I Did It Again!

I recently received my three-year raise at work. I knew it was coming--I had already increased my "limit" number of sponsored children accordingly. However, it was almost TRIPLE the amount I expected! So I've increased my limit again, to a total of fifteen children (2 group-sponsored, 13 individual). I already had eleven individual sponsorships, so I'm being very careful and taking my time filling the last two slots.

Today, I was browsing through the waiting children for another Spotlight blog when I ran across Jessica from Ecuador. She speaks Quichua in addition to Spanish--one of the things I've been keeping an eye out for! I am excited to add her to my Sponsorship family! She's seven years old and lives with her parents, who are both street vendors. She is an only child. The family's home consists of one multi-use room, with a wooden roof and concrete walls and floor. They cook on a gas stove, and are fortunate to have running water, regulated electricity and a toilet. Jessica attends school, where her favorite subjects are Art, Math and Grammar.

I can't wait to write to her!

Spotlight Children of the Week: A New Year

Being a linguist, I have always been drawn to the children on the waiting list who speak one of the minority or indigenous languages of their country. In 2013, I plan to focus my Spotlight on these special children. Preserving their culture and language is a cause near and dear to my heart, and I would love to see these children receive the support of Sponsorship.

The largest minority population among Children International's children seems to be the Mayan children in Guatemala. They are usually easy to identify: they speak the language Cakchiquel, and the girls wear traditional blouses and skirts:

Yenifer, Age 3

Leslie, Age 4

Damaly, Age 7

 

In Zambia, the clothing of the children isn't useful as a clue to their heritage, and so I have to rely entirely on the listed languages that they speak. Nyanja and Bemba seem to be the majority languages, so I look for others (Tonga, Lozi, and Luvale are the three I have found so far):

Gladys, Age 5. Luvale.

Nayawa, Age 5. Lozi.

Mariot, Age 8. Tonga.

Ecuador has Otavaleno children and children who speak Quichua (sometimes spelled Kichwa).

Alex, Age 16. Quichua.

  The primary languages of Children International kids in India seem to be Bengali and Hindi, however India also has children who speak Santali and Urdu. 

Md, Age 3. Urdu.

Nabed, Age 7. Urdu.

Mohammad, Age 16. Urdu.

Chile has Mapache children, none of whom are currently listed.

This isn't a comprehensive list--I'm still exploring and learning about the countries Children International serves. But this gets us off to a good start for the new year!

Spotlight Children (ten of them!) of the Week, 6/13/12

Recently, Children International and Debbie Gibson teamed up to encourage people to Sponsor children, via a Social Media campaign called Debbie's #TopTen. Well, I'm certainly nowhere near as famous as Debbie is, but since I've been doing Shannon's Spotlight Child of the Week already, I figured I'd ramp it up this week and go ten-for-ten! So, without further ado, here are Shannon's TEN Spotlight Children of the Week!

Odalis Pamela and her mother live in Ecuador, struggling to get by on only $150 a month. Times are hard everywhere, but women and girls face unique dangers in developing countries. Won't you give Odalis and her mother the reassurance of knowing that someone is watching out for them?

Eleven-year-old Salma Norma and her parents also live in Ecuador. Their monthly income is $158 a month--less than $2 per person per day. Salma enjoys playing with dolls and has a talent for dancing. Won't you give this lovely young lady the means for a happier childhood and the hope for a better future?

Anusree lives in India with her parents and one sibling. The family's monthly income is only $106--barely enough to feed four people, let alone pay for educational expenses and medical needs. Anusree speaks and writes in Bengali--a beautiful language! Her family wishes for her to have a better life than theirs ... will you be the one to give them the means to realize that dream?

Nine-year-old Dipta and her parents also live in India, but unlike Anusree, she speaks and writes in Hindi. Dipta's family struggles to survive on only $64 per month. Education and encouragement are Dipta's keys for a happy and successful future, and she needs someone like you to provide her with these tools!


Evelyn and her parents live in Zambia, Children International's newest country of Sponsorship. Their family income is only $80 per month. Evelyn will be ten years old in September, and she has a talent for sports! With your encouragement and support, she could participate in Children International's Game On! program when she turns twelve, and who knows? Someday, she could be an Olympic athlete!

Claudia Lizbeth lives with some of her relatives in Honduras. Today is her eleventh birthday--eleven is such a young age to be without her parents. The household income is a meager $126 a month. With so much instability in her young life, you could be the light at the end of the tunnel for Claudia--the message she has been waiting for, that things will get better and that there are things in the world that she can rely on.

Laura Rubenia and her three siblings live with their mother in Guatemala. She will be fourteen years old on Friday. Like any teenager, Laura enjoys listening to music and spending time with her friends. Unlike other teenagers, though, Laura's family of five struggles to survive on only $156 a month. Laura is rapidly running out of childhood time--in a few she will be a woman, trying to make her way in the world. Won't you give her the support and encouragement she needs now, to make that future as bright as possible?

Eight-year-old Alliah Natasha and her three siblings live with their mother in Quezon City in the Philippines. The family's monthly income is only $47 per month, and while education is free and compulsory in the Philippines, the required supplies and uniforms often prove to be more than Alliah's mother can afford to provide. Without these simple items, her education will suffer, and her hope for the future grows that much dimmer. Sponsorship can keep that spark alive, and fan it into a flame.

Crisalyne will be nine years old in September. She and her two siblings live with their mother in Quezon City in the Philippines on a mere $116 a month. Crisalyne enjoys playing with her siblings, and she has a talent for singing and dancing. Her family and Alliah's are similar in many ways--access to free education, but kept at bay by a lack of needed supplies and uniforms. She could grow up to be a teacher, or an accountant or a nurse, but only if she receives the support, encouragement and education she needs. Won't you be the guardian angel who provides this for her?

I would be remiss if I didn't round out my Ten with a young lady from Colombia--home to my very first Sponsored child, Gisel. Chelsy Patricia lives with her mother in Cartagena on a meager $90 per month. Chelsy loves to play with dolls, and she has an artistic talent for drawing. She will celebrate her twelfth birthday in September--a critical age in many South American countries when children often drop out of school and seek work to help support the family. Encourage Chelsy to continue her education, and help her realize the dream of a better tomorrow!