On the morning of 17 March 2017, Flor didn’t exist. She wasn’t even called Flor. She was called Santos, which is an unusual name for two reasons; firstly, it’s normally a surname and secondly, if it is a first name, it normally belongs to a boy. Santos thought she was two years old and had never celebrated her birthday. However, on this same morning, she took a bus journey that would change her life forever. She attended a mass registration day in a rural Guatemalan town which Toybox’s partners had organised. It was a hot Guatemalan summer’s day and the queue was 50 families long, but Santos waited.
At about two o’clock in the afternoon, her life changed. She had received her birth certificate. She had chosen a new name, Flor, and had even been allowed to choose her birthday… for 18 March, the day after!
“I got to choose my birthday and it’s tomorrow! I’m going to have a party and invite all my friends over and we’re going to eat cake and play games. And, best of all, I’m going to get a birthday dress!” Flor
Birthday fundraising with Facebook or Just Giving
By asking for donations instead of presents for your birthday, you can help more children like Flor get their birth certificates and have something to celebrate every year on their birthday.
How to make your next birthday extra special:
Using Facebook:
STEP 1: Choose Toybox as your Facebook birthday fundraiser this year. Facebook will automatically give you the option to start a fundraiser as your birthday approaches.
STEP 2: Share a post with your friends letting them know that this year you would like to give your birthday to street children supported by Toybox. They can find your fundraiser on your Facebook wall and ours! Donations will automatically be sent to Toybox, so you don’t have to get involved in the banking process. Find out more
Using Just Giving:
STEP 1: Go to our Just Giving Page.
STEP 2: Choose ‘Fundraise for us’ and login. You can set up a login or login via Facebook.
STEP 3: Fill in the details of what you’re up to and share the link to the page with friends and family.
Donations will automatically be sent to Toybox, so you don’t have to get involved in the banking process. Don’t forget you can donate to celebrate someone else’s big day too! Whether it’s a birthday, wedding or another special occasion, each donation help to change the lives of children living on the streets.