Eleven years ago, I moved to Tanzania with a few suitcases and a dream. I began volunteering at a local center for children with albinism, and with Christmas approaching, I wanted to send something meaningful to the small group of donors who believed in that dream and helped launch the very beginning of Shade.
There were only a few supporters back then, so I asked the children at the center to scribble on pieces of paper. I then cut them into the shape of ornaments, tucked them into brown envelopes with international stamps, and mailed them back to the U.S. with my Christmas greetings.
Now, eleven years later, I’m no longer sitting in the dirt at that government center, but standing on the Shade Campus – home to more than 230 students, a growing staff, and programs reaching families throughout our community.
So much has changed. But what has never changed is the fuel that keeps this work going: you. Your unrelenting belief in our mission, your love for vulnerable children you’ve never met, your prayers and your generosity are what make Shade possible.
This Christmas, I wanted to say thank you and send you another ornament—this time colored with love by the students at Shade School.
Download Your Own Shade Christmas Ornament Here!
Merry Christmas!
Claire Fedele
