Martha Jalloh • SL-VP1-0158 • April 1, 2000 • 16 years old

Visit her page on COTNI

Martha Jalloh is 16 years old and in the 7th grade. She hopes to become a teacher and loves to study language and science. She comes to COTN from the village of Ngolala, where she lives with her grandmother, three brothers, and two sisters. 

Martha specifically asks for prayer for her family, as they lost their mother in this past year.

At last year’s Kitsap Cup, Martha was proudly sponsored by the Ninjas with Ila Jensen! Thanks for your support!

 

 

 

Adama Foday • SL-VP1-0044 • August 1, 1998 • 18 years old

Visit her page on COTNI

Adama Foday is 18 years old and in the 9th grade. She hopes to become a nurse. She loves skipping rope and learning language, math, and science. She is from the village of Monicawe, where she lives with her parents, brother, and two sisters.Unlike most of the kids in our program, her family isn’t sustained by farming, but her father is a teacher. They too live in very poor conditions. She is one of our newest children, and we ask that you would lift her up in your prayers with us.

 

Paul Demeh • SL-VP1-0536 • April 1, 1996 • 20 years old

Visit his page on COTNI

Paul Demeh is 20 years old and in the 11th grade. He hopes to become a doctor. He enjoys playing futbol (soccer) and loves language, math, and geography. He comes from the village of Gboyama where he lives with his parents, two sisters, and three brothers. His teachers say he is cooperative, helpful, obedient, quiet and respectful.

At last year’s Kitsap Cup, Paul was proudly played for by Phoenix, with Paul Bowers, and Rochambo, with Hansy Lopez. Thanks for your support!

Dora Carpenter • SL-VP1-0502 • January 1, 1999 • 17 years old

Visit Dora’s page on COTNI

Dora Carpenter is 17 years old and in the 9th grade. She hopes to become a nurse, and loves to learn about the bible, language, and health. She wrote in one of her updates that she wants to become a nurse to help people when they’re not feeling well, and don’t have someone to take care of them. She lives with her grandparents, 2 brothers, and a sister.

We’ve been lucky enough to sponsor Dora for most of her life, and we’re glad to share her correspondence with us over the years.

At last year’s Kitsap Cup, she was proudly played for by 2 Girls Alliance, with Mitch James. Thanks for your support!

John Buxton • SL-VP1-0438 • July 30, 2000 • 16 years old

Visit John’s page on COTNI

John Buxton is 16 years old and in the 9th grade. He loves to study English, History, Literature, Math, Science, and Business studies. He says he would like to become a Lawyer. He is from the village of Ngolala, where he lives with his mother, twin brother, and three sisters. His family is supported through his mother’s job as a house aunt at COTN. His teachers say he is active, happy, friendly, plays well with others, and is responsible.

At last year’s Kitsap Cup, 2 teams proudly held his picture high! 2BOK with Ila Jensen, and Sequim Crew United with Nathan Funston. Thanks for your support!

Munda Amara • SL-VP1-0390 • September 4, 1999 • 17 years old

Visit Munda’s Page on COTNI

Munda Amara is 17 years old and in the 6th grade. He has said that he hopes to become a teacher or a doctor, but no matter what, he wants his career to help his community. His education is very important to him. He is from the village of Mogborie, where he lives with his parents, aunt, six brothers, and four sisters. His teachers say he is cooperative, a leader, respectful, and responsible.

At last year’s Kitsap Cup, 2 teams proudly held his picture high! The u14 Tags with Veronica Harlan, and The Westside Oreos with Daniel Sherman. Thanks for your support!

Erin lives in Silverdale, Washington. She has been with the tournament for 8 years now!

“Hi there! My name is Erin Bernard and I’ve been a part of the tournament since 2009 and haven’t looked back! I love helping people and this is just one way that I’m able to do that! There is very little that makes me happier than reading the letters from the kids and seeing their pictures. It is all of you that make this possible. We pray all year long that God’s will be done on New Year’s Day, and every year all of our needs are met! That is why I continue to be a part of this tournament, I want nothing more than to start my year off with people that love soccer and want to make the lives of these kids so much better!! It is my goal that every year, if nothing else, we can continue to cover the needs of the kids that we currently have anything on top of that is gravy!

JT and Gen live on Bainbridge Island along with their 2 beautiful children, Elsa and Oscar.

Joseph and Genevieve Knowlton started sponsoring children through Children of The Nations(COTN) over a dozen years ago.  After learning about the hope, love and education provided by COTN to those in need, the Knowltons gifted sponsored children to family members for Christmas in lieu of traditional gifts.  It wasn’t until Joseph was challenged to create a community-wide project that the scope of their efforts to support Children of the Nations came into sight.  Through this project, the Kitsap Cup and Futbol for Life were founded.  Now going into our 12th year as a one-day soccer event, the Futbol for Life team and Children of the Nations have been able to sponsor over 30 children in one day with increased sponsorship each year.  The Knowltons are thrilled to be a part of uniting their local community in bringing hope of a bright future to children in Sierra Leone.

 

Louie lives in Poulsbo, Washington. He is a husband and the father of 14 children. He has been with the tournament from the beginning!

“I originally was interested in coming along side JT and his family when they were trying to figure out how to continue to cover the sponsorship of their Sierra Leone Kids.  JT had a heart for the challenges those children in Sierra Leone had faced and the long term ongoing problems that they would be faced with.  JT’s family was a part of the Children of the Nation’s sponsorship program.  We were familiar with Children of the Nations as our daughter Amber had gone to Malawi to serve in an orphanage earlier and we ourselves had sponsored a child as well.

We came up with the idea of using soccer which would be a common language that we thought would translate well locally to help us achieve the money to continue to support their 7 children.  We named it futbolforlife!  We have provided shirts for all participants every year and it is fun to see those shirts all around the peninsula during the year.  We have been fortunate over the 11 years that Olympic Sports Center in Bremerton their ownership and staff have graciously allowed us to run our event on one of the rare days it was closed, New Years Day which was only a month a way for that first year.  We quickly got the word out and were amazed that we were able to raise enough money to sponsor those 7 children and 2 more by playing an indoor soccer jamboree.  I remember when we hit 13 kids and then 17 and I thought how is it possible?  Last year we came along side 24 kids and this year 30……..

I am amazed that the Lord continues to do a work here in Kitsap County that is fun and yet touches so many lives both here in the Peninsula and in Sierra Leone to help them in education, their health needs, food and clothing and encourages them to become the next generation of leaders in their own homeland one that would be wholly different then the hardships that they were subjected to while they were just kids.  We have come to know and become friends with so many people from Port Angeles and Sequim to Gig Harbor and every place in between who also get excited as we get close to New Years Day each Year.  We are fortunate to be blessed so much by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to be called to serve and love.”

Salamatu hopes to become a Doctor. She loves to play soccer and basketball and to study language, math, and science. Her teachers and caregivers say that she is friendly, happy, helpful, intelligent, and respectful. She comes to COTN from the village of Ngolala, where she lives with her aunt, uncle, three brothers, and five sisters. Her family is supported through farming and they live in very poor conditions. Their house is made of mud blocks with a tin roof. Salamatu helps her family at home by washing dishes, sweeping, and helping with the animals. She speaks the traditional languages of Krio and Mende with her family but speaks English at school. Through your sponsorship, she has increased opportunities and hope for her future.