Eight-year-old Caitlin is a familiar, cheerful face at the Allies Mentoring Program (AMP) in Laray, Cebu, Philippines. Whenever she can attend, she often arrives early with a big smile, ready to greet the volunteers and help with whatever needs to be done.

There was plenty to celebrate at Casa Verde children's home in Peru when the girls welcomed visitors from Allies for the opening of their newly renovated kitchen. The afternoon began with dancing and games, followed by three girls sharing words of thanks. Everyone then watched a video showing how the new kitchen came together before gathering for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Growth does not always happen all at once. Sometimes it appears in small changes that become easier to notice over time. Through the Allies Mentoring Program in Indonesia, teachers and volunteers have been seeing those changes in children who continue to participate each month. The activities give them opportunities to learn, play, share their ideas, and practice positive character values both at the program and in everyday life.

After the summer break, volunteers returned to the Kutaisi Center in Georgia and were welcomed with hugs, photos, selfies, and children joking about who had missed them the most. Since a few new children had joined, the day began with introduction games before moving into a lesson about food and nutrition. The children made paper apples, “baked” pizzas, decorated ice creams, and joined the activities with plenty of laughter. Even the caregivers enjoyed the exercises and saved them for later use.