Welcome and thank you for taking the time to read our blog. We think you’ll like what you see. My name is Sarah Trapp, and I work as a bilingual proofreader and Spanish translator here at Children International. Along with Kelly Nix, I also serve as blog moderator.
After earning bachelors degrees from the University of Kansas, I worked as a teacher in Mexico and Dallas and served as a translator for a public school here in the Kansas City area. I came to Children International with a passion for working with children and being able to help children in poverty around the world is just about as good as it gets.
This blog brings you stories from countries near and far about the needy children that Children International serves. In addition to learning more about our sponsorship program, we let you in on some behind-the-scenes information and give you a chance to meet some of the staff. From uplifting and sometimes heartbreaking tales of children living in poverty to great photos of sponsored children and youth whose lives are changing for the better, this blog brings the sponsorship experience to life. So check back often and thanks again for reading.
Favorite thing to do:
I love to watch and practice sports - running, jumping, playing. I want to be a sportswoman!
Favorite thing about sponsorship:
What I like most are the gifts. The cleaning supplies are the things that I liked most. I like coming to the community center, especially when I have to go because my sponsor have sent me a special gift.
Message for her sponsors:
I want to tell my sponsors that I want them to visit me. I want to meet them. I love them a lot, and I send them lots of greetings.
Photo by Leopoldo Montecinos, Communications Coordinator for Children International in Chile.
That's exactly what our Communications Coordinators do every day. We get awesome photos in from them all the time, but unfortunately, there's no way we can use all of them. No need to let them go to waste! Here are some of the latest and greatest they've submitted.
Our Lusaka, Zambia community centers offer sponsored children medical and dental care, school tutoring and balanced meals, but many times, kids just come to hang out with their friends. I chose this photo not just because of the kids' smiling faces, but because of what they're watching on TV. Made me chuckle.
Volunteer mother Patricia Cuascota was leading Quito Communications Coordinator, Cecilia Carrión, around the neighborhood to take photos when she got a call that her daughter had fallen and hurt herself. She apologized profusely to Cecelia for not being able to continue the tour as she said turned to go home. No wonder Cecilia named this photo "Volunteering is an act of generosity."
Kids in our feeding program in Quezon City, Philippines aren't afraid to dig in! Photo by Carmie Carpio.
Patricia Calderón, Communications Coordinator in Barranquilla, Colombia couldn't help but snap a photo of cousins Andrea and Cheli. "They caught my attention when I found them coming back from running an errand, holding hands as if they were taking care of each other. They were wearing their uniforms and ready to go to school," Patricia says.
When Communication's Coordinator, Nivedita (Neenee) Moitra, takes her camera out into the neighborhoods of Kolkata, India, everyone wants to be in the picture.
Video by Javier Cárcamo, Communications Coordinator in Guatemala.
John Carl and I have a few things in common. He likes sponsorship. So do I. One of his chores is washing the dishes. So is one of mine. Singing is one of his talents. Well, what do you know? Me too!
But what really makes me smile about John Carl is his answer to this simple question: What makes you happy?
John Carl: "Eating chocolate cake makes me happy."
Me too, John Carl. Me too...
Photo and reporting assistance by Sarah Jane Velasco from our Tabaco, Philippines child sponsorship agency.
Maybe he's just playing. Maybe he's making a mud pie to share with friends. Maybe he's looking for worms to go fishing. Or maybe...he's trying to earn a few Quetzales.
Want to know what this boy in Guatemala is really doing? Children International's November eNews has the story.
Photo by Guatemala Communications Coordinator, Javier Cárcamo.
Every Halloween here in Kansas City we invite children to come trick-or-treat in our haunted hallways. Complete with scary music, cobwebs, creepy characters and of course, candy, Halloween at Children International is something the children look forward to every year.
Too scared to go in? No worries. We always have our helpful "guides" ready to show the kids the way with a flashlight and some reassuring words.
Check out some pictures from Halloweens past...if you dare.
Members of the Creative Department get ready to get scary.
Nope, no spells here from the wizard. But I bet he's got some candy up his sleeves.
These brave kiddos made there way through the hallway. The reward? A bag full of treats and a few fun tricks.
My spidey sense tells me that our haunted hallway couldn't scare this tough little guy.
October 16th is World Food Day, and from 1981 on, it has been creating awareness of the problem of hunger and malnutrition around the globe in the hopes of alleviating hunger.Providing nutrient-rich foods to malnourished sponsored children is an important part of Children International's child sponsorship program. In addition to inviting these children to have healthy lunches in our community centers, we teach parents how to prepare balanced meals that won't break the budget. Volunteer mothers help us keep our costs low by becoming the lunch ladies during the week and cooking and serving nutritious dishes for the children who need it.
And when times get truly desperate for our sponsored families as the cost of food rises, Children International's Lifeline Food Program is there. Through the program we are able to provide families in need with food baskets that they can take home when the cupboards are bare - without a doubt, an enormous relief for parents struggling to feed their sons and daughters.
To see just how Children International helps malnourished children regain their health, view our slideshow "Something Good to Eat."
This edition features a slideshow from the Philippines which was hit hard by Typhoons Ketsana and Parma, a little insight into child letters and photos and more. So come on. Click this eNews link, and give us your opinion. Was this a make-over do or a make-over don't?
Photos courtesy of Children International staff in Quezon City, Philippines.
As Children International continues our relief efforts in the Philippines, we are keeping our eyes and ears open for new reports on the forecasted super-typhoon Parma. This new typhoon is expected to make landfall on Saturday hitting areas farther north than Typhoon Ketsana which severely affected our sponsored populations in Manila and Quezon City.
We will continue to provide updates as we hear from our staff in the Philippines. For the latest please visit www.children.org.
"My sponsor makes me happy because my mom cannot buy shoes for me, and my sponsor gives me shoes for school. It is nice to write to my sponsor because it's like having a friend, and I like to have friends.
I would like to tell my sponsor I enjoy playing at the park in the slides. If I could, I would like to take my sponsor to play together in the slides, and I would give her a big smile. That is how I would show her how happy I am for the help I get."
Sarahi (right) with her sister Wendy.
Photo and reporting assistance by Cecilia Carrión, Communications Coordinator for Children International in Quito, Ecuador.
Tomorrow, September 17th is Special Hug Day. Sure, it may not mean much to you unless you’re familiar with Children International’s child sponsorship program. But let me assure you that this holiday is very meaningful to our sponsored children. In fact, it’s downright, well...special.
We didn’t come up with this holiday to sell cards or cheesy decorations or to make people feel compelled to commemorate the day with frivolous gifts. Perhaps the name Special Hug sounds silly, but the items the children and their families receive are nothing but practical.
Even making the bed is fun when you’ve got new clean sheets. “The bedspread is beautiful, and I like the color,” says Angie from Barranquilla, Colombia.
View our Special Hug slideshow to see gifts from past years and read what children living in poverty say about this special day.
Photo by Patricia Calderón, Communications Coordinator in Barranquilla, Colombia.
I admit it. I’m guilty. It’s been a while since I’ve written to my sponsored child, Alexis in Mexico. He’s a cute little guy, and he’s finally started writing his own letters, so what’s stopping me? Well, life goes a little crazy sometimes. I keep thinking I’ll write him, and then something else comes up.
Know the feeling? Well, there’s an easy way to write your sponsored child without sifting through card after card at the pharmacy, no stamps to buy, no need to worry about less than perfect penmanship (tell me about it) ... no excuses.
You can write a quick note to your child through Children International’s My Account. Not sure what to say? We’ve got a webpage with some suggestions. Log into your account and click on Write Your Child on the left. Letting your sponsored child know how special he or she is to you is just that simple.
I’ll be taking my own advice now. One letter to the coolest little boy in Mexico coming right up...
Press play to see how a typical sponsored family begins their day and what happens at the community center during a gift distribution. (And for a special Where's Waldo-style challenge, see if you can spot Damon and me trying to hide in the background while José waits in line for a gift from his sponsor.)
The Summer 2009 edition of Children International’s Journeys magazine may be sitting in your mailbox right now. (I got mine yesterday!) But if it’s still floating around the postal system and you just can’t wait to take a peek at all of the great stories, here’s a super secret hint just for our blog readers: It’s already live on our website!
So go! Go now! Happy reading.
If you've been checking out Children International's homepage or our blog, then you know that the International Youth Day at the United Nations is coming up in New York City. We're sending eleven of our best sponsored youth to share their messages and inspiring stories about overcoming the challenges of poverty with other youth from around the globe.
Here, David Nebel, our resident cartoonist and translator shows us what the youth might be thinking as they step off their planes into the Big Apple.
When Kelly and I started Children International’s Google Group, we knew it would be a great place for sponsors to get together and share ideas. But slowly it has evolved into something more – a group of friends who support one another ... and each other’s sponsored children as well.
The sponsors on the group share the stories of their sponsored children and the needs they face. Reading the stories and seeing an opportunity to help even more, sponsors set up fundraising projects, and the results have been pretty amazing. Some of the smaller projects funded include fundraisers for beds, food, school items, tuition, nutritional supplements and clothing. Sponsors have also raised money for Income Generating Projects which allow families to start up businesses to help them break free from poverty. As sponsor and fundraiser organizer, Heather puts it, “We are working as a group to change the lives of many families.”
These smaller projects understandably get funded much faster than the larger ones, but they are all so worthwhile. Currently Heather and company are working to build homes for two families living in poverty. You may even recognize them from past articles from Children International. First is the Mulangu Family in Zambia, a family of orphans who live in a borrowed home with the constant threat of eviction. The other is Jenie, a sweet little girl in the Philippines who lives under a bridge with her family alongside drug dealers and gangs. With the help of the fundraisers, both families can have the joy of a modest, but safe home.
If you would like to help with any of the group’s ongoing projects or see photos of the difference these fundraisers have made, please visit http://makeachangemac.webs.com/. Pages like these are just one more reason that I know Children International's sponsors are the greatest.
Gustavo Fernandez made a pit stop at Children International's headquarters to discuss his Hog for Kids program which benefits children living in poverty in the Dominican Republic.
Thanks for your generosity and for taking time out of your day to hang out with Children International's staff, Gustavo! What a cool way to make a difference in the lives of children.
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