Chicuchas Wasi is off to a busy start for 2014 - the new year is favoring us :-))

A bright light is shining on our smiling and excited, and just promoted CW school girls who will now move on to public high school. The 8 years with CW has prepared them well to confront the challenges ahead. We will continue to stay in touch with them all, to be sure they do well and continue in school. THANK YOU all for believing in these girls. Just look at these radiant young women, filled with their newly envisioned and possible dreams.

At the promotion ceremony, Ruth gifted each girl with the book you see in their hands: 'The Dreamer' to take with them to High School to remind them to dream and dream big. 

We are so proud of how they have risen above their personal hardships and are looking forward with new eyes, new strength and new confidence. Coming from similar personal backgrounds, these girls have created a deep connection together and will stand by each other in the new school.

Last year's financial crisis was stressful and we seriously worried about the future of Chicuchas Wasi School for Girls, but it also forced us to investigate new ways to fund our small nonprofit.

We discovered online crowdfunding with GlobalGiving and took a chance. YOU also took a chance and joined us and together the financial crisis was averted for 2013. Whew!! GlobalGiving required that we enter their required Challenge last April to raise $3000 in 4 weeks - YOU raised $23,000. We were nervous, but YOU came through with your donations and your faith and trust in CW. The spirit of the support you gave us lifted our spirits, both here in California and in Cusco, Peru too. We were all in this challenge together (north and South) rooting, recruiting and donating and watching support grow online. We proved to GG we were serious about education for our girls.

We didn't need to lay off even one teacher or combine any classes in the end. Thanks to YOU Chicuchas Wasi School for Girls remained open and free to all 100 students in 2013. We add new younger students when the higher grades are promoted and we will have 105 students enrolled for March 1, 2014 when the school year begins in Cusco, Peru.

Last year we learned there are many new modern ways to fund a small nonprofits not blessed with a big endowment fund. We will continue to tell you what works and what does not. Crowd funding does help and can bring in support from new unknown sources. Supporters of CW often send us a link or tell us of a funding organization seeking to help educate girls in developing countries that we would never see. You really do make a difference. We welcome your suggestions as the learning curve is huge and it takes many eyes and ears to for small organizations like CW to continue to thrive.

Thank you doesn't seem big enough to express my personal gratitude for your loyal support to keep the school open for our students who desperately want to learn. Your generosity has given CW a new life and 100 girls new opportunities and the key out of poverty. YOU did this.

Please look at their photos again and feel proud of the lives you have changed.  THANK YOU
Rae Lewis, Founder 
Chicuchas Wasi since 1987

*******GLOBAL GIVING NEWS******

Global Giving has 4 quarterly BONUS Days (matching donation) planned for 2014.

The first Bonus Day is Feb 12 and individual donations up to $1000 will be matched by 30% until the $75,000. available is gone. 
Click here to go to our Global Giving page Feb 12.

We truly love and appreciate you all and --- this is the difficult part for some of our donors on the west coast-----Start time at 6am PST and match $$ is gone by 7-8am. Please consider setting your alarms for BONUS days to make your donation grow by 30%.   For anyone like me, it is a lot to ask.....but....I must....on Feb 12..set your alarm for 6am and donate and then go back to sleep...does that work for anyone?

Links:

• Chicuchas Wasi Official website
• Shop at CW's Amazon aStore and donation goes to CW
• CW on GreatNonprofits site..our page..42 reviews

           Chicuchas Wasi wishes you a Prosperous and 
            Happy New Year with Peace and good Health

The Chicuchas Wasi Team began 2013 with serious concerns that we could not raise the basic operating budget of $131,000 for the school. When the CW school was created in 1997, we made a commitment to provide free quality education to every girl enrolled. Cutting teachers or closing the school was a terrible idea we were forced to discuss. 

We searched for new ideas, gave presentations, sent emails to all of our friends and lists, planned a concert fundraiser and then online crowdfunding came into view.

We joined Global Giving online fundraising organization's challenge last April and YOU donated with us. YOU helped us win the $5000 in awards and we slowly chipped away at the budget amount needed. It is true, we all matter and ordinary people can make extraordinary gifts that change the lives of others. YOU came through and we are so very grateful. We didn't fire one teacher or close the school in 2013 and 100 girl's futures are changed forever.

        YOU kept Chicuchas Wasi School for GIrls open in 2013 --
                        NO words can say THANK YOU enough!

   •••YOU still have 2 DAYS to get the 2013 US tax benefit•••  

Please do remember our students this holiday season with your year-end donation to educate girls whose lives are literally in our hands. Your donation will change their futures. Educated girls will not live a life of poverty, oppression and abuse as the women before them have been forced to endure because they had no education and no skills to provide for themselves or their children. 

 We have just kicked off our annual fundraiser to meet the new school budget for 2014 needed to keep CW doors open, teachers paid and education free to every student. Please consider becoming a monthly donor. See the pie below to learn how we use your donations.

                             Thank YOU to you all

Links:

• Official Chicuchas Wasi website
• GuideStar Gold Level commitment to transparency
• A Great Non-Profits -TOP non-profit..42 reviews.