SONDRA CLARK

Sondra Clark has published two books, is a motivational speaker, and has her own line of craft projects at the ripe old age of 11 years old. She has always been motivated to use her skills and abilities to help children in less fortunate situations. Sondra has utilized unique and creative ways to raise money and support other children who are in need.

At eight years old, Sondra penned her first book, Craft Fun with Sondra. Sondra tried to teach some children crafts and realized they did not now how to use a bottle of glue or take off marker caps. She wrote the craft book after deciding she wanted to financially support Bethany Adoption Services. Due to the book sales, she has donated more than $2,000 to Bethany. Sondra wrote her second book at the age of nine and the proceeds from that book went to Childcare International. To date, Sondra has donated over $3,500 to them. For more information on Sondra’s craft work, visit Sondra’s craft site.

Childcare International requested Sondra be a “spokeschild” for their organization. She speaks at schools, churches, and conferences where she gives information about the organization. Sondra also asks those at the conferences to sponsor a child for $25 per month. She was able to visit Africa and see first-hand what other children have to go through every day. Several villages she visited had no electricity or running water. Children go to school from 8:00 to 5:00 and have dirt floors, no electricity, and few school supplies. Sondra saw a village where half of the community was infected with AIDS. She also saw a shack where three young boys live alone because both of their parents died of the disease.

Sondra was able to teach games, songs, and interact with hundreds of children. She even held a little baby whose father had died and mother was dying of AIDS. Sondra collected 140 t-shirts from her school friends before her trip. She took them to Africa and gave the children an opportunity to “shop” for clothing. The group set up a pretend store and allowed the children to have their choice of clothing and select a t-shirt on their own. Sondra also visited an orphanage run by Childcare International. There, one woman cooks three meals a day for more than 100 children using only a few pots over an open fire.

Sondra is an example for her peers and adults as well. She also gives motivational speeches at schools and conferences. She writes articles for magazines about the importance of volunteering, and she is a part of an on-going project that will provide aid for children in Haiti, India, and Africa.