and around the world.    

We end this post by sharing this happy day with all of you. Rev. Enders led the children in singing "If Are You Happy & You Know It," and we invite you to sing along as you play this video.

Our heartfelt thanks to you for bringing happiness and joy to young students in Liberia!!!

Rogma International Students are Smiling Because of You

One of the greatest joys in life is making children happy, and that is exactly what you did on Sunday, October 23rd, 2016, at Rogma School International! This small community school (on Duport Road in Paynseville, Liberia) hosted their "Back-to-School" program to engage the community/parents, and to help gain support for their efforts in educating the Liberian youth. They invited representatives from non-profit, government, and religious organizations, as well as local businesses from the area. However, only Uniting Distant Stars was there to bring your gift of school supplies for 170 young children enrolled in this school!

You are helping these young students at Rogrma International School in Liberia. 

Our team organized all the supplies by grade level (from K-7th) and packed them at our new learning center. Kelvin Fomba, UDS Co-Founder & Country Director, brought five volunteers with him to take part of this important program. 

Your gifts packed with care waiting to placed in the hands of children.

Each child is given individualized attention as they are presented with your gift of school supplies. We have one volunteer who calls their name, a second who picks up their packet from the appropriate grade level, a third who presents the gift to the student while, and a fourth to take their photo. This system has been carefully orchestrated since we started this program in 2011. 

Princess presents your gift to this young girl. 

Here are more of the children, who received your fabulous gift!

Your generous gift of school supplies helps these children succeed in school. 

Kelvin was invited to give a few remarks to the parents and school's staff. He asked the parents to ensure that their children arrive to school safely and are allotted enough time to complete their homework when they are home. He also shared how UDS and Rogma worked out a deal for their scholarship students; Rogma School has five students needing support. Three have since been sponsored by UDS supporters, but, Kelvin asked the school to allow all five young students to attend school this year even though only three have the funding. So, during this next year, we will be looking for two sponsors to help continue the education of the two unfunded students. 

Going the extra mile is so gratifying because it truly transforms young lives for the better.

Kelvin sharing how your compassion is benefiting the young children of Rogma International School. 

Another special moment at the program was when our partner and volunteer Godfrey got up and sang a popular gospel song. Godfrey, of the Hossana Children Foundation, stunned the audience with his amazing voice. He got everyone up dancing and singing with him. It was in response to your generous support that Godfrey shared his gift and brought to the program a joyful energy of gratitude and celebration. 

Children singing and dancing with joy because you brightened their day. 

Here are remarks shared by Rodney and Kelvin on Facebook, expressing their gratitude for your most generous support of young children in Liberia:

You will be receiving more gratitude and notes of thanks from the October 29th "back-to-school" program held at our new learning center in the coming week. 

There are not enough words to express how your kindness has touched our sweet children and youth in Liberia. We truly appreciate how you've been such Shining Stars for Liberia's youngsters! 

School Supply Distribution & New Learning Center

Can you hear it? Our joyful children and youth in Liberia are singing their praises and thanks to you! They are so grateful to you for raising $3,500 in this year's school supply drive, from both our annual campaign and our Dimes for Dreams promotion. Through your unfailing support, we raised 50% of our goal, and this will put needed school supplies in the hands of young children. Our Liberian team worked with all three schools on how to give each one of the 700 students supplies, because no one wants a young child to go home empty handed!

Here is the schedule for the distribution of your generous gift to these children:

• October 23: Rogma International School in Paynesville will host their program for students to receive their supplies. (Photos & stories will be posted soon).
• October 29: City of Joy & Russ Wood students & parents are invited to attend UDS Learning Center Grand Opening Program In Divine Town Community to receive their supplies and learn about our programs. 

Your faith and commitment to our cause empowered our team in Liberia to complete the painting of the building and move into to our new site. One of our long-time donors provided a donation to install electricity in our new learning center. We opened to students over a week ago. While the building serves the students with their educational and vocational training needs, we will continue to solicit funds to finish the renovations, pay the remaining portion of the lease, buy needed equipment and supplies, and provide salaries.

This building has transformed since we first introduced it in our post "Reaching New Heights for Liberia's Children and Youth" to our recent one "Building Community One Star at a Time". Please enjoy the latest photos showing the exterior painting, new lights, and students utilizing our facility!

You empower youth! Roseline (left) and Princess (right) volunteered to paint the building. 

Clockwise Upper left: Josh, Kelvin Fomba (UDS Co-Founder), Patrick & Princess. 

Kelvin (right) completing the final touches of the building.

Inside the main hall with its new lights. 

The other side of the main hall. 

This leads to the door of the registration office. 

You inspire excellence! Young students receiving help with their homework.

One of our teachers providing a study class for young students. 

Another teaching holding a study class for older students.

Students learning how to use the computer.

Computers students learning the how to use basic software programs.

Your compassionate service to the children & youth in Liberia is providing them with the knowledge & supplies they need to succeed in their academic studies. We give you our whole-hearted "Thank You!" for making this all possible!

Building Community One Star at a Time

As a valued Star Supporter, your continued generosity inspires our team in Liberia to move forward with our vision and fulfill the dreams of Uniting Distant Stars children and youth. You are Uniting with Distant Stars in Denmark, Liberia, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. You are part of this growing stellar community that is educating and equipping young Liberians with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in life. You have united with other stars to form a Constellation of Possibilities for young Liberians.

You probably have not realized this, but you are a Super Star for our children and youth in Liberia. Whether you support our learning center, school supply drive, youth exchanges or sponsor a scholarship student, you are changing the lives of young Liberians for the better. Our youth are extremely grateful for your efforts!

While our focus for the last few months was on school supplies, our team in Liberia have been busy with renovations of the new learning center. As mentioned earlier, your efforts inspires our all-volunteer team in Liberia. They wrote letters to individuals and organizations in Liberia to raise funds. They received $600 that helped complete replacing the roof. UDS co-founder and country director Kelvin Fomba has been making contributions to finish the ceiling repairs, start painting in the interior, and making furniture for students. Our volunteers have helped with the cleaning and carpentry work. The following photos show the progress from the last month:

You give UDS strength! Our volunteer completing final touches of the roof. 

You give UDS resourcefulness! Kelvin (at left) resting after making tables for young children attending our study classes.

You give UDS dedication! This room is being prepared for the library.

You give UDS focus! Young volunteers replacing the ceiling tile in the main area of  the learning center. 

You give UDS motivation! Kelvin is white washing the ceiling of the main area for the study & computer classes. 

You give UDS determination! Kelvin in the back white washing the ceiling while another volunteer rests.

You give UDS hope! Young volunteers fixing the doors. 

You give UDS encouragement! Kelvin painting the walls of the main area gold.

You give children & youth in Liberia a brighter future! 

You have helped build our community one star at a time. As you will see in the coming weeks, the UDS new learning center will open on October 29th. We will start with our computer & study classes, and library as we continue to complete the rest of the renovations, purchase needed equipment and supplies, and seek funders to employ Liberians as teachers, trainers and support staff for this center. 

Thank you for your compassionate service to children and youth in Liberia!

Read additional posts on how we acquired this new center and how invested our youth are in this venture of learning. 

• Reaching New Heights for Liberia's Children and Youth
• You received a Thank You from Liberia