We started sponsoring Emmanuel (Uganda, 9 years old) and Joyce (Zambia, 8 years old) 3 years ago. We wanted to help. We wanted to do SOMETHING and know exactly where our help was going and to whom. So, I Googled about this and found out we can sponsor children and get regular updates on how they are doing. This has touched me so much. In the beginning, I would tear up every single time a letter and photo would arrive with an update. The letters written by siblings or a parent letting us know how our financial help was directly affecting their family. Now, I smile so big and brightly when I see a piece of mail from Africa. I'm excited to rip open the envelope, no longer sad about their situation, but instead anxious to see how they are doing.
Emmanuel's family buying first a goat, then a pig, then chickens and then a bull to help raise money themselves to support the family. Joyce's family buying a blanket, a BED!, simple necessities like dishes and mosquito nets. SIMPLE NECESSITIES that we go to Target for in a quick trip in our air conditioned vehicles. I am overjoyed that we can help, to do anything to make someone's life easier. To be able to make someone's life healthier. We are so fortunate to live the life we live and I just want to install in Gadisa that if you have something and you are standing on your own two feet, then reach out and help someone stand on theirs. I am humbled by the strength I see in Emmanuel and Joyce's families. For I do not have strength like they do. I wanted so badly to visit them while we were in Africa, but traveling between the countries was too dangerous and costly to be able to make it happen.
In September, our sponsorship of Emmanuel will end. World Vision is pulling out of his region as they have met their goals for his community and they now can support themselves. This is fantastic, but this is also sad. We have written many letters and received many pictures of him. For my own selfish reasons, I do not want to end our communication. I want to know how he's doing, how he's growing but, I know that meeting the goals of the sponsorship is the whole point of it. How wonderful it really is to see a community that once needed dire assistance to now have schools, health facilities and education to support itself. Perhaps Emmanuel will still stay in touch with us as he grows into a young man. We will always remember him and smile when we see his photos sitting on our shelves at home.
I always think it would be so amazing if everyone that could, would sponsor a child. It makes the biggest difference in their lives. However, I know there are a lot of causes in the world to support. You choose what works for you if that's the case. I don't want to preach or judge...but maybe slightly encourage. :) The feeling of being able to help someone live a quality of life that they have a right to live is beyond happiness.
We will be sponsoring another child after September and once Gadisa is old enough to understand sponsorship we would like to have him have a sponsorship with a child his age. The $22 a month it takes to sponsor Joyce and the $35 a month to sponsor Emmanuel made a difference. And, that's all we could ever ask for.
If you are interested in sponsorship, the organizations we do this through our
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