Good news on the Fiji front… The three cyclone proof houses that Collette Foundation funded have been completed.  Volunteers for the Koropita project are currently in the process of adding private bathrooms and kitchen facilities.  As soon as that is finished they will be ready for families in need to move in!  We should have pictures up soon!  On a side note the village is almost done building the community hall that we will hopefully be using as a place to have our passengers visit and meet the children that we helping!

Pam’s reflections continue, this time from her visit to the Knysna Educational Trust, the Collette Foundation’s second project in South Africa.

A visit to a local township during our stay in Knysna was truly a memorable and heartwarming experience.  The Collette Foundation has been committed to working with the Knysna Foundation in improving the lives of preschool children.

We witnessed the progress firsthand when we were greeted by the children and their teachers in their new school.  The Knysna Foundation is dedicated to helping preschool children by providing them with nutrition and a caring, educational environment.  A generous donation of school supplies were given by the Collette tour participants.  It was a small gift compared to the endearing smiles we received in return.

More work in still in store for the Collette Foundation as we continue to help make a difference. Try to picture 66 children napping on burlap floor mats. 

Let’s unite together and get this school rebuilt next.  

Pam Strand, Collette Vacations District Sales Manager, recently traveled to South Africa with a FAM group and visitied both Kgautswane Village and the preschools supported by the Knysna Educational trust - please read part #1 – Pam’s reflections from Kgautswane.

I recently returned from the South Africa Familiarization tour.  37 passengers and 7 employees embarked on the long trip to a remote village in the Kgautswane area and the presented the villagers with 100 Hippo Rollers on behalf of the Collette Foundation.  Villagers have to walk long distances to their water source, carrying 5 gallon buckets on their heads.  Hippo Rollers were designed for a much easier and less intensive collection of water, allowing them to retrieve five times as much water.  The presentation was a huge celebration in the village and a number of people came to sing, dance and show support for their family and friends receiving the hippo rollers.  Unfortunately, there are still several hundred people who are in need.  I was really inspired to do something on my return home. I approached our congregation at Good Shepard United Methodist Church and the children have committed to a mission project to raise funds to send more hippo rollers.  We may only be able to send one, but it will help change one life.  As Mother Teresa said, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.”

Our partner in Xian, Starfish Foster Home annouces it’s 27th successful international adoption! Bryan, a beautiful little one who was given cleft palate surgery in February 2009, will be living in Sweden with his adoptive parents. He was the first, but certainly not the last to be adopted from the group of nine babies that were operated on in Feb 2009.
Bryan left Starfish late last week and his nannies were very sad to see him go, but they know that he has a great life ahead of him!
Good luck Bryan!!!