Fiji Kids Learning For Life.

Old friend Julie H. is the last person on earth I'd have expected to do this - and I suspect her battle with cancer a few years back may have more to do with it than any of us realise - but in 2010 she started a charity to break the poverty cycle in the Sigatoka Valley ...

 Sigatoka Valley, 

a very scenic part of the world, 

but exceptionally poor.

... by putting"the poorest of the poor" in her area of Fiji through school. 

 Julie with three of her kiddies. 

Look at how joyous they are.

It's called Fiji Kids Learning for Life and it's a registered charity in Fiji:

And the idea is to hook up clever kids in dire circumstances ...

 Some of Julie's kids

at home.

 Water supply at a home.

... with sponsors from all around the world who are willing to take on all their educational expenses until they finish their education, which is hopefully university because that's the idea behind this.

 Julie with two of her sponsors,

Mick and Jim from Cairns.

The children are chosen by teachers in the eight school districts of Sigatoka on the basis of need and potential, and Julie works very hard to ensure support is given to the right kiddies and to this end trudges across mountains and through jungles to check out the living circumstances of those who are suggested.

And if you knew Julie you'd realise how unlikely and how funny this is.  I've known her my whole life and a more "Ewwww, dirt!" girl (I mean that in a nice way, Julie.) would be hard to imagine, yet here she is willingly getting down and dirty to help the poor.

And I've been through Sigatoka Valley myself so I know this is no easy journey for anyone to take.

Kudos Julie. "Brava. Brava." coupled with loud insane clapping!

 And here she is in action among the poor.

As much of a bossy boots as she ever was,

but now using her powers for good instead

of just looking good.

Although I suspect it's winning her war with cancer that has given her this new outlook on life, but when I asked her what was behind it she said "I just reached saturation point seeing all these rich tourists stomping around Sigatoka in among such poor locals and decided 'enough is enough' and someone had to do something about changing it, and that someone had to be myself because no one else would."

So that's her motivation behind her charity, which has been running now for three years and is just getting bigger and bigger.

Like, here's her first selection back in 2010 ...

... who all are now doing exceptionally well at school, as you can see here:

 A brighter, happier bunch 

you couldn't ask for.

Then, in 2011, another 40 were added to the list:

 The 2011 Chosen 40

at a Meet the Sponsors Day.

 Volunteer Clair with Loata.
(Mmm, why do I suspect I know Loata's
sponsors?)

... but this year, oh gosh, she had 60 more turn up and under the worst possible circumstances too:

Story in Fiji Times. 

Luckily she had lots of Fiji folks giving her a helping hand plus a lot flying in from around the world who'd volunteered to help and sponsor ...

 Some of her volunteers.

... who, as we should also point out, also braved those floods to be there on the day ...

 Volunteer Sandra from UK.

... to take down details and in a couple of cases to make choices to immediately commit:

 Volunteer Alison and Seinemere.

 And here are a few of her 2012 Chosen:

However, while checking out the home circumstances, she discovered another four kids who needed support so badly she immediately took them on, which entirely drained the charity's bank account ... but then she came across Pravindesh, so clever and in such dire circumstances, she couldn't leave him out,  but without any money left she desperately needs immediate support to get him on the program.

Anyone?

And she's increasingly aware of how much more work needs to be done, and how many more kids need to be helped, so she's planning a big push for 2013 with the intention of getting more and more publicity for the program which means, hopefully, more and more sponsors coming on board.

So if you'd like to help Julie out, here's a link to her WEBSITE. http://fijikids.org/

Julie, in red, explaining the program to teachers.

Doesn't she look amazingly good.