Angela, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore…Part 2

Posted on behalf of Bailey Armstrong.

After visiting our operations in San Pedro Sula we made the three-hour drive to Copán, a beautiful little colonial town in the mountains.
We started early to tour all that Children International does for families in Copán. First, we wound our way into the mountains on a scary dirt road up to an impressive school that was constructed by a generous donor. They had five large classrooms, and a separate building for restrooms. In America, we take public restrooms for granted, but in Honduras this is often not the case. Having a bathroom for the teachers and the students goes a long way in preventing diseases caused by poor sanitation. While there, I also learned that most of the children don’t achieve higher than a sixth-grade education, a requirement by the government. It was hard for me to believe that many won’t be able to pursue their educations further, since all of the children in the classrooms seemed so enthusiastic about their studies.


Next, we visited some families in the neighborhood. We climbed up the mountainside on steep dirt roads, and I couldn’t help but wonder how the children did this every day just to get to and from school – I was exhausted from the climb and the heat halfway through the walk! It showed just how much they value their education and don’t take it for granted. I was able to meet with a couple of nice families. One family showed me their collection of jewelry made from beads and semillas, local seeds. They explained to me that they had partnered with about ten other families in the neighborhood to make the jewelry and then sell it in Copán to make a living for their families.


After making our way back down the mountain, we toured the Copán Community Center. I met some adorable children there! Initially they were rather shy, but soon warmed up to me when I gave them granola bars after I took their pictures and talked with them a bit on the playground. I was also introduced to the sewing program they have there. I was told by a woman in the program that she and her friends hope to get jobs in a maquiladora (clothing factory) once they finish the program.

Students in the sewing class trace clothing patterns.

After our busy and exciting visit to Copán we made the long drive back to San Pedro Sula where we (reluctantly) left Honduras and began our journey back home to Kansas City. I had such a great time in Honduras. This trip was such an eye-opener for me.

Of course, from all of my coworkers I’ve learned about many aspects of the services that Children International offers needy families in the world. However, I don’t think I ever really grasped all that we do until I actually experienced it. It was very hard seeing how those families live and get by, but the children were still so happy and playful; I can’t comprehend how they stay so positive. It must be because they have no other choice, and because they know nothing better, but I think a lot of it has to do with the innocence and happiness that is innate in every child – and of course, the hope they draw from the sponsorship program. I’ll never forget all of their smiling faces!

Angela, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore…

Posted on behalf of Bailey Armstrong.

What a whirlwind of a first day…

My first glimpse of San Pedro Sula, Honduras was from the plane. At first glance from above, it looked surprisingly like Kansas’ landscape, with its patchwork fields and thick stands of trees. But once we landed I quickly learned that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Spanish Spanish Spanish everywhere! Even with six years of Spanish under my belt, I still felt a little uneasy trying to navigate through the busy airport, trying to communicate with people for instructions.

I found it humorous and almost comforting that the airport officials in Honduras are also agitated when you forget to fill out the proper immigration forms in customs – just like back home.

Once we finally made it through customs, Angela (CI Program Information Officer) and I were immediately whisked from the airport and taken to Children International’s Community Center in El Milagro. On the way, I saw a great deal of the city and surrounding countryside. I was surprised by how green the area was – especially since I had been constantly warned about how hot it would be there (and it was warm).

At El Milagro, I got to see a school full of children with smiling faces, having a great time on the playground. Unfortunately, I did not get to play with them on the see-saw….


We also visited the Community Center in Asentamientos Humanos. After that we drove to a neighborhood where sponsored children live. There I met this absolutely adorable boy named Kevin whose family has greatly benefited from his sponsor’s generosity. With the sponsor’s support, they were able to buy multiple fans for their cement home, as well as a fridge and other household supplies, including the plastic chairs that they pulled outside for us to sit on while we were visiting.


This family lived comparatively well. Earlier that day, I met a family that lived in a house made of scraps of metal and wood pieced together. Upon asking, I found out that they somehow fit 10 people into a home that is smaller than my kitchen, and they have only two beds to accommodate all of these family members. Behind their home was a river that they used for bathing, and that the children sometimes play in. During the recent hurricane, this river destroyed much of the neighborhood when it flooded. Now it’s full of pollutants from the city.

Despite all of this difficulty, the families were incredibly gracious toward me. It was a very eye-opening welcome to the country and to the daily lives of the children who are touched by Children International.

Bailey and Angela are employees of Children International’s Program Services Department. This was Bailey’s first visit to Honduras. Check back on Friday for part two of her Honduras travelogue.

A Portrait Of India: Day 3

Posted on behalf of Jim Cook, President of Children International.

We’ve been working in and around Calcutta for over 25 years now. I’ve traveled here often and thoroughly enjoy the city that is like no other place I’ve ever been.

On my first visit here about 20 years ago, I thought I had entered a different dimension. I couldn’t believe my eyes, ears or nose. I couldn’t leave soon enough and wasn’t eager to return.

But now I look forward to visiting “Cal.” It’s quaint, it’s crazy, it’s colorful, it’s grim, it’s vibrant…it’s Calcutta. Or, as it has been renamed, Kolkata.

Whatever you call it, it’s unique. Get here if you can. But be open to witness life in a way you’ve likely never experienced it before.

It has taught me a lot about change and how I approach it. During that first visit, I couldn’t have imagined I would ever find the city charming. But now I do. Change. Embracing change. I do now, much better than I did before and my Calcutta experience has a lot to do with that.

I visited the United States Consul General, Henry Jardine, here today. I try to visit our Embassy or Consul representatives in every country, just to touch base and inform them of our activities.

I especially like Consul General Jardine, whom I’ve visited once before.

He very much supports the efforts of charitable organizations like Children International and has been most helpful in making sure the Consulate is represented at special events we have in Calcutta and with helping sponsored youth secure visas for attending our Children International youth conferences in the U.S.

He indicated he’ll soon be ending his stay in Calcutta and will be moving on with his family, as is the way with the U.S. Department of State. But ever since my good friend, Richard Bank, formerly of the State Department and now in practice in D.C., urged us to establish relationships with our Embassy personnel, it’s been interesting to see how acquaintances like Consul General Jardine tend to show up in other locations where we conduct sponsorship activities.


Reminds me how connected all of us are. And how much we rely upon each other to make the world work. To make it a better place for as many people as we possibly can. I hope you’ll join me.

For more photos and to read his journal entries, visit Jim's Journal: At the Heart of Calcutta.

A Picture Of India: Day 2

Posted on behalf of Jim Cook, President of Children International.

As I look over my notes, I recall with sadness the mother who was holding a child obviously very young and very malnourished...or worse.


I really didn’t need my notes to recall this situation. It’s hard to put it out of my mind.

I entered what she called a home. It was a tiny, dark place with plastic sheets for walls and not much more for a roof. Grim. On a small mat in the center of this “room” was another child…impossibly small, especially considering the one she was holding.

I turned to the field worker with me who was familiar with the mother and she informed me the mom had been told to take the baby to the doctor earlier in the month. When we asked what the doctor said, her unintelligible, illogical answer masked the real story…and at the same time revealed it. She really didn’t believe in, or understand, or could afford it if she did, modern medicine. And she had taken the child to what is referred to, appropriately, as a “quack.”

We made a note to follow up very soon with a more “hands on” intervention. It’s a matter of life and death. Literally.

This sad tale illustrates something that is a frustration yet underscores the value of child sponsorship...that mother is doing the best she knows how to do. She needs to learn how to care for her child. She has never had the luxury of education about how.

Over the years, through our sustained presence, I’ve seen sponsorship change the way individuals in entire communities approach the their own health care and that of their families.

I look forward to seeing that happen here…and the sooner the better! I will be anxiously following this child’s situation. And I’ll keep you posted. But we may have not gotten to her in time, and I’m not sure there will be a happy ending.

As bad as it sounds, it actually gets worse. The father is a rickshaw puller…or more accurately, a rickshaw driver as he uses a bicycle rickshaw. Unfortunately he was pedaling his rickshaw in a part of the city that had banned rickshaws and was summarily arrested and jailed. This clear and present “threat to society” was in jail awaiting his fate while his wife and family slowly starved.

This family was also a product of the relocation group I mentioned yesterday. The lack of wisdom and basic human compassion of both the relocation and the jailing of this “lawbreaker” is appalling. Pedaling a rickshaw. Trying to earn a living in a manner that is so hard its incomprehensible to me. Yet he’s jailed for it!

Oh, and one more thing. The woman and her jailed husband are behind on their $10 per month rent and are being threatened by the “landlord” with eviction.

So, the next time you’re thinking you’re having a bad day, consider this poor woman’s plight...a child in her arms on the brink of death, a toddler badly underweight with not a lot of hope for good nutrition, a husband in jail and a landlord trying to throw you out of what is generously described as a hovel.

We’ll do what we can for this family. I will. But we haven’t yet raised a dime that would enable us to help. Their case underscores the need for a vibrant sponsorship effort in this area. Join me in helping if you can. Call a friend. Let’s make a difference.

Update from the field...In a recent email sent to me from Neeta Goel, who is helping keep an eye on this family, she reported that our staff on the ground has been assisting them with food and medical assistance. Here are some excerpts the note she just sent to me: We began giving the mother and child some small quantities of food each day – milk, bananas, bread etc, and monitored her daily to make sure that the mother was actually eating the food, since she wouldn’t be able to nurse the baby otherwise. We monitored quantities too, knowing she would share the food with all her other kids, who were hungry too. There are no doctors in Bawana, except for homeopathic ones, and although we took the baby to these ones too, they refused to treat the child since they thought he was too sick. We then took the child to a hospital that is about six miles away from Bawana. The pediatrician confirmed that the child was severely malnourished and gave some medications that would help him put on weight. Although he still looks skinny to me, Shweta (a qualified nutritionist) confirms he is gaining weight slowly. The biggest change I saw was that he was smiling, and not screaming non-stop as I had seen him do previously. Anyway, that’s the progress within the last 2 weeks. We just completed the baseline survey and the medical exams today for all kids. Once we encode all the data, we will be able to share those reports with you too.

Tomorrow on the blog, Jim shares more thoughts from his recent trip to India. For more photos and to read his journal entries, visit Jim's Journal: At the Heart of Calcutta.

A Portrait Of India: Day 1

Posted on behalf of Jim Cook, President of Children International.

With our excellent field staff, today I visited a neighborhood obviously in the grip of harsh poverty, where we’re supporting the efforts of a badly-needed pre-school.

At this very small school, Shweta Tiwari, the staff teacher, is performing daily miracles with 15 to 20 students age 4 and under, I met with the children and their moms.


As I write this, I’m still stunned and saddened by what I heard from those mothers, one in particular. A striking woman whose clean, ivory colored sari belied the hell she has endured over the past few years.

As the articulate spokesperson for the group, she recounted how four years ago, the municipal powers informed her and the people in her neighborhood that they would be moved to a new location, as their “squatter area” was needed for new development. Progress!

Except the community the city called a squatter area was the only home she and her neighbors had ever known.

Soon the bulldozers came and the people were sent to an area far away, an area none of them had ever heard of, and certainly one to which no one wanted to go.

But go they did. Just like with so many things in their lives, they were left without a choice in the matter. That’s one of the problems of being real poor…choices are made for you. And to you…you’re left to just do your best what those choices are.

What they were in this case included renting a truck with your neighbors and moving what little you had to a new area where the current inhabitants would violently protest your intrusion.

The city provided no documentation of any type of new home or even the lot they might have been assigned. The home didn’t exist and the “lot” was determined by what can only be described as a desperate land grab of a piece of hard scrabble barely 10 feet square.

They received nothing. “Just get out,” they were told. So this poor woman, her mother and child moved out. Her world ripped out from under her.

And yet as she recounted this horror, she didn’t cry. She smiled.

I wanted to hug her and tell her how I hurt for what she has had to endure. I wish I had. But instead I just mumbled how sorry I was that she and her family had to suffer and that I hoped Children International would be able to bring something positive into what had been a pretty bad decade for her so far.

It seemed a feeble response when placed beside the magnitude of her story.

I visited her home later…it’s hard to describe how bad it was. Inside I was greeted by a goat eating something that looked like stuffing from a pillow. The stench was bad. Rats crawled through the area at night…she showed me the hole they used. I can’t imagine what the home looks like when the rains come, with such a porous roof. No toilet. Ten by ten is probably exaggerating its size. Dark.




Her name is Rafia. Her story is one that will stay with me…like many do.

She doesn’t deserve this. No one does.

I hope we can make a difference in her life…and the life of those other mothers in the room that day. I told them that it was now personal for me…meeting them and hearing their stories and looking into their dark eyes.

We must make a difference for them.

A last thought…as she described the bulldozers entering the area of her previous home, I could only think of the poignant photo of the student standing defiantly in front of the tank at Tiananmen Square in China years ago. And how this poor woman and her neighbors didn’t even have the satisfaction of knowing their plight was, at least, noted by the outside world—by someone who might care when it mattered—as was the case for that lonely student in front of the tank.

Well, even though it was four years ago, it matters now. And we’ll do what we can to help.

Tomorrow on the blog, Jim shares more thoughts from his recent trip to India. For more photos and to read his journal entries, visit Jim's Journal: At the Heart of Calcutta.

A Hidden Side to Poverty

Posted on behalf of Erin Fitzgerald

Poverty sneaks up on you in Chile. At first glance, it isn´t that visible. The bustling airport in Santiago, the lush vineyards that line the highway leading to our agency in Valparaiso and the modern hotels and restaurants give no hint of poverty.

A closer look reveals the startling truth -- that some people here live in desperate conditions.

Scenic hills are lush and picturesque. Just beyond the horizon, little shacks are carved into the sides of cliffs where people live in dangerous locations. They have nowhere else to go. Winter storms bring wind and rain and with them the threat of mudslides.

Even those who are fortunate to live in a more stable environment still have difficulty affording homes to adequately protect their families from the elements.

On Wednesday, we visited 11-year-old Luis who lives with his grandparents and siblings. With the steep dirt roads in his community, we had to walk part of the way to his home because we were concerned that the van we were traveling in wouldn´t be able to make the trip.

Thanks to the generous donation of his sponsor, Luis and his family will soon own the land their home sits on and will receive home repairs. They look forward to a house that will better shield them from Chile´s winters.

From new clothes to shoes and soon an improved home, Luis said Children International and his sponsor have been very good to him. "They provide the things that I need, the things that I´m missing" he exclaims.

While poverty may be a little harder to find in Chile, it remains a real and lingering problem. Children International and our sponsors are providing some much-needed relief.

Erin, Andrea and David will be returning from Chile on Saturday. Next week, David will share his reflections of Chile along with more photos. And don't forget, photos and stories from this trip will appear in upcoming Children International publications, emails and blogs and on our website, so watch for them soon!

Photos by Andrea Waters and David Nebel

Returning to Chile

Posted on behalf of Andrea Waters

This is my third trip to Chile in my 20 plus years at Children International. The first time I visited, the country was just beginning to find its way after so many years under the rule of Pinochet.

Today Chile has a burgeoning middle class enjoying better employment opportunities allowing them the income to purchase newer, larger homes. You see the new housing divisions popping up everywhere. Yet there are still so many suffering in older neighborhoods and squatter areas.

For those with less education and lacking skills, work can be difficult to find, or seasonal at best.

Even though it is spring here, the cooler mornings bring out the children in sweaters, colorful hats and their distinctive rosy round cheeks.

I love that the families we encounter, although quite poor, still have a resourceful and wonderful spirit.

On Tuesday we met Waldo, a proud grandfather who used to build homes. That is, until a recent health crisis left him partially disabled.

His wife, Maria, does laundry for others. During our visit she was finishing up laundry for a soccer team! Bright yellow jerseys were hung neatly in two rows. Between their two meager incomes, they support their family. Their daughter, Soledad, volunteers for Children International – usually helping the children write letters and helping clean the community center. They all work hard to support their family unit, all centered around little Jennifer, a precocious sponsored 5-year-old.


Our group is headed back out to visit more communities and children today. We will have more to share with you tomorrow.

Destination: Chile

This week a few staff members from Children International in Kansas City will be on the ground in Valparaíso, Chile. Hopefully, if technology is on our side, they'll be blogging stories and photos of the children and their families that they meet. And maybe, one of them just might be your sponsored child! Here are a couple of my favorite photos from a trip to Chile in 2005 to celebrate the agency's 25th anniversary. The photos were taken by Andrea Waters, who is there this week.




Here is a look at Children International in Chile...



Check back tomorrow as we hope to have our first report from the field!

The Little Things

Posted on behalf of Scott Cotter

Every trip to the field is a whirlwind of motion. We spend our days meeting sponsored children, talking to concerned parents, jostling down rutted dirt roads in underpowered vans and having lengthy discussions about the sometimes overwhelming sights and sounds we’ve encountered.

The days are long and often emotionally draining, yet I think to a person we’d say it’s well worth it. And two days in Guayaquil have reaffirmed a universal truth – that even though poverty is a big problem, it’s the little things that make a big difference. And I hope a few examples from Monday and Tuesday help convey in some small way how true that really is.

The Old Man and the River

Pedro stood barefoot in the rank, trash-filled mud on the banks of the Guayas river, slowly and meticulously smoothing the edge of a battered fishing boat. He didn’t even take notice as our noisy group picked its way down the suspended walkways that strung the homes together above the dirty brown muck.

Jumping down to watch his work, it wasn’t long before we were captivated by the story of his life. He’d been fishing the Guayas since he was 10, which means he has been on that river for about 60 years. With fish populations dwindling, he said it was harder than ever to find food to eat and have enough left over to sell at the market, which was his sole means of contributing to his extended family’s well being.

When his sponsored grandchildren receive school supplies, he said, it means their parents don’t have to spend what little income they earn on tuition, uniforms or other supplies, helping the family save money for other necessities.

A Birthday Surprise

Shortly after meeting Pedro, we stopped by the community center in Durán, a community on the edge of Guayaquil. Those of you who’ve been to one of our community centers understand when I say this is where the rubber really meets the road. It was absolute chaos…in a good way.

Children were lining up to receive new shoes and we saw many of them bolting from the fitting room with a grin from ear to ear. There was also a birthday celebration at the center, complete with balloons, streamers and singing. Again, it’s a small thing, but I believe the children really appreciate being made to feel special.

One mother remarked that if not for the gifts her children received from Children International, they’d receive nothing at all.

Gang Signs

Of course, a big concern many of the children in Durán and elsewhere face in urban Ecuador is gangs. That’s why we weren’t surprised to find someone at one of our community centers with some inside knowledge.

Luis, 20, was once a sponsored child but left the program when he got involved in a gang. His tattoos tell a story that contradicts the cheerful young man who now volunteers at the community center, teaching others about doing something positive with their lives.

In hushed tones, Luis talks about the things he saw on the street, most of it far too awful to discuss in detail. It was, he said, a sponsored youth’s words that changed the direction of his life. And a youth group activity that helped him finally leave the gang life behind.

A little thing, sure, but it had a lasting impact on Luis. And that’s something he’s passing along to as many others as he can.

A Sponsor’s Gift

One of our last visits in Guayaquil was to Carolina’s house. The 11-year-old is at first quiet and polite, but get her talking about her sponsor and her eyes light up and the shyness dissolves.

Carolina’s sponsor has been to visit her twice and he has always been very generous, helping to improve her home, providing her with furniture and taking her shopping. But it’s not what he can buy for her or the family that Carolina is most interested in. No, when discussing his next visit, which is planned for April 2008, she is most excited about the opportunity to tell him and his family what she has been doing in school.

The other sponsored children living nearby tell her she’s lucky to have a sponsor who comes to visit. And she agrees with a smile.

If you haven’t visited your sponsored child, we urge you to give it some thought. It was clear when we met Carolina that it holds a special place in her heart…as it does for every sponsored child we meet. If you have visited your sponsored child, please think about leaving us a brief comment here about what that meeting was like.

We’re off to Quito now, and tomorrow we hope to bring you more glimpses into the lives of the children and their families that sponsorship helps. And we'll do our best to show you some photos too! Needless to say, we experienced some technological difficulties as we tried to post photos this morning.

Once Again to Ecuador

Posted on behalf of Scott Cotter.

Even though this is my third trip to Ecuador, I don’t think I could ever tire of it. It’s a great place that always has the power to surprise – and shock – me.

The two cities we’re visiting this week are Guayaquil and Quito. And they couldn’t be more different. Guayaquil sits at sea level and is typically quite hot and humid. But August is the coolest month here so the temps will be in the mid eighties, which is actually a brief respite from the near 100-degree heat we’ve been having in Kansas City.

The people in Guayaquil are as warm as the temps that bake this port city. Even the poorest of the poor have an inescapable enthusiasm and grace. Meeting them I’m often saddened and fascinated at the same time.

Quito is near 10,000 feet and much cooler. Sweaters will be a necessity as we head out to the slums every morning. On our way, we’ll have a view of the Pichincha volcano and dense forests that surround the beautiful city. The people are friendly, but they are quiet and reserved compared to those in Guayaquil.

In sharp contrasts to the beautiful colonial architecture and green mountainsides of Quito, or the colorful adobe houses and bustling shopping districts of Guayaquil, the slums that dot the outskirts of each city are as bad as any we’ve ever visited.

We hope to share some of what we see, hear and learn with you while we’re here. So please join me, Kevin, David and Jennifer as we post updates this week from the field. Until next time…

On the Ground with Jim Cook: Images and Observations from the Philippines

Part Three

My next day in the Philippines included an early departure from Legaspi. The destination was Manila once again, this time to visit the two Children International agencies there.

I was met at the airport by the Manila staff, headed up by Cynthia Tiotuyco. Our brief greeting was punctuated by Cynthia introducing me to one of the staff members who would be taking pictures. Her name is Mabel, and she is the daughter of Alberto Garcia, a world-renowned photographer I met on my first trip to the Philippines! He is a good friend of the organization and has worked with us many times over the years.

Alberto is without a doubt the finest photographer I’ve ever met. And I’ve met some good ones. His amazing shot of the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo (yet another volcano!) has been featured in both National Geographic’s 100 Best Pictures and Time Magazine—Great Images of the 20th Century.

I was informed that Alberto would be joining us to shoot some photos, along with his daughter. What a joy it was to watch the two of them work together!

We wasted no time getting into the thick of things by paying a visit to a family that some of Children International’s writers had documented on their last visit. The family was the Garcia family (no relation to Alberto and Mabel), and the article that appeared in our sponsorship magazine Journeys described their life with the Bagbag cemetery as their home.


I had read the article, but I wasn’t quite prepared for what I saw. It’s hard to describe conditions in which the most prominent element of the “home” is the crypts—complete with headstones—that form the floor, bed, kitchen, furniture, etc.

I visited with the three generations of Garcias present and had the pleasant assignment of informing them that two Children International contributors, Ron Neal and Steve Krumholz, had joined to provide enough funds to purchase a home—a real home—for the family. This news was greeted with emotions that ran the gamut from smiles to tears…at the same time. I’m not sure who was happiest among the group…likely it was a tie for ultimate bliss of a dream come true for all!

Talk about Real Help and Real Hope. The future just changed for the Garcias!

For my next visit I followed the staff across the cemetery, picking our way over and around burial vaults. That’s a first for me. On one vault was a bone. About eight to ten inches long. Pretty much bleached by the sun. I looked at it. I looked up at the local person leading me. She nodded…yes, it was a human bone. Like I said, this was a first for me. A couple of ‘em.

After that most unforgettable visit, we traveled on to a new community center, recently completed thanks to generous contributions from our donors. It is truly a magnificently functional beacon in the community!

I also once again met my 15-year-old sponsored child, Ranie, who seems to grow substantially every time I see him. He had done a really nice drawing for me that pictured my family from an earlier photo I’d sent to him. (Sponsored children and families LOVE receiving pictures from their sponsors…I urge sponsors to do it—it is so easy and means so very much to the families!)

We left the new center and traveled through the byzantine (and extremely confusing) streets of Manila to another clinic. There I met the grandmother of Leopoldo, a sponsored child who has a very serious condition called bradycardia. His condition was discovered by a Children International doctor, Dr. Jun Santiago, during his regular medical checkup. It causes a slow heartbeat that leads to other problems and can be fatal if not addressed.

Addressed it was. In fact, on that day, Leopoldo was in the hospital preparing for surgery the next day.

Grandmother was quite emotional in expressing her appreciation for Children International donors who made the surgery possible. She presented me with a card Leopoldo had written. It said, in part: “Thank you for having a big and good heart that makes my heart strong and giving me a chance to live a long life. Maraming salamat po! [Thank You!]”

I’m eager and a bit anxious to learn how the surgery goes for Leopoldo.

After that emotional visit, it was time for me to head back to the hotel. What an amazing day it had been! Each person or family I had met underscored the essence of sponsorship—how our close connection to the children and their families in the communities, over time, enables our staff to identify needs: some basic, others, like a heart operation, not so basic.

And then, thanks to a whole lot of people—sponsors and other generous contributors—who want to make a real difference in someone’s life, we are able to…well…make a real difference in someone’s life!

*********

My last day found me at our other sponsorship agency in Metro Manila…named our Quezon City agency.

Lei Orioste is the director there and, like Zaldy in Legaspi, Lei was already working for us when I made my maiden voyage to the Philippines back in ’86. We share a lot of memories.

I toured around the office and ended up in the accounting area where a “fellow” accountant (long ago and far away I worked as a CPA in an auditing firm) looks after things in an exceptional manner. Her name is Bolet—that’s her Filipino nickname for Violeta—and I was involved in her hiring back in 1991, and I think it was the morning of the day that Mount Pinatubo erupted. It does seem that much of my history in the Philippines has been defined by volcanoes!

We talked of that day, which featured a volcanic eruption that affected sunsets around the world for months. The cloud of volcanic dust and ash over Manila made it eerily dark as night in the middle of the afternoon, and I experienced an earthquake that scared the heck out of this Kansas boy.

Lei then announced that we were heading over to “The Betty Lou,” which is the name of the new community center named in memory of Betty Lou Daul, the late wife of Ron Daul, whose MOST generous contribution built the beautiful center that celebrates her life.



Once we arrived, I participated in handing out certificates for school supplies. With these certificates, each sponsored child is able to go to a large bookstore chain located throughout Manila and select exactly what he or she needs. The children love being able to actually go to a store and buy what they want and need.

Then it was time for lunch at the center with some parents and sponsored children. It was great. The children performed some very energetic singing and dancing numbers, and no one performs like Filipinos! Surely karaoke was invented here.

We had so much fun that the mothers of the children leapt up on the stage and performed their own lively dance—what fun!

But the crowning glory to that great lunch was when a sponsored child who might have been six years old recited from memory a poem her mother had written two days before. There were a couple of amazing things happening there…first the poem, which was inspiring and moving…secondly, that this young child could have memorized it in two days boggles my mind.

Here’s just a small part of that poem that describes this mother’s feelings after her child was enrolled in sponsorship:

Thank you, Lord for these people you sent into our life. That we may better see Your goodness and love For the poor and underserved, for the needy and ignorant Our dreams and wishes, You finally grant.

That mom then directed her words to me and said that I was a blessing from God. I’m not. To most—including me for sure—that is painfully obvious. What I am to that woman was the representative of all the selfless, caring sponsors who “finally grant” the “dreams and wishes” of people who are living in oppressive poverty.

But I didn’t tell that woman that I wasn’t the or even a blessing, much as I felt like doing so. Sometimes I think people probably need to have their own blessing, and if that woman needed me to be it, so be it. And more power to her.

The staff then took me to visit a housing area where we have built 62 homes for people who lost theirs in a fire a few years ago. The homes are quite nice and the people most appreciative. Once again I was taken with what must be an irrepressible, instinctive characteristic in the woman of the house to include plants and colorful flowers in and outside her home. I have seen it over and over in my travels.

I was very happy with the homes we had built. And, we actually helped create a community for this group of people. It was quite apparent how much camaraderie there was among the people there, as shown by the young men playing basketball on the “court” (a goal with the street as the court), who were obviously enjoying themselves in their new neighborhood. Incidentally, when this housing effort was dedicated, representatives from the U.S. Embassy attended…support we always appreciate!

During this visit, it was great to see old friends and associates and meet new, enthusiastic ones. It reminded me that this organization is really all about people—people who make it possible for so many to help so many!

It also served to renew my energy for Children International’s mission. Watching the dedication and commitment of the staff, who daily do heroic things for the children, always inspires and motivates me!

I also want to take a moment to thank our Communication Coordinators, who expended Herculean effort in recording my every move so I would have photos to share with you. So thanks to Arlene DeVera in Manila, CJ Tarroja in Quezon City, Juvy Bornilla in Tabaco and Tony Lorcha in Legaspi (I might add that Tony is a former sponsored child!). You guys were great.

My time here made me extraordinarily thankful for the thousands of sponsors who, every month, make a leap of faith by sending a contribution for a child halfway around the world they likely have never met and likely never will. A contribution they trust will be put to good use and make a real difference in the life of their sponsored child. Once again, I saw that leap of faith translated into action that is, in fact, making a real difference and providing hope where it didn’t exist before!

Thanks for tagging along with me on my journey. I’m out and I’m heading home.

For more photos of Jim's visit to the Philppines, check out his photo album and listen as Jim talks about his trip.

On the Ground with Jim Cook: Images and Observations from the Philippines

Part Two

After witnessing the terrible impact of Typhoon Durian, it was a most pleasant diversion to stop and meet my 6-year-old sponsored child, Jonnalyn, and her mom here in Legaspi. She’s a charmer, and we had a nice chat, although my “strangeness” did make her understandably a bit shy. The staff had also made it possible for me to visit the sponsored child of a family friend in Kansas City. The friend was concerned about her child since the typhoon…as were many sponsors. After a brief visit with her and her mother, I was on my way.

The Chief of Programs for the Legaspi group, Angie, mentioned that the problem with Typhoon Durian was the amount of rain it brought. She had heard it dumped “half a year’s rainfall” in six hours. I looked up a year’s rainfall for this area: 133 inches. About 65 inches in six hours?

I’m not sure if that’s possible, but I do know that in 1998, over a few days, Hurricane Mitch dumped about 70 inches on Honduras, the only other place I’d seen anything like what I was seeing today. And it would take an incredible amount of water and speed to move the large boulders I was seeing…so, yeah, I think maybe I’ll buy that it was a half a year’s rainfall in six hours.

We then traveled to an area nearby called an “evacuation center.” This is where many of the sponsored families who lost their homes had been relocated on a temporary basis. There I saw many people living in tents, but more encouraging was what Children International’s contribution of approximately $200 of plywood, two-by-fours and corrugated sheet metal could do for a sponsored family and how that could become a surprisingly good shelter.

The other thing that surprised me was the spirit and positive attitude I saw in the people in this center. People whose lives had been changed forever in a nine-hour period.

One of the sponsorship program’s “volunteer coordinators” named Ambet showed us around. She is a delightful woman…so sweet and smiling…so typical of Filipinos. She, like so many people I met there, was effusive in thanking us for all we’d done. On the contrary, I thought, it was these people who had done so much…not the least of which was to once again humble me in the presence of such quiet strength.

Almost everyone we met had a dramatic story to tell. One couple had lost two children, ages 10 and 15. Once again, something I can’t even imagine. Angie also mentioned how, in the hours and days after the storm, it was so heartrending to see people staggering around with black eyes, bruises and lacerations inflicted by this killer storm.

Another young man named J.R. had suffered an injury that had left one leg in a permanently contracted position. Fortunately, he is scheduled for surgery, which our staff coordinated. That, I expect and hope, will be a happy ending, some painful physical therapy notwithstanding.

We then traveled a couple hundred yards to the site of where we hope to build 120 homes for those now living in the evacuation center. The local Governor had stated that the goal for permanent relocation should be the closest available safe site. Zaldy explained that Children International in Legaspi agrees with this goal—so he had identified some land nearby which the owner made available at a most favorable price.

Zaldy was excited because it has electricity, water and best of all, the people will not feel displaced…they will remain in their same neighborhood, surrounded by familiar places and people, able to continue jobs they had before the typhoon. Too often, we see people relocated to distant areas where they feel very alienated…causing them to return and become “squatters” in their previous location, preferring familiarity to comfort.

Here, they will enjoy both. Along with a new house, assuming we can find the money to build them.

After visiting a few other families, Zaldy handed us off to his counterpart in our Tabaco agency, Pio. Pio’s the new guy on the block as far as Filipino CI directors go, having “only” been with the program for three years. But he’s doing a great job, and once again underscores the value of injecting a fresh perspective and energy into a program.

Pio and a few staff took me to the newly completed community center outside of Tabaco. On my last visit in 2006, construction was underway but a long way from finished. It was inaugurated last September, only to have the first typhoon visit it a week later. Then Durian came calling in November and really did some damage to it.

But they’ve rebuilt where needed, in many ways better, and it looks great today. The children and their parents who were there when I visited spoke of how much they loved and appreciated the new center. It was beyond their dreams, they said.

Pio and crew also took us to visit some families whose houses were damaged or destroyed in the typhoon. Again, I was impressed with what they were able to construct with $200 and “sweat equity,” as they call the work provided by the families themselves. I say $200 – but when I asked Pio to confirm that they spent an average of about $200 on materials for what I was seeing, he corrected me by saying they only spent an average of $192! Okay, I was being recklessly imprecise. We have emphasized accountability so much over the last 20 years, I should not be surprised at such a response.

We then saw two “multi-purpose centers” that had been built since the typhoon. Unlike the larger community centers, these small centers serve fewer children and are much more modest.

But don’t tell that to the volunteer mothers who are running them! They couldn’t be prouder of these simple but effective delivery centers. Here, doctors and dentists can visit and perform their exams and children can be fed while others write letters to sponsors. Also, gift distributions such as Special Hug and Christmas gifts are delivered at these centers.

It was great meeting those moms, even though they invariably offered some of their “local flavor” dishes for a snack. Little wonder I wasn’t needing supper after the visits of the afternoon—nothing like leaf-wrapped rice or fried banana to spoil an appetite!

Adjacent to the last center was a school in which 80 percent of the children are sponsored. I met with the principal, who first thanked me for our past support and then appealed for chemistry and biology textbooks. I promised to see what I could do and am confident I (WE!) can do something to meet that need.

As it was late in the afternoon, the children had been dismissed from school but most were still playing and socializing on the large playground. Someone suggested a picture, and one of the volunteer leaders shouted across the playground for all the sponsored children to come get in the picture. I knew terror at that moment I saw myself being stampeded by hundreds of well-meaning students! I urged Juvy, the photographer, to shoot quickly and she did. Crisis averted.


After a few good-byes, we headed back to Legaspi. On the way home, we were near Mount Mayon and the many streams that drain its slopes. It is a beautiful sight from about any perspective, but I concluded, after what I seen on this day, that it is a natural beauty best viewed and inhabited from afar…and those families who put their roots down too close to that beauty can pay a price as steep as the mountain herself.

For more photos of Jim's visit to the Philppines, check out his photo album and listen as Jim talks about his trip.

On the Ground with Jim Cook: Images and Observations from the Philippines

Part One

The Philippines. I’m back. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 21 years since my first visit (check out the photo below), to this nation comprised of over 7,000 islands. It’s also hard to imagine that I would make as many trips here as I have. I lost count a few years ago at 25.


I just arrived yesterday in Manila. I’m now at the airport again, about to make the quick (45 minute) trip to the Bicol region, where we sponsor nearly 40,000 children in and around the cities of Legaspi and Tabaco.

The Philippines, the country where we have the largest number of sponsored children, has always been a favorite visit destination of sponsors. The U.S. presence, with military bases here until a few years ago (Clark Air Force Base and Subic Bay Naval Base), kept the Philippines in the forefront of the U.S. consciousness. Also, I reflected that when I first visited, the prominent role the Philippines played in World War II was a far less distant memory than it probably is today.

One thing about the Philippines: it’s a long, long way from the United States. From where I live in Kansas City, it’s about 26 hours of travel, door to door. It’s kind of tiring.

But it’s worth it. The Philippines is a beautiful country, full of really nice people. Sadly, many of these really nice people are living in really awful poverty, and that’s where Children International and our sponsors come in. Sponsors have been making a huge difference in the lives of the children and the families we’re helping…and the communities…and in some cases, entire islands and villages.

I really look forward to flying to Legaspi. Our staff there is led by Dr. Zaldy Abainza. Zaldy’s tenure with the organization exceeds mine; I vividly remember meeting him on that first trip 21 years ago.

Another reason I look forward to Legaspi is to once again see Mount Mayon, one of the most beautiful (and still active) volcanoes. It is a near perfect cone, rising dramatically from sea level—from the sea itself, in fact!—to a height of over 8,600 feet.

The volcano’s benign beauty belies her somewhat capricious and unpredictable behavior…her eruptions can be deadly.

Legaspi and Tabaco are also known for being in “typhoon alley,” and this well-deserved reputation is seemingly reinforced annually. In fact, one of the primary reasons for my visit is to see damage from a series of typhoons about seven months ago. These typhoons, led by “Super Typhoon” Durian (a super typhoon has winds in excess of 150 miles per hour), scoured much of the Legaspi area and, to a slightly lesser extent, Tabaco.

In its scouring, it obliterated or damaged the homes of many sponsored families. Now, Children International is not an emergency relief organization. We help children, each of whom has a special and distinct sponsor, day in and day out in a way that makes living in poverty a bit less difficult and much more hopeful.

That being said, as one member of the Board of Directors said at a meeting shortly after the typhoons: “These are our people who lost their homes; we have to do something!” I recall heads nodding around the room as the Board designated $1.5 million from our Endowment Fund to provide immediate emergency assistance to the many sponsored families who found themselves with nothing.

In addition, we received some excellent corporate donations, notably from the Fresh Produce clothing and CrocsTM shoes companies, which we were able to ship expediently to those in need.

Many concerned sponsors also sent additional contributions for special purchases that also went a long way toward making recovery faster for so many that were hurting.

So…that’s one big reason I’m here. I want to see for myself the typhoon destruction and what we’re doing to address it.

I landed in Legaspi and met with Zaldy and Pio Salvador, the director of the Tabaco agency. Pio made Children International history with his cell phone and text messaging in the aftermath of the storm!

My plane landed in the middle of a torrential downpour—it was interesting crossing the tarmac with the airline-issued umbrella doing its best to keep me dry…in vain, unfortunately. But Zaldy and Pio felt like I brought the rain and I was dubbed a hero for doing so, as it was sorely needed in the rice paddies in this heavily agriculture-dependent region!

After reviewing the plan for my visit, I ducked out of the rain and into the hotel, eager to get going in the morning.

***

My first full day in the Bicol area began with a glance out the hotel window to check on Mount Mayon…and it was beautiful to behold. The plume of smoke it was emitting and the rings of clouds adorning it were rose-colored in the early morning light. I snapped a picture that I hope turns out.


After a quick breakfast in the hotel, I met up with Zaldy and some staff and we headed over to the Children International office. The office is in one of our new community centers and it is good space, much improved from the cramped quarters of years prior. The center had just been opened when the typhoon of last fall hit, testing some of the construction. It held up remarkably well, but the roof was damaged and has since been repaired.

We traveled a short distance to see where the river channel from the lahar flow (lahar being the mud and sand and rock from previous volcano eruptions) devoured everything in its path. Everything included a lot of houses, only apparent now by seeing the tops of them, the rest having been filled in by the simply unimaginable amount of “stuff” that came roaring down the mountain on the tragic day back in November.

Besides the enormous quantity of the volcanic black sand and gravel, I was taken with the number and size of boulders that were also carried down the mountain – some as big as Volkswagens.

I talked to an enterprising young man at the scene who was selling postcards of various past eruptions of Mayon and the recent typhoon aftermath. He mentioned that he had been living nearby and lost his mother and a sister. A story I would hear too much on this day.

As we looked up the now-wide volcanic, black sand and gravel river channel, Zaldy pointed out a house. Only the top floor of what was a two-story house could be seen. He said that below that house, after the typhoon, a person’s moaning could be heard for a week. Rescuers dug frantically trying to get to the sound.

At this point in Zaldy’s story I was really hoping for a happy ending…I didn’t get it. They never found the person, who became another of the 600 victims who were buried by the lahar racing down the mountain and were just never heard from again.

Looking at it all, I tried to imagine the sheer terror and horror one would have experienced while witnessing it. My imagination isn’t that good…or bad. But it had to be the most violent, noisy, world-twisting, hell-on-earth that any of the survivors and the ones who died, had ever seen.

That’s all I have time for now. In my next post I’ll talk more about Durian and the way it has affected our sponsored families.

For more photos of Jim's visit to the Philppines, check out his photo album and listen as Jim talks about his trip.

In My Own Words: Pam Bourgeois

As my son Gabe and I touched down on the Valparaíso tarmack, we had no idea how much our lives were about to change. We sponsor three children, Jason, Constanza and Sebastian who live here, and we were going to meet them. We were excited about finally making a real connection with our newly extended family in Chile.

We first met with Jason, who is 13 years old, and not much younger than Gabe. I am told it was a normal sponsorship visit where we traveled to his house that is little more than a shack. Like other sponsored children, Jason was very quiet but gave us a tour of his playhouse in the backyard.

His mother was overly grateful to us for helping her son. Life has been especially hard since Jason’s father abandoned the family. That’s because Jason sees a psychologist for anger and attention problems, and must take medicine to help him focus at school.

Then it was on to meet Constanza and Sebastian who are brother and sister. We brought loads of presents for the family, but it was time that we spent together – two families, so different, but so similar – that has cemented our commitment to them. We spent an afternoon at a local amusement park where the children could just be kids, even if for only a few hours.


While we were there, I had a lot of time to speak with their mother, Karla – mom to mom. She is so young, yet watches her children wake up every day to face a life of poverty. She is so strong, and she is determined to help her children have a better life.

Gabe and I will be there to help both families as much as we are able. We live comfortably and fortunately can afford to buy items we often take for granted here in the States. Jason now has a bed with linens, blankets and the medications he needs. Constanza and Sebastian have a new chest of drawers and new toys.

But it is the fact that we can make a connection and a lasting difference in these families lives that is the lesson we take away from our trip abroad.

In My Own Words: Meeting Glendy

Sponsoring a child is a life-changing experience for many people. Sponsors can develop fulfilling relationships with their sponsored children that last a lifetime. Some are fortunate enough to travel to the remote villages and actually meet their sponsored children and their families.

“In My Own Words” is inspired by those dedicated sponsors who want to share their sponsorship story...

Three years ago, I sponsored a child in Guatemala who lived in Antigua, located 30 miles from Guatemala City. At the time, she was 5 years old and about to enter school. I thought it would be rewarding to go there and meet Glendy Roxanne Camargo and her family. I contacted the Children International world headquarters located in Kansas City to coordinate my visit.

Upon my arrival in Guatemala, I called their local headquarters in Guatemala City, and a few days later was picked up at my hotel in a mini-van provided by an interpreter. Forty minutes later we arrived in the historic city of Antigua and a compound that has a small infirmary consisting of limited dental and medical services. Of course, all the children gathered around to get a glimpse of the American visitor.

We were directed to a small office where Glendy and her mother were waiting. They were a bit quiet, and held back as after all it was our first encounter. After hugs and greetings, we were then driven to their living quarters where numerous families were housed. Tropical birds were abundant along the pathways, and tortillas were cooked on stone stoves in the open. There were also lots of flies everywhere.

Once we reached Glendy’s home, I learned that five people lived in a hut consisting of a corrugated roof, dirt floor and heavy plank walls. There were two beds, makeshift closets or small dressers, an electric stove, a small TV, no toilet or running water and, of course, lots of flies. Can you just imagine?! Needless to say, I broke down and cried – and we complain at times. I will never complain again! We are so blessed!

I met the rest of the family and disseminated the gifts I brought with me in two large suitcases. There was something for all members of the family.

Glendy loves dolls. She had two worn-out dolls of which I’m sure she loved dearly. Well, I had six dolls, and she was overwhelmed with emotion as was the rest of the family.

Soon after, we were off to Guatemala City. Glendy had never been there before, and was truly in awe of the sights and sounds along the way. The highlight of the trip was a long stay at McDonald’s. McDonald’s there is truly a showplace. I travel a lot and it is the very best.

Early in the evening, we arrived back to her compound where I also met her father and grandmother. We took more pictures with them. It came time for me to leave, and we walked back to the van. As I was about to depart, I bent down for a hug and kiss. Glendy clung on tight as she didn’t want me to leave. Of course, you know what happened next.

Yes, I cried again!!

It was one of life’s experiences I shall never forget, and I’m sure she won’t either.

Same time next year, Glendy?

Harold Wentworth

Still There Among the Dead

Good afternoon friends! Welcome to our new readers and to those who faithfully visit the blog. I want to take a minute and encourage each of you to share your thoughts, comments, opinions or even your experiences with Children International. Don't be shy! If you have a question about a story, drop us an email. Is there a topic you'd like to know more about? Again, leave a comment or send us an email. Kelly and I, along with a whole lot of other people, are here to help. And don't forget that you can sign-up with RSS so that you never miss a photo or a post!

Some of you may remember Remy from the last issue of Journeys, but we asked writer Scott Cotter to share just a little bit more about a story that inspired all of us to continue fighting this disease called poverty....

Another year has passed for Remy. Now it has been 20. Twenty years and not much has changed.

What started out as temporary – or so she thought – has turned out to be about half her life. Half a lifetime spent living in a Quezon City cemetery, eating there, raising children there, waking every morning to the same startling reality…that every part of life for her and her family is surrounded by death.

I’m not sure I could do it. Living in a rickety shack built over the top of the deceased. Or pulling a piece of cardboard over a concrete tomb every night so I had a place to lie down. But, truthfully, it hasn’t been easy for Remy either. When we were there in the Philippines on assignment, she gazed blankly at the wall when she described her sleepless nights, how she talks to the stranger in the crypt below her for comfort, and what it felt like to be so poor that escape was impossible. Her shame was palpable.

Her seven children have never known another life than the one surrounding them now. And they probably never will. There is simply no room in the congested confines of a big city for someone who only has a few dollars to his or her name. Even with our help, the costs are just too staggering and spaces too few.

I think of Remy often. We’re about the same age, though you’d probably think her to be quite a bit older than me. I guess you could say time has betrayed her – in more ways than one.

We're Blogging Until the Cows Come Home...

Moooooooo-ve over! The cows won…so we had to slow down to a crawl until the herd had safely crossed the road.

Good morning friends! We had hoped to share an update from the field, but an unforseen illness (always a potential issue when you travel outside the United States) has kept Kelly from giving us a daily update.

However, we did receive this photo...one of the many interesting views from inside the van on their drive out to the Copán Ruinas on Wednesday. Generally, not something most of us see when driving on the freeway...certainly reminding them that they weren't in Kansas (City) anymore.

Get better soon Kelly!

Check back later today and again on Saturday for the latest updates from the field.