LatinaLista — Valentine’s Day is all about giving your heart to friends, family, classmates or co-workers to show them how much you care. But what if you could show how much you care to some impoverished children in two remote Guatemalan villages who desperately need electricity for their schools — and you don’t have to do anything more than share your heart?
It’s really that easy, and no, we’re not talking about organ donations here.
What we are talking about is the objective of a new online project that can be found on the popular Facebook game “A Better World.” The game promotes philanthropy and random acts of kindness among its players.
Like other Facebook games you create your character, play games, keep a virtual pet, grow a virtual garden, but in “A Better World” players progress by doing kind things for others inside and outside the game. Areas in the game include the Gratitude Grotto, the Sanctuary of Hope and the Department of Do Good. Players can share their good deeds, notes of encouragement, thoughts or gifts with their Facebook friends.
What’s unique about this free game is that the good deeds done in the virtual world translate into real-world acts of kindness. The latest project spearheaded on the site as part of its “Reach the Stars” initiative is for players to send virtual hearts to their friends. Once the goal of 50,000 hearts has been reached by players on the site (deadline is February 29), funding will be sent to supply solar power to 2 schools in Guatemalan villages that have never had electricity.
The parent company of “A Better World,” ToonUps, has partnered with the Integral Heart Foundation, an organization working in Guatemala to eradicate child poverty by promoting education. The electricity will provide eleven hours of light to the Mano De Leon Kindergarten and the San Mateo Kindergarten in Guatemala. The Mano De Leon School has just one teacher for 50 students of all grades. The San Mateo facility is connected to a school for older students and will provide light for those classrooms as well.
The digital hearts are themed around love, friendship, fun, and good will to friends, family, and loved ones.
It never has been so easy to give your heart — and know that you will literally light up someone’s life.
