If you're looking for a good place to send some holiday dollars -- perhaps as a present in the name of a friend or family member -- Few for Change is a wonderful choice. The organization supports the educational needs of children of the indigenous Ngöbe-Buglé people in Panama. As indicated the the not-for-profit organization's web page:
Our Mission: Our mission is to provide financial assistance — covering tuition, uniforms, transportation and books — to high-achieving middle and high school students who would not otherwise be able to continue their studies.
Our Vision: We envision a world where each child has access to basic education, regardless of race, ethnicity, location or socioeconomic status.
Our Values: We believe that education is a basic human right which can facilitate and sustain transformation for students and their communities. Education:
- expands horizons by inspiring and motivating individuals;
- builds social capital and lays a framework for community action and autonomy;
- empowers children to become leaders within their communities;
- provides the tools necessary for students to reach their full potential;
- enables people to break the cycle of poverty.
Our commitment is to keep 100% of the resources that we raise directed towards our scholars and their educations.
About $450 helps provide a child a middle school education and solid step out of the cycle of poverty. My son, Brooks Winner, is one of the group's organizers and is still active in making it happen. All of the money donated goes directly to the children. The web site contains photos and brief bios of the girls and boys chosen to receive scholarships.