Kate-Book, the website for Kates, by Kates, and about Kates

Readers, I’d like to introduce you to a very special fellow Kate. She is 10-years-old, lives in Ghana, and is a little too adorable for her own good. She also happens to be the face of Meet Kate, a foundation dedicated to providing kids in Ghana with food, shelter, education, and job opportunities.

Meet Kate is the brainchild of Kelly de Vries, a 24-year-old blonde from the Netherlands. (Interesting side note: she is the daughter of Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, who won an Emmy for his coverage of the Natalee Holloway disappearance a few years back.) In 2006, Kelly traveled to Ghana to volunteer for five months in an elementary school. While working at the school, Kelly lived with a host family who had several foster children. That is where she met Kate, then 4.

As Kelly writes, “Kate was the youngest member of the family, and was also the one with a pretty rough start in life. Her mother was only fifteen when Kate was born prematurely, after 6.5 months. Kate barely weighed a kilo and her chance of survival was slim. Because her mother couldn’t care for her, Kate grew up with a great-aunt. If it hadn’t been for her, Kate probably wouldn’t have survived. She now has a roof over her head, food on her plate and a school to go to everyday. Her smile and shining eyes show that she’s looking forward to the future.”

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