Most Viewed Blog Posts

• My CI Children My CI Children

  • From: Shana B
  • Description:

    

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 2763

• Let's Lift One More Together Let's Lift One More Together

  • From: Shana B
  • Description:

     Would you like to help sponsor a little boy named Francisco from Colombia? He is the child on the far left in the photo. He lives in Cartagena, Colombia with his sister, baby brother, mother, and eight other people in horrible living  conditions. Steve, a CI sponsor, recently visited family when he visited his sister, Steve's sponsored child in April. During the visit, Steve had an opportunity to take Francisco and his sister out to have a great time and to buy some new clothes and food. Steve also had a chance to revisit the place that they call home and from his video clips, you can see the poverty that these children live in.

    When I saw the photos of the terrible  living conditions of the home, I wondered if something could be done to help by getting a group of interested sponsors together to do a group sponsorship of little Francisco. I would like to sponsor him, but my funds are running low.  He seems to be a sweet little boy who who is need of the same kind of assistance that his sister is receiving through sponsorship. His baby brother, Sammy, is too young for a sponsor and all of the children are in desperate need of support especially now that a new baby is on the way. Their mother is very young, unemployed, and there is no father to assist.

    I know that many of us sponsor multiple children and a group sponsorship would help ease the burden as well as possibly provide additional assistance for this needy family. I have seen the positive effects of a group sponsorship.   If you are interested in helping out, please visit the Yahoo Group below that is being set up to help sponsor Francisco. Details on how this can be done will be forthcoming as soon as I hear back from Alissa, one of the CI representatives. If we can get 12 people to commit, then each person will only  need to contribute $22/year. This will make a difference in the young life of this child and for this family. Thank you.

    Yahoo Group

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sponsorsforfrancisco/

     

    You Tube Clips from Steve's Visit

    Francisco gets a new top from his sister's sponsor.

    You Tube Clips from Steve's Visit- Francisco with his sister on a visit to a store with Steve. It would be great if he could have some new toys too!

    The entrance to the family's home:

     

     

     

    Inside of the home:

  • Blog post
  • 4 months ago
  • Views: 2397

• A "Tour" of Valparaiso A "Tour" of Valparaiso

  • From: CI_Staff
  • Description:

    By Leo Montecinos

    Walking the streets and alleyways of the city of Valparaiso has always a good sightseeing outing; however, ever since the morning of Saturday, February 27th, the outing has changed from touristic to horrifying.

    This time on our walk we saw cracked streets and destroyed homes, downed communication lines, water shortage, injured people, death and families who lost everything. This is the result of one of the most intense earthquakes ever registered in the history of Chile.

    In the city of Valparaiso, the damages are palpable; homes that have lost their facades, mounds of rubble, broken glass, and above all else, the worried faces of our people. That is what we saw on our tour of the city. “Don’t leave us. Please help us,” a passer-by implored with anguish upon recognizing we were from Children International.

    As we continued on, a phone call informed us that a volunteer had lost her home. We quickly made our way to her house... We found ourselves at a desolate scene.

    Nevertheless, comfort and hope aren’t totally absent. “The most important thing is that my family is okay,” María Jara told us with a mix of sadness and satisfaction. María is an outstanding volunteer for Children International. “The policemen came to visit my home, and they told me that I had to leave, that I couldn’t keep living here anymore.”

    María, along with her family, went to live temporarily with her mother, while they wait to regroup and overcome this tremendous hardship. Her daughter, Javiera Sandoval, doesn’t want to go home. “She’s very scared. She doesn’t want to go back to that place,” says María. At just four years old, Javiera will never forget what she went through in the early morning hours of Saturday, February 27th.

    Today, Chile is sad. Valparaiso is sad. Her people are sad and frightened. Aftershocks are common place, yet the the outpour of kindness from every corner of the world is comforting. It is comforting to know that so many people care about this little country, which despite it’s difficulties, will find a way to keep moving forward... and without a doubt, we will!

    Leopoldo is our Communications Coordinator in Valparaíso, Chile.

     

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 2065

• Sarbari, Age 4 (12/29/09) Sarbari, Age 4 (12/29/09)

  • From: jenkinsg
  • Description:

    Sarbari joined the program in February, 2009.

    I started sponsoring her in April, after another child, almost-16 year-old Jayanti, left the program when she married. Sarbari is the 11th child I've sponsored. 

    An updated photo of Sarbari followed, looking like a very pretty little girl, instead of a tired child in boy's clothing.

    Sarbari has a 7 year-old sister, a 5 year-old brother, and a 2 year-old brother. Her parents are daily workers, earning a combined income of about $64/month. However, their home isn't in a sponsorship area, so Sarbari, her mother, and her siblings live with her grandmother in Kolkata city, where her mother can earn $42/month (I think). This suggests that their father's home is in a rural area, where perhaps he has land to farm. Her family speaks Hindi.

    

    

    In May 2009, a $100 Special Needs Gift provided the family with supplies of staple foods like lentils, rice, and cooking oil, as well as a table fan and a portable camp bed to make their home more comfortable. Sarbari's photo was updated around that time, too--I don't think she quite had the jist of portrait sitting, yet.

    In time for her December 29th birthday, another SNG of $220 provided the family with a van-rickshaw goods-carrier, which they will rent out for about $26 per month. Some kilos of lentils, sugar, and cooking oil, along with a steel cannister, Sarbari's very own dinner plate, and cookies! made good use of the leftover funds.

    

    
    

     

    
    

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 1980

• Clinic to receive a shot in th Clinic to receive a shot in the arm

  • From: CI_CommLUS
  • Description:

    When I first heard that the Youths were planning to build water borne toilets at one of the most crowded clinics in Lusaka, I was taken aback because I just could not imagine how the youths came up with such a crazy idea until, out of curiosity, I took a tour of Kanyama Clinic.What I saw made me realize that the youths indeed have the passion to improve the livelihood of the people in their communities. Kanyama Clinic, the only public clinic in the area caters for Kanyama and Chibolya including several other shanty compounds were CI does not operate from. The clinic offers services to over 200,000 people. 

    

    When I arrived, I immediately asked to see what types of restrooms were available for the patients and those who were nursing patients. I was shown two small pit latrines, one for the men and the other for the women including children. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I just could not understand why a clinic that caters for so many people had no proper ablution facilities. The clinic itself is a health hazard; it is easy for the patients and those who are nursing them to contract diseases from the pit latrines.

    

    Within the grounds of the clinic was an isolated area with a lot of small tents. I could see many beds with people on intravenous fluids. It then dawned on me that that was actually the cholera center and that those were patients with cholera. I felt so scared for my life.Establishing a cholera center within the grounds of the clinic would not help the situation because the clinic was so congested that it was difficult to walk through the corridors. Congestion is a catalyst for cholera especially when hundreds of sick people share one bathroom. With so many cholera patients at the clinic, I realized that the initiative by the CI Youths to use their Youth Fund to construct six water borne toilets will prevent the spread of diseases and save a lot of lives in the communities. I couldn’t help putting my thumbs up to the two sponsored youths who accompanied me to the clinic.

    

     

     

     

     

    
    

     

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 1953

• Sahida, Age 13 (02/02/10) Sahida, Age 13 (02/02/10)

  • From: jenkinsg
  • Description:

    Sahida joined the program in September, 2003, when she was 6. I started sponsoring her in January, 2004. I'd been a sponsor since 1989, but after my first child graduated, I took a break for about a year due to some health problems. When I started up again, the CI web site had been launched, so Sahida was the first child I picked for myself. I sponsor Indian girls, and usually choose based on lowest income. This was an easy choice--look at that little face!

    Sahida's father is a daily worker, and her mother works as a maid. Their combined income in Feb. 2009 was $32/month. Last year their income increased substantially, to $53.  She has a 9 year-old sister and a 6 year-old brother. They live about 20 km outside Kolkata, in North 24 Parganas District. (Districts are like American counties. Both the CI Indian projects are in the state of West Bengal.) Her family speaks Bengali.

    When I started sponsoring Sahida, the family's income was only $11 month. The increase is due to her mother's work (an additional $11) and an Income Generating Project (IGP), funded by a $225 Special Needs Gift, that purchased a van-rickshaw for her father. This activity increased his earnings by $8/month.

    

    I've also posted elsewhere on the site about the home improvements Sahida's family has made with SNGs over the years.

    Sahida began participating in the CI Youth Program 2 years ago, when she was 11. She said they have 2 groups, the newcomers group and another that might be called the "can-do" group, or maybe the "active"group. (Typically, the kids are eligible to participate in the Youth Program when they turn 12, but in India, 6th grade is the beginning of high school--after the British system, like in the Harry Potter books. So maybe the "newcomers" group is an unofficial group for the 11 year-olds so they don't feel they're being discriminated against unreasonably.) She said the newcomers group met once a month to "discuss the problems of our locality."

    She's in 6th grade now and says she enjoys reading English books. Her 2 best friends are "good in their studies." So although I don't usually direct how the family uses their SNG, this year I asked that part of the money be used for dictionaries: Bengali, English-Bengali, and Bengali-English. (There doesn't seem to be a combined version like we're used to using to study European languages, and there's no paperback, so each volume is about $40, at least purchased in the U.S. And another, older, child has chosen to use SNG money for dictionaries, so I think they're out of reach for most CI families.) I also suggested they consider using part of the money for academic support. Indian children have to pass exams every year to progress to the next grade; one year Sahida missed the mark. But if the family feels she's doing well for now, I won't mind if they'd prefer to use the money some other way.

    Update: The report has arrived. For $235, Sahida got her dictionaries (all hardback), a shelf unit, a salwar kameez (clothes), 3 kgs (6 lbs) of sugar, 13 kgs (26-27 lbs) rice, 30 eggs, and 12 months private tutoring for both herself and her younger sister, Salma, who is in 3rd grade. (The woman in the 3rd photo is her new tutor, I guess.)

    For more about life in India, see Sarbari's story.

    

     

     

     

     

     

    

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1910

• Archana, Age 3 (02/16/10) Archana, Age 3 (02/16/10)

  • From: jenkinsg
  • Description:

    Archana joined the program in November 2008. She was only 21 months old, although the minimum age is supposed to be 2 years. I came upon her photo on the CI site in December, and was intrigued by the idea of starting a sponsorship at such a young age. Since my eldest child was graduating soon, I signed on as Archana's sponsor.

    Archana lives in Kolkata city (somewhere near Sarbari; some of their SNG photos were taken in the same room) with her parents and 4 year-old sister Anushka. Her family speaks Hindi. Her father is a day-laborer. When she was first registered with CI, he was earning only $36/month (very low for the city), but by the time her report was updated for her 2nd birthday, his income had risen to $60/month.

    Archana goes to nursery school now. While she was still too young to go, her mother taught her at home. She knows her colors and shapes. Her mother "teaches drawing," but I'm not sure whether that means she teaches it to the nursery school children, or she is teaching it to Archana. If the picture with her most recent letter was drawn by Archana, she has very good coordinatation for not-yet 3.

    A $100 SNG sent shortly after sponsorship purchased a pretty new dress for Archana, a doll and a set of plastic letters/shapes for the girls to play with, a table fan, and new kitchen equipment for her mother: a (kerosene?) stove, utensils, utensil rack and steel cannisters and bucket.

    

     

    ---

    Update: The reports on Archana's progress and this year's SNG have come in. They didn't update her height/weight. Her father's income has settled back to $45/month. With the SNG, they bought: 

    

    • an almirah (steel cabinet used as a wardrobe)
    • a pressure cooker
    • 2 steel cannisters
    • an overnight bag
    • a handbag for Mom
    • clothing for the whole family (sari for Mom, shirt & trousers for dad, dress for Archana and trousers and blouse for Anushka)
    • groceries (2 containers of mustard oil, 1 lb honey, 1 lb butter, 2 packages of instant noodles, 1 package of fried grams [chickpeas or chickpea-flour crackers], 2 packages of cookies)
    • 2 lbs "health drink" (Horlicks is like Ovaltine, I think--kind of old-fashioned)
    • cosmetics (4 bars of bath soap, 1 bottle hair oil)
    • 1 package of laundry detergent
    • 2 Care Bears
    • 1 "yo-yo" (I was worried about that for a minute for a 3 year-old--hard toy at the end of a long string and all that--but in the photo it seems to be one of those soft rubber scrunchy things, not what we mean by "yo-yo")

    For more about life in India, see Sahida's story.

    

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1840

• Our 1st letter to Princess Sop Our 1st letter to Princess Sophia

  • From: The*McCoys
  • Description:

    Today we sent our 1st letter to our newest addition to the family.. we can hardly wait to receive her 1st letter to us.. we are pleased and proud to be able to sponsor our 5 children.

  • Blog post
  • 9 months ago
  • Views: 1774

• My CI experience so far! My CI experience so far!

  • From: LisaU123
  • Description:

    A couple months ago I finally decided to do what I always wanted to and sponsor a child.  After much research I decided to sponsor a child through Children International.  There were two reasons I chose CI:

    1) The fact that they aren't an organization based on a religion.  While I am chrisian I wanted to go with an prganization that focused more on covering the childs most basic needs.

    2) I liked the fact that we could send gifts to our children.  And that we know they actually receive them!

    I started sponsoring a 9 year old little girl in Ecuador named Lizbeth.  Since then I have already added 2 more!  I added Jostin a 4 year old boy from Ecuador who is disabled.  Lizbeth also has a disability and I have a niece who is disabled so in the future I want to get her involved especially in letter writing to Lizbeth since they are close in age.

    The newest addition is the little guy in my profile picture.  He is Brayan from Columbia.  My mother passed away not even 2 weeks ago and I wanted to honor her by sponsoring a child who shares her birthday.  And Brayan does :-)

    I have not received letters or anythng yet.  I have sent out packages to my first two kids and will get something ready soon for little Brayan.  I have been very impressed with the CI staff though and how they really help you with any questions or concerns.  Even though I haven't gotten any letters from the kids yet I already love them like my family.  I have received letters from the community directors and also a medical report on Lizbeth.

    I have a blog over at: http://mysponsoredangel.blogspot.com/

     

  • Blog post
  • 9 months ago
  • Views: 1757

• Jasmina, Age 14 (03/01/10) Jasmina, Age 14 (03/01/10)

  • From: jenkinsg
  • Description:

    Jasmina joined the program in July 2004. I started sponsoring her in December 2005, when she was 9 years old. I was influenced by the fact that she's basically an orphan, and the family's income was only $12 per month. And frankly, I was afraid that since she doesn't look very childlike, she'd be overlooked. It's taken 4 years to get her to smile a little bit in photos. (I think she been hiding her teeth. I suppose braces are out of the question...)

    Jasmina's mother has died and her father abandoned the family, so she lives with her mother's family in the Hughli district of West Bengal. Her family speaks Bengali. In 2009, their family income was about $50 per month. (I think the big increase is probably due to a change in the way incomes are calculated for extended-family households rather than a massive change in the family's circumstances.) She shares a 12'x9' room with her grandmother, "who loves me." Her aunt is a seamstress. Last year, a SNG of $225 enabled the aunt to start an Income Generating Project by buying her a sewing machine.

    I've also added a post to the Home Improvements thread about the work done on Jasmina's home. She says her new environment has inspired her to do well in school (which she previously did not enjoy). Getting past 3rd was a struggle, so since 2008 a portion of her SNGs have gone to tutoring.

    

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Last year, Jasmina enjoyed celebrating her birthday with a family meal where rice pudding and cake were served. Every year, she also looks forward to celebrating the Muslim holiday Id al Fitr. Dressing up in new clothes, sharing food charitably and visiting friends are important parts of the festival. A letter from last September says, "It is raining cats and dogs. It is Roza [Ramadan] month now. Id festival is after it. We all friends will go to roam [?] then. I will ask my [family] to cook delicious foods that day."

    Update: The SNG report has come in. For $235, the family was able to:

    • pay for 11 months private tutoring for Jasmina
    • plaster 2 exterior walls of their home (Jasmina says the plastering was really needed, the house looks much better and they are very happy)
      
      

       

      • purchase large amounts of food staples
      • --100 kgs of rice
      • --14 kgs of lentils or beans
      • --10 kgs (liters?) of mustard oil for cooking

      The report says that the food staples "will also help them to make some savings for other things needed by them in the household."

      So why aren't I inquiring into those additional needs? Because I don't want to deprive them of the sense of accomplishment that comes from setting a savings goal and meeting it. One reason I hardly ever inquire about needs is because I think the families will benefit from the exercise of figuring out their priorities when they have money to spend.

      In this case, presumably they could have bought some of those things they need, but they chose to buy nonperishable food items and save up instead. Why would they do that?

    There's a very important concept called "Food Security." It's related to hunger, but it's actually a much bigger problem. Statistics show that the vast majority of the poor don't really go hungry all the time--they average 2000 calories a day. The real problem is that every day they are working to buy THAT DAY's food. Since they don't know where their family's next meal is coming from, they have to take whatever work they can get to make sure they have food on the table that evening. They can't decline a low-paying job in hopes that a better offer will come along (a daily worker is someone who has to find a new boss every day), or pursue any other opportunity that doesn't come with the assurance that that they can give their children dinner and (maybe) breakfast.

    By having a few weeks or months of food on hand, the workers in Jasmina's family may be able to choose work that will pay off in higher wages, better contacts with bosses who pay higher wages, etc. Not just saving the money they would have spent on food, but actually increasing their income.

    For more about life in India, see Archana's story.

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1714

• Zarina's new pic Zarina's new pic

  • From: Sandhya60
  • Description:

    

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1701
  • Not yet rated

• More than just a happy acciden More than just a happy accident

  • From: CI_CommTAB
  • Description:

    For sponsor Maurice Galli, letters are good but seeing his sponsored child face to face would be even better. That’s why he didn’t wait long before deciding to pay her a visit. Just a little over a year after sponsoring her, he was off to the Philippines!

    Maurice wanted it to be a surprise but when he learned that it has to go through a certain process and that it would be impossible to keep it a secret, he decided to mention it in one of his letters. Although there were no exact dates, his sponsored child Ruffa Mae was so excited and looked forward to it every day.

    Little did they know that it would be the same day as Ruffa Mae’s elementary graduation! Call it coincidence but having her sponsor attend her graduation made an already special day even more special.

     

    If that wasn’t enough, the school principal thought that it would be a great honor to have a sponsor speak at the ceremonies since a significant number of her students are sponsored children. Maurice was more than happy to accept. As he calls it, it was indeed a “happy accident” that everyone would remember for a long time.

    

    In his brief but touching speech, Maurice emphasized the value of education and challenged the students to make something out of themselves and do good in school. While keeping her identity anonymous, he also promised to do anything that he can to help with his sponsored child’s studies.

    After the ceremonies, a simple celebration over stir-fried noodles and bread followed at the child’s house. Maurice was met with a warm welcome from the entire family and with a few words, they were able to express their love and gratitude for him.

    

    With this visit, he saw how significant a sponsor’s contributions are to a child and his or her family after seeing their humble situation. But more than that, it made the whole sponsorship experience more real for him. “Before she was just a picture but it’s different now, when I write letters it’s as if she’s sitting right beside me.” Now, every letter would be more personal, from a grandpa to his “Filipino grandchild,” as he calls her.

    

    P.S.

    The day after his visit, Maurice entrusted Children International with a fund that would cover Ruffa Mae’s education until college…and an additional fund to improve the child’s home.

    More than just a happy accident, a happy ending is definitely in sight!

  • Blog post
  • 5 months ago
  • Views: 1616

• Valparaiso, Chile Valparaiso, Chile

  • From: jbmariahall
  • Description:

    I sponsor Karen, a girl in Chile through the Valparaiso agency of Children International. I am eager to hear anything about the effect and needs of all ~17,000 children this agency serves. An 8.8 earthquake hit the area earlier today.  Karen lives in a community where most families survive on incomes that average around $187 a month, where  the unemployment rate is high. 

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1604

• The Joys of Sponsorship The Joys of Sponsorship

  • From: yelkcub
  • Description:

     

    One of the most enjoyable aspects of sponsorship is being able to visit with your sponsored child. I sponsor two boys in the Dominican Republic (Bianny, 10 and Roberto, 12) and I’ve been fortunate to visit with them 3 times in the past two years and to spend time with them and their families.

    One of the things I enjoy most about these visits is the opportunity to spend time with the boys and their families in their homes which allows you to see first-hand how they live. The CI staff are very flexible in allowing you to choose how you would like to spend your time. When I go I like to take everyone out for something to eat and then to go shopping for groceries and clothes.

    With each visit I’ve been able to see the changes in the boys as they grow.

    

    

    
    

    The field staff in Santiago is fantastic. On each of my visits I’ve been fortunate to have the same CI staff member with me. Yaseni goes out of her way to make sure the visits are memorable.

    Being able to visit with your sponsored child adds much more to the relationship and I would urge everyone to try and make the effort to do so. Just seeing the looks on their faces brings reward enough.

     

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1601

• Riya, Age 6 (4/23/2010) Riya, Age 6 (4/23/2010)

  • From: jenkinsg
  • Description:

    Riya joined the program in July 2009, when she was 5. I started sponsoring her in August. I was struck by how calm and self-possessed she looked in her little pink dress (and I'm glad to see her current photo also shows a happy, confidant child). 

    Riya lives in a village in West Bengal with her parents and her baby sister, Mu. Her father is a carpenter and her mother is a homemaker. Her family speaks Bengali.

    The reason I decided to sponsor her was that originally, the family income was listed as $5 (!!!) a month. The average for a simple day laborer in these communities is $30-$35. So I was concerned that this family had some sort of trouble not apparent from the limited info available on the "Sponsor Me" page. (I also considered the possibility of a typo--a dropped digit in the income figure, or some sort of temporary disruption in income.)

    After she was added to my account, I sent an inquiry about the income. Within a couple days it had been corrected to $53. So that was a relief. I also sent a letter about myself and an SNG of $175, which I hoped would be used for a latrine as well as other needs.

    Riya sent me a welcome letter, too. She was already able to write nicely in Bengali. Her first letter read: "I welcome you to the sponsorship programme. I am very happy to have you as my new sponsor. I thank you for it. I hope you are well. I am fine. I study in Grade 1. I like to read rhyme books. I like to play ball. I am grateful to you for your sponsorship. I send you my love and regards. Your's lovingly, RK"

    In the answer to my welcome letter to her (which arrived about the same time), she wrote: "I am very happy to get your letter. I like your photo. Your's and photo of your dog and cat. Hope you are well. I am well. I stay in a village. We have a market, a high school, a primary school, post office and bank in my school [village]. The communication system of my village is very good. I have a sister. Her name is Mou. We are grateful to get your help. With love, Riya."

    That line about the communications system cracks me up, coming from a 5 year-old. (I wonder if it's telecomm, or grapevine?)

    Apparently, the instructions about the SNG money were separated from the transmission because I sent them along with the inquiry about the family income. (Sahay prefers to handle these separately.) So the family chose to purchase a family bed, a ceiling fan and some clothing and school supplies for Riya. Oh well. The photos show a slightly less self-possessed Riya with her family, somewhat unhappy because Mu is fussing in the photos, I think.

    Letter (rcd April; written ?):

    DEAR MISS JENKINS, Hope you are doing well. I am fine my family is also doing well. I read in Grade I. I like to read Bengali boI go to school at 10 a.m. Our school gives over at 3 p.m. I play with dolls with my friends in the afternoon. We are grateful to you for your help. Love to you. Your loving RK.

    2010 SNG UPDATE

    Riya's SNG report came in a while ago, shortly before my house was burglarized and my laptops stolen. Today I got the doohicky that will let me walk photos from my printer to the loaner laptop I'm working on, so I can finally post.

    I had sent $235 and asked (again) for a latrine to be built. Unfortunately, it turns out that there's no room on the family property for a latrine. (!!!!) Which was in the report on the money sent last year, but it was on the 2nd page which must have gotten separated somehow, because I never got it. Debbie found it in the original file when she started checking to see why there was no explanation.

    But the purchases made with the money make for much better photos!

    
    child's bicycle (with all the trimmings!)
    doll and toys for the child (and her sister)
    mattress (for the platform bed they bought last year)
    4 frocks, 1 skirt for the child
    2 sarees for mother
    2 frocks for child's sister
    shirt & trousers for father
    50 kgs rice
    1 brass water pitcher
    6 brass plates and 6 brass bowls
    1 brass bucket

    

    

     

     

     

     

    For more about life in India, see Jasmina's story.

  • Blog post
  • 5 months ago
  • Views: 1550

• Sponsoring with CI Sponsoring with CI

  • From: Shana B
  • Description:

     

    I began sponsoring with Children International when I was in college (many years ago!) and I had 2 little girls. One was from Colombia and one was from Guatemala. I received regular updates and letters from the girls but I never interacted with them. When I began to sponsor again about 6 years ago I joined a couple of Yahoo groups. Many sponsors from various orgs were sharing about their sponsored children, sharing photos, letters, and talked about the relationships that they had. I had not taken sponsorship to that level before and when I began to interact more on the groups I began to see that I could make a difference on a personal level in the lives of my children.

    I have 4 little girls right now that I sponsor. Two are from Colombia and two are from the Philippines. Jessavel from the Philippines is the oldest and she is 15 years old. She is such an inspiration because she always tells me not to worry, that she is doing fine and that she is studying hard in school. She mentioned in the last letter that she is struggling in math but she says that she will do her best and not to worry :) My other little girl from the Philippines is Ma. Luisa. I just started her sponsorship this past summer and she is five years old. Her mother has written me 2 very sweet letters.Yiseth and Sonia are my two little girls from Colombia. They are from Cartegena, one is 9 and one is 10. They are always smiling in their photos and tell me how happy they are to have a sponsor.

    I have sponsored other children in the past from the Philppines, Zambia, and the Dominican Republic but I had to let them go due to health issues and financial changes that happened as a result. I was so thankful to find out that CI had found new sponsors for all of them when I checked. My sponsorship with CI has been a wonderful one. I sponsor with several orgs and I find this org to be very flexible, helpful, and committed to making a difference in the lives of these children.

    I have in the week that I have been out on Christmas break, created a little blog for sponsors at Blogger. It has been fun to develop.

    For Child Sponsors

     

    I hope that I can continue with all of my sponsorships until my girls graduate. God bless.

  • Blog post
  • 9 months ago
  • Views: 1493

• Meet the New LiftOne Meet the New LiftOne

  • From: Children_Intl_Admin
  • Description:

    What is LiftOne?

    Where it All Started

    The LiftOne Project began with a simple idea: what if our dedicated sponsors committed themselves to recruiting one more person to sponsor an impoverished child?
        The impact of thousands of new children being enrolled in the sponsorship program would be huge. Entire communities on the brink could be pulled back from the edge. As new community centers were built, the effects would ripple even further outwards.
        Thus, the original purpose of LiftOne was giving sponsors a tool that would help them recruit one more sponsor to the program. Users were able to build their own webpage on which they wrote about their experiences with sponsorship and posted pictures of their children. Then they sent the link to their friends and family to help inspire them to get involved.
        It was a success. The efforts of those who used the LiftOne Project pulled many families around the world out of the depths of extreme poverty and gave them new hope. In fact, it worked so well we wanted to do more.
    
    The New LiftOne Tool
        
            The LiftOne Project was great, but we wanted to make it better. We sent out an email asking current lifters what they want to see in a new LiftOne. The response was overwhelming. We took these suggestions and got to work. You’re looking at the results right now.
        Not only have all the features and functions of LiftOne changed, the very idea of "the project" has evolved. While we still hope people use this tool to help recruit new sponsors, this new tool is really a gift to Lifters. It is no longer our "Project" to you...this is merely "LiftOne", where you define what this becomes.
        It’s no secret: some of the most passionate, intelligent and active people in the world are sponsors. What would happen if we gave them a place to meet, share their stories and ideas, learn from each other and share their experiences? Nobody knows. But we’re about to find out.
        We hope you use LiftOne to meet likeminded people. That you learn new things, find new passions, and share your experiences with others. You will get out of LiftOne exactly what you put into it. May you enjoy the ride!
    
    -LiftOne Team

  • Blog post
  • 11 months ago
  • Views: 1490

• Kristen's Pictures Kristen's Pictures

  • From: dkitchin
  • Description:

    Miss USA Kristen Dalton has more of her own personal slideshows from her trip to the Dominican Republic. Here are two links:

    http://www.missuniverse.com/missusa/galleries/view/1257

    http://www.missuniverse.com/missusa/galleries/view/1258

    Enjoy! (BTW, she really is this cool in person!)

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 1477

• Jessica's Fundraiser! Jessica's Fundraiser!

  • From: LisaU123
  • Description:

    I am fundraising to get a house for Jessica.  You can read more about her on my fundraising page.  Jessica has had an extremely hard life.  She is disabled and they live where her grandmother must carry her up many cement, windy, uneven stairs.  She is going to be 12 years old and her grandmother won't be able to carry her forever.  So I am starting now to try to fundraise money to get Jessica a house that will be accessable for her.  I want her to have what my niece Kiara has, the ability to get into and out of her house on her own in her wheelchair without having to depend on her grandmother.  Here is the link to the fundraiser page:

    www.firstgiving.com/miracleforjessica

    Thank you for those who have already donated.  Anything helps and adds up. 

    

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 1444

• The Three Rs The Three Rs

  • From: CI_Staff
  • Description:

    By Scott Cotter
    
    A quick note from Kenya…
    
    About two hours outside of Nairobi there is a school that sits atop a small rise in the hard African pan. The only way to get there is a dirt road that beats vehicle and rider into a gauzy daze.
    
    The school draws Masai children from up to five miles away. It is said Kenyans make such good runners because they have to cross long distances to reach schools and often run the entire way. They leave early in the morning all by themselves and cross the distance as fast as possible to not draw the attention of animals that call this sun-baked land home.
    
    We have a book distribution program in Kenya that reaches dozens of schools all over the country, many of them like the one described above. Those books, in some unlikely places, are teaching children the three Rs and much more.
    
    When we met the children and their families of this school, the hospitality was amazing. They thanked us by singing us some traditional songs and reciting poetry. Have a look. (To see the video, click on this post.)

     

  • Video blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1410