Newsletters
October's Spotlight
Dear Friends and Supporters of Orphans and Destitute Children,
We at Children of Hope extend our greetings and well wishes to you and your loved ones.
This newsletter is the second in our spotlight series featuring our outstanding partners and their incredible work in support of orphans and destitute children.This month we are proud to showcase ZLT Hope Homes in Nairobi, Kenya.
ZLT Hope Homes provides safe shelter and support to children and youth affected by abuse and abandonment. We believe that all children should have access to proper nutrition, quality education, and health care in a safe environment which builds strong family bonds. We seek to strengthen communities by aiding children in vulnerable conditions struggling with the effects of childhood trauma. Our goal is that every child and youth supported by ZLT Hope Homes will become a responsible and dignified adult with core values that empower them to be successful and contributing members of society.
ZLT Hope Homes provides a safe home to 30+ children who are orphaned, abused or abandoned. The Safe Home program provides psychosocial support to children affected by abuse and abandonment. The team specializes in supporting children who have experienced significant trauma.
Please take a look at the short video for a few more glimpses of the world at ZLT Hope Homes.
September's Spotlight
Dear Friends and Supporters of Orphans and Destitute Children;
We at Children of Hope are delighted to announce our spotlight series. Each month, we will spotlight one of our partners who are doing incredible work.
For our first spotlight, we are honoured to introduce you to Rising Sun Education and Welfare Society in Pakistan. Rising Sun has the vision to make special children confident and self-reliant members of the society. Their mission is to provide these children with all the educational and training facilities to enhance their capabilities and rehabilitate them in the society. COH has been one of their valued partners since 2022, already assisting them in fulfilling this objective for 35 children.
Rising Sun works with children with disabilities (CWDs) including children who have cerebral palsy, visual impairments, intellectual disabilities, speech and communication issues, and autism spectrum disorder. They also provide early intervention for families with children with special needs. One of their objectives is to provide medical, psycho-educational, speech and language assessment and therapy services to CWDs enrolled at Rising Sun Institute or referred by different specialists and professionals. Rising Sun is dedicated to community ownership, mobilization and collaboration. They have mobile teams that provide all professional services (speech therapy, sensory, physical and occupational therapy, assessment, counseling etc.
Our Board Member Yasmin Haq visited Rising Sun on February 20, 2024 and spent several hours at Rising Sun. This marked her third annual visit, following visits in 2022 and 2023. She was very impressed by the dedication, kindness, and love shown by the team to their special children. The children captivated her heart. A small collection of her photos have been included in the newsletter to give you a glimpse into life at Rising Sun.
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Please take a look at the short video for a few more glimpses of the world at Rising Sun
Rising Sun September Spotlight and check out their website at
Risingsun.org to learn more.
January Spotlight:
Dear Children of Hope Supporters,
Ms. Yasmin Haq, a Board member of Children of Hope (COH), had the opportunity to visit the Basera Orphanage during her trip to Pakistan last year. This orphanage is one of the many projects supported by COH. Here is an account of her visit:
On February 13, 2024, I visited Basera (which means "home" in Urdu) in Islamabad. To honour the sacred trust placed in us by our donors, I wanted to ensure that the zakat funds were being used for rightful purposes.
Basera orphanage is currently home to over 70 children – primarily boys – ranging in age from 4 to 14 years. These children come from various regions across Pakistan, including Baluchistan, Swat, Gilgit, and Murree. During my visit, I interviewed several of them and learned about their experiences. Many have endured hardships such as earthquakes, floods, and extreme poverty. It was heartbreaking to discover that nearly half of the children have no family to visit even during Eid and stay at Basera during those times. On a positive note, I observed that the on-site volunteer caregiver, Fazil, is deeply cherished by the children, who affectionately call him "Abu," meaning father. All the children attend a neighborhood school, and among Basera’s six staff members, there are two dedicated teachers who focus on helping children who have never attended school before.
The needs of Basera are overwhelming, but the facility cannot currently accommodate more children due to space constraints in their rented premises. Basera is actively raising funds to complete a larger, permanent home under construction in Islamabad.
My visit to Basera, which lasted several hours, was a profoundly moving experience. I returned home deeply satisfied, knowing that COH is supporting such a deserving and impactful project.
February Spotlight:
Dear Children of Hope Supporters,
Murshidabad, one of the most impoverished districts in West Bengal, India, faces significant challenges, including low female literacy rates, high child marriage prevalence (39.9%), and rampant unemployment. Known for its bidi-rolling industry, which employs about 90% women and children, the district struggles with widespread poverty and out-migration. To address these issues, SMOKUS has initiated an integrated project focused on education, child protection, and community engagement.
At Sekhalipur GP in Raghunathganj II block, SMOKUS has established a Children’s School, offering free education to 150 underprivileged children, many from migrant families. The school provides a vibrant learning environment where children develop foundational skills in Bengali, mathematics, and good behavior using creative teaching methods. Interactive activities like drawing and reading motivate regular attendance, while sports like kabaddi and football build teamwork, confidence, and leadership skills. Parent-teacher meetings further strengthen the support system, enabling families to actively participate in their children’s educational journey.
This initiative has already made a profound impact on the children and their families, breaking cycles of poverty and paving the way for a brighter future. However, the need remains immense. With your generous donations, we can expand this life-changing program and reach even more children in need. Together, we can create opportunities for these young learners to grow into empowered and self-reliant citizens.
April Spotlight:
Dear Supporter of Children of Hope,
Murshidabad, one of the most impoverished districts in West Bengal(India), faces significant challenges such as low female literacy rates, high child marriage prevalence (39.9%), and rampant unemployment. The region is known for its bidi-rolling industry, where around 90% of the workers are women and children. Poverty and migration are everyday realities for many families.
To address these issues, SMOKUS(Shripur Mahila-O-Khadi Unnayan Samity) has established a Children’s School at Sekhalipur GP in the Raghunathganj II block, offering free education to 150 underprivileged children, many from migrant families. SMOKUS is dedicated to empowering marginalized communities by ensuring access to quality education for children living in rural villages. With a strong focus on early childhood learning, the initiative also supports mothers as their children’s first and most influential educators. The key goal is to break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty by nurturing both children and their mothers through inclusive, grassroots-driven education.
