“And we’re off” is what we say at ACE when we get ready to drive out of the office to begin our day, but in this case, it’s the students who are off, heading back to class. We have a lot of little sayings around ACE, like the abbreviation “BBD” – that might not mean anything to you (maybe Big Bad Dog?), but to us, it means Book Bag Distribution.
In Jamaica, classes begin on all different weeks and days in September, depending on the school. This may sound confusing, but for ACE, it gives us a chance to address the individual needs for each child being sponsored. This includes assessing items provided through regular sponsorship and team donations, and, if something else is needed, ACE adds to it. With our staff and Arlene being present this year, each day went very smoothly. After fifteen years of providing sponsorship for our children, perhaps we now have the system down, so the confusion stays at a minimum.
Enjoy our collage of pictures of our students getting ready for their first day of the next grade. We wish we had a video to give you the sound and the laughter of the day, as we all came together to see each other and prepare for the new school year.
Thank you all for supporting these students who are growing up fast! They are looking forward to seeing their friends again, prepared to read, write and learn with supplies in hand!
TRIP COST
There is an old proverb, “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” History proves that lasting change in a poverty culture is achieved by empowering the people to reach their full potential and become self-sustaining. ACE is invested in our community long-term and in conjunction with our partners in the US, we are identifying the circumstances of those around us in order to find real solutions for their unique needs.