President and Founder Billy Bludgus spent last weekend speaking at all of the Masses at St. Mary’s parish in Bayonne, NJ.  St. Mary’s has been a huge support in the founding and growth of Blue Hope since the project’s birth.  During this past visit, the people of St. Mary’s generously gave $2650 in the second collections during the Masses.  The House of Blue Hope is so grateful for the continued support and partnership with the people of St. Mary’s!

Highlights

2011 Expenses Breakdown

• Seven boys between the ages of six and eleven, most of which had never attended any formal school, successfully completed their first year with exceptional grades!

• Loyola Secondary School accepted two more House of Blue Hope boys.  This school has a reputation for excellence and preparing its students for college, we at House of Blue Hope continue to strive to give our kids the best Tanzania has to offer.

• Five boys in the program graduate from Form 4 (the equivalent to High School in the United States).  Form 4 graduates are able to enter college or obtain a wide variety of well paying jobs in Tanzania.

• Two boys passed the entrance exam and will begin study at one of the best college prep schools in Dar es Salaam.

• An English teacher, George Mbago, begins regular classes for children at the house.  He is the newest addition to the House of Blue Hope
  

  House of Blue Hope Growth 2007-2011

  team and has over twenty years of teaching experience.

• A water well was donated by The International School of Tanganyika (IST) Alumni Association.  House of Blue Hope now has its own source for safe, clean and easily accessible water.  Blue Hope is the official charity of IST Alumni and they continue to support the hopes and dreams of Tanzania’s most disenfranchised youth.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support of the House of Blue Hope.  We look forward to our continued good work with immense hope.  May the gratitude and hope of the holiday season be with all of us, our families, and our friends in Tanzania for the upcoming year.  Happy New Year!

And don’t forget to make your year end contribution to Blue Hope!  House of Blue Hope is a 501c3 not-for-profit charity that exists through the generosity of individuals and businesses throughout the United States and beyond.  Your gift is tax deductible and you can donate here.  Thank you!

Dear House of Blue Hope Family,

The work which we do together both for and with the youth of Tanzania simultaneously fills me with gratitude and hope all year round –

Justin hard at work with his studies

gratitude for all we have done thus far, and hope for all we are poised to do as we move forward as an organization and as a community.  One month ago, at our annual Board Retreat, we reflected on these two pillars of our collective core as we broke bread each evening.  As I write to you

today, after Thanksgiving and awaiting the December holiday season, I find myself in even more deeply and intimately immersed in gratitude and hope than usual.

As I wandered between retail clothing stores yesterday, I was struck by that constant tension between the consumerism and materialism of some parts of the world and the poverty of other corners of our globe.  I wondered how much workers were paid to sew the shirts I was purchasing, and what their working conditions are like.  I pondered how many pencils and notebooks could be bought for children who thirst for education with the money I was paying for a couple personal items.  I constantly struggle with the structures which perpetuate drastic economic disparities among the members of our human family, and I wonder how I and how we at the House of Blue Hope can do more to work for social and economic justice.

As is reflected in our organizational motto, we believe that education is the most effective vehicle through which we can empower and support impoverished and underprivileged youth in their struggle to overcome their challenging realities and to build a positive, productive, and sustainable future for themselves, their families, and their communities.  We have big plans for our work in Tanzania this upcoming year, and it includes all of us!  Of course, I will ask that each of us considers making a personally meaningful contribution to our annual appeal which is included in this mailing.  However, I would also encourage us all to become involved in our work in other ways as well.  Also included here is an invitation for our first Blue Hope supporters’ trip to Tanzania; consider joining us for a journey of a lifetime!  There are also a number of ways to

Boys having fun

get your workplace, school, place of worship, or community organization involved in our mission.  Feel free to reach out to me directly with any interest or ideas.

I am closing this letter with the same two sentiments with which I began – gratitude and hope.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support of the House of Blue Hope, and I look forward to our continued good work with immense hope.  May the gratitude and hope of the holiday season be with all of us, our families, and our friends in Tanzania for the upcoming year.

Kwa Shukrani na Tumaini,

–Billy Bludgus

President and Founder

When you donate to House of Blue Hope, make sure to check with your employer to see if they will match donations.  It is a simple and easy way to double your donation!  Ask your employer or search this list here.  Thank you!

Steven M. Kirby is the founder of H.E.R.O., a charity founded to provide housing, education, and rehabilitation for orphans and street children in Haiti Steve is also one of the newest board members of House of Blue Hope (HBH).  This is his letter to his H.E.R.O. supporters after this past weekend’s HBH annual board retreat:

The only possible method of solving the problems in this world is if we work together.  It has been best said by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  This statement is very true when applied to the context of individuals and organizations helping to provide life opportunities for the street children and orphans of this world.  What I have found is that there are many small groups working to benefit the orphaned and abandoned children of this world, but unfortunately, these small groups often fail to work together for the greater good.  Instead, it is a battle over donors, funds, space, and notoriety.  It is for this particular reason that I was excited to participate in a Board of Directors retreat for a non-profit organization that is working to save the street children and orphans of Tanzania.  House of Blue Hope, is an organization founded by Billy Bludgus, a University of Miami alum and friend.  During the retreat I had the opportunity to learn about the amazing work of HBH in Tanzania and take away important nuggets of information that will help me make H.E.R.O. a better residence for orphans here in Haiti.

I was invited to join the Board of Directors of House of Blue Hope 6 months ago.  Three of the current board members are University of Miami Alumni, a school from which I earned both my B.S.Ed. and M.S.Ed.  HBH started with a rented room and a few kids and has now grown to owning their own residence, renting out another, and they currently enroll 19 children.  I am truly amazed at the work that HBH has accomplished in such a short time frame and I hope that H.E.R.O. can achieve similar success.  At the retreat we discussed mundane topics such as amending the constitution, but we were also able to talk about important aspects of our work including education, housing, and social integration.  While Tanzania and Haiti are two countries geographically distant, they share many similarities, especially with regard to infrastructure, development, educational opportunities, and employment.  The retreat allowed me to learn about Tanzania, House of Blue Hope, and best practices for running a residence for orphans, while at the same time sharing my experiences building H.E.R.O. from the ground up.  All in all, it was a very rewarding retreat.

The lesson that I take away from this experience is that while yes, Margaret Mead’s statement is absolutely correct, even more can be accomplished when these small groups of citizens come together to share experiences, work on solutions, and create a better world.  While the collaboration between HBH and H.E.R.O. is commendable, I wish for the same opportunities for other organizations in Haiti.  In the end, we have to remember that the work we do in Haiti is not for accolades or awards, but for the benefit of the street children and orphans.  I will continue to reach out to organizations in Haiti, as I have done so since the inception of H.E.R.O., and pray that these organizations decide that it isn’t competition, but collaboration that is needed in this country.   Only then, will we truly succeed!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D