When Oslyn Rodriguez went to Guyana for a family reunion in July of 2015, it was not her initial plan to create an organization for helping the poor children in the Guyana villages.
Backpack International Inc. is a small non-profit organization that provides children in Guyana with a vacation bible school camp during the summer and a backpack full with toys, hygiene items, school supplies and more.
"It was heartbreaking," said Rodriguez, while reflecting back on her first visit to Guyana in 2015. "I was struck by the poverty, there was no positive outlook for any of the children".
Rodriguez, former school teacher and mother of four, felt that something had to be done to help the children of Guyana. In the spur of a moment, Oslyn and her mother prepared a meal for the children before leaving in 2015 and since then Rodriguez has dedicated her time to helping and serving the children.
July of 2016 was Backpack International's first trip.
"We served 102 children and at the end of the week we presented them with certificates and backpacks full of books, personal hygiene items, school supplies and games," Rodriguez said. "I want to give them an opportunity to get an education and start school on time".
For the past two years Rodriguez has been partnering with local churches and volunteers to fundraise money and collect donated items to present to the children.
Rodriguez stated that her long time goal for the organization is to build a library in Guyana for the children to advance their education and to have a chance at escaping poverty.
This July, Backpack International will be making their second trip to Guyana in hopes of serving 250 children.
While their trip will only consist of 12 volunteers traveling to Guyana, Rodriguez wants to thank the whole Auburn-Opelika area for their tremendous support.
"I was overwhelmed with the support we received from the community," Rodriguez said. "People have volunteered, helped fundraise money and donated items to bring to the children".
This year Backpack International is hoping to raise a total of $25,000 to pay for the shipping of items, meals for the children during the camp, and the supplies included within each backpack.
In the next few months, Oslyn will need any support she can get from volunteers.
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