Daneisi's SNG from her "Special Sponsor"

This is Daneisi. She is 8 years old and lives in the Dominican Republic. Her family is very, very poor, making only $150 a month to support at least 9 people. When I began sponsoring Daneisi, her parents could not afford to send her to school. I inquired with CI about costs to get Daneisi enrolled in school, and they sent me a reply memo- the cost would be $280. I wrote about this on the CI social network website, LiftOne, and a few days later I received an email from CI saying that an anonymous donor had donated the money for Daneisi's education! (You can read more about this here: http://bammertheblue.blogspot.com/2010/09/gracias-del-fondo-de-mi-corazon.html )

I since did find out who this anonymous donor is, but since s/he prefers to remain anonymous, I will not share his/her identity.

Yesterday, I received the follow-up photos, letter, and memo from this wonderful gift! Since Daneisi is just now beginning school, she does not yet write her own letters. So far her father has written for her, and he also wrote the thank-you letter. Mr Z writes: "Dear Sponsor, Hello! I greet you with gratitude for the donation that you sent to my child Daneisi Z. She received [list of items]. Thank you very much!"

Daneisi received: 3 pairs of shoes (two black pairs, for school, and one pair of white and purple sneakers); 1 backpack (bright pink and orange, so bright it hurts my eyes, but she clearly adores it); 3 school shirts and t-shirts; 1 pair of school pants (blue jeans); 1 pair of sport pants (black nylon pants, like warmup pants); 1 sport t-shirt; 7 underwear; and 1 school payment. Also listed in her dad's letter, and visible in the photos, are one skirt and two pairs of socks.

The photos...the photos are wonderful. I keep picking them up, looking through them, setting them down, and then picking them back up a second later. They just make me so happy! I'll be able to get them scanned tomorrow, so you all can see them, but for now I'll just describe them.

In the first photo, Daneisi's standing behind the table full of gifts. She's holding the bright pink and orange backpack and smiling. You can see that she's smiling, even though she's holding the bag so it partially blocks her face.

In the second photo, she's holding a pair of school shoes in one hand and the sneakers in the other hand. She's standing with her elbows down and her hands up by her ears, and she has a faint smile. I just love how she's holding the shoes- you can tell she's posing a little, and it's really cute.

In the next photo, she's holding up a blue plaid shirt, and in the fourth photo, she's holding the check for the school payment- right in front of her face! I forgot how kids do that. I wish I could see her cute face, but it's a good picture anyways.

In the last photo, she's standing behind the table with one hand on her hip, her hip kinda cocked, looking spunky and happy and extremely cute.

I love the different facial expressions the kids have in the photos with their SNGs and direct packages. Some, like my Padmashree, have HUGE grins. Others look bewildered or overwhelmed, though happy. Daneisi falls more into this latter category. She has a look on her face like "I know what's happening, and I like all these gifts...but WHY is this happening?"

On the memo, there's a section asking "What were the child's/family's comments when the gifts were delivered?" It says "The child was very happy for the donation. She said: 'I am so happy because I had not received so many gifts before.'"

Under "Additional Comments" the memo says: "The child's father was very excited for the special donation for helping the child with her education. They gave thanks to the special sponsor who gave the donation."

I just have to say again, to the Mystery Donor: THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH. This is such a kind, generous, and caring act. My opinion of you as a person was already very high, but this just makes it even higher. You are truly a wonderful human being.

News From Constanza in Chile

I was very impatient when it came to waiting for Constanza's first letter! I began sponsoring Constanza because she reminded me a lot of my friend Betsy, a wonderful person who passed away from cancer at age 20. In the time between when I sponsored Constanza and when I received her first letter, I had kind of constructed this personality for her in my head...I know that sounds strange, but I was like "Oh, I'm sure she's -insert personality trait here-, just like Betsy was!" Which is, of course, ridiculous. Constanza is her own person with her own personality, and when I received her CW letter, I was reminded of that. I think it's a very human thing to do and a natural mistake to make, though. We assume that because someone reminds us of someone else, they will be just like them in all ways!

Anyway, here is what Constanza wrote in her welcome letter to me.

"Dear Sponsor,

I want to thank you for having sponsored me. I do more or less well in school. At my school there are grills every Thursday. On September 18th we had a great time since my family and I went to the hills and beach. Today is a holiday so we took a walk and went to the beach. I would like to ask you for a reply and picture. I have a lot of friends at school such as Javiera, Claudia and Constanza, we get along and go out together; we help each other with homework. I send you a big hug. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely yours, your sponsored child,

Constanza Nicole C. S."

This is one of those cases where I'm glad I have a background in Spanish! (I used to be fluent, but I'm not anymore.) At first I thought the part about the "grills" was a typo, and Constanza meant that she attends a girl's school. But I looked in the Spanish that she wrote and no, it definitely says "grills", like to barbecue on. Also, in the original letter it says something about Thursdays that wasn't translated, so I checked it out and what I think she's trying to say is that at her school, every Thursday they cook on grills.

I also received Constanza's Education Report the day before her letter, so I got to have that fresh in my memory while I was reading her letter. Constanza attends a school with new facilities. About 14 sponsored children go there- I don't know if that's the number in just her class, or the number in the school total. The report doesn't say how many children attend the school in total.

Constanza takes public transportation to school, and it takes her about 30 minutes to get there. She is in the 8th grade (she's 13), and her progress is normal. Her grades are fair, and she is not receiving any special help with schoolwork. Her favorite subjects are math and social studies/history. Some of the educational benefits she has received from CI include school shoes and a school supply kit. The report actually lists every item in the supply kit, but I won't bore you by describing each item.

Lastly, Constanza does plan to continue her education, which is, of course, exactly what I hoped to hear!

Wonderful Letter from Padmashree!

On Thanksgiving Day, after our family gathering, on our way home, my husband and I stopped to check the mailbox at the house we just moved out of. I found a letter from Padmashree! What excellent timing. You see, Padmashree was the first child I sponsored- the one who started it all! So to get a letter from her on this day of giving thanks was very appropriate, because I am very thankful to Padmashree for helping to change many parts of my life.
Here is what Padmashree, 12, had to say:
"Dear Nicole,
Please accept my best wishes. Hope all of you are well. I am glad to get your letter and know about you. Please accept my best wishes for your birthday. Many many returns of your birthday. On my birthday I ate cake and lozenges and got 2 new frocks and a pen. I enjoyed my birthday. My school is going well. I study in grade VII. Stay well. I have drawn a picture for you for your birthday. Hope you will like it. I will remember a friend like you for ever.
Yours lovingly, Padmashree"
The part where she says she will remember a friend like me forever gets me a little misty-eyed every time. I will remember her forever, too, and I'm going to tell her in my next letter to be sure she knows it!

Happy Birthday, Diony!

This handsome young man is Diony De Jesus R. P. He is from San Pedro Sula, Dominican Republic. Diony just turned 13 years old on November 24th.

Diony is 4'10" tall and weighs 81 lbs. He attends school, and his favorite subjects are social studies, science, and math. At home, Diony's chores are washing dishes, taking out trash, and running errands. In his free time he likes to paint and play with toys and cars. (Or at least he did when he was younger!)

Diony lives with his father and four brothers. Father Bernardo is an office worker who makes about $215 a month. Older brothers are Ariel, 19; Roni, 17, and Yordi, 15. Younger brother Ayinson Bernardo is 9 years old. Mother Cristina is separated from Diony's father and does not live with the family.

The home the family lives in consists of a dining room, a kitchen, and one bedroom. The walls are wood, the roof is corrugated metal, and the floor is concrete. Cooking is done on a gas stove, and Diony sleeps in a bed. There is running water in the home, as well as a toilet, and electricity is available.

Getting Mary Joy Back in School

This is Mary Joy, who is from Tabaco, Philippines. She'll be 13 years old next month and is not in school at this time. I sent an inquiry to CI asking what I could do to help get Mary Joy back in school. I received a lengthy reply.

Basically, Mary Joy is not in school at this time because her parents cannot afford to send her and all her siblings to school at the same time. Her older brother Ryan is a first year college student, and her parents are concentrating on his studies so he may finish college and then help his younger siblings and the rest of his family.

The family's only income comes from Mary Joy's father, who is a cock cord maker. Okay, STOP. Let me explain. Cockfighting is legal in the Philippines. A cock cord is a cord or string that is used to hold or restrain or guide the roosters. At the present time Mary Joy helps her father make these cords, and she helps him sell them at the cockfights.

According to Mary Joy, if possible, she will continue her studies next school year (June 2011-March 2012). She will be in first year of high school. However, this will only be possible if the family's economic status improves OR if I make a Special Needs Gift. CI breaks down the costs for me:

Transportation allowance: $10/month for 10 months: $100.00

Food allowance: $18.40/month for 10 months: $184.00

School uniform: $35.00

School fees: $50.00

Contingency fee (10%): $36.90

TOTAL: $405.90

If I can do this, and I'm pretty sure that I can, I will be overjoyed. Education is my priority when it comes to my sponsored children. If they're not able to attend school when I first start sponsoring them, it's my goal to make it possible for each and every one of them to begin or return to school.

I'll also be extremely happy to get Mary Joy into high school and away from the cockfights. Now, being from the US, I've never seen a cockfight, I've never been to a cockfight, I don't know much about cockfights outside of what I've read about in books and online. But I sure know that I don't like cockfighting. I think it's cruel and wrong and that it shouldn't be done, and I am less than thrilled that Mary Joy is spending time in that kind of setting.

BUT I also know that it's really easy for me to sit here, all American and middle class and comfortable, and condemn something that provides a livelihood for Mary Joy's family. Do I wish the family made their living in a different way? Definitely. Would I prefer Mary Joy stay away from the cockfights in general, since I doubt it's a great environment for a 12-year-old? Hell yes. Is it my place to make a big deal out of any of this? Hardly. But of course I will be much, much happier when Mary Joy is back in school as opposed to at the cockfights.

Amanda Jhamile

This little cutie-pie is Amanda Jhamile H. C. She is four years old and lives in Quito, Ecuador. She's my first sponsored child from Quito- all my other Ecuadorian children are in Guayaquil.
I decided to sponsor Amanda because, when I saw her listed on the website, it said she lived with her mother, didn't have any siblings, and the family's monthly income was just $40! So I called CI and added Amanda to my account. However, at the same time I was doing that, Amanda's information was being updated! So, when the detailed report appeared on my account, the family's income now read $240! I was very confused and actually emailed CI to ask what happened. They responded and explained it to me, which made me very happy. That is just one thing I love about Children International- when you call or email them with a question, they will find out the answer. If they have to get back to you, they DO get back to you! They are very professional and efficient.

Anyway, here's some more about little Amanda. Her birthday is July 1st, 2006. Amanda stands just 2'11" tall and weighs 33 lbs. She already is in school, which surprised me, but it's good to get an early start! Her favorite class is art. At home, she is too young for chores, but she enjoys playing with dolls, toys, and cars, and she also likes to sing and dance.
Amanda is an only child, and lives with her mother, Ana Lucia, a homemaker. Father Wilson Santiago has abandoned the family. The family's monthly income is about $240, and there are seven people in the home.
The home consists of one multi-use room, with walls and a roof of concrete and a floor of wood. They cook on a portable gas stove and sleep in metal beds. There are 5 beds in the home, for 7 people. There is also running water, regulated electricity, and a toilet for sanitation.

Tatiana's Chicken!

Tatiana is eight years old and lives in Cartagena, Colombia. Her cousin wrote this letter for me- it's a response to the letter I wrote to Tatiana right after I began sponsoring her. The unnamed cousin writes
"Dear and appreciated Nicole A,
I hope this letter finds you and your family well in health. We are well thank God. This is the girl's cousin. We live very happy, the girl, her father, mother, and siblings. She has a chick as pet. It is named Serafin. She is doing well in school and she is happy to have received your letter. She would like to know you at least in picture. It would be nice if you can come over our city, it is wonderful. She likes to go to the beach and to the historic downtown.
With affection and love,
I say goodbye on behalf for Tatiana P.
God bless you and give you long life.
Bye
Her cousin"

How I wish I was able to just buy a plane ticket and zoom down to Colombia to visit Tatiana! Maybe someday I will be able to see her in person. That would be a wonderful thing.