Cyrille from Togo carried his books to school every morning in an old plastic bag, which eventually tore, sending his only notebooks into a puddle.

Some burdens can break even the strongest adults—the burden of uncertainty about tomorrow’s meal, the burden of shame, the burden of having no prospects. In Togo, Rwanda, or Burkina Faso, this burden falls on a child’s shoulders every day.

Education is the only tool that can lift the weight of poverty from these children. A backpack is more than convenience. It lifts from the shoulders of 13-year-olds the worry that their father won’t be able to afford another notebook. It gives 9-year-old Merveille pencils so she can sketch a better future. A school kit is a promise to little Shalom that, after months of living with his tiny brother in a wooden shack, his fate can finally change, and that he himself will be able to provide a better future for the family he will create as an adult.

We thank everyone who in past years has helped us lift this burden from children’s shoulders. Your support is more than aid—it’s an investment that yields returns. Thanks to you, our initiative grows stronger each year, allowing us to stand beside more families. This is a shared struggle. We provide a strong push, covering most of the costs, but it is the parents who put the final dot, contributing their part. This shows their determination and makes education a shared, most important goal. Today, once again, we ask you to join the fight for the future of more children.

School is a place where, instead of worrying about survival, children can begin to dream.