Area 6 : News & Views

GUESTBOOK  

Below is a selection of guestbook entries from the early days of this website. The pagebuilding schedule was so massive (and volumes of e-mails so huge)
that eventually we had to discontinue adding new guestbook entries, instead aiming to publicise where help might be found.

Recent information suggests that help for certain aspects of children's medical costs may be available through organizations listed at the CureSearch HOPE PORTAL.

28^th September 2005 *** Waleed's successful operation

We're delighted to say the following e-mail has just been received from Muhammad Ihsan Ul Haq in Pakistan, who wrote to us about his son Waleed, last November.

"Mr. Waleed has got his successful heart surgery from the Children's Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, USA ... and all funds were provided by 'The First Hand Foundation USA'. ... Waleed is very happy and back to his home in Pakistan. He is going to school."

Our thanks to Muhammad for updating us :) We discovered the website for "The First Hand Foundation" listed on the CureSearch page for "National and International Resources: Financial Assistance".

30^th March 2005 *** please help my son to see

Hello, my name is Larisa. I am 44 years old. I have 10 years son Andrey. Doctors found out that Andrey have a tumour at the bottom of an eyeball and now for him is necessary surgical operation. At a birth his sight was 25% on each eye. I am divorced and my former husband does not help me. I am teacher in school. My salary is 75$ per month. Operation and rehabilitation costs approximately 8000$. If I shall sell everything that I have, money for operation will not turn out. I address about the help in the government and welfare funds, but all of them speak that I waited half of year.

I wait 2 years, but it has not given any result. His sight worsens every year and after long years of treatment he sees only on 10% and if the operation isn't performed urgently, then gradually his sight absolutely will disappear. I address to you with the request for the help. Please, help to acquire hope for recovery sight of my child. I shall be the happiest mother if my son will be the healthy child. Even if you can help some dollars, that it can play a role in this case. God blesses you!

Larisa Stoycheva
Yoshkar-Ola, festivalnaya street, Flat 1, house 77a, Festivalnaya street, Yoshkar-Ola, Russia.

Please note: as per other guestbook entries we must request people pursue verification enquiries independently - Penny.

Footnote: see also Appeals Russia

11^th November 2004 *** Please help save my son's life

A letter was received from Muhammad Ihsan Ul Haq, in Pakistan, asking for help for his then 3-year-old son Waleed, who needed an urgent heart operation. We're very pleased to say Waleed has now had his operation (see update here).

1^st May 2004 *** Hi from Russia

My name is Yevgeniya. I'm a 38-old mom of 2 charming kids. We live in Cheboksary, the capital of the Chuvash republic.

Further to my letter of July 17 2000, a wonderful lady in the USA was kind enough to help my little daughter Polly (then 5 years old) with getting powerful digital hearing aids. This has changed my daughter's life so very much! Polly is 9 now - she studies at a regular secondary school in Cheboksary and is considered to be one of the best pupils in her class. She enjoys studying very much and loves to read books like "Gone with the Wind"; she speaks English well and I help in her class as a guest teacher.

Unfortunately Polly's hearing has now got much worse. Her left ear hears nothing even with the most powerful digital hearing aid, and Polly's doctor has recommended us to apply for a cochlear implant. The Children's Hospital in Seattle has already reviewed Polly's Russian records and feels that she may be a candidate for surgery. However we CANNOT AFFORD the cost of this ..... Polly needs US$75000-80000 for this operation and we don't know where to turn. Would any of the people who visit your site now, be able to help us?

If anyone can help in any way, or has any questions, please feel free to contact me at the address given below.

Thank you ..... Yevgeniya
Mrs YG Grigoryev, Elger str. 16-189, Cheboksary, Chuvashia 428025, RUSSIA. Phone: [7- 835-2] 455882 E-mail: firehorse1966@mail.ru

Footnote: see also Appeals Russia

16^th September 2003 *** CHARLIE YELLOW

Further to my earlier letter I am delighted to report that after the hospital in Minnesota kindly reduced its fees, Charlie has finally had the operation to repair and extend his oesophagus - and is able to eat solid food for the first time in his life. Help is still needed though - please see Charlie's website.

John Soulsbury (Charlie's granddad) [England, UK]

7^th March 2003 *** excellent resource, thank you so much!!

I have an 11 year old and a 7 year old daughter, both struggling with math. They both understand the concepts, however, both need to practise more frequently. I have been discouraged by the cost involved in expensive on-line training and I don't believe video or audiotape are the right way to teach your children.

Then I found your web page, purely by chance. It was sent straight from Heaven. Your math worksheets are perfect. I can hand them out, one at a time, and we can move at their pace. Now our evenings are spent not blindly staring at a computer screen or listening to a noisy TV and VCR but as a family learning math, and enjoying it!

Thanks again,
Randy Griggs
Portage, MI USA

Footnote: free Maths worksheets - Addition, Times Tables, Division, Fractions, Numbers 1-100 (square numbers, prime numbers etc.)

31^st May 2002 *** help urgently requested

I am running an orphanage, hospital, and community school for the orphans, street kids and other children from the communities who can not afford to pay for schooling at government schools.

I am in a financial need to meet my budget and I am having a project of constructing 6 blocks of classrooms and rooms for accommodation

I appealing for financial assistance of about 6000 British Pounds from anyone out there who can help. Any amount towards this target is most welcome. If there are any applications which I need to complete, please may you send them through the mail address given to you below this letter.

God Bless You
Bishop Teddy Nshome
Buchi Helping Hands Community Projects
P O Box 20650
Kitwe, Zambia

Please note: as per other guestbook entries we must request people pursue verification enquiries independently - Penny.
Footnote - see also Appeals Zambia.

9^th September 2001 *** homeless children in the USA

There are an estimated 1.3 million homeless kids living on the streets in the USA. Many have had no choice but to run away, to escape untenable home environments - and find themselves trapped on the streets with seemingly no way back to a normal way of life.

Stand Up For Kids is making a real difference. We are all volunteers and have built the largest nonprofit organization in the US that works on the streets with homeless and street kids. Did you know that in some states it is illegal even to feed homeless and street kids? Many of these are kids that *can't* go home ..... so what alternatives are left for them? 13 kids on the street die EVERY DAY.

We would appreciate any help anyone can offer. If you'd like to help make a difference - with a donation, or fundraising, or a little of your time, or maybe providing a few of the practical items we need to help these kids, please e-mail me on RickK@standupforkids.org.

Thank you.

Best Regards, Rick Koca - Founder and CEO - StandUp For Kids.

[background - STANDUP FOR KIDS was founded in 1990 by retired U.S. Navy officer Richard L. Koca. In 1987 he had seen a CBS broadcast, 48 Hours, about street kids in San Diego, California. Rick was so disturbed by this report that when the Navy sent him to San Diego the following year, he immediately became involved in walking the streets to identify homeless teens and get them into shelters.]

Footnote: see also Appeals USA

17^th August 2001 *** Volunteers needed

Cross-Cultural Solutions is one of the leading international volunteer organizations in the United States and sends over 1,000 volunteers overseas every year.

Our volunteers mentor orphans in Russia, teach English to children in China, care for disabled children in India and Peru, and play sports and do crafts with children in Ghana, among other activities.

Anyone who would like more information about volunteering is welcome to visit our website.

Sincerely,

Kristin Hegazy

Footnote: see also the Appeals pages for Russia, China, India, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, Tanzania, Thailand and Ghana

11^th August 2001 *** Wow!

I found your site whilst looking for online translation services. I forgot all about my purpose and spent the next hour or so visiting you! What a wonderful site. I am humbled by the projects ongoing around the world. I have mailed the site to everyone I know. This is exactly what the Internet should be for.

Lucy (UK)

12^th March 2001 *** Canadian Schools

I found your website while searching for information about public schools in British Columbia and schooling as a whole in Canada.

I am from South Africa, and will be will be emigrating to Canada in about one year from now. I have 2 children - aged 10(Gr 5) & 7 (Gr 2) and have always been actively involved in their school life. I have just been re-elected for a second 3 year term of office on the school Governing Body.

Having made the decision to emigrate to Canada, it has become important for all of us to start doing some research about the Canadian education system and schools in general. We have found this website to be most informative in all respects and have bookmarked it to return regularly.

Thank you for this superbly laid out and informative resource.

Kind Regards, Angela Foxcroft

Footnote: see Schools Canada, part of Schools Interchange.

12^th March 2001 *** Your website is very useful

Thanks for spending the time to help others like myself to create a web site!!! I have printed off the instructions and will use them to help me design, build and upload my own web site on the internet.

Regards, James

Footnote: see our free-to-print "Build Your Own Website" guide, based on the software used to build the Project HappyChild website.

22^nd December 2000 *** thank you from Mongolia

Just wanted to say thank you for this amazing website. I am working with street children in Mongolia and have little access to resources. Your math sheets are proving invaluable - as they need little adjustment to be put into Mongolian. You are doing a great job, thanks! :)

Michelle Lewis

Footnote: see simple addition worksheets, and the full set of worksheets for learning / teaching times tables

20^th October 2000 *** What a wonderful website!

As a webdesigner, I've browsed countless websites and can honestly say yours demonstrates that content is king. Not only that but your cause is the perfect example of why and how the Internet can benefit the world. I look forward to seeing how your organisation develops!

Joel Lipman
Green Globe 21

I am a learning support assistant in Warrington and it is great to see a site with so much help and information.
I hope the site grows and grows and send my best wishes to all involved.
S. Ledgerton, Warrington

16^th May 2000 *** first time visitor

I have just found your site on a search engine for educators, boy am I happy!
Your site is fantastic, so full of resources, it knocks your socks off! I will definitely add this to my favorite places list.
Sincerely,
Bruce H.

24^th March 2000 *** Street Children, Romania [see also 2002 update below]

... (excerpt) ... I am writing in the hope that someone amongst your visitors may be able to help us. My husband and I plan to move to Romania to work long term there with street children. We will have a little support from some Christian friends but we think that we will need to be at least partly self-supporting while living there ... Our heart is with these children, this summer we drove over with our own children and spent the summer there with the kids and more than anything we would like to do something. In Bucharest also and other places in Romania the need is great and the workers are few.
Thank you for reading this letter, I look forward to any help anyone might be able to offer, and if not, God bless you all anyway!
Yours
Katy Cloke

We're delighted to report (November 2000) that Jodie's home has now been adapted [after help from various quarters, including her grandparents] - however we're informed that Jodie's parents are having trouble proving their negligence case against the hospital who have apparently "lost" the foetal traces which would have proved the time of her mother's arrival at the labour ward. We trust this matter will be properly resolved - Penny.

NEWSLETTERS - this website has been on line since 1998 - there have been a lot of Newsletters! The archive is here and the very last Newsletter is here.