Operation YPENCIL

Posted on behalf of Joel Abelinde, Communications Coordinator in Children International's Manila, Philippines agency.

Ever thought of children helping other children to communicate better with their sponsors? This is what YPENCIL (Young People Enhancing Children to Improve their Letters), a group of youth volunteers, is doing.

Junalyn Ban-eg, a Field Officer in Manila, Philippines noticed that while many children write very good letters to their sponsors, some children still have difficulty. She thought that the older sponsored children who write well could help others to improve their writing skills.

Wasting no time to set her idea into motion, Junalyn found three youths from each area with a knack for writing. She conducted a training on letter writing, highlighting ideas for what children may write about in their letters, the format of the letter and what kinds of paper to use, among other things. “They were very willing to learn and to assist other children,” Junalyn noted. “We encourage children to write about themselves more to their sponsors,” she added.

“The initiative has had some noticeable results,” Junalyn observes. “There was a noticeable improvement in content and neatness in the letters younger children write. They are also able to share more personal information about themselves. Because there is not much difference in age, the younger children are more comfortable in their company,” Junalyn happily states. The initiative also helped Junalyn to achieve her goal of getting 100% of the children who were due to write letters to complete them each month.


Sponsored youth, Cheryl Ann Barcelon studies hotel and restaurant management at a nearby college. She is among the 19 members of the group. Two days a week, she comes to the field office to help younger children write to their sponsors. “I initially thought that it is difficult to help children write their letters. I am very happy that I am a part of this group. I am happy helping children write to their sponsors. I am also learning and improving my English,” she said.

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.

It's All about Youth!

That’s right. In honor of International Youth Day on August 12th, all this week we will be blogging about our fantastic sponsored youth. Our youths are doing great things, including making their own videos to explain what sponsorship means to them. Check out the "Lights, Camera, Action" section of our International Youth Day page to see the top three youth videos. Looks like we have some budding directors, actors and screenwriters among us!

And don’t forget to stop back by throughout the week to read about the four lucky Children International youths who have been selected to attend the 5th Annual Youth Assembly, a three day conference in New York. We will be bringing you blogs from an Agency Director, Children International staff and of course, the youths themselves.

Photo by Javier Cárcamo, Communications Coordinator in Rural Guatemala.

Using What She Learned in Her “Foam-ative” Years

Poverty has a long list of trophies hanging on its wall…and Laura was determined not to be one of them.

Despite being born into impoverished conditions, Laura, 17, made up her mind to be a winner. It was obvious that education was the key to a better life; the question was, how do you get an education when your family can barely afford to eat?

Laura’s answer came in an unlikely manner.

Because Laura is sponsored through Children International, her mother had the opportunity to attend vocational training offered by the sponsorship program to mothers of sponsored children, teaching them to use “foamy” (foam rubber craft material) to create various forms of art. Laura tagged along to the classes – and there she discovered the key to her dream.


Instead of hanging around in boredom, waiting for her mom to be done so they could go home, Laura listened attentively to the training. In fact, she was so attentive that she mastered the lessons herself.

Now Laura gives classes to other people, decorates for parties and makes other decorations – all out of “foamy.” Her earnings are about $100 per month…a very respectable figure, considering that the average monthly income for sponsored families in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, is less than $114.


Using the money she earns with “foamy” art, Laura is studying to be a medical and aesthetical cosmetologist. Though her parents pay her tuition, she is able to afford raw materials for her art and textbooks for her school. Her earnings also cover her transportation to and from her classes.

Laura is just one of many outstanding youth who are determined to make it in life. Thanks to the dedicated sponsors of Children International, they’ve got a fighting chance.

Photos and reporting assistance by Patricia Calderón, from our agency in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Adding to a Youth’s Potential

Posted on behalf of Sarah Jane Velasco, Communications Coordinator in Tabaco, Philippines.

Julie Panganiban may have come from a poor family in Tabaco, but she doesn’t let poverty get in the way of her dreams.

At the age of 13, Julie is already in her third year of high school. As a child she skipped pre-school and was accelerated to first grade. An all-around whiz kid, she excels both in the arts and sciences, but she is particularly gifted in mathematics. She is proudest of being part of the Mathematics Trainers Guild where selected students across the country undergo advanced math clinics and take qualifying exams for international math competitions. She also represents her school during division science meets and press conferences.

Julie (in red) with her sponsored friends during a youth workshop.
But even though she is excelling academically, Julie admits that she is quite shy when it comes to dealing with her peers. “It was difficult for me to adjust especially during my first year in high school. I was really very shy then,” she shares. But through the exposure she gets from Children International’s different activities, she was able to overcome her shyness. “The leadership trainings helped me to become more confident in sharing my ideas with others. Mingling with other sponsored kids in various activities helped me develop my social skills more,” she adds.

But all of that progress almost came to an end when her family suffered a serious financial crisis during her first year of high school. Julie almost had to quit school. But instead of giving in to the problem, she took it as a challenge and even got the highest grades in her class that academic year. According to Julie, “More opportunities are open to those who are educated. That’s why I’m fortunate to have a sponsor who helps me to continue with my studies.”

With the support of her sponsor, this bright young lady is well on her way to breaking through the barriers of poverty.

Have you had your eNews today?

Right on schedule, another edition of eNews is making its way to your email inbox. If you can’t wait until then, here’s a little taste of what July eNews has to offer:

- If you’ve ever wondered just what happens when a child goes to the community center to pick up a sponsorship gift, then The Boy of Eternal Smiles has a video (and a smile) to share with you.

-Mayra’s Life after Sponsorship is looking bright thanks to the support she received from her sponsor. Be sure to read what she said about her favorite sponsorship memory - it truly shows how important even the most common item can be to a needy child. (To read more about youth like Mayra, take a look at our Youth Report Card.)

-A powerful story from Mexico about one mother’s struggle with drugs and alcohol and how Children International helped her to sober up so she could be the mother her children always needed.

-In keeping with the Fourth-of-July spirit, Freedom from Poverty is a photo feature about a Guatemalan field officer who worked in a fireworks factory as a child to support himself and his family.

Did this pique your interest? If so, then read on!

Democracy in Action

It’s hard to change the channel these days without stumbling across the latest polls, commercials or the latest “he said, she said” banter of politics. While it’s easy to take for granted the power of democracy, it’s still a goal that many world citizens still fight and die for today. And for the youth of Children International, it all begins with casting their first ballot.

At Children International, we feel our youth are the rising stars of tomorrow. That's why we concentrate on developing them as leaders and instilling in them the skills they will need to make a difference in their communities. One way we do this is by teaching the power of democracy.

In November, Youth Council elections were held in Cartegena, Colombia. Each of our 18 agencies has a youth council that is comprised of sponsored youth. The council is responsible for determining the direction of youth programs in each of their sponsorship areas. Council members are also nominated and two delegates are democratically elected to attend the International Youth Conference.

By engaging in the democratic process to elect their leaders, and then deciding the direction of their efforts as a team, they learn a great deal about leadership, a commitment to ideals and shared effort. In this way, youth council members become an inspiration. They provide positive role models for younger children and they strive to educate and help others.

To us, these enthusiastic youth are the world best and brightest hope for tomorrow.

Photos by Marelvis Campo, Children International Communication Coordinator in Cartegena, Colombia.

A Drive to Succeed

Posted on behalf of Deron Denton

Receiving a formal education simply isn’t feasible for many Ecuadorian youth living in desperate poverty. Their families either can’t afford supplies, uniforms and tuition costs, or the children must lend a hand in providing for the basic needs of the family.

That’s why a graduation ceremony held at the Simon Bolivar Technical Institute in Guayaquil, Ecuador, was celebrated with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. Amid an emotionally charged atmosphere, 132 sponsored youth received hard-earned vocational certifications.

One of the stars of the evening was 17-year-old Alexandra Baque, a youth sponsored since the age of 9.

Getting in Gear

Despite being the only girl in a class of 56, Alexandra graduated at the top of her Auto Mechanics course. In addition to completing her coursework, Alexandra had to handle another obstacle: her male classmates’ bias against having a girl in the class. Their attitudes became so bad that Alexandra had to take the matter into her own hands.

Soon after the course began, Alexandra reported, one of the students “told me something rude because I was the only woman, and then I reacted.” It was good for the bully that he relented when he did: Alexandra, at just 4’ 10”, has trained in self-defense nearly her whole life.

“I have practiced karate since I was 4,” said Alexandra, grinning. Although it took two months (and a ninja-style warning) to earn her classmates’ respect, she did earn it. Shortly after that incident, she says, “I earned a lot of respect and became the leader of my group.”

Shifting

If her classmates knew Alexandra better, they would have known she would not be easily sidetracked from her dream. Ever since she was little, Alexandra preferred playing with her younger brother Luis’ toy cars rather than with her own dolls. Much to Luis’ dismay, Alexandra took the cars apart and reassembled them, designing her own small vehicles from the dismantled parts.

She also credits her father with having inspired her interest in machinery. “When I was 13,” she said, “I helped my dad disassemble a piece of industrial machinery, and that really sparked my interest.”

With her own high school graduation approaching, Alexandra began taking a serious look at what she wanted to do for a living. Initially, she looked into taking vocational classes offered by Ecuador’s largest cement manufacturer – Cemento Nacional. One benefit would have been an increased opportunity to work for the company upon graduation.

Alexandra’s mother strongly discouraged this, fearing her daughter’s mistreatment in such a male-dominated atmosphere. Despite fulfilling the requirements and submitting all the necessary paperwork, Alexandra had to forego that opportunity. A determined young lady, she wasn’t terribly disappointed by this setback…she insists it strengthened her resolve to find another way to enroll in a vocational education program.

The Final Stretch

It wasn’t long before Alexandra discovered Children International’s scholarship program, now called the HOPE Fund. She was delighted at the possibility of attaining a degree that would allow her to work with cars. She again submitted the paperwork and met all the requirements. This time, Alexandra seized the chance to pursue her dream and wouldn’t let go. No amount of dissuasion from her mother was enough.

Having earned top honors in the Auto Mechanics program, Alexandra’s next goal is to open an auto shop with some of her classmates. She eventually hopes to design her own cars. Luis is likely to forget about the toy cars his older sister “redesigned” if he actually gets to drive an Alexandra Baque automobile.

It’s a pretty awesome goal for a child who, without a little help, would probably be limited to dreaming about far more mundane things. Thanks to sponsorship and programs like the HOPE Fund – and the perseverance of a young lady – it’s a dream no one doubts is possible…at least, no one who knows Alexandra.

For more information about how you can give HOPE to children like Alexandra, click here.

Turning A Humble Dream into a Reality

Posted on behalf of Tony Lorcha, Children International – Legazpi

A week before graduating from his local public high school in Legazpi City, Philippines, 16-year-old Loreto Apuyan started to get very excited about going to college. Then, one day when he returned home from school to tell his mother about his plan to enroll in the local university and pursue a degree in computer science, he was struck with a deafening silence. Loreto’s mother told him he wouldn’t be able to go.

“I felt hopeless when I learned that my mother didn’t want me to enroll in college,” Loreto sighed. “But what could I do? My parents don’t have the resources to support higher education,” he acknowledged.

“One thing that revived my strength was the scholarship application I submitted to our youth coordinator for a HOPE scholarship,” Loreto said. “I didn’t lose hope that I would be called for an interview...and it happened.”

During his interview, Loreto shared his shelved plan to study computer science at the university level. He explained how his mother launders clothes for just $2 a day, while his father earns only a dollar more as a construction worker.

“Living in poverty is really hard,” Loreto told the agency’s interview committee, “but it gives me so much motivation to move on and reach for my dreams....”

When Loreto was selected as one of the 50 HOPE scholarship recipients in Legazpi City, he was determined to finish his studies and help his parents provide for the family’s basic needs. That’s why he decided to enroll in vocational education rather than the university.

“I’m a sophmore now at the San Francisco Institute of Science and Technology in the Philippines,” he said about the three-year Network Technician degree he’s pursuing. “With the HOPE scholarship, I have the assurance to finish my studies as long as I am able to comply with the requirements and maintain my high grades in school. The scholarship has provided for my daily meals, transportation, school project expenses, uniform and tuition,” Loreto attested.

Loreto is one of 734 HOPE recipients around the world who was awarded a scholarship worth as much as $350.

“I believe that HOPE scholarships uplift the spirit of youth to acquire college education in spite of poverty,” Loreto added, grateful that he can now see his dreams becoming a reality.

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.

A Chance in a Lifetime

Youth Hit the Ground in New York

Every August, the United Nations welcomes youth from around the world to celebrate International Youth Day. The day is the culmination of a focus on activities to further the United Nations’ World Programme of Action for Youth.

The day’s events help encourage and empower young people to work with governments, non-governmental agencies, schools, and businesses to make a difference in their world.

This year, three Children International sponsored youth are invited observers at the United Nations program in New York City. Read below as Shelia Mahony, CI program officer for youth and education, accompanies the youth on their special journey.

For most of us, a visit to the United Nations is a once in a lifetime experience. For three girls from different ends of the earth who have fought every day to overcome poverty, the thought was only a dream. Today that dream became a reality when two of the three sponsored youths landed in New York City.

Telma, from Guatemala, was the first girl to land at LaGuardia Airport. Normally, her vista on life is filled with shacks and dirt roads. The smile stretching across this normally shy and quiet teen’s face told us that she knew she wasn’t in Guatemala anymore.

I picked up Leslie, from the Philippines, next. Leslie is the youngest of the three girls and couldn’t hide the excitement of having another chance to travel to the United States even after finishing a 24-hour airplane trip.

The girls are thrilled to have a chance to see each other again. They hugged and shrieked as only teenage girls can do. This is a miracle meeting since they met at last year’s International Youth Conference in Kansas City, and, because of their families' lack of funds, never thought they would meet again.

And now another dream comes true as they are reunited with the third member of their dynamic trio when Vakeyia, from Little Rock, touches down in the Big Apple. We are on our way downstairs for our first whole day together in New York City. We’re going to have a real New York breakfast – bagels and cream cheese!

India: A Rich Tapestry

Posted on behalf of Deron Denton...

Among the many images I recall from our staff trip to India last year, one remains with me the most: a trash heap by the side of the road. It stood 2 or 3 feet high and must have been 8 or 10 feet long. The first thing I distinguished was a cow: it had found something to eat in the pile and was chewing lazily. Then I noticed a person was also rummaging through the same mound of refuse. As we passed by in the van, I was startled to see a large crow as well as a mangy-looking dog…all of them sorting through the trash for something they could eat or use.

It was a sad scene, to be sure - it left me feeling like the wind had been knocked out of me. It was also symbolic of the India I experienced: an amazing kaleidoscope of cultures and religions and eras…seemingly chaotic and random yet amazingly harmonious and…well, functional. Over a billion people living (mostly) peaceably in the world’s largest democracy. A truly ancient culture quickly adapting to globalization and a world economy.

What touched me most deeply, of course, were the people we met. The people – on your behalf – we were there to help. Particularly, I was moved by the strength, courage and perseverance of the girls and women we met in India…

…women like Sahida, mother of 5-year-old Rukhsar. Rukhsar had entered our sponsorship program the year before our visit. The girl’s father died when she was just a year old, leaving the household without a definitive breadwinner. Sahida had been forced into an arranged marriage at the age of 12. Now, because of Rukhsar’s sponsorship, Sahida had been given the courage of hope…hope for her daughter’s future. Despite her own numerous hardships, Sahida expressed confidence that her daughter would now be able to stay in school, receive a good education and live a happy life. These were opportunities Sahida didn’t have.

The problem of early, arranged marriages arose often in India. And it is a challenge that youth leaders and our staff are successfully confronting. Rukmini, who is now 21, was a sponsored child for 16 years. She became active in our youth program, eventually becoming a youth council leader. She now works as co-facilitator of our Youth Health Corps.

As a sponsored youth, Rukmini told me she received a great deal of training on leadership, reproductive and sexual health, and nutrition. “I then began giving that training and the knowledge I acquired to others in the community,” she said. Rukmini led seminars and workshops for youth and mothers, helping to empower them. “Now the girls have started coming out as a visible force in the community,” she added.

Rukmini, and others like her, are shaping the future of India. By helping prevent early marriages, empowering women, and educating those who will listen, they are elevating our India sponsorship program in ways that were probably unimaginable 10 or 15 years ago.

I am so grateful to have witnessed all the wonderful changes taking place in India. And it genuinely touches my heart to be a small thread in the colorful tapestry that we – our sponsored children, their families, our sponsors and our staff – are weaving…enriching the lives of everyone involved.