Parasites represent one of the greatest and most common threats to the health of children living in poverty. Learn more about Children International's campaign to help poor children and their families by minimizing this health hazard.
Sponsorship is unique. Unlike soft drink bottlers and makers of barbecue sauce, we at Children International have no secret formulas to protect. Instead, the key to our success is well known: our sponsors.
Every time we help a needy child, a sponsor is involved. Every time a poor child receives an education that would otherwise be out if his or her reach, you can be sure a sponsor is behind the scenes. So, since you are such a vital part of our operation, we'd like to hear from you today.
Why not chime in by posting a comment and sharing your favorite sponsorship experience? We'd love to hear about what makes sponsoring a child memorable to you!
Every time we help a needy child, a sponsor is involved. Every time a poor child receives an education that would otherwise be out if his or her reach, you can be sure a sponsor is behind the scenes. So, since you are such a vital part of our operation, we'd like to hear from you today.
Why not chime in by posting a comment and sharing your favorite sponsorship experience? We'd love to hear about what makes sponsoring a child memorable to you!
One of the best ways to find out the straight skinny on anything is to ask someone who does it. And for those who want to know the inside story on child sponsorship, there’s no better source than the people who sponsor and the professionals who run the sponsorship programs.
Does such a definitive resource exist for people who sponsor through Children International? The answer is yes!
The Children International Sponsors Google Group is a place where sponsors and professionals from CI get together and talk. You’ll hear sponsors share their happy stories…and some sad ones also. And you’ll get a chance to communicate with people like Neeta Goel (Director of Program Services), Paul Hooper (Regional Director for Africa), other staff from the Program Services department, Greg Jones from Sponsor Services, and many others.
So if you’re curious about how to sponsor a child in Africa…what CI is doing to help feed starving children through our nutrition program…what it’s like to visit your sponsored child in Guatemala…and any number of other questions, check out the Google group today. You’ll like what you see. Most importantly, you’ll get a chance to share your ideas with other sponsors just like you – people who have decided to make a difference…and are doing it!
Does such a definitive resource exist for people who sponsor through Children International? The answer is yes!
The Children International Sponsors Google Group is a place where sponsors and professionals from CI get together and talk. You’ll hear sponsors share their happy stories…and some sad ones also. And you’ll get a chance to communicate with people like Neeta Goel (Director of Program Services), Paul Hooper (Regional Director for Africa), other staff from the Program Services department, Greg Jones from Sponsor Services, and many others.
So if you’re curious about how to sponsor a child in Africa…what CI is doing to help feed starving children through our nutrition program…what it’s like to visit your sponsored child in Guatemala…and any number of other questions, check out the Google group today. You’ll like what you see. Most importantly, you’ll get a chance to share your ideas with other sponsors just like you – people who have decided to make a difference…and are doing it!
You may have heard or read about the cyclone that hit portions of India this past weekend. Cyclone Aila narrowly missed Kolkata (Calcutta), and even though the city was spared the brunt of the actual storm, the strong winds and heavy rain caused widespread damage throughout the city.
Our regional director for Asia, Ramdas Pai, snapped this picture on his way home from work.
Other areas where Children International operates sponsorship projects – in particular, the island of Sunderban – were more heavily hit.. At this writing, we have no reports of injuries to any of our sponsored children or their families; however, the area was hit hard by the storm, and preliminary reports tell of at least 1000 homes destroyed and another 3000 damaged.
The staff of our child sponsorship agency in Kolkata is making a formal damage assessment. They are also carrying a variety of survival and medical supplies in order to tend to the immediate needs of the affected families.
If you would like to read more about Cyclone Aila and its effects on our sponsored children in India, please visit our home page and look for the red “Emergency Alert” button. And check back periodically, as we’ll be updating the website as we get new information from the field.
Our regional director for Asia, Ramdas Pai, snapped this picture on his way home from work.
Other areas where Children International operates sponsorship projects – in particular, the island of Sunderban – were more heavily hit.. At this writing, we have no reports of injuries to any of our sponsored children or their families; however, the area was hit hard by the storm, and preliminary reports tell of at least 1000 homes destroyed and another 3000 damaged.
The staff of our child sponsorship agency in Kolkata is making a formal damage assessment. They are also carrying a variety of survival and medical supplies in order to tend to the immediate needs of the affected families.
If you would like to read more about Cyclone Aila and its effects on our sponsored children in India, please visit our home page and look for the red “Emergency Alert” button. And check back periodically, as we’ll be updating the website as we get new information from the field.
Today we celebrate Memorial Day.
While it might at first seem incongruous and perhaps even a touch irreverent to use the term "celebrate" in place of "observe" for such a solemn occasion as remembering those who sacrificed their lives in the service of our country, I don't find it inappropriate at all.
The members of the United States military serve with pride and honor. In recent years, all who serve have done so of their own free will, knowing full well the price they might be called on to pay -- which bespeaks an incredible level of dedication and love for our country.
So, when I speak of "celebrating" Memorial Day, I speak of celebrating the unwavering courage and devotion of those who don our country's uniforms. I speak of celebrating the inalienable rights they fought for – and continue to fight for when and where they are asked.
I speak of celebrating an unsurpassed level of integrity, ethics and discipline; of courage in the face of death itself; of choosing to fall themselves so our flag can still stand.
It's okay to celebrate this weekend. They would want you to. And while you celebrate, pause a moment to give thanks for the men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan and other outposts around the world who are seeing to it we are still free to celebrate.
While it might at first seem incongruous and perhaps even a touch irreverent to use the term "celebrate" in place of "observe" for such a solemn occasion as remembering those who sacrificed their lives in the service of our country, I don't find it inappropriate at all.
The members of the United States military serve with pride and honor. In recent years, all who serve have done so of their own free will, knowing full well the price they might be called on to pay -- which bespeaks an incredible level of dedication and love for our country.
So, when I speak of "celebrating" Memorial Day, I speak of celebrating the unwavering courage and devotion of those who don our country's uniforms. I speak of celebrating the inalienable rights they fought for – and continue to fight for when and where they are asked.
I speak of celebrating an unsurpassed level of integrity, ethics and discipline; of courage in the face of death itself; of choosing to fall themselves so our flag can still stand.
It's okay to celebrate this weekend. They would want you to. And while you celebrate, pause a moment to give thanks for the men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan and other outposts around the world who are seeing to it we are still free to celebrate.
You won't be able to resist a smile when you meet Doña Bernardina...affectionately known to the Children International - Guatemala child sponsorship agency as "Super Grandmother"!
Do these smiling children look familiar?
Some of you may remember them from a couple of posts in last year’s blog. My colleagues, Gretchen and Scott, and I met them while we were in Zambia, Africa, last spring. Since their parents died a few years ago, the children have lived alone, fending for themselves any way they could. You can read about our visit in the following posts from our old blog:
A Fighting Chance
What It Means To Be Alone
Clementina, our Communications Coordinator in Lusaka, snapped their picture recently at one of our community centers. She reports that they are happy and well, and…all of them are now in school! A few months ago this would truly have been an impossible dream.
So a great big “thank-you” to all their sponsors. In the span of one short year you have made an incredible difference in these children’s lives!
Mary, Mwanza, Manase and Lovemore (not pictured: Clever).
Some of you may remember them from a couple of posts in last year’s blog. My colleagues, Gretchen and Scott, and I met them while we were in Zambia, Africa, last spring. Since their parents died a few years ago, the children have lived alone, fending for themselves any way they could. You can read about our visit in the following posts from our old blog:
A Fighting Chance
What It Means To Be Alone
Clementina, our Communications Coordinator in Lusaka, snapped their picture recently at one of our community centers. She reports that they are happy and well, and…all of them are now in school! A few months ago this would truly have been an impossible dream.
One year ago...
So a great big “thank-you” to all their sponsors. In the span of one short year you have made an incredible difference in these children’s lives!
If you haven’t yet received the Spring 2009 edition of Journeys magazine, chances are it’s in your mailbox now…and we think you’re going to enjoy it.
If was five years ago when our child sponsorship program first entered impoverished communities in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Lusaka, Zambia. Since then, many things have taken place that are worth talking about. And we spend a bit of time doing exactly that in this issue’s cover story, “Five Years of Change.”
We also get up close and personal with a family in Quito, Ecuador, who struggle to survive in “Stretched to the Limit.” In the story “Beyond the Shadow of Poverty,” we pay a visit to the Alaurins family in Legazpi, Philippines, to learn how one mother works tirelessly to support her children. Then we travel to Guatemala to see some Crocs (and the children who benefited from having new shoes) in the story “Gifts in Kind.” And you can read more about children waiting for sponsors in “Waiting...the Hardest Part.”
Those and other stories of change are all in this issue...ready and waiting for you to enjoy.
If was five years ago when our child sponsorship program first entered impoverished communities in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Lusaka, Zambia. Since then, many things have taken place that are worth talking about. And we spend a bit of time doing exactly that in this issue’s cover story, “Five Years of Change.”
We also get up close and personal with a family in Quito, Ecuador, who struggle to survive in “Stretched to the Limit.” In the story “Beyond the Shadow of Poverty,” we pay a visit to the Alaurins family in Legazpi, Philippines, to learn how one mother works tirelessly to support her children. Then we travel to Guatemala to see some Crocs (and the children who benefited from having new shoes) in the story “Gifts in Kind.” And you can read more about children waiting for sponsors in “Waiting...the Hardest Part.”
Those and other stories of change are all in this issue...ready and waiting for you to enjoy.
Born to parents who were among the earliest Peace Corps volunteers sent out by President Kennedy, working as Regional Director for CI’s child sponsorship program in the Africa Region comes naturally to Paul Hooper.
Paul holds an International MBA and spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer serving impoverished communities in Latin America. His wife, Julie, who works as a marketing manager for Children International, is also a veteran of the Peace Corps.
Recently, Paul shared with me one of the defining moments in his career:
“A couple of years ago I happened to be in Zambia when a young girl named Tina was being treated for a rare form of cancer. Our local staff had taken her to see every specialist possible, and they all concluded that she would need an operation to remove a large tumor from her belly, but that there was virtually no chance of her surviving the surgery. I visited Tina in her humble home one afternoon and took her a load of groceries that her sponsor had paid for and some candy valentine hearts – the kind with the little messages on them. She pulled one out of the box and asked me what it said. I told her it said “You’re Special”. Her sunken eyes lit up and she started to beam with pride. Tina died a week later.
Without CI Tina’s final days would have been spent alone and hidden in shame from her neighbors. But thanks to CI, Tina died knowing that she was special and that someone out there, someone she never met, cared dearly for her.”
Paul stands in front of the Nile River during a visit to Uganda, Africa.
Paul holds an International MBA and spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer serving impoverished communities in Latin America. His wife, Julie, who works as a marketing manager for Children International, is also a veteran of the Peace Corps.
Recently, Paul shared with me one of the defining moments in his career:
“A couple of years ago I happened to be in Zambia when a young girl named Tina was being treated for a rare form of cancer. Our local staff had taken her to see every specialist possible, and they all concluded that she would need an operation to remove a large tumor from her belly, but that there was virtually no chance of her surviving the surgery. I visited Tina in her humble home one afternoon and took her a load of groceries that her sponsor had paid for and some candy valentine hearts – the kind with the little messages on them. She pulled one out of the box and asked me what it said. I told her it said “You’re Special”. Her sunken eyes lit up and she started to beam with pride. Tina died a week later.
The generosity of her sponsor brought a little joy to Tina's last days.
Without CI Tina’s final days would have been spent alone and hidden in shame from her neighbors. But thanks to CI, Tina died knowing that she was special and that someone out there, someone she never met, cared dearly for her.”
Take a trip back into the Children International video archives to learn how a generous charitable donation from a single child's sponsor made a difference in the lives of six families and their children living in poverty in India -- and helped them start netting a profit.
"My favorite memory is when I came to the CI center for the first time. It was such a wonderful experience.
I like the education part of sponsorship, especially the library. I also like the gift distribution because CI helps us a lot. My favorite gift was a beautiful shirt.
I would like my sponsor to come to Zambia and see what he has done for me."
Jeff is one of many needy children who benefit from Children International's child sponsorship program in Zambia. To learn more about how you can sponsor a child in Africa, please visit our website at www.children.org.
Photo and reporting assistance by Clementina Chapusha.
You've most likely heard from us in recent weeks, as we contacted all of our sponsors to enlist their help with this year's Easter gifts for sponsored children.
Although not all countries where we work celebrate Easter the same as it is celebrated in America, this day has taken on special significance for them through Children International. That's due to the generosity of our sponsors, who provide them every year with gifts that, though simple, really make a difference in their lives.
In many countries our Easter gift consists of school uniforms, supplies or shoes. These are items that are essential, as often children are not allowed to attend school without them. This can pose real problems for parents who are so desperately poor that buying school supplies can mean not being able to buy food for the family. One mom in the Dominican Republic wept as her daughter received her Easter gift, saying, "Now my daughter can go to school with decent clothes."
So...from us to you...thanks. Easter is just another example of your generosity, and we -- and hundreds of thousands of sponsored children -- sincerely appreciate it.
Children International's sponsorship program provides essential items for children living in poverty. Please visit our website, www.children.org, for more information on how you can help needy children.
Although not all countries where we work celebrate Easter the same as it is celebrated in America, this day has taken on special significance for them through Children International. That's due to the generosity of our sponsors, who provide them every year with gifts that, though simple, really make a difference in their lives.
In many countries our Easter gift consists of school uniforms, supplies or shoes. These are items that are essential, as often children are not allowed to attend school without them. This can pose real problems for parents who are so desperately poor that buying school supplies can mean not being able to buy food for the family. One mom in the Dominican Republic wept as her daughter received her Easter gift, saying, "Now my daughter can go to school with decent clothes."
So...from us to you...thanks. Easter is just another example of your generosity, and we -- and hundreds of thousands of sponsored children -- sincerely appreciate it.
Children International's sponsorship program provides essential items for children living in poverty. Please visit our website, www.children.org, for more information on how you can help needy children.
“We waited for some years for someone to sponsor me. I am very happy that someone is going to help me now, thanks to my sponsor. My mother says that Children International provides a help we can rely on.” 
Photo: Angelito writes his very first letter to his sponsor shortly after becoming a sponsored child.
Photo and reporting by Joel Abelinde, Communications Coordinator for Children International’s child sponsorship program in Manila, Philippines.
It's time for eNews again!
And there's more great stuff headed your way this month. In the February issue you'll
And there's more great stuff headed your way this month. In the February issue you'll
- Read a heartwarming story about a former sponsored youth who is writing a surprising new chapter in a life that once threatened to be forever limited by a physical disability
- Learn about the basic benefits of our child sponsorship program and how their practical application helps children in poverty, and
- Go from heartwarming to heart-wrenching as you hear the story of Loveness, the girl featured in one of our television spots, and learn about the incredible difficulties she and other children like her face...and how Children International -- and our sponsors -- can help save a child from a life no child should have to live.
As you're probably aware, a little less than a week ago several of us from CI were in the Dominican Republic.
Because I've visited the Dominican Republic (or "The DR," in CI lingo) a number of times in the past, I can't say I was surprised at the poverty. Saddened, yes...but not surprised. Neither was I surprised at the heart-rending stories of incredible hardship that we heard over and over. That generally goes hand-in-hand with poverty, and it's an ugly reality.
But I'm happy to say that I wasn't surprised, either, at the way those stories usually ended. Moms, kids, families...practically all of them emphasized how hopeful they are. They also unfailingly mentioned the incredible impact sponsorship has had on their lives and how they credit their sponsors with giving them the chance to rise above their circumstances.
And it didn't surprise me when one of our doctors called me into her office to discuss several children with critical medical issues. But I'll confess that made my day -- maybe even my trip...not because of the medical issues, which are all tragic, but because of the obvious confidence in the doctor's face. She was certain the sponsorship program would be able to help, because we've developed a track record of doing just that.
To some, helping save a child from disease through reliable medical care, helping save children from poverty by providing access to education, and helping children in poverty by showing them the way to a brighter future might seem to be the stuff of superhero fables. But when you have the privilege of working with an international children's charity like Children International, it's an everyday reality.
No surprises there.
P.S. Did you see Wednesday's post by Sarah? Oscar sure could use a sponsor. Will you help us spread the word?
Because I've visited the Dominican Republic (or "The DR," in CI lingo) a number of times in the past, I can't say I was surprised at the poverty. Saddened, yes...but not surprised. Neither was I surprised at the heart-rending stories of incredible hardship that we heard over and over. That generally goes hand-in-hand with poverty, and it's an ugly reality.
But I'm happy to say that I wasn't surprised, either, at the way those stories usually ended. Moms, kids, families...practically all of them emphasized how hopeful they are. They also unfailingly mentioned the incredible impact sponsorship has had on their lives and how they credit their sponsors with giving them the chance to rise above their circumstances.
And it didn't surprise me when one of our doctors called me into her office to discuss several children with critical medical issues. But I'll confess that made my day -- maybe even my trip...not because of the medical issues, which are all tragic, but because of the obvious confidence in the doctor's face. She was certain the sponsorship program would be able to help, because we've developed a track record of doing just that.
To some, helping save a child from disease through reliable medical care, helping save children from poverty by providing access to education, and helping children in poverty by showing them the way to a brighter future might seem to be the stuff of superhero fables. But when you have the privilege of working with an international children's charity like Children International, it's an everyday reality.
No surprises there.
P.S. Did you see Wednesday's post by Sarah? Oscar sure could use a sponsor. Will you help us spread the word?
By the time you read this, I'll be on my way to the DR.
No, I'm not sick...at least, not any sicker than the thousands (millions?) of other unfortunate souls sniffling and sneezing their way through allergy season.
"DR" is the CI nickname for the Dominican Republic. And my Children International colleagues and I are getting ready to spend what promises to be an incredible week visiting our projects there.
The last time I was in the Dominican Republic, I caught the tail end of a tropical storm. That was an experience...
This time, however, we expect the weather to be more cooperative. So Andrea, Scott, Garrett, David and I will join the local CI staff for five intensive days of driving, interviewing, photographing and -- best of all -- meeting some of the great kids that make up our child sponsorship program in the Dominican Republic.
That's one of the great things about working with an international children's charity. Helping children in poverty can be an adventure!
I've been to the Dominican Republic several times. One of the places we'll be visiting is a community built right along the river. The locals say there are crocodiles in the river...but don't tell Garrett. This is his first time to go, and we don't want him to be nervous.
Look for us to blog from the field. And if you're on twitter.com, look for users named "andiwaters," "scotterman" and "CIContentGuy." If we get into any interesting situations, we'll try to let you know right away. See you soon!
No, I'm not sick...at least, not any sicker than the thousands (millions?) of other unfortunate souls sniffling and sneezing their way through allergy season.
"DR" is the CI nickname for the Dominican Republic. And my Children International colleagues and I are getting ready to spend what promises to be an incredible week visiting our projects there.
The last time I was in the Dominican Republic, I caught the tail end of a tropical storm. That was an experience...
That's one of the great things about working with an international children's charity. Helping children in poverty can be an adventure!
I've been to the Dominican Republic several times. One of the places we'll be visiting is a community built right along the river. The locals say there are crocodiles in the river...but don't tell Garrett. This is his first time to go, and we don't want him to be nervous.
Look for us to blog from the field. And if you're on twitter.com, look for users named "andiwaters," "scotterman" and "CIContentGuy." If we get into any interesting situations, we'll try to let you know right away. See you soon!
Make room in your inbox…eNews is coming!
We try to make each edition of eNews a good read, and this month will be no exception. Find out how our efforts to help needy children obtain a good education – efforts that range from providing school uniforms and supplies to distributing textbooks and furnishing scholarships – are giving poor children unprecedented access to education in Shelving Poverty.
Beyond Basic Sponsorship illustrates how donations outside normal sponsorship giving can make incredible differences in the lives of children living in poverty. By equipping their families with a means to supplement or even replace their income sources, these donations – and the sponsors who make them – are opening doors to opportunity that otherwise might have remained forever sealed.
And in Closing the Book on Poverty, staff writer Deron Denton returns to the theme of education and takes a closer look at Children International’s textbook distribution program, which provides quality textbooks to struggling school systems in developing nations.
If you’re a subscriber, you should receive eNews today. And if you’re not, you can fix that by subscribing today. Happy reading!
Those are the words of Jolo, 8, from Legazpi, Philippines. Jolo is one of the many children who enjoy the benefits of our child sponsorship program in the Philippines.
To learn more about how to sponsor a child and the many ways we help needy children around the world, please visit our website at www.children.org. Take a few minutes to read some of the fascinating stories you'll find there, or pay a virtual visit to the field as you enjoy slideshows and videos that explain how our caring sponsors help us bring hope and a brighter future to children living in poverty.
Happy New Year!
I hope 2008 was an exceptional year for you…and I hope this next year will be even better!
If you’re new to the Children International blog, I hope you enjoy “meeting” us and learning a little about what goes on behind the scenes at CI. Our blog is a place where you can get to know the staff and connect personally with our operations around the world as we work to help children living in poverty.
And if you’re one of our regular readers, welcome to our new look and feel! As you know, we’ve been blogging at http://childreninternational.blogspot.com for a couple of years now. We felt it was time to offer a more robust blogging experience – hence the upgrade. We hope you’ll enjoy it!
2009 promises to be another rewarding year. Of course, we’ll continue to improve our child sponsorship programs and reach even more needy children. That makes it exciting...and we’ll be talking about it a lot right here. A lot of kids are going to get some very vital help. Why don’t you hop on board and join us for the ride?
Stay tuned! Lots of exciting posts from lots of interesting people are coming your way. And as always, we’d love to hear you talk about what you’ve read here – both by commenting on our posts and in discussions with other sponsors on our Google group.
May 2009 be the best year ever…for you, for Children International, and – most importantly – for the children our child sponsorship program serves around the world!
I hope 2008 was an exceptional year for you…and I hope this next year will be even better!
If you’re new to the Children International blog, I hope you enjoy “meeting” us and learning a little about what goes on behind the scenes at CI. Our blog is a place where you can get to know the staff and connect personally with our operations around the world as we work to help children living in poverty.
And if you’re one of our regular readers, welcome to our new look and feel! As you know, we’ve been blogging at http://childreninternational.blogspot.com for a couple of years now. We felt it was time to offer a more robust blogging experience – hence the upgrade. We hope you’ll enjoy it!
2009 promises to be another rewarding year. Of course, we’ll continue to improve our child sponsorship programs and reach even more needy children. That makes it exciting...and we’ll be talking about it a lot right here. A lot of kids are going to get some very vital help. Why don’t you hop on board and join us for the ride?
Stay tuned! Lots of exciting posts from lots of interesting people are coming your way. And as always, we’d love to hear you talk about what you’ve read here – both by commenting on our posts and in discussions with other sponsors on our Google group.
May 2009 be the best year ever…for you, for Children International, and – most importantly – for the children our child sponsorship program serves around the world!
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