The Travel Agent Next door has been supporting Pencils for kids as our charity of choice for the last five years. I have worked for Exclusive to you travel for the last four years which falls under the umbrella of the Travel Agent Next Door. The last three years I have had the privilege of being able to attend our Annual Conference.
Conferences are a great time to connect with fellow travel agents, head office support staff, suppliers and learning new things. At my first conference I had the pleasure to hear Robin Mednick speak. Robin is one of the founders of Pencils for kids and the story she tells of the people of Niger, West Africa is one that is compelling and sadly all too familiar when it comes to third world countries.
This year Robin only briefly touched on the story as many of us have heard it before but she brought her Ophthalmologist husband with her to share his story. He went to Libore with Robin and wanted to help the people of Libore as well. He was able to get into contact with Orbis, a revolutionary mobile eye hospital housed on a jet airplane. For two weeks in 2010, a team of doctors (which he was included in), nurses and health care workers trained local ophthalmologists and nurses with new techniques, provided educational outreach, and operated on patients on board the airplane hospital. Close to 400 people were screened during the Libore outreach program, with a quarter receiving follow up treatment. He went on to tell us about a young lady who they could not help her cataracts were too far gone and she was now blind and there was nothing he could do. Where we can get our eyes checked yearly until 18 for free and the cost of regular check ups after that is not debilitating it is heart wrenching to hear stories like this.
We are given an opportunity to donate to this fine cause and in return we are entered to win prizes that our suppliers have donated. I suppliers have even gone out of their way to donate some really big prizes that were actually put up for silent auction where our colleagues both at conference and at home could bid on. This year our team raised over $30,000 in one week bringing our five year total to over $60,000. The money this year for Pencil for kids is being put towards sewing machines, chairs and computers. Now when we say sewing machine's we are talking about the manual one's not your fancy electric models. These machines help the women of Libore earn a living for their families.
It is so hard when everyone is looking at us to help out with some great cause. But think of how lucky we truly are even if celery is pricing out at $5.00 for a bunch. Our government provide us with child tax benefits to supplement our income. Ontario works helps out if you having trouble finding work. Our food banks help make sure there is food in our bellies if we can not. Many of our schools have breakfast programs. And yes we are asked to donate to these causes as well. But these people in Libore did not even have the means to support themselves. They are faced with a cyclical drought that often lead to death by starvation. Pencils for kids has provided them with a school, they have taught them new agriculture skills and helped them learn to deal with their weather problems. They have provided them with sewing equipment and skills to sell what they make and support themselves.
This is not a constant hand out to keep them feed, rather they have been supported and given the skills to take care of themselves, and the women and children of Libore have stepped up to the challenge.
So I am asking for you to please take a moment and consider Pencil for kids as a great cause to support and I am providing you with the link to their web page. http://pencilsforkids.com/
I am also providing you with the link for Orbis as they help all over the world so if you feel like helping them out as well here you go https://orbiscan.akaraisin.com/Common/Event/Home.aspx?seid=15267&mid=8
Below is a picture of our founder Flemming Friisdahl presenting Robin with a huge pencil award (made from recycled chopsticks from a company in BC). You can tell just how humble of a lady Robin is and how much she appreciates what we have done for her cause. Once again this photo has been shared courtesy of Dan Galbraith who incidentally is the photographer who made that phone call to Robin all those years ago after going to Libore with a a group of athletes and seeing 30 kids sharing one pencil.
Where you can find me:
Conferences are a great time to connect with fellow travel agents, head office support staff, suppliers and learning new things. At my first conference I had the pleasure to hear Robin Mednick speak. Robin is one of the founders of Pencils for kids and the story she tells of the people of Niger, West Africa is one that is compelling and sadly all too familiar when it comes to third world countries.
Robin Mednick (Photo courtesy of Dan Galbraith)
Ed Mednick (photo courtesy of Dan Galbraith)
Orbis Plane (photo courtesy of Dan Galbraith)
It is so hard when everyone is looking at us to help out with some great cause. But think of how lucky we truly are even if celery is pricing out at $5.00 for a bunch. Our government provide us with child tax benefits to supplement our income. Ontario works helps out if you having trouble finding work. Our food banks help make sure there is food in our bellies if we can not. Many of our schools have breakfast programs. And yes we are asked to donate to these causes as well. But these people in Libore did not even have the means to support themselves. They are faced with a cyclical drought that often lead to death by starvation. Pencils for kids has provided them with a school, they have taught them new agriculture skills and helped them learn to deal with their weather problems. They have provided them with sewing equipment and skills to sell what they make and support themselves.
This is not a constant hand out to keep them feed, rather they have been supported and given the skills to take care of themselves, and the women and children of Libore have stepped up to the challenge.
So I am asking for you to please take a moment and consider Pencil for kids as a great cause to support and I am providing you with the link to their web page. http://pencilsforkids.com/
I am also providing you with the link for Orbis as they help all over the world so if you feel like helping them out as well here you go https://orbiscan.akaraisin.com/Common/Event/Home.aspx?seid=15267&mid=8
Below is a picture of our founder Flemming Friisdahl presenting Robin with a huge pencil award (made from recycled chopsticks from a company in BC). You can tell just how humble of a lady Robin is and how much she appreciates what we have done for her cause. Once again this photo has been shared courtesy of Dan Galbraith who incidentally is the photographer who made that phone call to Robin all those years ago after going to Libore with a a group of athletes and seeing 30 kids sharing one pencil.
Where you can find me:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor
Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca
Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.com
TICO 500212282
55 York Street, Suite 1003
Toronto, On M5J 1R7
Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area
Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto. I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and I can service clients anywhere in Canada. But, I meet with clients in the SD&G area
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