Save A Child

On the Ground in Ecuador: Revisiting Reality

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 by CI Staff

As a former Communications Coordinator for Children International in the Dominican Republic and coming from a poor family myself, I thought I knew everything there was to know about extreme poverty; and, therefore, that it wouldn’t affect me all that much to see once again the way sponsored families live. Until now, that is...when I had the opportunity to travel to Ecuador with some staff members from Children International. It was a trip that made me face once again the reality of living in extreme poverty.

I was very moved by some of the stories of the families that we visited during our first trip to the field in Guayaquil.

I saw very nice people trying to make ends meet out of very little. We met families with sponsored children that have serious health conditions; families that survive day by day with only the bare minimum; volunteer mothers who care about their communities and believe in the sponsorship program; sponsored youth who have a chance to step up and build a better future for themselves and their families; and sponsored children have faith in their sponsors’ contributions.

We also confronted the reality that there is a lot more to be done for these families. I realized that yes, there are differences among countries, cultures, food and ethnicities; but there is also a common reality that they all face: they desperately need help. But despite the sadness of these situations, I noticed that the families we visited were always so grateful for the little they have, always with a smile on their faces, always welcoming and trying to accommodate us and make us feel comfortable in their tiny houses. It was a valuable lesson that made me think about how much we have, and how sad sometimes people's lives can be...

I was also very impressed at how the staff interacted with the sponsored families, always trying to get the best interview, the best picture, and the best story. And I was happy to know that with the support of Children International’s programs and their sponsors’ contributions, these families have at least some of their needs covered.

I am so glad for this great opportunity and for experiencing for myself – this time as a visitor – how amazing, helpful (and sometimes life-saving) is the support that Children International provides to the sponsored families. This is, without a doubt, a sponsorship program in which I personally believe.

Vilma Nebel, a former Communications Coordinator for Children International in the Dominican Republic, is traveling with the CI team in Ecuador. Check back tomorrow for an update from Senior Staff Writer Damon Guinn.

Masking the Swine Flu

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 by CI Staff

By Erin Anderson

The swine flu outbreak created fear and caused panic. Now the H1N1 virus is inspiring fashion and charitable giving in the form of surgical masks.*

Graphic designer Irina Blok of San Francisco recently created a line of masks after being laid off from her job. She had some extra time on her hands and decided to use her skills to help raise money for Children International’s child sponsorship agency in Mexico, the country where an outbreak of swine flu occurred recently.

“I thought what can I do as a designer to save the world,” Irina says half-jokingly. “I used the power of design to take something very sterile and unintriguing like a surgical mask and turn it into something that brings a smile and is a little humorous.”

Irina Blok (right) designed a line of fashion masks after an outbreak of swine flu.

Irina Blok (right) designed a line of fashion masks after an outbreak of the swine flu.

The masks – available with designs, including a pig snout, a skeleton, a beard and one with the word “oink!” – have garnered more interest than Irina bargained for. After a mention in a blog, word quickly spread, and Irina was fielding calls from newspaper and television outlets.

“I realized from the blog post that they become viral, more viral than the flu itself,” Irina quipped.

She attributes the interest to the uniqueness of the product and the need for levity during a time when the swine flu was creating fear.

“Overall, it caught that whole media frenzy about the swine flu, and it became something fun to talk about other than the statistics,” Irina points out.

The masks are $10 each plus shipping and handling, and proceeds will benefit international children's charity Children International. To purchase a mask, visit www.iloveblocks.com/swine.html.

Photo by Adam Eisendrath.

*As Irina states on her website, please note that these masks are for decorative purposes only and not for the prevention of disease.

International Food Aid Hits Home in the Heartland

Friday, April 10, 2009 by CI Staff

By Damon Guinn

The Midwest is probably the last place you’d expect to hear diplomats debate worldwide hunger and international food relief. So it may come as a surprise that Kansas City was the site of this week’s International Food Aid Conference, sponsored by the USDA and USAID.

In a sense, Kansas City could be considered the agricultural epicenter of the nation. It’s home to a major board of trade for agriculture and is surrounded by states that produce a bounty of cattle, corn, grains, pigs and poultry. What better setting then for interested parties to take a place at the table and talk about the future course of food aid?

During the conference, Tom Vilsack, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, announced that the USDA will nearly double its support of a $95.5 million food aid program that benefits starving and hungry children in poor countries.

Speaking on behalf of President Obama, Secretary Vilsack reiterated the importance of providing food relief to children in need. “The president understands that if we do that and do a better job of it, then it will make (eventually) all of us much safer, because if these kids are well-fed and well-cared for at the beginning of life, then they will see that there are boundless opportunities for them.”

The announcement is good news for Children International, considering our efforts to reduce malnutrition in several of the world’s poorest communities.

Last year, we appealed to many of you for help in providing emergency food relief to sponsored children and their families, and your response was overwhelming. We raised nearly $1 million worth of food relief for struggling families who have seen the prices of food items like rice, corn and cooking oil skyrocket – in some places as much as 75 percent.

With your support, we have been able to deliver food relief when, and where, it's needed most. And our ongoing nutrition workshops and nutritional rehabilitation programs make it possible for us to take direct action in curbing hunger and malnutrition.

In a world where a child dies of hunger every 5 seconds, your support through sponsorship is a key component of a global initiative to save lives. And that can give us all a little more food for thought.

Learn more about world hunger, and what Children International is doing to curb it, by clicking the links below:

Based on reports from The Associated Press and The Kansas City Star.

School Supplies Boost Sponsored Children’s Dreams

Wednesday, April 8, 2009 by CI Staff

By Patricia Calderón

Leidys, 12, and Yinaris, 9, are two sponsored children who are passionate about their schooling. Leidys (below) wants to be a business manager and Yinaris (below, right) wants to be a doctor. Both have earned the highest grades in their studies, and they work hard each day to make their dreams come true.

Very early in the morning, both girls eagerly traveled to their appointments at the Children International community center in Barranquilla, where each would receive a package of school supplies. And both girls were exuberant when they received their gifts – not just because they would have new school supplies for themselves, but because each had also received an additional school supply kit for a sponsored sibling.

Their mothers were also thrilled. They admitted that without this help their daughters would have had to wait a long time to get school supplies because they just didn’t have the money to buy them.

“This is a blessing from God, and I’m very happy. My husband hasn’t worked for a month, so this really helps,” said Leidys’ mother. And Yinaris’ mom spoke up through the chatter of the beaming children. “This is something I really value because it saves us a lot of money and my daughters can go to school with the proper supplies right away.”

Leidys and Yinaris live in very humble circumstances, but their hard work and enthusiasm for their studies make their parents want to sacrifice and work hard as well so they can get ahead. And while their dreams are in the works, these school kits with notebooks, writing tablets, colored pencils, Spanish and Spanish-English dictionaries, pens, pencils, pencil cases, erasers and sharpeners will help them develop their academic abilities.

“I want to be a professional and work in front of a computer, because I want to help my parents and brothers and sisters so we can all get ahead and have the things we need,” says Leidys optimistically, while Yinaris carefully examines her bag of supplies to make sure they were all in order. Meanwhile, Yinaris’ mother speaks of her dreams for her children’s future.

“We’re going to try as hard as we can, and God will have to give us strength so they can become what they have proposed. Since we did not become professionals, may they be the ones to have that opportunity,” she concludes hopefully.

Patricia Calderón is the Communications Coordinator for the Children International child sponsorship agency in Barranquilla, Colombia.

A Note from Garrett

Friday, March 27, 2009 by CI Staff

Dear Sponsors,

As the pillars of international commerce shiver and quake and the tremors spread throughout the world, billions of people are being forced to rethink their finances. We have entered an international period of belt-tightening the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. Unfortunately, the people inevitably hurt the most from this trend are those at the bottom. The one’s for whom dropping their standard of living means going without the essentials of life. Every day we hear from people who feel they need to drop their sponsorships to save money. We know it’s not an easy decision, and it’s always a sad occasion to have to tell a child they’ve lost their sponsor.

Fortunately, we also receive letters from people telling us how, when money got particularly tight, sponsorship became an even more essential part of their life. How their own financial hardships only strengthened their commitment to their children. We need to hear stories like these. They give us hope in a time when each day seems to carry more bad news.

Soon, we will be posting a story on our homepage, written by one of you, about how you’ve been able to hang on to your sponsorship despite these difficult times. If you have something to share on the subject, please send your stories and comments to gkenyon@children.org. Your entry might be chosen to appear on our website, where your words could inspire thousands of other sponsors to recommit to helping the children we serve.

As always, we appreciate your generosity and the selfless devotion you show to your sponsored children.

Sincerely,
Garrett Kenyon
Children International

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 by Kelly Nix

It's time for eNews again!

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.

We hope you enjoy eNews, and we always welcome your comments. If you're not a current subscriber, please sign up today. Thanks!

No Surprises in the Dominican Republic

Friday, February 6, 2009 by Kelly Nix

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?

Blogging "On The Fly" from the Dominican Republic

Wednesday, January 28, 2009 by CI Staff

By Scott Cotter

Our first stop Tuesday was La Mosca. The Fly. It's a community built in the shadow of a gigantic garbage dump, where many of La Mosca's residents earn their very meager incomes as "buzos" (garbage divers).

Others who have been to La Mosca talk of the overwhelming stench and battalions of aggressive flies that crawl all over everything, including and maybe especially exposed skin. I guess we lucked out because neither were a problem during our visit with "Chilo" and her children, Gabriel and Ana Isabel.

Like so many others in the community, what little income they have is derived from what the children's father finds to sell in the mounds of garbage. And it isn't much, which has Chilo filled with anxiety. But as much as she worries about their income, she seems to be far more concerned about Ana now that she's 13. And I can understand. In La Mosca, there are plenty of distractions and dangers for any child. But for a girl Ana's age, it's easy to fall in with the wrong crowd, leave school behind and end up married by age 14. In fact, it's commonplace.

There's some good news though. Ana and Gabriel are sponsored, which Chilo says is really helping the family, especially the health and education benefits they receive. She's also happy that Ana is involved in our Youth Program, which is working with young people in La Mosca to steer them clear of early marriage, keep them involved in positive activities and to make sure they have what they need and are motivated to stay in school. Chilo thinks it will have a positive impact. I do too.

As a side note, I'm happy to report that Evelyn, who is from our agency staff here in the DR (and has been a wonderful help), is just fine despite taking a rather nasty tumble down one of the steep hillsides in the garbage dump. She was covered in dirt from head to toe but came away laughing about what could have been far more serious.

Scott Cotter has traveled the globe reporting on our child sponsorship program. As a writer for Children International, Scott realizes there is more than one way to save a child...and one of his greatest contributions to our efforts to help children in poverty has been through the written word. Check out Scott's various feature stories on our website, children.org, and in eNews, Journeys and our other sponsorship publications. And don't forget to check back tomorrow for another blog from the CI team on the ground in the Dominican Republic!