Seahorse Institute Fire
So after I finished my masters in Israel I moved back home to the Bahamas. This is the 1st time I have been back for an extended period of time since I left to go to boarding school as a teenager.
Coming home meant I needed to find a job. Finding a job is difficult all over the world right now, but in the Bahamas there is an additional layer of difficulty because sometimes jobs aren't given on merit but simply on the basis of who you know in a particular position in a company. Needless to say I was quite worried if I'd find a job. I applied a few places before returning home, but never got any responses after quite a bit of effort.
Soon after I came home I went on a couple of interviews and fortunately enough, I found a job. It wasn't the job I'd expected, but it was a job and I thought it'd be an experience I'd gain from. I started working at Seahorse Institute as their Outreach Coordinator. Since starting I hadn't really done a lot of the work that my title would suggest, but since Seahorse was destroyed by a fire last week Tuesday I've been working my little tukus (Yiddish for butt) off!
Seahorse is an amazing little school, doing some amazing work for some of the brightest little kids. They are cute and loving and a major handful, but we love them. The kids at Seahorse all have special needs, they have developmental delays, such as Autism and Downs Syndrome. This little school is the only place on the island designed to treat these sorts of disabilities; that focuses on research. The work that we do day in and day out is nothing short of amazing I feel. I'm amazed everyday by the kids and how much they've learned even in the short time that I've been there.
It sucks that just last Monday everything was fine and now all of the great accomplishments that Seahorse has gained and all of the children that have been helped, were currently being helped and will be helped are all in jeopardy.
Seahorse is a place of hope for the children and the families that come there. It's a place where families of special needs kids seek, because the simplest of goals to the parent of a normal child, is a single earth shattering wish for them. When I first came to Seahorse I was told the story of a past student who when he came to the school was non-verbal, the only wish his mother had when she enrolled him was to hear her son say "mommy". The fact that little boy is now verbal, moved on to another school and his mother got her single wish made me believe in what Seahorse does. It's a place of hope, a place where parents of special needs kids can see the potential that though their child is different they too can be independent members of society, with the right treatments and the right support. There aren't many places in the Bahamas that can do this for children with disabilities.
I have been working my butt off the past week trying to fund raise because I believe in what Seahorse does, not just because it's my job. Calling, emailing everyone I can think of to help. Now I am blogging because even though there are people out there willing to make large donations, not everyone can do that, but every little bit that someone can give helps and we need all the help we can get right now.
Right now our fundraising goal is $75,000. We lost a whole lot of our supplies and educational material. These very special toys and curricula that we use are very expensive. 75K is a lot of money I know, but with some hard work, a lot of support I believe we can do it. So I come to you all asking you to help save Seahorse. We need a new home, we need to continue our operations, not only for the 20 currently enrolled students, but for the additional thousands of kids in the Bahamas with developmental disabilities that we have the potential to help. Please help save Seahorse. Any little bit you can give is a help.
Check out www.savetheseahorseinstitute.org to see pics of the fire damage, make an online donation, or buy an item or two from our supplies wish list on Amazon.com.
Every student, teacher and Seahorse family will be grateful! Spread a little holiday cheer! :)
Coming home meant I needed to find a job. Finding a job is difficult all over the world right now, but in the Bahamas there is an additional layer of difficulty because sometimes jobs aren't given on merit but simply on the basis of who you know in a particular position in a company. Needless to say I was quite worried if I'd find a job. I applied a few places before returning home, but never got any responses after quite a bit of effort.
Soon after I came home I went on a couple of interviews and fortunately enough, I found a job. It wasn't the job I'd expected, but it was a job and I thought it'd be an experience I'd gain from. I started working at Seahorse Institute as their Outreach Coordinator. Since starting I hadn't really done a lot of the work that my title would suggest, but since Seahorse was destroyed by a fire last week Tuesday I've been working my little tukus (Yiddish for butt) off!
Seahorse is an amazing little school, doing some amazing work for some of the brightest little kids. They are cute and loving and a major handful, but we love them. The kids at Seahorse all have special needs, they have developmental delays, such as Autism and Downs Syndrome. This little school is the only place on the island designed to treat these sorts of disabilities; that focuses on research. The work that we do day in and day out is nothing short of amazing I feel. I'm amazed everyday by the kids and how much they've learned even in the short time that I've been there.
It sucks that just last Monday everything was fine and now all of the great accomplishments that Seahorse has gained and all of the children that have been helped, were currently being helped and will be helped are all in jeopardy.
Seahorse is a place of hope for the children and the families that come there. It's a place where families of special needs kids seek, because the simplest of goals to the parent of a normal child, is a single earth shattering wish for them. When I first came to Seahorse I was told the story of a past student who when he came to the school was non-verbal, the only wish his mother had when she enrolled him was to hear her son say "mommy". The fact that little boy is now verbal, moved on to another school and his mother got her single wish made me believe in what Seahorse does. It's a place of hope, a place where parents of special needs kids can see the potential that though their child is different they too can be independent members of society, with the right treatments and the right support. There aren't many places in the Bahamas that can do this for children with disabilities.
I have been working my butt off the past week trying to fund raise because I believe in what Seahorse does, not just because it's my job. Calling, emailing everyone I can think of to help. Now I am blogging because even though there are people out there willing to make large donations, not everyone can do that, but every little bit that someone can give helps and we need all the help we can get right now.
Right now our fundraising goal is $75,000. We lost a whole lot of our supplies and educational material. These very special toys and curricula that we use are very expensive. 75K is a lot of money I know, but with some hard work, a lot of support I believe we can do it. So I come to you all asking you to help save Seahorse. We need a new home, we need to continue our operations, not only for the 20 currently enrolled students, but for the additional thousands of kids in the Bahamas with developmental disabilities that we have the potential to help. Please help save Seahorse. Any little bit you can give is a help.
Check out www.savetheseahorseinstitute.org to see pics of the fire damage, make an online donation, or buy an item or two from our supplies wish list on Amazon.com.
Every student, teacher and Seahorse family will be grateful! Spread a little holiday cheer! :)
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| My Seahorse co-workers trying to stay positive the day of the fire. |
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