On the Third Day of Christmas, Children International gave to me...

Three sponsor visits (and maybe more)

I can recall more than once hearing my mother’s tired words during the holidays.

Worn from working six days a week, taking care of three boys and making sure my dad rose every morning at four so he could make it to work on time, she’d slump down in a rickety kitchen chair at the end of a long day and caution us about our Christmas expectations.

By then the cat was out of the bag on Mr. Claus so she’d shoot it to us straight. “It’s been a tough year,” she’d start. “Your father and I want you boys to have a wonderful Christmas but we don’t have a lot of money. There just won’t be many gifts under the tree this year.”

The thing is, I don’t recall ever being disappointed. There were always gifts to enjoy but, more importantly, I was thrilled to have special visitors whom we would see only during the holidays. People like my uncle Richard, who always had a tan, drove a big shiny car and laughed so loudly the windows would rattle. Or my cousin Lori, who sounded like an alien with her sweet Georgia drawl and East Coast staccato mixed together.

What they brought to our rural Missouri lives was a view of the world we never got to experience, which made the holidays all the more wonderful.

Of course, that’s also what a visit from you brings to your sponsored child. Not only do they get to meet a special friend they cherish, they get a glimpse of the world outside the walls of poverty that surround them. And it truly doesn’t matter what time of year it is. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that with you there, it’ll feel like Christmas whether it’s December or July.

So, in honor of the holiday, and all those people (you!), who bring joy, support and a different view of the world to sponsored kids all year long, I hope you’ll share with us your own thoughts on a visit you paid to your child.

Since this is the third day of Christmas, we’re shooting for three. But we’d be overjoyed to have many, many more.

Posted on behalf of Scott Cotter.

The Hoarse Drum

This is the fourth and final legend from the field in our series of Halloween stories. Andrés Barreno, Communications Coordinator brings us a tale from Quito, Ecuador.

In the dark of night the drum produces a hoarse, distant sound, usually accompanied by the melancholic sound of a small flute. It announces the beginning and the end of the procession of doomed souls and demons who travel south through small Andean towns to the highlands of Ecuador. Two ghosts dressed in red play the drum as a coffin and packs of howling dogs follow.

Sounds of the drum can be heard from far away, warning those who wander the night to beware and return to their homes as quickly as possible. If they fail to heed the warning, they could be taken by the souls of those who have risen from their graves. Some people even say that the devil himself plays the hoarse drum...

Let this be a warning to all those sponsors who wish to visit their sponsored children in Ecuador. Enjoy your time with your child in the daylight, but when darkness falls and the faint sound of drumming can be heard in the distance, make haste back to your hotel room and lock the door behind you. The hoarse drum is calling, and the doomed souls have come out to play.

Have a safe and happy Halloween from all of us at Children International!

The picture (courtesy of Nicolás Herrera at nicolasherrera.com) depicts the funeral procession of the hoarse drum.

George's Story

My name is George, and I have been a member of Children International for six years now. It has truly been a great experience.

Two years ago I had the opportunity to meet my sponsored child, Jordana, in Chile. We had a great time spending the day together. But what made it even more special was that it was her birthday, and not just any birthday, but her sweet 15 – a very important milestone in Latin America. I took her shopping, and we shared many stories.

I am so happy that I had the chance to meet the person that I have been helping for so very long face-to-face. I loved every moment I had with Jordana. Of course, the hardest thing of the trip was when I had to say good-bye. I gave her a big hug and said my good-byes to a special girl that will always be close to my heart. It was a wonderful trip.

Because I had such a great experience with Jordana, I decided to sponsor another child – Lesly, in Guatemala. I am looking forward to meeting her and spending the day with her as well. Hopefully I can surprise her on her birthday too!

I would like to thank Children International for reaching out to children in the world who need help. I am happy to be a part of this great organization. My sponsored children have opened my eyes to so much, and I thank them both for letting me be a part of their lives. I am so very grateful. I would encourage anyone to sponsor just one child. You will not regret it.

Posted on behalf of sponsor, George Petri.

A Very Dear Friend

Posted on behalf of Patricia Huerta.

Receiving a special donation is a rare and special treat for most sponsored children. Even rarer and more special is when they receive visits from their sponsors.

That’s why Katherine, from Guayaquil, Ecuador, is such a lucky girl.


Besides receiving an abundance of special donations such as groceries, clothing, household supplies, furniture, mattresses, construction materials to improve her house and even cakes for her birthday parties and her graduation, she has received help with special training in computers and also with her college education. But most importantly, her sponsor visits her at least once a year.

Katherine dearly appreciates the gifts she has received, but there is something else she values even more: the privilege of having a friend who cares about her, who visits her and writes her affectionately. In fact, her sponsor, Gary, is like a grandfather to her.

“I feel so happy and grateful that my sponsor chose me,” states Katherine.

Gary’s help has made a tangible difference in Katherine’s life. For most of her life, she avoided smiling. “I didn’t like to smile; I started smiling when I was 17,” says Katherine, who is now 19. But her sponsor helped her obtain orthodontic treatment, and now she shares her beautiful smile with everyone.

To add to her reason for smiling, Katherine, who recently finished high school, is now studying Foreign Trade – with help from her sponsor – at Vicente Rocafuerte Secular University.

It means a lot to Katherine when Gary writes. “He’s the only person who writes to me….He’s very affectionate – he’s like a grandfather to me….He speaks only English and I need a translator to talk to him, but now at the university I’ll take English classes. I really want to learn to speak with my sponsor”.

Katherine’s mother, Eufemia, braved a bout with the dengue fever to meet with us and let us know how much she appreciates Children International and her daughter’s sponsor – and what they have done for Katherine.


“The help Children International gives is fabulous,” declares Eufemia. “People like my daughter’s sponsor get involved to help our Ecuadorian children. The affection they show the children is so great…we feel blessed.”

In Katherine’s words, “My sponsor is one of the greatest people in the world! I want to let people know that other children would feel as fortunate as I do if they could have a sponsor to be their friend, to show them that there are people out there who care about them.”

Patricia Huerta is the communications coordinator for Children International's agency in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The Sponsorship Experience

Cathy Porter says her husband was skeptical of sponsorship…until he saw it in action. Recently, the family traveled to Guatemala to visit 11-year-old José Gregorio, chosen specifically because the couple have two adopted daughters from Guatemala. Cathy shares her thoughts with us on what she describes as “a very emotional and rewarding experience.”

Why did you decide to visit your sponsored child?
Gabrielle (Cathy’s adopted daughter from Guatemala) chose José from the Children International site partially because they are the same age and both are Guatemalan (our children were adopted as infants from the country).

A big issue in choosing Children International was also that we could visit the sponsored child. Our younger daughter has contact with her birth family but since Gabrielle does not, we felt like this was a great way for her to have a similar connection.

Describe how it felt meeting José
Even though we had received photos and letters from him, we still held some doubts about whether everything we received and had been told was actually legitimate. As soon as José and his family got out of the Children International truck, we knew it was all true.

We were relieved and excited at the same time.

How did José’s living conditions differ from your expectations?
Because we have made numerous trips to Guatemala and also visited other indigenous families, we weren’t surprised by his family’s sparse living conditions. Had this been our first visit to this type of home, it would have been even more overwhelming.

Could you see the impact sponsorship was having on José?
Yes. Since Children International began helping José, he has started attending the first grade, something that his family was previously unable to afford. We also got to see the new bed that Children International staff purchased for him with a special Christmas donation we made.

What part of your visit did you enjoy the most?
We were thrilled to be welcomed into the family’s home as well as the overwhelming greeting that we received by the community. We were very surprised to find out that José’s family had prepared a special meal for us and we were humbled by the reception we received.

How were the local staff during your trip?
All of the Children International staff were very courteous. The director of the local office was very helpful with organizing and he took many photos of our visit. The translator was also extremely helpful and kind, too.

The visit was better than we could have anticipated and we were very pleased with the staff.

Now that the Porters are back home, they’re telling as many people as they can about the adventure they had in Guatemala. Not surprisingly, they’re also using our New Lift One Project to share the word with others in hopes that they’ll join the sponsorship family too. You can check out Gabrielle’s Lift One Page, read a few more details about the trip and catch a couple of photos here.

In the Hope of Changing a Few More Lives - Part 2

This is a continuation of sponsor Bennett Scher's observations about his visit to his sponsored children in the Dominican Republic and about sponsorship in general.


Do you plan to continue your involvement in Ciro's life even though he's already graduated from our program? If so, what do you hope to see him accomplish?
Ciro is now a young man. I sponsored him for 7 years, and I have sent him to vocational school so he can hopefully get a better job and move up from there. I'm providing an item, the motor scooter, something that costs about 1/2 of the total annual family income and that he could never afford himself, as a tool for earning more income, and helping the family. Hopefully I've given his life a jumpstart and he will be able to make his way.

At this point, my main focus is his sister, Bernira, who is only 14, is a great student, and has a lot of potential. There is a chance that I might be able to send her to college as well, which only costs about $1000 a year in the Dominican Republic. I’ve donated for English classes, which she is taking, and if she expresses interest, the college thing is a viable option. I'm committed to staying with her as long as she is in the program, and longer, if she opts for continuing her education. Of course, if the family or Ciro are in dire need of something, I will do my best to help them with my own money or with other drives like the motorcycle fundraiser.


Tell me a little bit about your band…I own, lead, and play guitar in a 9-piece dance band called NIGHTSONG. We play exclusively at high-end corporate events and private functions, mainly in the larger hotels/facilities in the Greater Washington DC/Baltimore area. Hopefully one day we will be able to perform at a Children International fundraiser if the need ever arises!

Would you recommend sponsorship to others?
Yes, I would recommend it to anyone. The cost is minimal – less than 75 cents a day – so it’s a no-brainer. I've seen the way the organization works from the inside out. That $22 a month buys so much more than you could imagine...shoes, backpacks, school supplies, regular dental and medical checkups, access to a community center, library, and even if a child's sponsor stops sponsoring them, they stay in the program. You can write the children, visit them, send extra gifts that go directly to them, and so much more.

To sum up, I'd say that the program exceeded my expectations greatly, and the experience of visiting the children has been the most rewarding thing I've ever done. As much of a gift as it is for them to be helped by me, it's at least as much or more of a gift to me to be able to help them! I've already got a few friends interested in getting involved, and intend to share my story with everyone I meet, in the hope of changing a few more lives!

In the Hope of Changing a Few More Lives - Part 1

I hope you enjoyed Erin Fitzgerald’s video, Children at Work, that’s currently featured on our website. (Haven’t seen it yet? Click here to check it out!)

Bennett Scher is a long-time Children International sponsor – to be exact, the sponsor of Ciro, the young man who is featured in the video. I was with Bennett a few months ago in the Dominican Republic, and he graciously agreed to answer a few questions for me. I thought I’d share them with you…


How long were you Ciro's sponsor? What led you to sponsor him in the first place?
About 7 years, and I can't remember if it was a TV ad, or an email, or some type of Internet ad. People always ask me this, and unfortunately, I can't recall. I do remember what led me to sponsor his sister, and that was simply when I met her, I knew within a few minutes that I wanted to sponsor her too.

What was your impression when you walked into Ciro's home for the first time?
It was similar to how I imagined it in its size and construction. A wood house with a metal roof. I wasn't surprised since I had done a lot of reading and was as prepared as I could have been. It was different in that I was impressed with how nicely they had it fixed up inside, with little decorations, furniture, a small TV, and a very homey feel. I was impressed with how little they had, yet how much pride they had in their home.

Did visiting Ciro's home make him more real and more human to you?
Yes, of course it did. I saw how he lived, how little he grew up with, and how grateful they are for so little. It was a wake-up call for me since we have so much here and always seem to focus on what we don't have. I got to look him in the face and hear him speak, and see how humble and shy he is, and see how hard it must be for him to relate to me and for him to comprehend how I would come all the way down there just to visit him.

What led you to start a project to buy Ciro a motorcycle, and how is the project coming along?
On the second visit in October of this year, I found out that Ciro had major transportation issues, with getting to and from his job. He had to ride a beat up bicycle (which he said was very difficult to pedal) to and from work, at least 45 minutes each way, before starting his long day on the banana farm. He said that some nights when he got home from work, he was so tired that he would just fall into bed without even eating dinner.

I was upset to hear this because I had thought that he had a little motorcycle which I had seen on the first visit, but apparently that was his dad’s and wasn’t always available. I immediately asked Franklin (a Children International employee) how much a decent used motorcycle would cost, and we eventually came up with a goal of $725. I mentioned that I wished I could buy it for him but it was a lot for me, in addition to my other contributions. He suggested that I try to raise the money, and I said “I don’t think I can.” But then he contributed $75 to get me started. I hadn’t thought of it like that…and I said, “Well, I can give $50.”

By the end of that day, back at my hotel in Santiago, I had raised almost $300. Some was from two strangers that I had just met, who thought it was a wonderful idea and offered to help without me even asking, as well as another sponsor, etc. Within a couple of weeks, when I was back home, I had met my goal thanks to the help of good friends here in the U.S.

When I returned to the Dominican Republic two weeks later, I was able to tell Ciro that he would be receiving a call from a C.I. representative shortly, to go out and buy him the transportation he so desperately needs!!! He will be able to get to and from jobs and school now more easily and with more self esteem, as well as be able to help his family with chores and also perhaps with getting other family members to work too!


This photo turned out a bit blurry, but it captures a once-in-a-lifetime moment...Bennett had just broken the news to Ciro that he would be getting a motorcycle -- and had given him a toy bike to represent what was coming!

Check back tomorrow for the rest of Bennett's observations on sponsorship and his visit to the Dominican Republic.

An Unforgettable Experience – Part 3

A sponsor of seven children, Steve Krumholz recently traveled to the Philippines as a volunteer on a surgical mission trip sponsored by the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America. While in the Philippines, he had the opportunity to visit not only his sponsored children, but also the children and their families that he has helped support with generous contributions since becoming a friend to Children International in 2006.

Part 3

At the community center, Cynthia Tiotuyco introduced me to 10-year-old sponsored child Rachel Labayo, who also lives in Bagbag Cemetery. Rachel felt bad that her mom works so hard to provide for the family. Rachel found a small piece of open dirt, in the midst of a sea of cement graves, and planted vegetables so her family had additional food. I was taken so much by this story of ingenuity and motivation that I asked to sponsor one of her siblings and was introduced to 8-year-old Marjorie, who became my 7th sponsored child.

On the following Monday, Cynthia Tiotuyco and her staff took me to two special locations. The first stop was at Santo Nino Elementary School in Caloocan City. This school had a new classroom built through the fundraising efforts of Aura’s House. When I entered the compound that contains Santo Nino School, I was greeted by a group of majorettes doing a dance routine, while dozens of 1st graders waved flags for me. In the background I could see the nine classes share an open classroom area. Not very conducive to a good learning environment, but they were making the most of limited classroom space (due to overcrowding in schools, there are three shifts of students, from 6 AM until 10 AM, 10 AM until 2 PM and 2 PM until 6 PM).

After completion of the choreographed dance routine by the majorettes, I was led to the classroom of Christian Capin, whose classroom was funded by Kristen Palana, the founder of Aura’s House.


Upon entering, I was loudly greeted by a sea of smiling faces. Christian, a tiny 9-year-old boy, presented me with a drawing of his classroom and a handwritten letter thanking me, Aura’s House and Children International for the construction of this special classroom. Then an upper classman, a third grader sang “Hero” to me – though I think the words are more appropriate for the Aura’s House team who helped make this classroom a reality: “So when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong and you’ll finally see the truth, that a hero lies in you.”

Our final stop was at Bagbag Cemetery, where Eduardo Garcia and his family formerly lived. Rachel and Marjorie Labayo and their siblings still call it home. After stopping at Eduardo’s former home, which is now occupied by his paternal grandmother, I climbed over dozens of graves, almost one on top of the other, to reach the Labayo home. A tarpaulin stretched over several pieces of wood covering three graves was home to this family of eight. An extension cord powered a fan and a single light bulb. I sat for photographs with Rachel, Marjorie and the Garcias and realized how fragile their lives are, nestled among the dead who rested here. I resolved to find a home for Rachel and Marjorie so they can also escape from the isolation of living here.

I realized that, as sponsors, we are heroes to our sponsored children. I know that not everyone has the means or ability to visit their sponsored children, but hopefully you will take comfort in knowing that your sponsorship is making a world of difference in the lives of others – children you may never meet, but who will think of you as their heroes.

On my trip to the Philippines I met many who I consider heroes. The surgeons who give freely of their time and talents to bring world class surgical care to their impoverished countrymen. The Children International field staff in Legazpi City and Manila/Quezon City, and the many staffers and executives in Kansas City who paved the way for a very successful visit. They made me feel like their best friend and they went to great lengths to make me feel welcome, to help me see the big picture and understand how sponsors fit into the global community of helping others.

To the sponsored children and families I met – the Maninangs, the Garcias, the Beltrans, and the Labayos – I owe a great deal of affection and admiration for their strength amidst seemingly overwhelming odds against them. As sponsors you can make a difference in the lives of others. Perhaps you will never meet your sponsored children, but please know that you are a hero to them…. “It’s a long road when you face the world alone”, but you are reaching out a hand for them to hold.

An Unforgettable Experience – Part 2

A sponsor of seven children, Steve Krumholz recently traveled to the Philippines as a volunteer on a surgical mission trip sponsored by the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America. While in the Philippines, he had the opportunity to visit not only his sponsored children, but also the children and their families that he has helped support with generous contributions since becoming a friend to Children International in 2006.

Part 2

After completing the surgical mission, I returned to Manila where I was to meet my sponsored child Eduardo Garcia, an 11 year old boy, and the Beltran sisters Lovely Sophia, age 7 and Richelle Joy, age 9. I first came to learn about the Garcia family when they were featured in the sponsorship magazine, Journeys. I was stricken with concern about how these families could live among the dead in Bagbag Cemetery. At the time, I sponsored two children in Colombia and Ecuador and was looking to add two more. However, time passed and the Garcia family slipped my mind until the March 15th blog post. There were Remy Garcia’s hollow eyes staring at me once again. I knew I couldn’t wait for others to do something. I contacted Children International to sponsor one of the Garcia children and to also explore finding a new home for the family, somewhere out of the cemetery.

"Real help, real hope for the New Year. Mr. Steve Krumholz, a sponsor of Children International – Manila, visited recently his sponsored child Eduardo Garcia. Together with Mr. Ron Neal, he literally dug out Eduardo and his family from the grave and from poverty of living in Bagbag Cemetery and given them a new house and a new life."

When a house was found, the cost was a bit beyond my reach. However, Vickie Wiedenmann at CI headquarters in Kansas City, continued to search for other sponsors who might help with funding. She found sponsor Ron Neal. Together, we were able to purchase a home for the Garcias, and Children International CEO Jim Cook had the enviable job of delivering the good news to the family upon his visit to June 2007. To Ron Neal, whom I’ve never met, I want to extend my sincere thanks for helping make a dream come true for the Garcia family.

I was able to meet Eduardo Garcia and his family in the house he refers to as a “palace.” Eduardo’s “palace” is small, but offers two bedrooms, a bathroom and a combined kitchen and living room. An adjacent apartment consisting of two rooms is rented out and helps bring the family much needed income. Compared to the small tarpaulin covered shanty the family called home for almost 20 years, the Garcias’ new home is a treasure.

Lovely Sophia and Richelle Joy Beltran were two girls I became acquainted with in the “Easter Shoes” blog post. These two young girls were still coping with the death of their mother four years earlier, as their father, Rio, struggled to provide for his family.

Although I am not their sponsor, I wanted to help them because it saddened me that at the ages of 7 and 8 they were receiving their first pair of new shoes. These two little girls treasure this one pair of new shoes provided by their generous sponsor. I wanted to do something more to help the family out. Over the course of a few months, I was able to help their father, Rio, make improvements to their home, including adding two new walls, a new bed to replace the rickety one where the girls used to sleep, and installing electricity. Rio was also able to start a small business selling frozen meats to neighbors.

I was greeted by a large banner welcoming me to their community when I entered the Beltran home. Amid many tears, Rio hugged me and I felt as though he was a long lost brother. I was encouraged that I had made the right decision to help this family by the happy smiles of Lovely Sophia and Richelle Joy.

We collected both the Garcia and the Beltran families and went to one of the largest shopping malls in the Philippines. The mall has partnered with Children International to provide an extra 10% to each sponsored child’s visit. Eduardo Garcia and the Beltran girls were presented with stuffed pillows in the shape of animals by mall representatives. Eduardo’s wish was for a bicycle. With a helmet, knee and elbow pads and a lock, he is now ready to ride to school. The Beltran girls settled for clothes, but the look in Lovely Sophia’s eyes as she tried on a new dress spoke volumes about her happiness. Richelle Joy is more reserved, but still, when she picked out an Elmo T-shirt, she was a very happy girl.

After shopping, we returned to the Community Center, where a holiday party was in progress. I was stunned by the warm reception provided by Agency Director Cynthia Tiotuyco and her staff. Their greetings made me feel like a celebrity! The sponsored teens at the Manila field office made me feel special as well when I praised their efforts to notify and educate their friends about dengue fever and parasitic diseases. There were so many intelligent and sincere teens that I met there. Just looking into their eyes made me see that their future holds great promise.

Check the blog again tomorrow to read how Steve was inspired to sponsor yet another child.

An Unforgettable Experience

A sponsor of seven children, Steve Krumholz recently traveled to the Philippines as a volunteer on a surgical mission trip with the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America. While in the Philippines, he had the opportunity to visit not only his sponsored children, but also the children that he has helped as a supporter of Children International since 2006.

Part One of Three

I first came to sponsor Cindy Maninang, a tiny 9-year-old girl, after reading a few months ago about the plight of her family on the blog post titled “The Face Behind the Fence.” I provided food assistance to the family to help them get beyond the lean period they were still experiencing many months after Typhoon Durian.

Cindy and I met when Dr. Zaldy Abainza, CI’s Legazpi City Agency Director, brought her and her family to the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital, site of the surgical mission where I was working. Cindy, standing shyly next to her parents, Salvador and Digna, and sisters Sandra and Sarah, took my right hand and pressed it to her forehead as a sign of respect for an elder. That simple gesture helped me see the gratefulness within her eyes for what sponsorship means to a child.


Sponsoring Cindy meant that she could begin school – first grade – as it provided her with a uniform and book bag. The field office staff happily reported that Cindy was excelling in her studies.

I had brought a few simple gifts for Cindy and 12-year-old Sandra, who is a head taller but not much heavier. After I gave the two older girls t-shirts and colored pencils, Dr. Abainza pulled me aside to review some of the plans for the afternoon’s visit. In just those few minutes, Cindy and Sandra found some paper and, using the colored pencils, drew a colorful flower for me to take home.

After leaving the hospital, we traveled to the Community Center to meet the CI staff, who greeted us warmly. Then we took Cindy and her family to downtown Legazpi City, where I had prearranged a holiday shopping trip for the family.

As an American, it is pretty commonplace for us to visit malls, supermarkets and restaurants on a regular basis. Cindy and her family had never visited any of these establishments, so they had the overwhelming experience of visiting all three for the first time.

To see the look of wonderment in their faces at the size and variety of stores made a great impression on me. While shopping in the supermarket for food, I had to reassure the little girls that it was OK to take cookies or candy for their shopping cart. Meanwhile, their parents worked with CI staff to obtain staples such as rice, cooking oil and vegetables.


At the restaurant, the CI social worker took the responsibility of ordering for the family as none had ever been to such a place before and the number of choices, like in the grocery store, was new, different and overwhelming. After leaving the mall, we took the family home to a resettlement village being built by several organizations at the far reaches of the Legazpi City service area.

Although darkness had fallen and there was little light available, a simple kerosene lamp illuminated the new home that Salvador is building for his family. In a space about 10’ x 10’ the family of 9 is building a home and, with sponsorship, hope…for a future that will hopefully see Cindy and her sisters bloom like the flower drawing they had presented to me several hours earlier.

Make sure to visit the blog tomorrow to share Steve’s experience in Manila.

Soggy Success in Santiago

Early Monday morning, I drove to one of Kansas City International Airport’s peculiar, round terminals and hopped on a plane....Destination? Santiago, Dominican Republic.

I guess I was shell-shocked from my last two trips, with the haunting memory of hours spent in airport terminals or stopped on the tarmac waiting for the bad weather to lift from the airports I needed to reach in order to get home.

But this time, all went incredibly smoothly. I didn’t even know a tropical storm had hit Santiago until I got off the plane and found out it was raining cats and dogs outside. And today it was evident that it won’t take much to cause some severe flooding…authorities are having to open the floodgates on the dam to relieve the incredible stress it’s under, and water is just a few feet away from some of the shacks of the hopelessly poor people who have nowhere to live but along the riverbanks. I’ll try to get pictures tomorrow if I can.


Today I spent the day with a warm and gracious couple named Frank and Alejandra Moll. The Molls are from Los Angeles, although their roots are Dominican and Cuban. They are in the Dominican Republic to visit 26 of their 27 sponsored children – 18 of these in Santiago (the rest live in Santo Domingo, while one child lives in Guatemala). Besides the Molls, the rest of the group was made up of Diomaris, chief of sponsor relations for Children International’s Santiago agency; Nurys, who works in Sponsor Relations, and world traveler, new CI development officer and all around cool guy Jeremy Parker, who speaks English, French, Spanish (he says he doesn’t!) and two African languages I won’t even try to pronounce. And of course, we couldn’t have made it without William, our patient van driver who each night swabs the mud out of his van and lovingly polishes it inside and out, only to see it turned into a mud pit by the end of the day.


We took the Molls to the Children International community center in El Flumen. This community center is modern and airy, and is generally packed with families who show up to receive sponsorship benefits, see the doctor or dentist or attend a workshop. Then, after a quick visit with the staff and a tour of the facilities, we braved the rain back to the van and headed out to visit two of the Moll’s sponsored children. Warm welcomes awaited us in the cramped and humble structures these families call home (odd—they were both bright yellow), and some of the kids couldn’t resist hamming it up for the camera.


But the most exciting part came next. We drove to a popular pizza place, where the Moll’s 18 sponsored kids from the Santiago area met us, along with their families. Talk about a crowd – we OWNED the place! Smiles, laughter, a few tears, songs, speeches, gifts…I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that not one of those children will ever forget the day their sponsors came to town.


We were accompanied on this part of the trip by Pedro, the Santiago agency’s photographer, who came along to film the event. Pedro is a neat guy…He started working for Children International about a year ago, after working 10 years as a professional photographer. Pedro’s older brother was sponsored by Children International in the early 90s, but Pedro didn’t realize we were the same organization – since at that time our agency was known by a local name – until he was in the final parts of the interview process.


As he speaks about the work Children International does in Santiago, his eyes burn with the fervor of a true believer. Like others, he has discovered parts of his own city he never dreamed existed until he began to work for CI – areas where poverty lies over the communities like a deathly pall. But he has seen what sponsorship will do, and he feels working for Children International is his calling.

“Sometimes I just want to brag [about sponsorship],” smiles Pedro. “I am so proud to work for Children International!”

P.S. Frank Moll asked me to pass along a challenge…he’d like someone to outdo him and sponsor 28 children. But, says Frank, if you have just one sponsored child, sponsor another; you’ll be twice as rewarded!

I’ll be blogging more in the next couple of days about the time I spend in the communities and the grand opening of our newly remodeled community center in Cienfuegos, so please check back.

In Their Own Words...

Recently, Matt and Amy Carrithers attended the inauguration of the Nina Rae Wesson community center in Mexico. The center holds a special place in their hearts – it's named after Matt's sister, Nina. The Carrithers recently shared their experience with their friends and family and allowed us to share it with you...

Thursday 8/30/07

We checked out of our hotel and went to the opening and dedication ceremony of the Nina Rae Wesson Center…the jewel in the crown of this visit. We were let in first, before the crowds, before the ceremony began. The property is on a hilltop with panoramic views of the city and the mountains surrounding it. The top level is a huge courtyard with a basketball area and a lovely bright blue wall (great for wall-ball!) - then steps go down to the slopy playground, then the two-story center itself. It is gorgeous inside, light, airy and clean. Pots of geraniums sitting in the sunshine. Lovely tiles.

We rounded a corner and there was the huge portrait of our lovely Nina and her children…we had forgotten it was going to be there, and it took several long minutes for us all to recover. The portrait and accompanying plaque are the heart of the main floor of the center, displayed prominently…her sunny smile will be reflected in the faces of the thousands, thousands of kids who see it and read about who she was.

We feel strongly that all the children of Jalisco are also Nina’s children now. We know without question that she would be so humbled, so honored, that we have continued her legacy of kindness in this way. As Matt put it - “My sister has many, many friends…some she never had the chance to meet.”

The ceremony was fantastic. A children’s choir sang. There was a military-style presentation of the Mexican flag (which we quickly learned how to salute!). Many wonderful, emotional speeches in Spanish and English. We had a wonderful lunch on the upper courtyard, during which we were amazed, looking around at all the dressed-up tables: here we are in a foreign country, strangers in a strange land, and we were looking at so many friends. Everywhere we looked: friends we’d made. An all-female mariachi band came, played and sang, and then traditional Mexican dancers with their whirling, colorful skirts. Awesome! All our sponsored kids were there. Sugey was much more courageous today, and she had huge smiles and many besitos (kisses) for us!

Our hearts were so full. We will be carrying Jalisco home with us.
Words could never express our thanks to Jim, Shanna, Jan, Lesly, Oscar, Alejandro, Margarita, Ophelia, Sara and the dozens of others who made our trip so fun, taught us so much, opened our eyes, bettered us as human beings by showing us how to provide “real help” and “real hope,” and made us feel so welcome in our new country and second home. The work you are doing is wonderful! We know we will see you all again soon!!

Ruminations

On www.children.org, we recently featured a slideshow which contained sponsor Marci Wulf's personal photos and her first person account of what it was like for her and her husband Ryan to vist their sponsored child in a village outside of Calcutta, India. Our conversation was so illuminating that we wanted to print a condensed version of Marci expressing her views and outlooks on a variety of subjects.

On Begging:
We got stopped by a train track on our way in, there was about ten little kids tapping on the windows, showing their sad faces and it’s definitely disconcerting to have that happen and probably if that would have been my first experience I would have been really troubled by it, but I’ve done a lot of traveling and have had these kind of experiences before. You know I really believe that if you give a little bit of money it just makes a temporary change, but if you give money in a way that people can use to help themselves through education or community programs, it’ll make a more lasting change and so I had a policy as I travel to not indulge too much in handing out cash as I move along.

I remember the first time I went to Cambodia, going across the border, there were tons of little kids come running up to you and they show you their sad faces and they look dirty and they have their hands out. And instead (of giving them money) I would always play with them, smile back at them or make faces. I was always surprised at how quickly they forgot they were supposed to be getting money and just want to play with you because they are just little kids. We had a really fun time with these kids as we crossed the borders. I would make a point to donate money to an organization that was doing work there, but I’d try not to give money to the kids themselves, because I don’t want their parents to be encouraged to keep sending them out.

On Entering Rinki’s Village:
She’s in a small village, that’s outside of Calcutta that is very green and lush. It was quite poor, there was a lot of little children on our way in that would come running up to the car and beg as we go along. Once we got into her village outside of the little town area and back into where she lived, there was a lot of single or two room homes attached together, that her family members lived in. All of her family was there; aunts and uncles came to meet us. I’d seen these type of living conditions before, so it wasn’t shocking to me by any means, they have a really small, simple home and they do their best to keep it clean and take care of it and make do with what they have.

On Sponsorship:
I definitely believe in the value of education, and I know that the money I give to the organization (Children International) helps her to go to school and get the materials and the uniforms that she needs and so I definitely see an impact in that portion. When I was there they also brought out all the functional gifts that the family had received through being part of the program. Whether it was a blanket or pot or pans, or everyday useful items. And I really believe in that type of charity, I don’t like that word. But I think that functional gifts, things that are going to be used day to day are the kind of things that need to happen.

I was also really impressed, they told me a little bit about some of the community programs that they have there that they have there, the organization (Children International) creates with the moms of the sponsored kids and some of the programs that the moms have come up with to help improve the circumstances of their community and I think that that is really fantastic way to make a lasting change for a group of people and to get moms involved to better their own community. That’s a way to really make changes, to empower people to change it for themselves.

On Rinki’s Future:
I really want her to continue in school and I want her to wait to get married. It’s part of their culture, they get married younger, they have the arranged marriages in India, and her sister just got married and her sister just finished her school, she’s 17 maybe 18. And want Rinki to finish school, and I really want her to go to college and I’m encouraging her in that direction in the letters that I write. Because I want her be able to help improve her circumstances, and the circumstances of those around her and that’s really the way to do it. She writes me letters that she is interested in it and she is learning English. Finishing school and also being able to speak English is really important skills in the world today and in India as well. So, I’d really love to see her to be able to grow up before she gets married and be able to get some information and be in a position to help improve her circumstances in her community, instead of being a victim of the circumstances.

On Children International:
I’m always recommending it to my friends that they sponsor children because it I feel like people who want to make a contribution, it feels more worthwhile when you see what happens with your contribution, when you can actually see the results and talk to a person and have that personal contact. I really think that is an excellent way to involve people in helping.

I like the way that Children International goes about the program. I like that they include everybody in all the activities whether or not their sponsors give extra money. I like that they keep their sponsors involved in what is happening in the country of the kids they are sponsoring. I’ve also been impressed with the way Children International is so forthcoming with their funding. Every year we get a report on how funding comes out. I’ve spent a lot of time working with nonprofits and I really appreciate that transparency in an organization.

I actually have a second child that I sponsor from Zambia now; it’s a younger girl. I’ve been really happy with how Children International runs their programs and we had a great experience in India going with the regional officer directly, and so I would absolutely recommend Children International to everyone. I haven’t seen any flaws so far.

On International Connections:
I think everybody should do more travels and especially if you can go to a place where you can know somebody who lives there and make a relationship with that person, I think that that would do a lot to help improve the circumstances in our world. You know, I’m optimistic.

An Experience Beyond Belief...

Last week Clayton Yearns, a Children International staff member, visited our Guayaquil agency and met his own sponsored child, 5 year old Narcisa, for the first time. Here is what Clayton wrote as he recalled his special visit:

I just got done with my child visit, and it was an experience beyond belief!

I was afraid that a 5-year-old girl would be terrified of a stranger, but the visit started off with a great big hug and a card like she had known me for years. The card read (if I can read her writing) "te quiero y espero que te guste esta tarjeta que la hice con mucho cariño para usted" which means "I love you and I hope that you like this card that I made with much love for you." It also contained a drawing of Narcisa, my sponsored child, with a great big smile.


I was so overwhelmed with how beautiful she and her family were that I almost forgot that I had brought them any gifts. I handed dolls to Narcisa and her sister, Kayla, along with colored pencils and paper, and gave their mother towels and washcloths.

As expected I was in awe without questions to ask, but I managed to finally start asking questions as well as telling her much about me and my life. I found out that Narcisa is already in the 1st grade because she was too advanced for Kindergarten. She remembered from my first letter that I had cats and wanted to know more about them. I also showed her pictures of Mickey, my dog, but I guess she is more of a kitty person, as she talked about her cat a lot.

I told them that I had their letters and pictures on my fridge at home; I have more pictures of her than I do of my own family! And I wanted her to know that I felt bad for not writing enough, but now that the family was "real" to me I would be sure to write on a more regular basis.

Narcisa and Kayla drew pictures for me, and Narcisa insisted that I draw a picture, too. I forewarned her that I could not draw but I drew her and me anyway with a note that read "I'm sorry I can't draw and I'm sorry that I don't speak Spanish."

"I don't understand anything he is saying," she spoke lightly in Spanish to her mother, perhaps disappointed that she couldn't talk directly to me. It was heartbreaking to see her sad as I think she was looking forward to it. However, my translator did a phenomenal job.


The time we spent together went by too fast. After many hugs, kisses, pictures and videos, it was time to say good-bye. As I walked out of the building trying not to cry, something grabbed onto me. It was Narcisa wanting to say one last good-bye. Even after I was on the bus, she was at the office door waving good-bye.

It is hard to comprehend how much of an impact you can have on someone for a few dollars a month and a few moments of your time. I would like to think now that since I have visited her city, our facilities, and seen the dire poverty that exists there that I have at least a mild idea of how I impact her life. I'm sure I still can't truly understand and, sadly, I never will be able to. But I can at least try. I know that I comprehend enough that when I get teary eyed about her situation, I could do more for her and her family.

The people in Ecuador are beyond generous, and Narcisa and her family would most likely rather me help another family than just focus on them. They are selfless people and if everyone would aspire to be as selfless at them, then just perhaps the world might not have as many problems anymore. Well, we can all dream, can't we?

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.

Meet María from Guatemala...

What do you like about visiting the community center?

I liked going to the community center when my sponsor came to visit. We went to Antigua and I got to ride a horse and visit a new place. My sponsor also brought me presents. She brought me a bear that I named Panda. – María López Guillén from Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Comprehending Poverty…and Sponsorship

Posted on behalf of Deron Denton.

This is the second time I’ve been to the Dominican Republic – both times have been as a writer with Children International. Although I have been deeply affected and moved each time we enter a family’s home, this was a little different. That’s because Thursday, I visited my own sponsored child.

I met Nelson two years ago outside the Mao community center. Then, I learned about how difficult his brief 10 years on earth had been…about his mother who suffers from mental illness and cannot care for him…about how terribly malnourished he had been…and about his illness. Nelson has neurofibromatosis – a genetic disorder affecting the development of nerve cell tissues. Although it can become life threatening, he also has a reasonable chance of living a normal life…“normal”, aside from the stark poverty in which he lives.

After we returned home from that first trip, I discovered that Nelson didn’t currently have a sponsor. Instantly, I decided to sponsor him. So this was my first visit as a sponsor. He and I have corresponded through letters since then, and have grown to know one another a little better. I mentally prepared, or tried to prepare, for a more emotionally involved visit.

Nelson and Deron talk a little baseball.

Before coming back to the Dominican Republic, I remembered that, like virtually all Dominican children, Nelson loved to play baseball. But, also like so many, he had never actually owned a ball or glove. That just seemed to be the perfect gift to bring him, along with a baseball cap.

Allow me a brief side note before I tell you about my visit with him: A good friend emailed me a long passage he had read which he thought might be apropos to the work we are doing this week. In it, the author writes about the Latin roots of the word “comprehend.” It comes from the roots “cum,” meaning “with” and “prehendere,” meaning “to grasp it.” When I read those words earlier this week, I thought about how difficult it is to grasp the depth and extent of poverty we see on these trips. Although it is our job to convey this through the words and photos we share with you, nothing really compares with seeing it for yourself.

Framed by poverty: Nelson calls this dark room home.

After visiting with Nelson at his home, I now understand something else that is equally difficult to comprehend without direct experience – the bond that can develop between sponsor and child.

Deron tries out his fastball...

...But he´s no match for this pro in the making!

We played catch with his new glove and one of his new baseballs. Nelson showed me his pet fish, where he sleeps (sharing a twin-sized bed with his father), and where his sister cooks for them. He also showed me where he bathes. It is a crude structure made with a scrap of tin siding and wood. There is a faucet rising about three feet off the bare earth and a bucket to hold the water. The comfort – and privacy – that most of us take for granted when we bathe is unknown to Nelson.

This corner of Nelson's tiny back yard is where he takes a shower.

As I was leaving, Nelson’s father called to him from the area that serves as their kitchen. When Nelson came back out, he was holding four eggs in his small hands. They were eggs that their own hen had laid. He handed them to me as a gift. Whatever sense of “professional detachment” I had maintained to that point was gone. My eyes welled up. This was food the family could not afford to do without. Yet they were offering them to me.

As I started to explain that I had no way of preserving them, Kelly spoke up, suggesting that Nelson eat them for me. Everyone agreed that was a great idea.

Nelson, his sister and his father shared a few moments of happiness when Nelson's sponsor, Deron, dropped in for a visit.

Nelson and his family probably have no idea of the actual gift they have given me. It is a gift that will last as long as I do. It is a kinship with two new families: My fellow sponsors…and Nelson’s.

“She’s in my heart.”

Leah Donahue is no stranger to poverty. Having worked at Children International for over 3 years, she has seen the photos, watched the videos and heard countless stories about visits to the field. But nothing could prepare her for what she witnessed on her first trip to Ecuador last week.

“I’ve seen the pictures of dirt floors and tiny shacks, but I had no idea it was really that bad. You really have to be there and see it for yourself.” Leah said tearfully. “There is no way to prepare yourself for what you’ll see. Words cannot describe it.”

Overwhelmed at what she witnessed in the field, the experience was also a joyful one for Leah when she had the opportunity to visit one of her sponsored children, 5 year-old Mileidy of Guayaquil.

“I spotted her immediately at the center! She was sitting there with her mom, Martha.”

Smiling through tear-filled eyes, Leah remembers the visit enthusiastically. “I was able to spend about 45 minutes with them. My children and I had picked out gifts for Mileidy. She was shy and quiet as I gave her the coloring books and stuff, but I really connected with her mom, and eventually Mileidy, as we sat and colored together.

“I hope to bring my children to visit someday. This was such a life-changing experience. I look at everything much differently now. I see the difference in children who are sponsored and having met her deepened my commitment to her.”

With the memories of her trip fresh and at the surface, Leah is even more committed to the mission of Children International. “What we do makes me so proud to come to work everyday.”