Kidding Around

Whether rich or poor, urban or rural, kids know how to have a good time. Take a look at some of the fun moments caught on camera by our Communications Coordinators.


Alejandro in Barranquilla, Colombia enjoys an afternoon of kite-flying.


Look out below! Children in Legazpi, Philippines take a little break from school to play on the slide.


Drumming up some fun in Lusaka, Zambia.


One blue bucket makes one cool hat for this boy in Rural Guatemala.



What better way to spend the day than with your friends at the beach in the Dominican Republic?

Photos from top to bottom by Patricia Calderón, Anthony Lorcha, Clementina Chapusha, Javier Cárcamo and Erenia Mesa.

Q&A with a Boy Named Gift

What is your favorite part of sponsorship?

My favorite part of sponsorship is when I receive things. My favorite was a set of pots I recently got. My mum was very excited and happy to have new pots.

What is your best memory about coming to the community center?

I was happy the first day I was allowed to read the the nice books on the shelves in the library.

What would you like to tell your sponsor?

I would like my sponsor to see my books and also visit my school and see how well I am performing - all because of her help.

Photo and reporting by Clementina Chapusha, Communications Coordinator in Lusaka, Zambia.

Youth Day in Zambia

On March 12th Zambia celebrated its youth day, a day that reminded all Zambians that youths are important. The theme of the day was “Promoting partnerships between youths and stakeholders for national development.” The celebrations were held at the Chibolya center and graced with the presence of Mary Emmett, widow of the late David Emmett (in whose honor the center is named), and her sister Judy Durr. Our Communications Coordinator in Zambia, Clementina Chapusha explains the significance of Youth Day in Zambia:

The theme Partnership between the youth and other stakeholders for national development does not simply end at youths being incorporated into adult decision making processes but must be institutionalized in issues, settings and practices that are very much part of the young people’s lives.

The partnership is about doing things together and also listening to everyone’s voice, regardless of their status in society, and embracing divergent ideas. The principle was embraced because it makes adults accountable to young people for their decisions and actions, as accountability is an integral aspect.

The children performed various dances and presented poems. Most of the poems were about how much they are affected by poverty and how HIV/AIDS has left them orphaned and at the mercy of the extended family.

Mrs Emmett was so touched by what she saw and heard from the children that she could not help shedding tears. She said her husband, who made the centre possible, was a very wonderful person who had a heart for others.

Mrs. Mary Emmett took time to dance with the youths.

Agency Director John Mufumbi thanked Mrs Emmett for her visit to Zambia and for making Youth Day a memorable day for the sponsored children.

“The help that we receive goes a long way in making significant difference in the lives of our sponsored children. Most of these are disadvantaged as they lack the basic needs such as education, health care and opportunities for promoting self esteem. With the support of our wonderful contributors we are able to make life worth living for the children.”

Photo by Clementina Chapusha.

Peter from Zambia

Peter loves being a sponsored child. He's especially happy about the opportunity to have an education. "I like the library because I have learned a lot of things, and I am doing better at school. I was very excited the day I received things for school. I was given everything I needed for school."

When asked what he would like to share with his sponsor, he knew just what to say. "I would like my sponsor to see how happy I am because of the things I received from him through Children International." Just looking at that smile, there is no doubt in my mind that he means it.

Photo by Clementina Chapusha.

What it Means to Be Alone

I just returned from nearly three weeks in Lusaka, Zambia, where my colleagues and I spent many hours working in the desperately poor communities of Chibolya and Kanyama. Children International’s community centers have made a remarkable difference in the less than four short years we’ve had a presence there.

One of the most touching stories I encountered was that of Mary and her four younger brothers and sister: Mwanza, 12, Clever, 9, Manase, 7, and Lavmo, 5. Mary is just 14, and she’s been both mom and dad to her siblings for nearly as long as any of them can remember.

These five children live completely alone. No relatives care for them. In fact, when their mom died and left them the tiny shack where they live, their relatives showed up just long enough to take whatever furniture was in the house and then left the children to fend for themselves.

One of Children International’s volunteers lives nearby, and she does what she can to look after the children, who survive any way they can. Mary goes through the neighborhood looking for opportunities to wash dishes or do laundry for her neighbors, and the older boys, Mwanza and Clever, roam the streets looking for odd jobs or just begging for food.

The day before we visited these orphans, Clever had gone to the city market to beg. When darkness fell, it was too dangerous for him to go home – so he slept all night in a ditch in the city market. Nine years old.

We’re excited because we’ve found sponsors to help Mary, Clever and Manase get on the right track. You should have seen Mary’s smile when she realized she would be able to fulfill her dream of going back to school!

But we still need to help Mwanza and Lavmo. Would you consider sponsoring one of them today? It’s bad enough to be a child living in desperate poverty…but it’s even worse to be all alone.

If you’d like to sponsor one of these children, please drop an email to blog@children.org. We’ll handle your sponsorship personally.

Photo by Scott Cotter.

Big News

I’ll admit it…sometimes I find myself sneaking around my own house.

Whenever a certain sound breaks into the consciousness of any member of my family, a mad rush ensues for the front door. If you happen to be in front of the mailbox, you could get hurt.

Ever so rarely, I just might get to be the first one to open the mail. But with a wife, four speedy kids and a ferocious Westie to compete with, that doesn’t happen very often. I guess I’m not as young as I used to be.

If you look forward to getting your mail like I do, I’ve got good news for you. We’ve made it easier for you. Any time now, you should receive this month’s edition of the Children International eNews in your email inbox! Unless your Westie is computer literate, you should win this one.


This month, we’ve got a great story (hey, I wrote it myself!) about two rising stars in the Dominican Republic who have learned the true value of education. You’ll also read about the terrible struggle Zambian children and families face as they fight to survive in a country where diseases are powerful and health care is scarce. Then you’ll learn about how you can enlist the help of your friends and family as you battle poverty through the Lift One Project.

I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag, but you might also learn about a very important birthday that’s just around the corner. Hint: look in the lower left-hand corner of the front page of eNews for more information. You can also check out our website, www.children.org, where you’ll find another story (yes, I wrote that one, too!) right on the home page that talks about the same big event.

And you don’t even have to run for the mailbox.

Photo by Jennifer Spaw.

Thanks, Annie and Sara!

Posted on behalf of Kevin Fleming.

When 12-year-olds Annie and Sara discovered the harsh realities of life for some African children from their 7th grade religion teacher, they had to ask themselves, “What can we do about this?”

“When we heard about kids with AIDS, malaria or malnutrition, we decided to do something good,” explains Sara.

For inspiration, they had to look no further than their own wrists and to the neatly woven thread bracelets they wore. They decided to create bracelets and sell them to their friends for $1 apiece. The bracelets only take about five minutes each to create – a job Annie and Sara really enjoy.

Their bracelets came with the message that more could be done to attack the problems that plague other children around the world.

A school wide bazaar provided yet another way to market their wares and raise not only money, but also awareness. They added earrings and cookies to their offerings – and made $80 in all (so far)!

They decided to donate the money to Children International and help support our work in Lusaka, Zambia. Children International – Zambia has over 200 sponsored children who have been identified as being malnourished, and 80 of these are HIV-positive.

Annie and Sara’s kind donation is going toward the purchase of new cups, plates and utensils to better serve the nutritious meals that volunteer mothers prepare at the community center three times a week.

A Sad Ending

Posted on behalf of Erin Fitzgerald


As gratifying as our work is at Children International, at times it can be emotionally wearing. For me, last week was especially heartbreaking. I was shocked to learn that Monica Mvula, a stone crusher we featured in the Winter 2007 issue of Journeys magazine, passed away. Some of you may recall that Monica hammered rocks into gravel to sell for construction work in Lusaka, Zambia.

Each and every day she, her husband and seven children struggled. Rarely was there enough nutritious food, but at least sponsorship was easing the burden by providing essentials like basic health care and educational support.

Still, Monica worried about the future of her children. “The biggest challenge in my life is the children who depend solely on me,” she once said. “I sometimes imagine if I were in no position to provide for them how their lives would become....”

Then the unthinkable occurred. Monica was diagnosed with tuberculosis and advised to no longer crush stones. Just when it seemed life couldn’t get any worse, a generous donor stepped in to help Monica start a small business. At last, the sense of security she had been grasping at for decades suddenly seemed within her reach.

Although I never met Monica, I felt like I knew her. I read quotes from her describing her life, looked through dozens of photos of her and her family, and watched video footage of her smiling and laughing. Like so many others, she was just a mom trying to support her kids – and give them the best life possible.

The news of her death hit me hard. I immediately emailed Clementina, our communications coordinator in Lusaka, Zambia, for an update. Here’s what she had to say:

“I visited the home of the late Monica Mvula. I found the widower in bed and very sick. He has a very bad cough. I had a short discussion with him because he could not stand for too long. He is not working because he is too weak to do so. He is not receiving any medical attention because he has no money.


"Monica's health had improved greatly after the first course of the TB [tuberculosis] treatment but soon after she started the second course of the TB treatment she had a stroke and her condition worsened. She was then admitted in the intensive care unit of the University Teaching Hospital until her death.

"Her children Ronica, James and Brenda who are on the program have been taken to another town…to live with their aunt because their father is too sick to look after them. Lemmy and Shadreck [both sponsored] together with their elder brother are the ones looking after their sick father....”

Clementina’s update was worse than I had feared. I wonder how Monica’s last days were spent and how she felt knowing she was leaving behind her children and a husband who couldn’t support them. Monica dedicated her life to her kids. I can’t imagine what she must have gone through.

Now poverty and sickness have torn the family apart. Fortunately, Ronica, James and Brenda have their aunt to look after them.

But I worry about Lemmy and Shadreck. What will become of them? I’m comforted by the fact that they will continue receiving the benefits of sponsorship.

Monica worked so hard, yet had nothing to show for it. Like countless other Zambians with little education and few resources, she battled for survival. Despite the support of Children International and a special donation, a better life was still out of reach for Monica. I’m hopeful that it won’t be for her children.

Almost Hell

Posted on behalf of Damon Guinn of Children International.

Another day has dawned in Kanyama, Zambia, and Shadreck Mukanjo waits outside his cracked mud hut for customers. Squatting on his haunches, he digs in the dirt with a cobbler’s tool and surveys the baked surroundings.

He’s sent his sons, Mukanjo and Biemba, to school, and now he has all the time in the world. But there isn’t a customer in sight. Who in this community of shoeless stragglers has any need for a cobbler?


Shadreck lifts himself with a heavy sigh. Hefting the weight of the world can be hard on the bones, and his are growing weary from worry. How will he ever earn the 20,000 kwacha (about $5) to pay the rent on his crumbling hut, he thinks to himself. The owner will surely come and threaten to evict them again, he frets.

It’s hard for Shadreck to imagine a greater insult than being evicted from a hut with listing walls and a huge crack that threatens to collapse the whole place at any moment. The hut’s so grim, he and his sons have spent nights trapped in a corner, waiting out the rains that flood the dirt floor. Then a disturbing thought creeps in...What if he and his sons are are buried alive when the house finally collapses?

Life has not been kind to Shadreck and his sons. Ever since his wife died and he lost his job more than 10 years ago, each day has been like purgatory. Shadreck does everything he can to scrape together 2,000 kwacha (about 50 cents) a day repairing shoes, but it’s hardly enough to cover both food and rent. There have been days when they don’t eat anything at all and must turn to their neighbors for help.
Waiting is nothing new to Shadreck...waiting for work, waiting for food...but waiting for impending disaster is hell. At least his sons have found some peace, some happiness. They are both sponsored, and the support they receive helps clothe them and keep them healthy. The fact that they are both in school definitely gives Shadreck a reason to be thankful. Having two sons in school is not common in these parts.

“My hope lies in the future of these children,” Shadreck has said reassuringly when asked about his family’s circumstances. Their future is certainly guaranteed, he believes, now that they have help from sponsorship.

And yet, there’s always a gnawing fear that he and his sons will be evicted or the house will collapse on them. But all he and his sons can do is wait. Maybe someday, Shadreck ponders to himself, they’ll find some saving grace...their waiting will end, and they’ll know what it feels like to be safe and secure.

Writer’s Note:
I met Shadreck and his sons a year ago. I had wanted to meet him ever since I heard about our staff’s first attempt to enroll Biemba and Mukanjo in sponsorship. Frustrated and enraged, Shadreck had chided our field officer, exclaiming, “I don’t know how many NGOs have come to my house to get information about me and my family, but look at my life, it hasn’t improved in any way!”

One look at his hut and Shadreck’s hostility seemed entirely justified. Their home wouldn’t even make a decent storeroom. Other groups had come and gone, leaving locals without so much as a trace of support. Why should Shadreck trust a group like ours when so many others failed to help?

During my visit, Shadreck confessed, “I trust CI because of the wonderful gifts I have been receiving together with my children and the services the organization offers.” At that moment, I desperately wanted the power to tell him we’d build him a new house. Unfortunately, regular sponsorship can only do so much.

My hope is that by writing this story, someone out there might feel compelled to build a new home for Shadreck and his sons. For them, even the simplest new home would be heaven on earth.

When I Grow Up...

"I want to be a a bus driver because I want to take people everywhere they want to go." – Himutinta, age 8, from Lusaka, Zambia.

New Hope in Zambia

This past Friday marked the opening of our latest Children International community center, located in the impoverished neighborhood of Chibolya, in Lusaka, Zambia. A number of distinguished guests attended the festivities, including the Patrick Olson family, Jodie Emmett and various Zambian dignitaries -- including the vice president of Zambia, Rupiah Banda. Clementina Chapusha, our communications coordinator in Lusaka, wrote the following account of the inauguration ceremony:

"The newly built David Emmett Community Centre in Zambia’s Chibolya compound was a hive of activity on Friday when people from all walks of life met to witness the official opening of the centre.

Among those in attendance were children, parents/volunteers, sponsors, government officials, heads of departments and institutions, the mayor of Lusaka City, the area member of parliament, CI staff and the vice president of Zambia, Rupiah Banda.

As a way of showing their appreciation, the children performed a lot of dances and recited poems, much to the amazement of the crowd. The children highlighted the need for government and its cooperating partners to work together in the fight against diseases such as AIDS which had left most of them orphaned.

The sponsors were also taken by surprise as they did not expect to see what they were seeing during the inauguration. Guest of honor Patrick Olson was visibly touched by the performance from the children and their plea to the public about their rights.

The sponsors then joined the children in their dance to show the children that they were loved and therefore were not alone.

Zambia’s vice president, Rupiah Banda, could not hide his joy.

‘There is something very unique about Children International and I think it is important to acknowledge this publicly. The funds this non-profit organization uses for such programmes, including the construction of this centre we are opening today, come from ordinary people in America who give willingly without wanting anything in return.”

The vice president then asked the sponsors to stand and be recognized for their benevolence.

After the inauguration ceremony, the mayor of the City of Lusaka, Stephen Chilatu, invited the sponsors and CI's vice president for development and marketing, Brian Anderson, to his office to sign the visitors’ book.

Brian Anderson took this opportunity to appeal to the mayor to assist CI with acquisition of land for the third centre."

The Children International David C. Emmett Center is bringing new hope to thousands of poor children in Zambia. We extend our sincere thanks to all who have worked and contributed to make this and other centers like it around the world possible.

Zambian Vice President Rupiah Banda cuts the ribbon.


Vice President Banda (center) poses with the children and the guests of honor.


The children presented some typical Zambian dances, and some of the guests joined right in.

Zambian Enterprise

Posted on behalf of Clementina Chapusha

Just a five minute drive from the beautiful, modern and well-kept streets of Lusaka’s town center is Chibolya. To visit this place would make one think they have suddenly gone back in time. Chibolya is a dusty, overcrowded shantytown where people live in abject poverty. It’s amazing that in just five minutes people can live such different kinds of lives.

Children International has been in the Lusaka region of Zambia since 2003. Over 6,500 children receive benefits and badly needed services, like dental care and educational aide. The demand for Children International’s services is so immense in Zambia that Children International is constructing its second area center in Chibolya. Around 1,900 children have enrolled even before the center has even opened. Until the new center opens, the children in the area and their parents walk four kilometers to get to the Kanyama Service Area Center for CI services.

Problems abound in Chibolya. Even greater than the hunger for food in this community is a hunger for opportunity. To really fix poverty, people must have access to work. When work is not there you must create it. With this in mind a brainstorm was initiated. Parents of sponsored children (who are also committed CI volunteers) organized themselves into a group of twelve. They united to find ways improve their economic situation and help motivate each other.

The idea of a chicken-rearing project was conceived. With the help of local Children International staff a business plan was written and a request for funding was made. The volunteers were awarded a total of US$1,000 from Children International’s micro-enterprise grant program. Their idea was now able to hatch.


They began their project with 200 broiler chicks in a small rented building, which they used as a chicken run. They secured a source for food and clean water and medicines to keep the birds healthy.

Children International has encouraged the team and inspired them to work hard towards making their project a success. Christine Nantufya is a chairperson for the group; she explains how they would like this great opportunity to grow. “This project will help all the parents who have children on the CI program. It is a group project, but after making profit we intend to give individual loans for individual businesses to empower ourselves.”

These new business people take tremendous pride in their chickens. They take tremendous pride in their new skills. All the volunteers are undergoing training in bookkeeping, entrepreneurship and proper chicken care. They have opened a bank account with a recognized bank. The account will have three signatories comprised of two volunteers and their field officer.


The project has already experienced success. The group of twelve has sold all of the 200 chickens they started with. 250 chicks have been purchased for the next round.

Clementina Chapusha is Children International’s communications coordinator in Lusaka, Zambia.

A World of Thanks

“Synergy” is one of those buzz words that runs the risk of losing its credibility because it is so often overused (and abused). But when viewed objectively, it presents a concept that is powerful: many people working together can accomplish exponentially more than the same number of people working by themselves.

Working for Children International has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Knowledge of poverty by itself only breeds greater misery; but knowledge of poverty coupled with the ability to do something about it brings the satisfaction of knowing you are making a real difference, one life at a time.

Here at CI we are keenly aware that our ability to change lives is predicated entirely on the generosity and engagement of our sponsors. That’s why I want to take a moment to stop and say “thanks” to you, our critical team members and partners in change.

Children International operates in 11 countries. (Can you name them? Colombia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States, and Zambia.) By working together with our sponsors and our field staff, we are positively affecting the lives of over 320,000 children and their families in these countries.

Please take a moment to check out this video about Children International’s work around the world, and then take another moment to give yourself a pat on the back from your teammates at CI.

Getting MAD at Malaria

To you and me, mosquitoes may be nothing more than irritating pests; but to millions of people around the world, the bite of a mosquito can mean serious illness or even death. Most susceptible to the malaria spread through the bite of these mosquitoes are small children and pregnant women, although others are vulnerable as well.

Zambia, where Children International operates one of its 18 agencies, has some sobering statistics: one out of every five children under the age of five in this developing country will likely die because of malaria.[1] In fact, the problem is so severe that malaria is the leading cause of death in Zambia.[2]

April 25 is Malaria Awareness Day in the United States…and “MAD” is a fitting acronym for this portion of the worldwide effort to conquer malaria. Leading organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are only a few of the many entities that are pouring their energy into fighting this ruthless killer.

Malaria is a problem of gigantic proportions. We at Children International realize that the chances of eradicating malaria on our own are pretty slim; however, we also know that every little bit of help counts. Although our primary focus in Zambia is on our core benefits (things like medical and dental care, nutritional support and educational assistance), we also partner with other organizations whenever possible to help protect our sponsored children from malaria. We have been involved in joint efforts to provide mosquito nets to sponsored children, and we are actively engaged in educating the children and their families on ways to help avoid becoming infected.

The difference sponsorship makes is really evident when our sponsored children do contract malaria – and this is not unusual, because around 96% of the population of Zambia is at risk.[3] The free medical care our sponsored children enjoy can literally mean the difference between life and death.

To learn more about malaria and what is being done to fight it, please click here. We hope you will join our efforts and those of the other organizations who are working hard to help families in Zambia and around the world beat the odds of malaria.


[1] Roll Back Malaria 2005 World Malaria Report
[2] http://www.fightingmalaria.gov/countries/zambia_profile.pdf
[3] Ibid

Mosquito photo courtesy of peacecorpsonline.org. Photo of child by Clementina Chapusha, Children International's communications coordinator in Lusaka, Zambia.

A Party for Lizzy

As a photographer for Children International, I’ve met hundreds -- if not thousands -- of sponsored children around the world. I was excited to learn that my next assignment would take me to Lusaka, Zambia, where I would meet my own sponsored child, Lizzy, for the first time.

I became Lizzy’s sponsor last summer after my sponsored child of 13 years, Karl, graduated from the sponsorship program. Upon realizing that I would be in Lusaka on her birthday, I started planning how I could make this special day for Lizzy.

When I met 6-year-old Lizzy at her aunt's home, she was quiet and shy. Her mother had passed away only a few months earlier and her father was no longer around. She now lives with her aunt and cousins, who have taken Lizzy and her siblings into their own family. With so many children who’ve been orphaned due to AIDS and forced to live on the streets, I was comforted by the fact that her family was caring and she had a safe place to call home.

I arrived in Lusaka hoping for two suitcases to come off the plane, but found that only one had made it to Zambia with me. Although clean clothes would’ve been nice, I was thankful it was the suitcase full of gifts that my friends, family and I had purchased and carefully packed for Lizzy and her family. It would be five days before the suitcase with clean clothes would finally catch up with me!

Later, we arrived at the new CI community center for an afternoon of birthday fun. The staff had cheerfully decorated one of the rooms and had snacks and treats for everyone to enjoy. With her first birthday party ever in full swing, the cake and gifts arrived and Lizzy’s face glowed with smiles. And so did mine...for I had received the best gift of all...a huge hug from Lizzy.

Posted on behalf of Greg, a long-time Children International photographer who has traveled around the world capturing the essence of our sponsored children and their communities in hopes of giving sponsors a glimpse into our children's daily lives. Look for more from Greg next week as he, Damon (a staff writer for Children International) and I travel to Honduras.