New FabLab projects brought to fruition

New projects brought to fruition Sunlight Children’s Aid provides rays of hope

You plant one seed, water it, and wait. Eventually, a plant grows, and then its flower blooms. That flower produces seeds from which more plants grow and more flowers bloom. Sunlight Children’s Aid, known as “Saulutė,” planted a “seed” in December 2020 by building their first dedicated classroom for special needs students using donations collected. Remarkably, they completed eight more classrooms in rural towns throughout Lithuania – Mosėdis, Salantai, Kretinga, Darbėnai, and Panevėžys – in less than three years. As flowers grow, they spread, and so do our projects. In January 2023, Sunlight Children’s Aid initiated a new project – setting up “FabLabs” or Digital Fabrication Laboratories in Lithuania’s rural towns of Švenčionėliai and Vilkaviškis. These two undertakings were completed at the beginning of this fall semester. Now, it is exciting to announce that recent anonymous donations have funded another Digital Fabrication Laboratory project at Voveriškių School in Lithuania’s Šaulių region.

What is a “FabLab”? FabLab, short for Digital Fabrication Laboratories, provides students access to cutting-edge technology for learning and creativity that can later be applied to skilled jobs or advanced degrees. Lithuania’s economy has evolved beyond its reliance on wheat fields for its GDP. The country’s highly educated and skilled workforce has gained global recognition. Sunlight Children’s Aid is committed to ensuring these desirable jobs are attainable to everyone, not only those living in Lithuania’s major cities.

Our Dedicated Special Needs Classrooms provide much-needed support to children with learning disabilities, speech issues, and autism. Additionally, our “FabLab” classroom projects are introducing highly technical instruction to children in rural towns who may not have had such opportunities before. As a result, we are opening doors of possibilities that were previously unimaginable for these children.

We give our all
Sunlight Children’s Aid has completed 11 school projects in Lithuania in less than three years! However, our work is far from being finished, and we can only continue to make progress through the generous support of our donors. It is important to note that our organization does not keep funds in reserve but directs all donations toward our projects in Lithuania. We do not reimburse our volunteers for their travel expenses, nor do we pay any salaries. We are a US-based, volunteer, 501(c)3 organization committed to helping children in need.

Our next projects will be in the Kėdainių region of Lithuania. We need donations to get started, as each undertaking costs between $15,000 and $23,000, depending on size. Please consider supporting our projects by visiting www.SunlightChildrensAid.org. Your contribution can make a significant difference in providing quality education to children in the region.