Concert at Minarets High School (O'Neals, CA) "Jamstock 2012"

Here is a link to a promotional video that was done by Harley and Scoop, students and rockers at Minarets High School, who are organizing and performing at a Beatles vs. Stones concert to raise funds for Be the Power of One. If you're in the Coarsegold-O'Neals area May 5th, BE THERE !!!

Sean Penn and Oprah in Haiti

This is a wonderful short video which was part of an interview that Ophrah did with Sean Penn in Haiti. Sean Penn has been in Haiti since the earthquake in 2010 and has done some amazing things with his organization, J/P HRO. Check it out.....

http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/Life-in-a-Haitian-Tent-Camp-Video

North Fork School

Yesterday we spoke with a combined class of 1st and 8th graders at the North Fork School in central California. Our presentation was a little geography, a little history and a lot of comparing a typical day in the life of a California student to that of a Haitian student. The students asked some very good questions and were surprise at the limited opportunities Haitian students have. We shared with them our belief that education is the best way to end poverty. These students have decided to make Be the Power of One a month long focus in their fund raising efforts to help make the world a better place. We appreciate the chance to share our story and applaud the students and staff at North Fork School for their efforts to make a difference.

 

Speaking of history, did you know that it was the Haitian slave revolt at the end of the 18th century that facilitated the French selling the Louisiana Territory to the United States? They needed the money to support the war effort in Haiti. The map of the US may have looked very different if it wasn't for the Haitian revolt.

Looking for Facebook Fans

Go to the Be the Power of One facebook page to see more smiling faces of kids that need a little help to go to school. And don’t forget to share with all your friends to help us meet our goal of 250 Facebook Fans by the end of the month.


What do we mean by Be the Power of One? A dollar here & a dollar there has added up. We’ve been able to support a school with supplies, text books, food and teachers salaries so that over 100 kids will get a chance to make a difference in their community and world. That’s the power of one, that’s the power of education. Did you know that education is the best way to fight poverty? Educated women marry later, have fewer children and are better able to care of their families. Children born to educated women stand a better chance of surviving past the age of five. Educated people enjoy better health through better hygiene and improved crops. And there is less violent crime among the educated. That’s what $10 a month buys. How’s that for an investment!?
 
To make a donation of any size go to the "How You Can Help" tab above. Thanks!!

Busy week for Be the Power of One!

What an exciting week & it's only Wednesday! We had a meeting yesterday with a group at Minarets High School to begin planning of their concert in May to benefit Be the Power of One. This will be great event, and we are forever thankful to the students and staff at Minarets who are a joy to work with. Stay tuned for more information. Today we had a presentation with an amazing group of about 40 women at Stone Croft Ministries. We so appreciate the opportunity to talk with them - they seemed interested in our story, asked some good questions and were very generous with their donations.

Send a Student to School

Thanks to our friends Jean-Ronel and Chedlin in Pignon we have these wonderful pictures of our students in Pignon, Haiti. Your generous donations have, among other things, paid for the school uniforms they are wearing. As you can see, Christnerlan is a very happy girl. She has a brother and two sisters that keep her pa...rents, Richemond (a farmer) and Josette (a homemaker) very busy. Bukenson says he enjoys seeing his friends at school. His father Paule is also a farmer and his mother Mariolene is busy too with Bukenson and his two brothers and sisters. These smiles are a wonderful result of the donations that can be made through our "Send a Student to School" program. A monthly donation of $10 or a one time donation of $120 covers all the costs associated with attending school and provides a hot meal each day for these students. In Haiti only 10% of all schools are funded by the government. If you would like to participate in this program just click here.  You can donate online using your PayPal account or major credit card.
By: Be the Power of One

Photos: 2..

Another Great Connection

Yesterday we had a great meeting with Pastor Cody Gunderson at the Yosemite Lakes Community Church in Coarsegold, Calif. He's a really dynamic speaker and great storyteller. A group from his church has made several trips to Haiti, the latest group is headed out in two weeks, where they support a variety of projects in and around Port-au-Prince. We share some of the same feelings of being overwhelmed by the level of need wherever you turn. It becomes necessary to focus on what you are doing to improve conditions and realize that it will take a mamouth effort and many years to rebuild Port-au-Prince. We talked a little about rural Haiti, Pignon in particular, and how different the needs are there compared to the city. Infrastructure may be a mess in Port-au-Prince but it is almost nonexistant in rural areas. Someday we may get a chance to work together on a project. What a wonderful group of people with lots of energy and serious interest in helping the world community.