Altrusa

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Altrusa

Based in: International

Specialty: Literacy

The Altrusa Club of Santa Maria, a part of Altrusa International, a service organization with a focus on literacy, has been working with SHIP to help bring hope to people in Zambia. Altrusa held a convention in Santa Maria at which volunteers from California, Arizona, and New Mexico were all present. These women collected books, yarn, toys, toiletries, crayons, pencils, and other school supplies for the people of Zambia.

In July 2006, a Seeds of Hope team was able to take many of these items that were donated by Altrusa Club and distribute them to the women involved in our literacy class in Zambia and to children at a primary school.

The women were thankful to receive yarn, toiletries and writing materials for their classes; and the children delighted in the toys and school supplies given to them. Laughter and smiles expressed their joy at this unexpected blessing as over 100 Zambians received a gift.

Imagine that your life is surrounded by poverty, death and hopelessness. And then one day a seed of hope is planted in your heart as you receive a seemingly simple gift such as a package of pencils. This “small” gift has the power to change lives. As SHIP distributed the gifts of Altrusa to the people in Zambia, we saw hope brought back into their homes.

In particular, two Zambian women from the literacy class stood out to our team that day. After the gifts had been distributed, one of our volunteers noticed them sitting side by side, with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes, as they fondly compared their new toothbrushes. We in America may not think anything of a new toothbrush, but these women have never owned a toothbrush in their 40 years of life. The impact of such a gift cannot be described.

Through the generosity of Altrusa, lives are being changed in Zambia. Many of these women and children will never be the same because of the hope and kindness they experienced as they received these gifts. Seeds of Hope is thankful to Altrusa Club of Santa Maria for their partnership with us in planting one "seed of hope" at a time.