Every Little Bit Helps

This weekend was a fun one. My husband and some friends went to our cottage for a weekend of ice fishing, beverages and whatever else is entailed in the annual male bonding rituals while myself and the kids enjoyed a weekend with my step sister and nieces. We took the kids to an indoor playground one afternoon and just had a lot of fun. All the kids are so close in age that it is really fun to watch them interact.

On Monday my other niece who is 10 and nephew who is very close to 9 came over to play in what I hope is some of our last snow of the year (wishful thinking I know). When they walked into my house they handed me a Tupperware. Inside was some change. They told me that they were inspired by one of my last posts in which I told the story of how Celine gave me her money from creating a store to send to Ethiopia. After reading that post, they went around their house and collected all the change they could find. This included pennies, nickles, dimes and a couple of quarters. They told me that they wanted me to add it to the next cheque I send to Ethiopia to help the children there. After they left I counted the money. It totaled $4.61. I started thinking what you could do in Canada for $4.61. Well you could buy a coffee and a bagel at Tim Hortons. That would give you a few hours of hunger relief. You could get your car washed, your car would look nice for a total of a few hours if your lucky. You could buy one beer at a restaurant.... yummmmmm tastes good. Or you could send it to Ethiopia and help a child have an education.

My niece and nephew have briefly heard me talk about helping the children in developing countries, but not at any great lengths so I find it amazing that one little post and they would decide to do this. What they probably don't know is that the change they collected from around there house is almost enough to change a child's life for a year. School fees in Ethiopia are 100 Birr a year. At today's exchange rate that is $5.93 Canadian. It's amazing to think that the money that is lying in our couch cushions, in our junk drawers and on our dressers could do so much.

So, thank you so much Lauren and Hunter. I will proudly add your $4.61 to the next amount of money that I send to Ethiopia. It will change a child's life.