“Make a difference, one child at a time.” This is the philosophy that Sylvia Allen, of Holmdel, N. J., has most notably embraced since she traveled to Africa in 2003 as part of a volunteerism trip with World Vision, and which she implores others to think about taking part in everyday.
A powerful businesswoman, published author and president of Allen Consulting, her own award-winning PR and Integrated Marketing Communications firm, which has arguably become a cornerstone in the reinvention of many of New Jersey’s downtowns, Sylvia started up her own nonprofit organization Sylvia’s Children six years ago. She founded the philanthropic organization following a life changing journey to Masaka, a small village in the African country of Uganda, where she met hundreds of children who had been left only to their own devices after losing one or both of their parents to the devastating AIDS pandemic wreaking havoc on their community.
Before departing, Sylvia was asked by the head of the Mbiriizi Primary School to be the children’s adopted grandmother, the highest honor in the culture. She graciously accepted her new role, but not without declaring her new mission: to raise awareness and money to support the children by providing them with education, shelter, food and clothing.
“I was absolutely overwhelmed and somewhat dubious,” Allen said. “Once I recovered, I said ‘absolutely!'”
Sylvia and her team of committed volunteers, which also includes her two children, Michele and Tony Costa, have since had the extraordinary chance to make a significant difference to this village and its residents. Sylvia’s Children has raised more than $250,000 US (equivalent to approximately 500,000,000 schillings, the Ugandan currency), has supplied and dedicated a library to the Mbiriizi Primary School, a fresh well, four classroom blocks, a dormitory to house the students, and housing for the teachers. The organization has also installed computers with Internet access, had books donated for the library, and has supported the children with endeavors that help foster their creative and artistic expression, by having musical and sporting equipment donated. Additionally, Sylvia’s Children has had a dentist visit the school, as well as nurses, one of which has treated such disorders as umbilical hernias and Syphilis.
Out of all of the goals that have so far been accomplished by Sylvia’s organization, the one that hit her the most and made her take a step back was when the well was able to be dug; now the children had fresh water and weren’t getting sick from intestinal diseases like Dysentery.
The second most important accomplishment, she said, was the construction and dedication of the Vicky Tuccillo Mbiriizi Library and the donation of books.
Sylvia’s Children has so far been able to sponsor more than 200 of the school’s orphans, which equates to about one quarter of the 1000 students attending the Mbiriizi Primary School.
The organization is now gearing up for its next trip to Uganda from June 24 through July 7, and will include first-timers and volunteers who have previously traveled with Sylvia’s Children. The summer visit will be especially important, as the group will be touring the Tekerah School and Women’s Cooperative to see how one is normally set up. The organization will also be taking inventory of the orphans, in order to update all the records and take pictures of 300 children; fitting all 1,000 children with new shoes and socks; teaching the children a special Festival Spectacle, featuring African and American music and dance with Jeroen Moerik from the Canary Islands. Last, the group will tour Murchisson Falls at the Paraa Lodge and then, reluctantly return home.
No task is ever too big for Sylvia; her laundry list of accomplishments and goals would surely prove this. Her goals for the next two years include the acquisition of a seven-acre tract of land that will be suitable for the village to operate a chicken farm, to supply the students with protein and to bring in a source of revenue for the withered economy.
Sylvia will also have sewing machines donated so that the children can learn to sew, while local widows can come during after hours and stitch uniforms for the students. Additionally, she would like to form a fair trade coffee business that will allow the sale of coffee beans to be exported from the Ugandan village directly to other countries.
Sylvia will then have an eight-year model in 2011, which she can take to other under-served African schools and third world communities, in order to give them the tools to create sustainable, thriving economies by incorporating Social Capitalism into their systems by way of a grassroots, non-governmental plan.
Separate, but discernibly connected in many ways, Sylvia is currently in the process of writing a book titled “Single Points of Light Illuminating Darkest Africa,” which will include a collection of chapters, each featuring one person who is making a notable difference in Africa. Following the book, Sylvia plans to start another nonprofit called “Single Points of Light,” which will expand on her current plans, opening them up to the rest of the African continent.
Learn more about Sylvia and her organization Sylvia’s Children at www.sylviaschildren.org