We'd like to keep our donors and supporters apprised of all SAWA news. We send out a quarterly e-newsletter to keep everyone up-to-date. Last year was an amazing year for us, and we expect even bigger things this year.
THANK YOU for being a part of our journey!

The latest on the ground...

Building update!
After the completion of the fence in January, we began preparing the plot for the building process. When we build, we will leave the back end of the property open for a playground for the kids. In the meantime, we have used recycled materials from our school project last year to build a shelter for building materials in the "playground" space. We also built a temporary latrine until the septic system and plumbing are installed!

We have already contracted an architect and engineer to prepare building maps for the entire project! To the left is the plan for the ground floor, which will include classrooms, offices, a large lunch room, kitchen, and a lounge. The first two floors will serve as the private school for our own kids and outside students. The third floor will have dormitories for our kids, and the fourth floor will have rooms/homes for orphanage staff and volunteers. Our progress will be directly related to how much we raise this year, so we appreciate your continued support!

We have a garden on our new land! The Director's wife, Kezia, worked tirelessly to start this garden back in February...and yes, even Cara helped! Seeing a Mzungu in the Shamba (white person in the garden) had all of the locals cracking up!

Above, you can see how beautifully it has grown since February! Kezia continues to visit the shamba daily to tend to her vegetables. We are thrilled to have this space to grow our own greens for the kids so they have a healthy, balanced diet!

Who can YOU tell about SAWA today?

We need your help! We have already told all of our friends about our project...
now we need YOU to tell YOURS!

Please take a few minutes to invite your friends to like our Facebook page! Go to the SAWA FB page, and click "Invite Friends to like this page" and invite them all!! We have found this is far more effective than simply sharing our posts.

Some of our SAWA donors are sharing our story with friends in the most creative ways! Sarah VanKirk ran a fundraiser for her birthday and raised $600 for us. Jake Kluch decided to forgo an invite to dinner and asked that his friend write a check to us instead. Stephanie Leavell and James Price are including us in their gift registry for their wedding next year. These are AMAZING examples of how each one of you can propel us forward...we are floored by these gestures of support.

With your help, we can expand our audience exponentially!

Think about how YOU can spread the word TODAY!

Have you signed up for a monthly donation with us?

What are you waiting for?!

For as little as $10 A MONTH you can be a part of the SAWA family!
*Click here to sign up*

CLICK THE PICTURE ABOVE to see a short video of our kids' trip to the Nairobi Safari Walk Park! The kids rarely get to leave the orphanage, except to go to school. Getting dressed up in their "smart" clothes, taking the bus into town, and spending the day at the Safari park was a special experience for them!

2015 Financial Summary

We raised a grand total of $62,000 in 2015...which means we increased our fundraising by almost 300% in one year!
$26,200 was raised with our Stakeholder Campaign alone!
We received $10,000 in grants and awards.
92.6% of our budget directly benefitted the kids of El Shadai. Only 7.4% was used for marketing, fundraising, and operational costs.
We spent $0 of SAWA donations on administrative costs.

Also...stay tuned for our BRAND NEW WEBSITE!
Same address, new design. Bear with us as we prepare our new site! We hope this newsletter highlights some of our current developments, but in the coming months we have TONS of new pictures, videos, updates, and information coming your way!

Plans for 2016

Water at the new plot. DONE! We connected water to the plot in January. The kids and staff now have full-time access to water...a luxury they've lived without for years.
Begin building foundation. DONE! We have already hired engineers to start the building process. We have obtained official maps and approval, and we are starting the foundation for the plot this month. We move forward one floor at a time as funds allow.
Install a septic system. One of our major priorities is to improve the sanitary conditions for the children. Each floor of the new home will have bathrooms and running water. This will improve sanitation AND safety, as the children currently use a community latrine.

How YOU can help

FOLLOW us on Facebook. Visit our page and be sure to click "Like"!
INVITE your friends to do the same!
SHARE our Page, Posts, and Pictures. Help us increase our audience!
SIGN-UP for this e-Newsletter.
DONATE whatever you can, whenever you can. Whatever you can afford WILL help us!
CONTACT US if you have an idea for a fundraiser!
SHOP online with AmazonSmile and eBay for Charity and choose SAWA as your charity of choice! Both programs donate a percentage of your purchase directly to us.
DESIGNATE SAWA to receive your charitable giving if your company offers the option for an automatic payroll deduction. (We are a 501c3 organization. You will need our EIN: 46-4507361)

In case you missed it...
here's the video from the day we told the kids we bought the new land! Click the picture above to watch them celebrate this milestone!

About SAWA
If you're new to our organization, click the image above to learn a bit more about SAWA and the children of the El Shadai Grace Children's Centre.

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SAWA-Someone A World Away · 22172 E Dry Creek Pl · Aurora, CO 80016 · USA