June 2024

Dear Sponsors, Donors and Friends,

WE’D LIKE TO USE OUR SUMMER NEWSLETTER TO UPDATE YOU on the recently completed construction project at Casa Santa Maria.  In our Christmas 2022 newsletter, we shared the good news that Ms. Mireille Hanna of Global Legacy Programs offered Yashalum a $4,000 matching grant to assist with improvements at the Casa.  Through your generous donations, we raised over $8,000 towards this effort, meaning that we raised over $12,000 to dedicate to the badly needed improvements.  

The Casa was in dire need of repair, and the grant came not a moment too soon.  The fathers of some of the students have done an amazing job to transform it.  A good deal of demolition had to be done before the renovations could begin.  The roof was replaced, new dorm rooms were constructed (with bathrooms!), new concrete floors were poured, a water drainage system was added and new electrical lines and new plumbing were installed.

A few photos are included, but they barely capture the amount of work that has been done.  Please take a look at our website for more photos that will give you a better idea of the transformation that has taken place.

On another important note, June is graduation month.  We have 11 university students continuing on in the program for next school year, and there are 11 high graduates (6 boys/5 girls) requesting scholarships to the university.  For the 2024-2025 school year, we hope to support 25 university students and 40 high school students.

As always, we are deeply grateful for your continuing and generous support.  Here’s hoping you have a safe and peaceful summer!

The Staff of Mission Teaching Foundation