Sponsored Child Becomes Well-Respected Nurse

Parbati Rakshit, of Parulia, India, knew from an early age she wanted to be in the medical field. However, like many poor children, her dreams seemed out of reach.

For years, Parbati's father worked at a small tea stand and rarely earned enough to feed Parbati and her two sisters. Just when it seemed things could not get much worse, the family's small hut was destroyed by authorities. The family struggled to survive, finally finding work and shelter at a church.

Then, on May 20, 1984, Parbati was sponsored through Children International. This allowed her to continue school and receive other important benefits to help her stay healthy.

Parbati's teachers immediately recognized her intelligence and perseverance. She excelled in all her classes. After high school, she attended nursing school...to fulfill a lifelong dream. She has since graduated at the top of her class and landed an excellent nursing job in Calcutta, earning enough to support her entire family.

"For 15 years, my sponsor has helped me all the way, never faltering for one moment," says Parbati humbly. "I have nobody to thank for what I achieved in my life but my sponsor."

[Text and pictures courtesy of C.I.]

Old Friends Meet for the First Time

When Carly and Brian Magee came to Kansas City in June to meet their sponsored child, 16-year-old Juan Manuel Samayoa (third from left), at the International Youth Conference, they carried along every letter Juan had written to them and every picture they had received during eight years of sponsorship.

They knew he loved soccer and once played in a regional championship. They brought him books and school supplies, thinking of the subjects he had often mentioned as his favorites. And they came with shirts from their favorite sports teams, as well as snacks they knew he would love.

That they had never met Juan face-to-face didn't matter. And though Brian admitted to being nervous and unsure of how it would go, he also noted that they were excited to have the opportunity to meet the young man from Guatemala whom they had grown to care for very deeply. "We didn't want anyone to look up to us for doing this," he explained. "We're doing it because we can, and we just wanted to know more about him. The prospect was very thrilling."

The feeling was mutual. Minutes before the group met, Juan could only muster a few shaky words as he was led to the room where Carly, Brian and their two young children waited. "Esto es fantastico," ("This is wonderful") he remarked, his hands trembling visibly.

Moments later, as the group came together, the apprehension dissolved amidst broad smiles, warm greetings and generous hugs. The Magees had one question after another for Juan, who obliged them - through a Children International translator - with expressive stories about his home, his family and his life.

When Carly pulled Juan's letters from her bag, her voiced cracked momentarily. "I have saved every letter you have written us," she said. "Your pictures too."

At the end of a long evening, after Juan performed a cultural dance for the rest of the delegates while the Magees looked cheerfully on, there was a boisterous good-bye that ended the evening much as it had begun - with warm hugs.

"This has been a wonderful evening," Carly said emotionally. "I can see how Children International is helping and how we're helping, but I can tell you it comes back to us tenfold."

The next day, after reflecting on what it meant to meet his sponsors, Juan didn't hesitate in expressing his joy. "It was one of the most special evenings I have known."

[Text and pictures courtesy of C.I.]

Sanitary Measures

Melvin Sanchez Mejia, 8, and his brother Jorge, 12, live in a Honduran community where most families lack any form of sanitary disposal. In rainstorms or the middle of the night, during illness and in bright sunshine, they have to find their way across open fields, seeking a place that might afford them a little privacy.

Through sponsorship, many families are being assisted with sanitary facilities, but the problem is so widespread it still affects nearly 1,000 sponsored families in Honduras, explains Blanca Estela Rodriguez, director of C.I.'s project office in Honduras. This issue puts children like Melvin and Jorge at greater risk of parasitic infections, gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea - illnesses that account for more than 55 percent of the visits to Children International clinics in Honduras. "Families must receive treatment for parasites regularly too," Rodriguez adds.

Similar to other families in the community, the boys' father couldn't afford materials to build a latrine with the income he earned as a day laborer. Especially after buying food, which typically takes about 85 percent of the income sponsored families earn.

"Having a latrine is vital in reducing disease and improving the well-being of children, but it's something many families can't afford," explains Vickie Coromac, C.I.'s regional director for Central America.

C.I. is helping families like the Sanchezes by providing supplies and assistance so they can build latrines. The outcome is an immediate and noticeable improvement in their quality of life and a significant reduction in the incidence of illness.

[Text and pictures courtesy of C.I.]

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