Ouesse Orphanage Project - I Need Your Help!

Hello everyone,

I am currently working on a very big project to open an orphanage/children's home in Ouesse. I would really appreciate your help with this project. Use the link and instructions below to donate. Following that on this blog is a further description of the project. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the project.

The link:

http://www.peacecorps.gov/. Click on "Donate Now" on the left side of the screen. Next, choose, "Donate to Volunteer Projects." Then select Africa as the region. My project is project number 680-166, listed under Benin, Children's Home Construction, and my name "T.Seromik."

About the project: My village, Ouesse, and the surrounding region do not have any institutions currently operating that take care of children in difficult situations - this means orphans, trafficked children, and sexually and physically abused children. Because of Ouesse's location next to the Nigerian border and the conditions of life in Ouesse along with the high rates of HIV/AIDS in Ouesse and Benin in general, children that fall into these categories are numerous. Currently, a friend of mine, Victor Kinmagbahohoue, tries to care for the kids. He and his wife take them in, feed them, give them clothes. However, he does not have the resources to help all of these children. In April another friend, Alexandre Zondo, a representative of the Ministry of Family and Children in Benin, took me along with him to take care of a situation with the local law enforcement officials. They had stopped 7 Togolese children being trafficked, and my friend, as a local government representative, had to intervene. I was appalled as the police pulled the children, aged 10 to 15, out of the cells in the local jail and pushed them forward to interview them, find out where they were from so they could try to send them back home. My friend Victor did not at that time have the space or the resources to accommodate them at his house. This incident struck me very hard. Although I can only make a small difference, my job here as a volunteer is for the development of Benin. This development occurs only by providing tomorrow's generation with opportunity, and there is a significant portion of that generation in the region of Ouesse that is not receiving that opportunity. This is why I want to help.

Victor proposed building a center for children in difficult situations in Ouesse. This would house orphans in long-term situations and feed them, clothe them, and pay for their schooling, but also it would house trafficked children or victims of abuse or other vulnerable children in short-term situations. Over the past few months we have met with government ministry officials and directors of large international aid organizations to gain their support, especially for the independent continuity of the project. Victor created the center on paper as an independent NGO, called CAEES (Centre d'Accueil et d'Ecoute des Enfants en Situation difficile: Center for Children in Difficult Situations).

Now, we need your help to finance the construction of the building.. The Peace Corps Partnership Program is a program designed to let friends and family of volunteers participate in their projects, share in their experience, and assist in making a difference in their communities. The donations that you would make would be 100% tax-deductible. Donate what you can afford, any amount is welcome; the total amount of the project is just under $30,000. With your help, we can complete the construction of the orphanage and work on opening the center for operation before the end of my service.

I thank you for all of your help, prayers, and support throughout this process, and I ask that you consider donating some money for the construction of this children's center. The community of Ouesse and I would be extremely grateful.

There is an option to make donations anonymously. We would like to recognize you once we get through the construction, but we understand if you would like to make the donations anonymously.

Lastly, please pass this message along to friends, family, organizations, businesses, or other groups that might be willing to donate.

Thank you very much for your help,

Tomas Sebastian Seromik