(Borneo Island) On the faraway and exotic island of Borneo, shared by three states — the small and very wealthy sultanate of Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia — lives an 8-year-old girl named Viona.
She is in second grade at Canossa Primary School in Kasongan, in Central Kalimantan Province, which belongs to the Indonesian part of the island.
Together with her parents and her older sister, Vania, who is in sixth grade at the same school, Viona lives in a modest rented wooden house that is unfortunately beginning to rot.
With great effort and commitment, her parents do their best to support the family through their work selling cakes as street vendors, but their financial situation is extremely limited.
Sr. Luvita, the local contact person for the sponsorship program, says that every day Viona’s father takes the girl to school on his old motorcycle, and that Viona often has only a very simple meal of fried rice, which is clearly not enough to provide the energy she needs for healthy growth.
For this reason, the little girl has sometimes been absent because of illness, but thanks to the school she has fortunately been able to access the government’s free nutritious meal program, which has been a great help, ensuring the proper and essential nutritional support for her development.
Despite her simple lifestyle, she is a kind and obedient child, able to socialize with her classmates and get along well with children her age. She is a diligent student who loves drawing.
Having just begun her school journey, for which she already shows genuine interest and dedication, Viona needs support to cover school fees, activities, and the purchase of textbooks in order to complete the remaining five years of primary school.
Supporting less fortunate children so that they can be better off, helping them grow strong, feel loved, and above all giving them a real chance in life, is not impossible. With a small but precious gesture, a real difference can be made.
Support the Canossian Foundation VOICA – ETS and the work of the Canossian Sisters in Indonesia.
Thank you, on behalf of Sr. Luvita, Viona, and all the children who will be able to count on your help.