“And How Are The Children?”
“Kasserian Ingera?" is a daily greeting of the Maasai people in Kenya and Tanzania. It means, "And how are the children?" The customary reply is "Sapati ingera," or "All the children are well." Even warriors without children give this response, signifying that the community’s highest priority is the safety, health, and well-being of its youth.
And so to us: “And how are the children in our community?” Are they well? All of them?
With your help, Arlington Bridge Builders is working to make sure they are, even the most vulnerable. And who are the “most” vulnerable? Often, that description belongs to impoverished children of immigrants, with fewer resources and access to care.
In Arlington, immigrant elementary-age students are at-risk of falling behind academically and socially due to language and cultural barriers. If these kids aren’t reading at grade level by the time they finish sixth grade, they face a drastically higher likelihood of dropping out of high school, becoming incarcerated, and suffering long term economic hardship. The dropout rate among Hispanic middle and high school students in Arlington is 10 times higher than white or black populations.
So how can we help ensure all–not just most–of the children are well?
In the past year, Arlington Bridge Builders was thrilled to offer two new programs for students, Bridge Kids and Bridges to Success. Our free Bridge Kids afterschool program for elementary students was a direct response to our survey of South Arlington neighbors, asking them about their greatest needs. Like the Massai, they knew the well-being of their children was their highest priority.
And so after receiving state and county approvals last fall, we expanded our Bridge Kids program to five days a week. 30 kids whose second language is English will have opportunities to strengthen their math, reading and writing skills in a fun, supportive and faith-based context. Social enrichment activities such as soccer, flag football and art programs are part of the daily mix, working in partnership with other nonprofit groups including Central Union Mission and Greenbrier Baptist Church.
To keep these kids engaged over the summer, Camp Bridge Kids will expand to four weeks during July for up to 50 kids, meeting at Greenbrier Baptist Church and hosted by six Arlington churches. The camp is primarily designed for immigrant kids where English is their second language, whose families normally cannot afford camp. The churches will host a week of creative and engaging activities designed to help participants better understand their God-given dignity, value and acceptance.
With the recent addition of the Bridges To Success program for teenagers, we can now offer support to our children throughout their school years, including the challenging years of middle and high school. Bridges To Success provides a safe place to develop personal well-being through life skills workshops, spiritual growth, relationship building and career development, all with strong family support. Activities include community service, opportunities to learn about different professions, and bonding through camping and other social activities. This year alone the program helped four high school seniors apply for college funding grants, kids who normally would not even consider college.
Bridge Kids and Bridges To Success offer at-risk kids a different and more hopeful future, filled with faith and opportunity. A path to flourishing as God intends.
We invite you to make a difference in the lives of these kids. To build on the foundation already laid for these programs, we’re seeking funding to expand the staffing and resources necessary for the vitality of Bridge Kids and Bridges To Success. If you’d like to help ensure “all the children are well,” please consider making a donation at bridgebuildersva.org/online-donation. Arlington Bridge Builders, EIN 90-0950744, is a registered 501(c)3 charitable organization.
Thank you for making a lasting difference in our community!