Kara2Mijael - Miller Place Senior Kara Patrovic's Mission Continues...

Kara Patrovic, a 17 year old senior from Miller Place High School, is on a mission. And she has been for some time. In 2006, when she was 9 years old, she began sponsoring a newborn little boy, Mijael, from Tarija, Bolivia, through ChildFund International. Over the years, she watched him grow and communicated regularly with his family.

In 2012, Kara, then 14, decided that she wanted to meet Mijael and provide aid to him and his community. She created a charity organization called Kara2Mijael and held 11 separate fundraising events that year, many of them highlighted on the Miller Place-Rocky Point Patch. She successfully raised $6,200, which was more than $800 over the goal she had set. In August 2012, Kara met Mijael and was able to help Mijael, his family, and 55 additional children in Mijael’s community. Additionally, Kara was able to donate to two healthcare fundraisers for children needing surgeries in Tarija.

While in Tarija, she was brought to a neighborhood (“barrio”) called Barrio 27 de Mayo, where she met with village elders. Kara recalled the experience: “The elders of the community pleaded with me, hoping that I could help them get a well so that they could have the ‘convenience’ of getting clean water at any time of the day. They said to me, ‘Agua es vida.’ or ‘Water is life.’ I was moved and I promised them I would help them, no matter how long it took.”

Kara returned from her trip and vowed to work towards the building of a well for Barrio 27 de Mayo. Kara expanded her charity with the “Agua es Vida” project. Since then, she has already held 12 fundraisers and has plans for several more. She has formalized her non-profit by creating a website http://www.kara2mijael.org, a Twitter account (@kara2mijael) and other social media sites.

Kara’s initial fundraising goals needed to get modified. She had hoped to provide two clean water wells for approximately $11,000 ($5,400 each). However, the city of Tarija had since changed the architectural plans to provide what amounted to five wells (one borehole and 5 pumps). These wells would serve Barrio 27 de Mayo now and as it expands in the future. The new cost of the project rose to $25,500. Kara was not intimidated by the new number, now more than twice as much as originally planned.

Currently, she has raised $22,000 towards the $25,500 needed for the construction of the wells. Working with several international aid organizations and the government of Tarija, the construction of the wells was secured even without full funding, but with a commitment from Kara2Mijael to provide the balance of the money needed by the end of November. The construction is set to begin during August.

Kara’s fundraising continues. Her upcoming fundraiser is at Country Fair in Medford on August 21st from 6:30 – 9:30PM. A $25 Pay-One-Price bracelet can get you unlimited access to the park’s attraction for 3 hours (go-karts, miniature golf, batting cages, driving range, laser-tag and more)! Please see the flyer here and contact Kara at Kara2Mijael@gmail.com to purchase bracelets in advance or to see how else you can help her cause.

Kara hopes to also visit Tarija again in November and continue to provide aid and supplies to the needy people there.