Come and watch the amazing story of the Paradise Orphanage in the documentary Stone By Stone: Building the Paradise Orphanage available from Friday, May 24th to Friday, May 31st on the Kinema platform.

Learn more and stay updated on the inspiring and uplifting story of the building of the Paradise Orphanage in Burkina Faso, West Africa, by visiting the Stone by Stone companion website.

So much enthusiasm! Here is a video of the children going to Class at KP Manson II.

Here is a photo of Georges Sawadogo with the Paradise orphans.

The documentary film Stone by Stone was awarded the Special Human Rights Mention Prize at 39e Festival International de Cinéma Vues d’Afrique in Montreal on April 30, 2023.

We have held a meeting last Friday with our elementary school teachers. During the meeting, we talked about the goals we have been able to reach in the different classrooms, the difficulties we met and the suggestions of solutions to the difficulties. It was a really constructive meeting.

The new year is starting with good news for the Paradise Orphanage.

The harvest was plentiful! Here are some photos of vegetables from the garden.

Food security! Here are some of the vegetables that we are growing.

A formal meeting took place the teachers at Stephen Joseph High School to organize the work and set goals for the school year. The teachers are ready and motivated to do their best to see the Stephen Joseph High School shine in the near future!

We have about 70 school tables and 40 chairs to start this school year. About 12 students from the Orphanage will start attending. We are now in the process of hiring the teachers and we expect the classes to start next week. It was truly a challenging project but it’s becoming more and more a reality. All the glory to God for making this possible.

We are making progress on the high school construction.

Six of our second year vocation/technical students were successful in passing the national qualifying exam. They are studying topography, civil engineering, auto mechanics, metal contruction and electricity. They are looking to go further with their training to get a professional Baccalaureate. They want to pursue university studies later when they have opportunity.

We are so glad to share with you the graduation of two boys from the Orphanage for University. They both arrived at the orphanage in 2008. We feel so encouraged by such positive performance.

Something positive! Pauline conducted some children from the Orphanage to record their first two songs to magnify God and lift up the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We have been busy this week working on the roof. The whole project will take about 5 days. We are so glad this step is being finishing now.

We are making great strides in the progress of the high school construction!

The Kaya’s Kids Chess Team is unstoppable!

Here are some photos of the Kaya’s Kids Chess Team.

Here are some photos of our Christmas celebration at the Paradise Orphanage. It was so great. We are so thankful to the Herr family for providing support for this very special moment of the year. May God continue to bless them.

This is one of our vocational students. He is so thankful to the Herr family for giving him such opportunity to learn how to repair cars engines. He has one more year of training. He’s a very serious student. He’s is so happy and very excited about his training. May God continue to bless the Herr family.

This photo is of welding work to build up a support for the water tank on the farmland.

Our university students are getting ready to leave for school. Each university student received a laptop to be used for their coursework. They feel so blessed to each have a computer.

We have been busy preparing for the beginning of the new school year. Photos include morning prayer in our elementary school and boys and girls receiving their copy books.

Our Chess School, held July 14th through the 26th, and led by Tunde Onakoya from Nigeria, was a huge success!

Congratulations to the 2021 Chess School graduates at the Paradise Orphanage in Kaya, Burkina Faso, West Africa.

The work continues! We are hoping to start courses this upcoming school year.

Hubert was living at the Paradise Orphanage and has now moved away.

The five boys are back at the Paradise Orphanage.

A series of French school workbooks collected by the Montreal Book Project was sent to Burkina Faso to an elementary school.

The construction of the high school is coming along nicely. The second floor is in the process of being installed.

The team is making great progress on the high school!

Congratulations to the high school graduating class of 2020!

Clothing and shoes received from Montreal!

Making progress! Check out the latest in the high school construction.

Video update! The high school construction is taking shape!

Jesus is born! Here are some photos from the Christmas celebration at the Paradise Orphanage.

Below are photos from the wedding of Wedding of Charles Sawadogo, CFO of the Paradise Orphanage.

Below are photos of progress from the high school construction.

Below are photos and videos of progress from the high school construction.

Below are photos and videos from when new clothing arrived from Canada on Feb 16, 2019. The clothing was sent by Carla and Len.

Please take a look at our History and Milestones from 2018.

Below are photos and videos from the Christmas Party at the Paradise Orphanage on Jan 12, 2019.

Below are photos from the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Paradise Orphanage on Dec 18, 2018.

Below are photos and videos from the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Paradise Orphanage on Dec 14, 2018.

Below is a photo from the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Paradise Orphanage on Dec 11, 2018.

Below is a photo from the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Paradise Orphanage on Dec 8, 2018.

Below is a photo and videos from the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Paradise Orphanage on Dec 4, 2018.

Below are photos of the new computer lab.

A letter from Charles…

A letter from Charles…

Charles Sawadogo sent a video of the children celebrating Christmas at the Paradise Orphanage.

A letter from Howard & Frances Makofsky…

Bring the joy of comfort this holiday season to a child at Paradise Orphanage in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Below are photos of children with their new dresses and shorts from Long Island Quilts for Kids at the Paradise Orphanage!

Check out our latest Newsletter…

Below are photos of the new classrooms including installations of the roof, windows and door.

Our school has participated in that competition and has been awarded. The certificate appears in the gallery below as well as end of school year activities.

Here is the latest newsletter on the documentary.

Photos below include construction of the wall for the future high school!

This photo is of Corinne Franco and Howard Makofsky, the founder of Kaya’s Kids, Inc. Corrine has graciously produced beautiful shorts for the children at the Paradise Orphanage.

Below are photos of girls working with a loom at the Paradise Orphanage.

Cute!

Below is a photo of the automobile delivered to Burkina Faso and is on the way to the Paradise Orphanage.

Bring the joy of comfort this holiday season to a child at Paradise Orphanage in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Scott Paskiewicz, from Eastport Bible Church on Long Island, standing next to our newly purchased 2011 Ford F-150 truck.

We are happy to report that the new moped for the orphanage has been purchased with the donation portion of our Indiegogo campaign this summer.

Andrew Wagstaff of Amherst Citizen-Record wrote an article entitled, “Stone by Stone in Advocate: Documentary filming benefit concert for African orphanage”.

Please consider contributing to the making of our documentary.

Money for the shoes was donated from patients and staff at the PT office of Dr. Scott Paskiewicz in Ridge, NY this past Christmas.

Read more

Rooftop installation in progress…

Christmas—time to celebrate!