Malaak Compton-Rock has a humanitarian project called Journey for Change.  This initiative is a global volunteer exchange program for at-risk-youth.  The youth in this program recently put on a car wash to raise money for Ghana.  Overall, the group raised over $1,200.  This was done with $7 car washes on Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn, New York with the kids running up and down the street educating people about the child slaves in Ghana!

This money will be used towards sponsoring a classroom in our Kete Krachi school.

This isn’t the end of their efforts.  The kids are already planning bake sales, raffles, and other fundraisers for our kids in Ghana.

You can follow their wonderful example by organizing fundraisers too.  Please join the wonderful kids of Journey for Change and give to our work.

Over the past few months, we have been blown away by the outpouring of support from volunteers, donors, and friends.  Incredible things are going on with Touch A Life Foundation, and it is with great joy that we share some of those things with you.

Rachel Johnson, Director of Project Development, recently returned from a three-week trip to Ghana.  She had the pleasure of leading two groups of volunteers! In addition, we have partnered with Brad Gautney of Global Health Innovations to provide health assessments for 64 of our children- those in Tema and in Kete Krachi. Brad was in Ghana this month and he, along with a team, completed their medical files, scheduled needed follow-ups, and planned long-term treatments for the kids. A special fundraising drive, spear-headed by Mark and Chelsea Jacobs of His Chase, raised $8250 in 10 days to pay for the medical supplies needed for this trip.

The Jacobs' were a part of the first group of volunteers with Rachel in Ghana, and this group met the children and conducted after school art activities and VBS. We have been very blessed by the Jacobs' support thus far. To date, they have raised over $50,000 for the construction of Chase's House, which will be in honor of their son, Chase Jacobs, who died September 30, 2009. Chase's Place will be a home that will house 16 children as part of the new construction plans in Gomoa-Feteh.

The second group of volunteers came from the organization Mercy Project, lead by Chris Field. Over the past year they have raised approximately $30,000 for Touch A Life. In addition, Rachel led the team that assisted with the medical assessments and stenciled the names on furniture that were purchased with the money from our Bryan's House fundraising drive. $6420 was given in that campaign to furnish the house and school in Kete Krachi through online donations. (If you sponsored a furniture item, be watching your email for a photo of your desk, bunk, waredrobe, or chair!)

Three Find Your Mark Chapters have scheduled their inaugural events for the upcoming weeks: Chicago, Austin, and Cary, NC. All three groups are committing to the long term support of children in our Ghana program! With 11 groups (only eight more cities to go!), we can cover the long-term support for all of the children in our program in Ghana and cover our quarterly commitments. Each FYM group will share the long-term care costs, and will receive updates and photos for the children that they sponsor. In addition, by connecting people here to the problems with child trafficking, it helps raise awareness for the cause.

Jeff Miller and Matt Garrett, two men who had a vision to build a children's home in Ghana, have completed their project in Keta, Ghana and are partnering with Touch A Life to begin filling the home with newly rescued children in September. We visited their home while it was still under construction in January. They are prepared to take in 8 kids and are currently working on gaining the staff they will need for the Father's House. We are excited about partners like this who work alongside us with the same goals to end child slavery in Ghana!

Essence Magazine published an article featuring the work of Touch A Life in their August edition, written by Senam Anilo with photos by Shealah Craighead. It paints a very true picture of our March trip and the rescue of two boys from Lake Volta.

We are blessed about the incredible amount of support you have shown our foundation.  We cannot do what we do without you.  We rely on your generosity to continue serving the children of the world. Please give now. Only with your contributions can we continue to do our work!

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The Touch a Life Foundation was honored to have a special guest today!  Dr. Jane Sigmon, Senior Coordinator for International Programs at the US State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, came by and visited the Village of Love.  The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons is leading the US Government's efforts to eradicate modern day slavery around the globe. To learn more about the US Government's response to human trafficking click here.

Mark and Chelsea Jacobs are currently part of a group of 12 people serving at the Village of Love in Ghana.  They are three days into their trip and are having an amazing experience. They are doing a great job loving these precious children!  

Mark and Chelsea founded the non-profit organization His Chase and the group at the Village of Love is there on its behalf.  They are conducting a Bible school for the kids and are playing soccer, teaching songs, and organizing crafts.  On Mark and Chelsea's blog, Mark writes the following about soccer in Ghana:

"It was an experience I will never forget. There were no chalked lines, goals with nets, or freshly cut grass to run on. The field was mostly dirt, with the outer edges of tall grass being manually trimmed with a machete by a man as we played. The goals were a bunch of 2x4's nailed together and there were goats and chickens roaming all around. But none of these details mattered to the kids, all they knew was there was a ball on a field, and it was game time."

Chelsea had this to say about what she has learned from the kids thus far:

"These kids have lived through nightmares. They have been abandoned, mistreated, malnourished, many abused. Yet, they are now so full of joy, so happy...no fear, no anger, no selfishness or pity. They don't make things difficult or complicated. They don't make anything about themselves, but they love others--simply but strongly. They live simply and content. They have a simple faith in a really big God, a faith that far surpasses our own. They have simple spirits...they work hard, love others and give, give, give. We have much to learn from these sweet kids. They are already teaching me a different way--a much richer, and much simpler way--of really living."

Next week, Brad Gautney will travel to Ghana.  Brad is an incredible man with a wonderful heart for using his knowledge and expertise in the medical field to help better the lives of women and children all over the world.  

Brad is the President and Medical Programs Executive of Global Health Innovations. They exist to design, implement and manage programs that prevent and treat deadly disease.  

Brad is responsible for the planning, implementation, and follow up for children's health examinations in Ghana.

During his time in Ghana he will be doing medical assessments of the kids and will be looking to cure any acute medical needs that they may have.  Any issues that cannot be treated on the spot will be treated by a larger medical team that will go in the near future. Brad will also be measuring and tracking the growth and development of the beautiful children in Kete Krachi and Tema.

We are so grateful for Brad's sacrificial service and inspirational passion for bringing relief to the hurting women and children of the world!

This trip is special for many reasons. Our first team of volunteers is a group from the Dallas area who have become tremendous supporters of Touch A Life over the past 6 months. They are weighted down with art supplies, clothing, treats, and love to bring to our children at the Village of Love. Due to their dedication, we will also conduct a Health Assessment, lead by Brad Gautney of Global Health Innovations. In 10 days, their group spearheaded a fundraising effort that raised enough for 64 children to receive the health assessment! We are thrilled to be able to take care of our children this way, and are so thankful to this group for pulling it all together!

In addition, we'll have a representative from the new Chicago Find Your Mark Chapter visiting our programs to meet the children that her group is supporting.

Our second group of volunteers are committed supporters from the Mercy Project, who will travel with Rachel to Kete Krachi and will work there with our kids at Village of Life. It is so exciting for us to be able to show people what we are doing every day in Ghana.

Rachel will be leading both groups and will also work with our staff on the ground. We will be sure to post updates here as we get them. If you want to support Touch A Life by giving to the health assessment follow-up plan, or to support a child long-term, you can donate now. Thanks again for all your support!

(Click above link to view the documentary produced by New Tech High School about Touch A Life Foundation)

Over the past year, students at New Tech @ Coppell in Coppell, Texas have been doing amazing work for Touch A Life.  They have collectively raised over $5,000 dollars through their passionate and tireless work.  Jessica Berdan, Hailey Matthews, and Claire Moseley are just a few of the many students who have looked beyond themselves to bring aid to the precious children we work with.  Students Ryan Whittle and Andrew Shay produced this wonderful documentary.  One of the many projects that students were involved in this year was raising money to provide laptops to children in need. "My favorite part of working with Touch A Life was when we saw the video of the kids receiving the laptops we bought for them," Andrew said. 

Jessica Berdan had this to say about the whole experience:

 "I decided to raise money for Touch A Life for many reasons. Pam Cope’s story was just inspirational to begin with and that's kind of what got me into it, but then hearing the stories of the kids in Africa was life changing. When I heard about what those kids have to go though day after day and just thought of myself there doing what they do, I literally couldn't even imagine it. I feel as though people forget about what's happening in the rest of the world and feel like they can't do anything to help. When New Tech brought Pam Cope in to speak to us and make us aware of what's happening, I found myself realizing that this is how I was going to help: I was going to participate and raise money for these kids. Thanks to Pam Cope, The Touch A Life Foundation, and New Tech, I’ve changed my life to help these kids in anyway possible.”

 What an inspiring group.  Thanks to New Tech @ Coppell for all of their hard work to care for the children of the world!

• Screenings and detailed lab work to detect illnesses, contracted diseases, parasites, malaria, and a host of other health issues specific to a Third World country.

• In-depth treatment plans, individualized for the best care of each child's specific needs.

• Electronic medical records. 

• Connections with local medical facilities in Ghana to provide ongoing treatment, based on individual treatment plans.

Donate today to help ensure that our kids remain in the best health possible!

The past year has encompassed growth and change like I could have never envisioned. We now support 83 former child slaves in Ghana, West Africa, providing them with medical care, housing, education and love. It's amazing to see the transformation from where they were to where they are now. It warms my heart every day and gives me a purpose each morning- knowing that I am "Ma Pam" to these children who otherwise would still be working 16 hour days on Lake Volta with only one meal a day. And to think that it all started with one little boy, Mark Kwadwo! What an amazing journey we have taken since meeting Mark on the cover of the New York Times in October of 2006!

In addition, the programs we support in Southeast Asia are flourishing. It's been truly amazing to see what your donations can do! These donations go so far, and we now support over 200 children in Vietnam and Cambodia because of your support. We were blessed to have a photographer and supporter, Justin Harris, travel to both Cambodia and Vietnam and take some spectacular photos for us within the past month.  You can see many of these photos here on our site, so please take a moment to see the beautiful faces that Justin captured.

We have volunteers going to Ghana this summer to create camps for our children and to assist us with specific projects. We have launched Find Your Mark Chapters across the country, groups of people who get together with the goal of turning outward instead of inward to heal their own wounds, and in turn, help others. These chapters will become the long-term sponsors of the children in our programs, and it is so exciting! You can help too, and we are looking forward to more Find Your Mark Chapters in your area too. Let us know if you are interested in starting a chapter! (contact Susan at spoulos@touchalifekids.org for more information)

All of these things are supporting the children in our programs, and we are so excited to see people from all walks of life stepping forward to donate, volunteer, and fundraise on behalf of Touch A Life. We have met some incredible people along the journey, like Brad Gautney of Global Health Innovations, who will help us this summer in Ghana. Every day we are blessed with people coming forward to help, and every day we are touched by the children in our programs. We hope that you are too.

Please continue to support us as we move into the second half of 2010. Every donation counts as we move forward with our new school in Kete Krachi, additional resources for educational and medical support in Ghana, and in supporting our programs in Vietnam and Cambodia. The children mean so much to us, as do you. And we can't seem to say thank you often enough to you for supporting these children. Every donation counts. Donate now!

Thank you again~

Pam Cope, co-founder, Touch A Life Foundation

We are so excited to share these photos of the completed school in Kete Krachi! Thanks to the help of Gary and Siham Jasmund of Jasmund Outreach, our Ghanaian staff, and the Ghanaian workers commissioned to work on the project, the children at the Village of Life now have a beautiful school building on the grounds. 

We hope you'll enjoy these photos as much as we do! Even though the building project is over, you can still take part in equipping the school with the furniture the children will need to use by donating here. 

As always, thank you for your support and generosity!

A thank you note from the workers and students at the Village of Life. So amazing!

The workers show off the new desks in the classrooms!

Gary Jasmund with the Ghanaian construction workers. We are so thankful for these men!

The entrance to the school.

Excited to have finished the building project!

The beautiful new school.

Getting ready for the first year of school to start by practicing writing on the chalkboard.

Ready for school to start! Even the workers want to join in on the learning that will be done in these beautiful classrooms.

We are so excited that this weekend is the one year anniversary of the release of Pam Cope's amazing memoir, Jantsen's Gift! We have met so many incredible people because of the book, and we are thankful for everyone who has read the memoir, blogged about the Copes' story, and spread the word of Jantsen's Gift to their loved ones. 

In celebration of this occasion, a generous donor has offered to donate $1 for every fan we add to our Facebook page this weekend (up to 1,000 new fans). By making the book cover your profile picture and by updating your status, you can share the cause and spread the word about Jantsen's Gift!

Gary Jasmund working on the school in Kete Krachi.

Raul and Siham Jasmund are excited about the construction project!

Things are progressing along well in Kete Krachi! We were so pleased that Bryan's House (named in honor of a donor's brother) was completed when we were in Ghana a few weeks ago. The children now live in two houses at the Village of Life. With over 50 children in our care in this location, we needed the extra space! 

Now that the second home is completed, our volunteer staff's energy has been focused on finishing the school building located on the grounds. Thanks to the help of our Ghanaian staff and Gary and Siham Jasmund of Jasmund Outreach, the Village of Life will soon have a school building that will not only serve as space for classes for the children living on the premises but also possibly for local children seeking vocational training as well. We hope to offer basic English courses and reading classes in addition to sessions devoted to specific trades like basket-weaving, jewelry-making,  and soap-making.

None of these projects could be completed without your support. We are still needing furniture for our homes and our school, so click here to see how you can be involved in the building projects at the Village of Life!

Gideon is looking forward to connecting with his Journey for Change friends from Brooklyn and sharing with Touch A Life supporters about his goal--that every child on Lake Volta has the opportunity to go to school and learn, just like he has done.

I am so excited that my partner and young friend will stand shoulder to shoulder with me in Washington DC, New York City, and Dallas, to advocate and share our passion for the Touch A Life program in Ghana.   George and Gideon will be participating in our "From Captivity to Capitol Hill" efforts with the wonderful youth Ambassadors from Journey for Change. For those of you who know my story, the Touch A Life Foundation could not do what we do in Ghana without the assistance of George Achibra.  A leading abolitionist, teacher and friend, George is looking forward to sharing his story with all of you, and I hope you'll come meet him and help return the wonderful hospitality that he has shared over the years with so many Touch A Life friends! This journey is extra special, because George was almost taken from us 6 months ago in a horrific car accident.  His recovery has been nothing short of miraculous, and it was wonderful to see him back out on Lake Volta when we visited two weeks ago.

For those of you who don't know George, he is the founder of PACODEP, a non-governmental organization based in the Volta region of Ghana. We forged an unlikely partnership in 2006 when I saw the haunted eyes of child slave Mark Kwadwo in the New York Times-I knew I had to do something.  Thankfully, I was directed to George Achibra.    Both George and I know that the issue of child trafficking and modern day slavery-and the extent to which its victims suffer-is not an easy one to swallow. There are more slaves today-nearly 27 million-than at any other time in human history. But my work with Touch a Life and partnership with George has taught me what has become my life's greatest lesson: not knowing what to do shouldn't mean we simply do nothing. It just means that we do what we can, however small or insignificant that may seem. For George and me, that has meant helping children (like Gideon), one at a time. That is how this started for us. We saved a child. And then another. And another!  So I look forward to sharing with you in the coming weeks the events and activities where you can personally welcome George and Gideon and support the work of the Touch A Life Foundation.
George and Gideon, we can't wait to see you here in the United States!

As always, this type of advocacy trip would never be possible without the support of people like YOU. Not only are we rescuing children, we are making a lasting legacy of change by telling the story of modern day child slavery. Support us now. And thank you again for all you have done to makes these life changing events possible!

Pam Cope

We have appreciated your encouragement and feedback over the last few weeks, especially while we were on our most recent trip to Ghana with Journey for Change. Your support was irreplaceable. 

On this trip, we learned so much about resilience. Both the Touch A Life and Journey for Change ambassadors have been through so much in their young lives, yet they constantly maintain joyful, positive dispositions. They never complained or whined about anything; rather, they were continually grateful for everything they received. They thoroughly enjoyed the time they spent bonding with one another, and it was a thrill to watch cultures collide so beautifully. We were able to watch them mature and grow, and as they likened themselves to one another, we realized that they were united over their resilient spirits. The Touch A Life and Journey for Change ambassadors reminded us of a quote by Frank Warren that we keep close to our hearts: "It is the children the world almost breaks who grow up to save it."

We are so proud of both the Touch A Life and Journey for Change ambassadors, and we hope that you are, as well! Even though we are back home and spread all over the world, we are continually impacted by the teenagers' resilience. We hope that we, too, can be the same way.

Click here to find ways to help Touch A Life. As always, we are grateful for your continued support.

The Touch A Life team with Adam Phillips.

[Photo by Shealah Craighead]

While we were in Ghana, we bumped into some of our friends from ONE! Adam Phillips, ONE's Faith Relations Manager, was participating in a listening and learning trip with members from the organization's board and other supporters. They traveled around Ghana, Senegal, Mozambique, and Kenya to meet with grassroots leaders in African civil groups to hear about progress being made throughout the continent in regards to economic and social developments. 

We were so excited to run into Adam since we had just spent time with him at the ONE Power 100 Summit in January! While catching up with him in Accra, we shared with him the details of our trip, and he took the time to pose for a quick photo before we went our separate ways.

We also talked about career aspirations and it is so exciting to know that we have future doctors, businessmen, an actress and a professional soccer player in our midst! Political Officer Raymond Stephens put together an exceptional program (thanks again, Ray!) and the kids got to hear firsthand about the life of a US Diplomat and what our government is doing to assist with Ghana's anti-trafficking efforts. We even brought along our friend Patience Quaye, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Ghana, who is leading the abolishionist charge within the Ghanaian government.

As my turn to introduce myself, I thought about my own career aspirations and my job as the co-founder of the Touch A Life Foundation. I''ve got the best job in the world and I consider it my responsibility to learn the names and  the individual gifts of each of  the kids that  I work with. My career path focuses on loving these formerly trafficked children and reminding them that they are loved and valued. Just as Ambassador Tietelbaum pointed out, each child has something special that makes them special and sets them apart from the rest. Our job at Touch A Life is to let them know that they are valued and help restore the self-worth that has been stolen from them. Today I witnessed a US Ambassador doing exactly what  I am try to do- treat each of these kids as special and call them by name. Watching child trafficking survivors share their dreams with a high level government official and hearing him encourage them to go after those dreams was priceless.

At the end of our meeting, Ambassador Teitelbaum shared his special red, white and blue recycled glass beads as a commemerative gift from our time at the US Embassy. He may not have known it, but these beads truly represent our kids. Made from thrown-away glass bottles, they are fired in a kiln until what was once garbage is turned into something truly beautiful. Our kids may have been broken at the hands of a fishing slave master on Lake Volta, but today, thanks to the work of the enitre Touch A Life team,  they're transforming into something new. And I can't think of a better, or more fitting, gift.

-Pam

Today, as I stood on this swinging bridge at the Canopy Walk in Kakum National Park in Ghana, I looked behind me and saw a line of children: some from Brooklyn, New York, some formerly from the waters of Lake Volta and now free. Watching them, I thought about trust.

This walk wasn't easy – there were seven swaying bridges covering 330 meters, connected by the trunks of the tallest trees you can imagine. Each child watched me step out and then each one followed, trusting that they would not fall. And they didn't.

From tree to tree we climbed, high above the treetops. If you stopped to look around, the view was breathtaking. If you looked down, you would swoon with vertigo. Yet looking straight ahead, you could see others that went before you, and you knew it was possible for you to do it too.

We left the rainforest for the coast and Elmina Castle, infamous for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. This is where Africans, one thousand at a time, were kept in airless, hot dungeons before passing through the "Door of No Return" to work as slaves on American plantations.  Only the strongest survived.

Again, I silently watched this line of children, some from Brooklyn and some from Ghana, as they draped their arms over each other’s shoulders in solidarity. The descendants of American slaves and former modern-day slaves stood together within the walls of this haunted castle, and I thought about trust.

We asked a lot from them today – to hover above the rainforest, to endure the African heat, and then to confront not only our own collective, painful past, but the story of their own ancestry, as well. And I must say that I couldn't be more proud. They were reflective and serious and yet hopeful for the future.

They are trusting me – and trusting you – to pave the way for them as they grow and learn. They are trusting all of us to carry the torch for justice and create a free world.

After today, I trust them wholeheartedly. Some of them faced fears today, and overcame them. Some were sober and thoughtful. Some just reached out to a new brother from another continent and bonded in friendship.

We must trust them to become modern-day abolitionists in their own right: as leaders, writers, speakers and storytellers for the next generation.

They can only do it with our love and support, paving the way. Are you with me?

-Pam

Godfrey* at the Village of Love.

Hello from Ghana!  Day 2 into the trip and our five Touch A Life children have bonded with their Journey for Change partners. Journey for Change is a program developed by Malaak Compton-Rock to expand the worldviews of children living the United States by introducing them to cultures completely different from their own. In order to educate some of the Journey for Change kids about human trafficking, we’ve brought along some American students to Ghana. Jasmine, Benjamin, Joshua, Sidney and LaToya have been such fantastic travel partners. It’s been fun to watch friendships grow between Ghanaian and American children. As many of you know, the goal of the Touch A Life Foundation is to not only rescue children who have been victims of  human trafficking but also to provide these children with the leadership skills they need to better their communities and the world. Today, Godfrey* (a child in our program in Tema) was a leader and was so proud to share about his life in Ghana and show his home to his new friends from the United States. We've just started traveling and already our scheudule has been packed. Today was spent visiting a recycled glass bead factory critical to our microenterprise partnership, followed by a wonderful evening at our Tema Home -- now christened the Village of Love! The Touch A Life and Journey for Change team members have been having so much fun, and it's been a joy to watch them bond.

We'll keep you posted with more updates as our week progresses! Bear with us--the technology over here is a little different than what we're used to in  the States.

Thanks for checking in and for providing your constant support!

Pam

The Touch A Life and Journey for Change team.

*Name has been changed

It’s hard to believe that after months of planning, I take off for Ghana tomorrow with my friend, Malaak Rock, founder of Journey for Change:  Empowering Youth Through Global Service.  What makes this trip different?  Accompanying us our 5 amazing kids from Brooklyn, NY, who will be paired with 5 kids from Touch A Life Ghana for an incredible week of education and service!   It amazing to think that the Journey for Change kids – all descendants of slaves—will be standing in the gap for kids on Lake Volta who are still enslaved today.  Both Malaak and I stand for the same things when it comes to influencing the lives of at-risk children and are looking forward to sharing many photos and video with you of our special journey.  So stayed tuned March 5-14^th as the kids (both US and Ghanaian) will be blogging about their experiences firsthand – you won’t want to miss it!  This trip will be especially meaningful for me as Tatum will be joining the group.  Also, we are really hoping to complete the Village of Life School while we are there, so please check out how you can assist us by purchasing the final items for the school rooms – we’ll even personalize them!   I never dreamed I’d be typing the words “…completing the Village of Life School” and it is all because of wonderful supporters like you!  God Bless and I’ll look forward to sharing with you from Ghana!

Pam

The children in Kete-Krachi were so excited that Dan Austin brought them bikes!

Thank you, 88Bikes! We are so grateful for you.

I wanted to give you some very simple ways to help Touch A Life as we head back to Ghana next week to spend more time with these amazing children. Our goals are to continue to support the kids through ongoing education, love and care, medical attention, and all of the basic necessities. We love it that you continue to stand by us as we press forward with rescuing more children from the lake, and we know you are by our side as we implement long-term solutions for their care. Here are some simple ways to help:

1. Tell your friends. Help raise awareness for the issue of child trafficking in Ghana- and let people know that you support creating change by supporting Touch A Life!
2. Choose Jantsen's Gift for your book group. If you haven't read it, please pick it up today- you can order in on amazon.com and other fine online retailers. We are available to provide questions for group discussion and are here for you when you want to know "what's next?". Contact me at spoulos@touchalifekids.org for more information on hosting a book club meeting.
3. Sign up for our newsletter.
4. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We will be giving frequent updates in March as we journey through Ghana meeting our kids at the Village of Hope, The Village of Life-Kete Krachi and in Tema.
5. Choose to support us financially, in any way that you can. See our new page on the site on how to donate bunk beds, chairs, tables and desks in our newest children's home!
6. Choose to support a child for $150 a month. this amount can make all the difference in the world to a child by providing three meals a day, clothing and uniforms, shelter, and the love of a community.
7. Contact us for more information! We are here to support you as you help us spread the word.

Thanks again for all that you do to help Touch A Life raise awareness and rescue more children from a life of slavery. We appreciate you!

~Susan

Additionally, 10% of the proceeds from Barnes & Noble and the Starbucks location inside of the bookstore will go directly to Touch A Life! Simply mention that you are with New Tech and Touch A Life and 10% of your purchase will benefit our foundation.

The event will be held tonight from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble located at 2325 S Stemmons Fwy, Suite 401, in Lewisville. Thanks so much to New Tech, Barnes & Noble, and Starbucks for their participation in this event! It's sure to be fantastic, so swing on by!

After their successful bike drop in Vietnam in January, the 88Bikes volunteer team moved on to Ghana to deliver bikes to more Touch A Life children! On February 14, the volunteers made the 9-hour drive to Kete-Krachi to distribute bikes to the children at the Village of Life.

"The children were overjoyed to receive their bikes," said Dan Austin, co-founder of 88Bikes. "Their resilience is inspiring. In spite of their backgrounds, they are amazing, patient, and generous. The Village of Life is idyllic," he added. "It is such a safe haven to take children after they've been rescued from a very different life as slaves on Lake Volta."

Dan is now in Tema preparing to give out bikes to the Touch A Life children living there. The children there have no idea what kind of excitement is in store for them!

All of us at Touch A Life are so grateful for our partnership with 88Bikes. The organization and its members are doing amazing things to empower children in need, and we are thrilled to partner with 88Bikes to receive this incredible gift. 

I truly believe that in order to have significant meaning in our lives, we must address the issue of injustice. For me personally, meaning is found through standing in the gap for another human being. Those who are finding joy in life are typically the same people who are serving the suffering. By focusing outward as opposed to inward, and by giving your time and resources to those in need, you will be rejuvenated and restored. Addressing the issue of injustice by serving others has been my way of coping with grief and hopelessness. I believe that it's the solution to any problem.

When I wrote Jantsen's Gift, it was my hope that people would want to get involved in the fight against human trafficking and child exploitation. Weeks like these past few at the Touch A Life office have exceeded anything I could have ever imagined. 

Thanks again for your unending encouragement and support!

Pam

Tony Fratto, a former Deputy Press Secretary and Touch A Life supporter, was on the ground this week with another good friend of Touch A Life, Jason Hackmann. Both were present for the newest rescues, and Tony wrote about it on his blog. We wanted to share the link with you so that you could see TAL's work through Tony's eyes. It is a great perspective! You can also follow Tony on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tonyfratto for up to the minute updates on his progress through Ghana!

Thank you again for all of your ongoing support!

We're learning more about the childrens' backgrounds and we know that Marcus* has been performing back-breaking labor on Lake Volta since the age of four. Marcus ran away twice and suffered severe beatings at the hand of his master. Tony Fratto, who is accompanying the rescue operation for Touch A Life, shared a translated quote from a master of a slave child on Lake Volta: "I need him. This boy is my machine."

These three precious boys are free today because of supporters like you. Please help us free another child on Lake Volta by giving to the Touch A Life Foundation today. In honor of today's rescue, please ask family and friends to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Please check back throughout the day as Touch A Life's ground team in Ghana continues to provide updates on the rescue operation!