ChildVoice - Spring/Summer 2011

ChildVoice

SLUM TO SUCCESS: A former sponsored child says thanks

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SPRING/SUMMER 2011 | ISSUE 11

BOUND BY POVERTY

Why India's children and youth give up their education

2 | ChildVoice SPRING/SUMMER 2011 www.ccfcanada.ca

Back in grade school, my big-gest worry was what kind of sandwich I’d be eating for lunch or whether I’d be picked to be “it” in a game

of tag. I didn’t worry about whether I’d be pulled out of school to help support my family. I didn’t worry about my health or safety. But some of the chil-dren in the countries where we work think about these things on a daily basis.

On a recent trip to India, I visited a home that was filled with parents and young children who were making fire-crackers. They used to work in factories, but groups in the area fought to stop child labour, so their employers took their business underground to people’s homes. Factory managers like to use children to make firecrackers because their fingers are small and they can roll the tubes much more quickly – at about 30 tubes a minute. But this should not be a job for a young child. Accidental explosions sometimes cause serious injury and death.

Christian Children’s Fund of Canada and its partners are working to help these families that are in so much need. While I was there, I watched a skit that showed children they should not be making

firecrackers, they should be going to school. When we teach families to value education and provide quality pro-grams like early childhood education, it can make a huge difference in the community.

Together, we can increase school enrollment and reduce drop-out rates. These vulnerable families need help sup-porting themselves so their children can go to school instead of helping them earn a living. CV

MaRk LUkOWSkI, CEOChristian Children’s Fund of Canada

Mark talks with Vinitha about how sponsorship changed her life; (below) a young child rolls a firecracker.

upfront A Note from the Ceo

SPRING/SUMMER 2011 | ISSUE 11

VICE PRESIDENT, MaRkETING aND COMMUNICaTIONSFelicitas Adrian

DIRECTOR, COMMUNICaTIONSPhilip Maher

MaNaGING EDITORMelissa Yue

DESIGN aND PRODUCTIONJanice Van Eck

CONTRIBUTORSGurusamy Arumugam Bartolomé Ibarra Mejía Lipi C. Jobson Jean Kebere Rosanna Menchaca Sanatu Nantogma James S. Neindow Semereta Sewasew

ChildVoice is a publication of:

OUR MISSIONChristian Children’s Fund of Canada creates a future of hope for children, families, and communities by helping them develop the skills and resources to overcome poverty and pursue justice.

For more than 50 years, we have followed the example of Christ by serving the poor regardless of their faith, cultural, and ethnic background.

OUR VaLUESWe embrace and practice these values – Results, Respect, Integrity, Teamwork and Excellence.

Christian Children’s Fund of Canada

1200 Denison StreetMarkham, ON L3R 8G6tel 905-754-1010 ext. 610toll free 1-800-263-5437www.ccfcanada.ca

Charitable Registration# 10691 8543 RR0001

Canada Post Mail Reg # 40065713

ChildVoice

A new face at our head officeWe welcome FELICITaS aDRIaN, our new Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Felicitas has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, branding, communications, and public relations. On a volunteer humanitarian aid trip to Swaziland in 2006, Felicitas was moved by children who expressed abundant joy in the midst of poverty. That was the ‘truth moment’ which fuelled her desire to devote her skills and leadership experience to an organization that is making a difference for children in need. We are so glad to have her on board!

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upfront 2 A note from the Ceo 4 Your letters

departments 5 CCfC in action

Big and small solutions that improve lives

6 What’s newA global survey asks children for their thoughts

13 Living responsiblyGive gifts that matter

14 Supporter focusSponsor visits and group giving

15 face of success

"My parents wanted me to work and didn't want me to study," says Dhanalakshmi, 11, who dropped out of school two years ago. See story on page 7. inside

features 7 "Why I dropped out" Children and youth talk about the challenges of getting an education in India.

12 from slum to success A former sponsored child shares about the impact of sponsorship on her life.

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upfront YoUr LetterS

Here are a few of the letters we received at home and in the field:

“i just became a sponsor last year and have very recently lost my grandfather who was the kindest man I’ve ever known. Although he never had a lot in the way of possessions, he gave freely of his time, his love and him-self in every way.

I just received my first ChildVoice maga-zine and the stories and comments from other sponsors brought tears to my eyes. The generosity of spirit I saw in these people reminded me that, although my grandfather may no longer be with me, there are others in the world that are as caring, as generous and as giving as he has always been and it makes me proud to be both his granddaugh-ter and a CCFC sponsor.

I want to say thank you to CCFC for do-ing what they do and I want to wish every sponsor the best for 2011.”—Elizabeth Louis, Elliot Lake, ON

“hello! i am a brand new sponsor and I already feel GREAT about it. I am anxiously awaiting my info pack about my sponsored child and his country. I can’t wait to find out when his birthday is to send him a gift! I keep his picture from CCFC up around the house to remind myself of him. I hope that he is well, and happy. I would love to visit him one day in his country.” —Jennifer De Silva, Calgary, Alberta

“my wife, the former Ella Schell of Fort Wil-liam, Ontario, sponsored her first child with the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada in March 1964. She continued sponsoring chil-dren and after we were married and had two little daughters, we began sponsoring girls, including Annamma from India.

When our daughter, Margaret, was in Madras, India, in 1991, she arranged to meet Annamma and this story was recorded in the Winter 1992/1993 edition of CanadAid (now called ChildVoice; see below).

My wife’s relationship with CCFC was 47 years this past March and at present, we are sponsoring Odile in Burkina Faso. As my wife has been sponsoring children for 47 of your 51 years, I am sure that she must be one of the longest in your history to do so.”—Milburn Jones, Peterborough, Ontario

Let us know how you feel about child sponsorship, your thoughts on this issue of ChildVoice, or other experiences with Christian Children’s Fund of Canada. We’d love to hear from you and are so encouraged by your dedication to help children in need. Email your letters to [email protected] or at: Communications Department, Christian Children’s Fund of Canada, 1200 Denison Street, Markham, Ontario, L3R 8G6. Letters may be edited for content, clarity, or brevity.

Drop us a line

ENDURING TIES: Margaret’s visit to meet annamma in India was told in the Winter 1992/1993 edition of Canadaid.


This Christmas season, Canadians purchased more than 8,500 items from

our gift catalogue. Our Country Director in Ghana wrote this letter to

express her appreciation.

“dear sponsors,I would like to take this opportunity to ac-knowledge your wonderful support to us. For the 15 years that I have been CCFC Country Director, Ghana, I have seen your gifts transform and touch many lives.

For example a few years ago, Issac had problems getting to school every morning because it was 3.5 km away. This meant that he could not participate in many of the after-school activities because he had to get home before the sun went down. What made this walk so difficult was that he often did not have the energy one would normally get from a good diet. So Issac skipped school sometimes for days at a time.

But Issac’s life changed when he became a sponsored child and realized that someone cared about him and his education. He was encouraged to go to school and received a bicycle from CCFC’s gift catalogue. This bi-cycle worked perfectly for him. He attended school regularly and is back on top of his class. As a result of his ability to move about easily, he has been able to pursue other in-terests that are beneficial to building a suc-cessful career. He has just completed a cer-tificate in information technology and is hoping to strive for a diploma while he is still a student at high school.

On behalf of the staff at the CCFC Ghana Country Office, our partners and commun-ities, we are grateful beyond measure for your thoughtfulness and for your wonderful gifts of love and compassion.”

Warm regards,Sanatu NantogmaCountry Director, Ghana

aPPRECIaTION: a handmade gift from a sponsored child’s family to their sponsor. It was made of rolled up coloured paper.

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www.ccfcanada.ca SPRING/SUMMER 2011 ChildVoice | 5

ISSUe Children in the Villa Serenidad community of Paraguay were often hungry because their parents did not earn enough from their jobs as fishermen.

ACtIoN With CCFC support, community members opened a small soup kitchen for 33 children to come and have nutritious meals from Monday to Friday. The “Ko’etí” soup kitchen is now a great source of pride. “This experience shows us that things can improve when we get together to work,” say mothers in the community.

ISSUe Women in Burkina Faso who marry in a cultural ceremony are not legally recognized as being “married”. If these women’s husbands die, they are left without claim to their homes, land, livestock, or savings. For a family living in extreme poverty, this makes an already desperate situation even worse.

ACtIoN In celebration of International Women’s Day, CCFC organized legal marriages by the local mayor for 65 couples (most of whom had been culturally “married” for many years). These women now have official proof of their marriages and can feel more secure about their future and their children’s future.

CCfC IN ACtIoN

ISSUe Farmers in Langano, Ethiopia, were struggling to provide for their families due to drought and failed crops.

ACtIoN CCFC designed a project to introduce farmers to drought-resistant and high-yielding crop varieties like cassava, which requires little care and can be planted from existing cuttings, and haricot beans, which yield high results. Though farmers were initially reluctant to move away from maize, their staple crop, eventually, they agreed to try the new crops. Ten thousand cassava cuttings and 5,000 kg of haricot beans were distrib-uted to 250 farming house-holds that needed help. CCFC also trained 30 farmers in seed management and taught them enhanced production techniques. Since last June, 80 per cent of the crops planted have flourished. The trained farmers have also been training other farmers so their whole community can benefit.

Ko’etÍ SoUP KItCheN

CLeAN AND SAfe fACILItIeSLeGAL mArrIAGeS

CroP VArIetY

ISSUe Latrines in some Nicaraguan schools and communities were in very poor condition (as shown in the first photo). Most la-trines were merely holes in the ground that were very unsafe. Children even preferred to use outside latrines rather than the ones at their schools (e.g. at their neighbour’s house or in a field). As a result, children got sick very often due to unclean facilities and practices.

ACtIoN CCFC built 84 new toilets to replace the latrines and repaired 30 existing toilets in two communities. CCFC also con-structed new sinks and conducted health and hygiene work-shops with community members. This project directly benefits 2,075 families.

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Christian Children’s Fund of Canada and the 11 members of the ChildFund Alliance (representing 12 countries in total) took part in a survey called Small Voices, Big Dreams last year. This survey asked nearly 3,000 children aged 10 to 12 years old from 30 developing countries about

their hopes, dreams, and fears. Their responses revealed a definite need for education. In fact, one in three (34%) said education was what they needed most in life. And more than half of those surveyed (57%) said that, if they were given the opportunity to be the leader of their country, they would educate all children, improve the quality of schools, and/or construct more of them.

Here are some of their personal responses:

SmALL VoICeS, BIG DreAmS

If you were president of your country, what would you do? If I became president of Afghanistan, I would make a beautiful school

for Afghan children so that children get education and level of their knowledge should go up. AfGhANIStAN

If I were the president of India I would provide good education and study materials such as pens, pencils,

uniforms, etc. to children. INDIA

I want to help Indonesian children who are poor, especially so they

can grow healthy and able to go to school. INDoNeSIA

I would give a home to the children who live at the city dump.

NICArAGUA

What do you need most in your daily life?

I need bicycle to reach the school on time as it is far away. AfGhANIStAN

In my daily life I need most school materials to study because

I want to be a teacher and contribute to not have more illiterate people. ANGoLA

School, without it there is no good future. ZAmBIA

I need food the most because when I’m hungry and can’t get

anything to eat, I fall ill. BUrKINA fASo

What do you fear most?

I am most afraid of being infected in HIV/AIDS through contaminated sharp materials and also pollution of our village

that may lead to diseases. ethIoPIA

I’m most afraid of marriage at early age. UGANDA

My worst fear is that I won’t be able to go and study at school

because of lack of money. INDoNeSIA

I am afraid of starving. KeNYA

A summary of survey results can be found at: www.ccfcanada.ca/globalsurvey

CHILDREN SURVEYED IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: Basanti, age 12, being interviewed by Swadha for a new ChildFund alliance survey.

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feature INDIA

“Why I dropped out”The challenges of staying in school in India

INterVIeWS AND PhotoS BY LIPI C. JoBSoN

It’s 2 a.m. in Valasai, a small community in the southern dis-trict of India. While many children and youth in developed countries like Canada are asleep in bed, 15-year old Marisel-vam is awake and just beginning his day.

Mariselvam works as a fisherman to support his parents and sisters. The days are long; usually 12-hour shifts where he earns about 50 to 100 rupees ($1.09 to $2.18 CAD).

After Mariselvam wakes up, he heads out to the sea and joins a team of fishermen on their boat. Together, they will sail out about three kilometres and then cast their nets. Whatever they catch is sold later that day to merchants on the shore. After lunch, Marisel-vam cleans the nets, dries them, and brings them home. The routine is one that he is used to. After all, he has been fishing since he was seven years old. For awhile, Mariselvam juggled fishing and going

(above) Mariselvam sitting in a fishing boat. Note: Community name has been changed for child protection purposes.


feature INDIA

reach middle school. And, according to the World Bank, the major-ity of the students who stay in school are boys, children from the urban areas, and those from the wealthier segments of the popula-tion. Enrolment varies greatly between states, from 92 per cent in Kerala, 44 per cent in Tamil Nadu, 22 per cent in Bihar to four per cent in Jharkhand.

“The children are made to be babysitters due to the parents’ financial constraints, so bringing the children to school itself is a big challenge,” says V. Anthony Raj, who has taught at the Govern-ment Middle School for seven years. He estimates that, in their community, about 80 per cent of the children drop out after middle school.

India’s education system is referred to as 10 + 2. The first 10 years of education are compulsory. Students that go on to secondary school do so with the intent to prepare for college or university.

V. Anthony Raj knows that finding new and innovative meth-ods of teaching are necessary to keep children interested in school and to motivate them to continue in their education. But a shift in the community’s attitude towards education is needed as well.

“The parents are not aware of the importance of education and they prefer their children work and earn money.”

to school, even making it to 7th class (grade seven). But eventually, he had to give up his education.

“I couldn’t concentrate seeing my family struggle, mainly my sisters,” he says, noting his father is also a fisherman but does not make much money since they are from a lower caste*. “I was com-pletely absorbed in fishing so I had no time to think about school and education.”

Mariselvam has four sisters ranging in age from eight to 14 years old. Two of his sisters dropped out of school to work in the cotton mill to help support the family. The eldest is in the 4th class and the youngest, Sakthipriya**, is in the 2nd class.

“I am worried about the future of my sisters.”

mariselvam’s story is not unique to India. While most children attend primary school, about 40 per cent drop out before they

Level Average Age Description

* Though India’s caste systems are gradually diminishing, they still exist in some regions. A caste is a class system where people are ranked into groups based on occupation, culture, or social position.** Available for sponsorship. Call 1-800-263-5437 to sponsor Sakthipriya, Raja, or other children who are in need in developing countries.

(from top) V. anthony Raj at the Government Middle School; Muthumariammal helps to care for her family’s goats.

Sakthipriya fetches water from the local well.


Muthumariammal is a 13-year old drop-out who was told to stop her education to stay home in order to do the household chores.

“Sometimes when I go near the school and see my class, I feel very sad,” she says. “But my younger sister is studying and she should study well and become a good person.”

poverty is the main reason children and youth drop out of school in India. Very poor families like Muthumariammal’s or lower caste families like Mariselvam’s are alienated from the more wealthy societies. It is difficult for such families to be accepted by their communities and gain employment.

Vijay is a 15-year old boy who dropped out of school in the 6th class. He worked in a shop for a year to help his family and then returned to school in the 7th class. Vijay was bullied due to the fact that he was from a lower caste. One day, he got in a fight with one of his classmates and was forced to leave school.

“I lost my interest in school because I have been in and out of it,” says Vijay. “I earn about 20 to 50 rupees ($0.44 to $1.09 CAD) a day as a fisherman and am sometimes worried when I see the well-to-do.”

His brother, Raja**, is 10 years old and in the 5th class at school. He knows school is very important and wants to be a doctor when

he grows up. But with four older brothers who dropped out, he is concerned he won’t be able to meet his goal.

“Completing 9th class will be a great achievement in my life as none of my brothers could do this,” he says.

His teacher, Mary Padmaselvi says, “Raja comes from a very poor family with parents who are illiterate and starving,” she says. “But he is very obedient and good at studying.”

Going to school can also be a very costly endeavour for families. Though the government charges nominal school fees, the costs for uniforms, notebooks, textbooks, and stationary is expensive – especially for a family with more than two children. On an average year, two sets of uniforms and school fees for the 1st class is about $1,750 rupees ($38.28 CAD) and this cost goes up with each class.

unlike her older brother Mariselvam, eight-year old Sakthipriya does not worry about much. She enjoys learning with the 35 other children in her class and spends time playing with friends and doing chores. She hopes to become a teacher when she grows up.

“I am grateful for my brother who does fishing to support me and my sisters,” she says. “I know that schooling is important and I want to achieve a respectable position in life.” CV

(from top) Vijay with his fishing net; Raja sits in his classroom.


SANthILAKShmI, 17, IS CUrreNtLY DoING A DIPLomA CoUrSe IN eLeCtroNICS AND CommUNICAtIoN eNGINeerING. thIS IS oUr INterVIeW WIth her:

“How sponsorship gave me a future”

Q: How did sponsorship help you?A: I was provided with uniforms, notebooks and other school sup-plies. The sponsorship program also provided me with a creative learning center which really brought out my talents and gave space for my creativity.Q. How has CCFC helped your community?A: They supported my community to de-silt the drinking water pond that had been left unattended and unused for years. Now, the pond is in good shape and the whole village receives water from this pond. They also provided house loans to many families who needed help; provided income generation and training to the fam-

ilies; set up a knowledge centre in my village where the children could learn computers and the community could get instant infor-mation on anything; and set up a water treatment plant using re-verse osmosis engineering technology.Q: Why did you continue with your education?A: Having an education teaches us the virtues, ethics, and values of life. Also, if someone is poor, they gain respect with a good education.Q: What are your plans for the future?A: I want to complete my engineering degree after this diploma and get a job to earn a lot for my family. CV

Children perform a skit to show the dangers of child labor at D.M. Nursery and Primary School, funded by CCFC. The school provides quality education and treats all children equally without caste discrimination. It is now attended by 180 students.


Visit www.ccfcanada.ca/SponsorNow to sponsor a child today.

Caste system in India isolates the very poor members of society.

Parents cannot afford school fees and expenses.

Parents need help providing for their families.

Students lose interest in school.

Children live too far from school

Through organized program activities, education, and advocacy campaigns, individuals from all castes join together to learn new skills and strengthen their community.

Child sponsorship provides children with access to education and, in some cases, provides school uniforms, transport, supplies, and fees.

CCFC teaches new skills to parents through vocational training and emphasizes the need for a solid education to break the cycle of poverty. CCFC also helps families with micro-enterprise development loans so they can start their own businesses and earn an income.

CCFC conducts workshops to equip teachers with new skills. CCFC also runs after school special interest programs to stimulate creativity and provides evening coaching classes for students who need help.

CCFC funds the construction of schools to shorten the distance for children wherever possible. Middle, secondary, and college students in India are assisted through committees supported by CCFC called “Higher Education Committees.”

Challenge

How we are helping to face India’s challengesCCFC response*

feature INDIA

* Services may vary depending on program capacity and need.

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LAStING LeGACY

Tsehay Ayele smiles brightly as she takes a break from typing data into her computer at work. The confident 25-year old accountant had a rough start to life, but has come a long way since childhood.

When Tsehay was only an infant, her mother passed away and her fa-ther abandoned the family. Tsehay was left under her grandmother’s care in the slum areas of Arat Kilo in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“We lived in dreadfully poor conditions,” says Tsehay, reminiscing their tiny and congested two-room mud hut. “My grandmother was too old to earn a stable income, so she would sell vegetables and my uncle would help us out with our daily living.” Tsehay’s uncle worked as a tailor, but also did not make much money.

A neighbour told Tsehay’s grandmother about Christian Children’s Fund of Canada and the support they were giving to the community. So Tse-hay’s grandmother enrolled her granddaughter into the sponsorship pro-

oNCe SPoNSoreD ChILDreN BeCome ADULtS AND GrADUAte from the ProGrAm, CCfC CANNot ALWAYS KeeP trACK of Where theY Go AND WhAt theY Do WIth theIr LIVeS - eSPeCIALLY If theY moVe AWAY from the CommUNItY to StUDY or WorK. oUr StAff CAme ACroSS tSehAY WheN We VISIteD oUr PArtNer’S offICe IN ethIoPIA. thIS IS her StorY. BY SEMERETa SEWaSEW

from SLUm to SUCCeSS

fACt CCFC’s child sponsorship program has provided more than 2,000 children in the Arat Kilo area with school supplies, uniforms and medical treatments. The community has also benefited from the construction of: school blocks; a community library; communal latrines and water points; vocational skill training; and small business loans for families in need.

gram and Tsehay was given clothes, shoes, and medical care. “The clothes meant a lot to us because we couldn’t afford it,” says Tsehay.

“And if you don’t have a uniform in Ethiopia, you cannot attend school.” Tsehay appreciated the encouragement that CCFC and its partners pro-

vided to the children.“I had no one to help me with my education since my grandmother was

not educated and there were no libraries in our community then,” says Tsehay. “But CCFC encouraged us to do our best and I remember looking forward to receiving my grades.”

Tsehay’s caring sponsors, Dr. Lourens and Mrs. Duré Perold from White Rock, B.C, also played a huge role in her life. The Perolds wrote letters to Tsehay and their belief in her spurred her on towards her dreams.

“I am truly grateful for the support of my sponsors who have made it possible for me to have my education and change my life,” says Tsehay. “I dream of the opportunity to meet them face to face and tell them how thankful I am; how I have succeeded in life because of their support.”

Tsehay earned high marks in school and was accepted into Bahr Dar University. She completed her degree in economics and is now working as an accountant for one of CCFC’s partner organizations.

With her income, she has been able to provide for her grandmother and her uncle. She has also purchased a house in a new area (away from the slums). For Tsehay and her grandmother, this means they now have more space, access to clean water, and a toilet.

Tsehay still keeps a photo of the Perolds – one which they sent to her more than 10 years ago – because it reminds her of their kindness.

The Perolds have been sponsoring children with CCFC since 1994. In addition to providing for the 12 children they currently sponsor, Lourens regularly visits an or-phanage in Liberia to care for sick children. The Perolds were touched when they heard that Tsehay still remembered them.

“It’s very encouraging to us to know that Tsehay is doing well,” says Duré. “If we could give her a message, we would thank her for making good choices in life and en-courage her to continue reaching her full potential.”

Today, Tsehay is in a position to continue supporting CCFC’s pro-

grams as it reaches out to more chil-dren in the community where she grew up. In the near future, Tsehay aspires to study for her Masters De-gree in Financial Planning. CV

The Perolds sponsor 12 children with CCFC. They were touched that Tsehay remembered them.

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LIVING reSPoNSIBLY

Visit www.ccfcanada.ca/Giftsfor more gift ideas.

“With the profits from the business, I can now afford school for my children.”

GIVe GIftS thAt mAtterEver gotten a really bad gift? Most of us have. With an endless cycle of birthdays, anniversa-ries, weddings, and holidays, you’re bound to receive a few presents that you’ve earmarked for future regifting purposes. But sometimes when you receive such gifts, it’s better to grin and bear it rather than show how you really feel. And perhaps nobody knows this better than mothers. In an Ipsos Reid survey taken by 527 mothers across Canada, here are some of the worst gifts they’ve received for Mother’s Day:

“a vacuum cleaner attachment”“a chocolate bar and magazine from the corner store”“an iron”“Nothing”“an electric broom”“an old sewing machine”“a frog”“XXL-sized track pants”“a garbage can”“a crystal ashtray. I don’t smoke.”“a gaudy brooch”“Car mats”

Mrs. Manuela received business training and a micro-enterprise development loan through CCFC’s gift catalogue. Her bakery sales have now increased by 75 per cent.

If you’re guilty of giving a “bad gift,” know that most people will appreciate any gift that shows you have put thought into it. In fact, 80 per cent of the respondents in this survey said they would be pleased if someone bought a gift in their name from a charitable gift catalogue.

You can honour all your loved ones by purchasing items from CCFC’s gift catalogue to help children and families in need.* You can then personalize an e-card or mail a card to the recipient to show how they’ve helped others.

Here are just a few of the items that are needed in developing countries:

· Fruit trees $20· Female hygiene kit $25· Two mosquito nets $30· Garden tools $50· Health education for pregnant

women $50· Five chickens $50· Fuel efficient cooking stove $65· Goat $100· Micro-enterprise development

loan $350

* Note: CCFC distributes gift catalogue items based on where they are needed most. As such, supporters cannot choose the country or recipient of the gift.

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SUPPorter foCUS

fAther AND DAUGhter tAKe “trIP of A LIfetIme” to meet SPoNSoreD ChILDreNVancouver resident Phil O’Donoghue ar-ranged a special trip to spend quality time with his daughter Liz before she left home for Australia.

Along with venturing to developing coun-tries in Africa – exploring tribal villages in Zambia and going on safari in Botswana – Phil arranged for two important visits.

The O’Donoghue family has been spon-soring Birhane in Ethiopia since 2004 and Abdul-Hafizu in Ghana since 2005. The O’Donoghues were greeted by both families with warmth, singing, and special food.

“It was very emotional when we met the children and families for the first time,” says Phil. “What I noticed most about the chil-dren is how happy they are – even though they are completely poverty-stricken.”

The family describes Birhane’s house as a small, round mud hut which acts as their kitchen, bedroom, and sleeping area. Abdul-Hafizu’s house in Ghana was also small with few belongings and was located in an area with many surrounding huts nearby.

“We knew and loved the children because

of the letters we’ve written and received,” says Liz. “Now that we’ve met them, we expect our relationship will grow even more because of these visits.”

Birhane and her younger sister Gelani sang a song so Phil and Liz could share it with the O’Donoghue family members who weren’t able to come on the trip.

“They kept all the letters and photos we’ve sent!” says Liz. “Thank you, CCFC, for this once in a lifetime trip!” CV

GHaNa: Phil and Liz meet abdul-Hafizu.

ETHIOPIa: (from left) Phil, Birhane, her father, her sister, Gelani, and Liz getting acquainted.

Read more stories at: www.ccfcanada.ca/SponsorNow/Testimonials

Teachers, parents, and students at Foam Lake Elementary School in Saskatchewan opened their hearts and their wallets to help fam-ilies in need through Christian Children’s Fund of Canada.

Instead of buying gifts for teachers and participating in the school’s traditional student gift exchange at Christmas, the money was collected and used to purchase life-saving gifts to help others around the world. Each class from kindergarten to grade six de-cided what to purchase. Some of these items include: chickens, goats, fruit trees, blankets, mosquito nets, a bicycle, and a share in a rainwater harvesting tank.

In six weeks, the school raised a total of $1,705, with contribu-tions from staff and the nearby Foam Lake Composite School.

The idea was sparked by Donna Bindig, the elementary school’s resource room teacher and a CCFC child sponsor for 10 years.

“There are people overseas who do not even have their basic needs met,” she says. “The students learned that the items in the gift catalogue were not toys – they were things that people in need couldn’t live without.”

For example, children learned about the value of chickens and their eggs, which can provide an income and nourishment for a family for years.

“It’s not just one gift, it’s a gift that keeps on giving,” says Bindig. CV

thINKING BeYoND the CLASSroomStudents ponder what to give to other children in need

From left: Mrs. Bindig, Tylan, Samantha, Tamara and Tyler.

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“my sheep have given birth to lambs and now I am the owner of six sheep,” says Chala proudly. “I am truly happy and grateful for this support.”

Chala is a 13-year old boy who lives in a rural community in Ethiopia. Chala is in grade six and walks two hours to get to his school. Chala doesn’t mind though, because he loves to learn.

When Chala’s parents first enrolled their son in the sponsorship program seven years ago, Chala was not in school. The family couldn’t afford the school fees for Chala and his siblings because their only source of income was a small plot of maize land farmed by his father. To supplement their income, they would sell firewood. In addition, Chala would often get sick from drinking unclean water.

But thanks to caring supporters, Chala’s entire community has benefitted from sponsorship. CCFC has constructed additional classrooms and has provided

teaching material and textbooks to the elementary school. The school now offers grade seven, though it didn’t before. and CCFC has built rainwater harvesting tanks so the community can have access to clean water.

Chala’s family has also been able to purchase a sheep thanks to the generosity of Chala’s sponsor. Chala tends to the flock every day after school.

“My sheep have given birth to lambs and now I am the owner of six sheep,” says Chala proudly. “I am truly happy and grateful for this support.”

after the sheep have been fattened, Chala will take the rams to the market to sell while he keeps the ewes for future breeding. This will provide another source of income for Chala’s family. CV


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Expanding a child’s imagination and creativity… one gift at a time.

Children in developing countries want to learn. Give them the chance to develop by investing in opportunities to grow young minds.

Make a real difference in the life of a child today with the gift of education. Choose gifts like School Supplies for $40, a Child’s First Books for $30 or one of our most popular gifts, an Art Kit for only $30.

Visit our online gift catalogue at www.ccfcanada.ca/Gifts or call us today at 1-800-263-5437 to purchase simple and powerful gifts that will have an impact on a child’s future.

1200 Denison Street, Markham, ON L3R 8G6tel 905-754-1010 ext. 610 | toll free 1-800-263-5437www.ccfcanada.ca | Charitable Registration # 10691 8543 RR0001

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Documents

ChildVoice - Spring/Summer 2011