SUMMER 2011
Clockwise from left: Whilifred and Tim Manson, Helen Manson and Whilifred, Whilifred playing.
reLAtionship MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN CHILDREN’S LIVES Photos and Story by Helen Manson
A visit to Uganda to see her sponsor child revealed to Helen Manson the importance of investing herself in creating a relationship with a sponsored child.
I
t’s hard to feel close to someone you have only ever seen in a photograph and who lives on the other side of the world. Sometimes when I would get a letter from Whilifred, our sponsor child, I would quickly open it, chuckle at his childlike comments and questions like, ‘Do you grow any crops?’ or, ‘What is your best dish?’ I would put it on my kitchen bench and stumble upon it a few weeks later buried under a pile of bills, notes and crumbs. When it came time to write back to him, I would sometimes begrudgingly sit down for five minutes and franticly search my brain for something relatively interesting to say that would fill up the 20 lines on the page in front of me. Pathetic, I know. Then we moved to Uganda. Seeing as though Whilifred lived there too, we decided to contact the TEAR Fund New Zealand office and see if we could make the sevenhour journey to his village. We met the warm, helpful and competent staff who explained to us in detail what they are doing in the village. When I first laid eyes on Whilifred, I burst into tears. Here, standing in front of me, was this beautiful, precious little 12-year-old boy who was not just a picture. He had a beating heart, dreams and desires; he has things he wants to do and be. He feels sad and happy; he was so...human. It suddenly
struck me; he was real long before I came here, and I just didn’t care enough to think about that. Through a translator, we talked about everything from his favourite subjects in school to what sports he enjoys, to how he was born with just one eye. When we went to his school, he was a celebrity. All eyes were on him. He was so happy to have white people in his school, holding his hand and loving him. The most heart-warming moment was when we visited his home. Whilifred showed me his family’s photo album. It contained pictures of his family’s most precious memories. There were not many pictures but you can imagine how I felt when I saw my picture in there. I often wondered if he even got my letters, let alone photos and gifts. Not only had my letters and photos made it, but they took pride of place. Humbled is an understatement. We took gifts for Whilifred and some basic items for his family. You can picture the look on our faces when his mother gave us a gift that had taken her two weeks to make. It was a beautiful handmade bowl and will take pride of place in our home. The saddest thing was not the fact that he was living in a poor area, or that he was born with just one eye. It was the fact that only one or two sponsors visit each year. Not everyone can visit but we can at least write. Sure, we send our money and barely even notice it’s gone, but asking to connect with this child on the other side of the world is not too much to ask. It never occurred to me that when our child writes to us four times a year and we seldom reply – he wonders why.
If you sponsor a child, my prayer is that you would engage. Engage with them, think about them, make their photo big in your house – give it pride of place, write to them with joy when you get their letter. They are WAITING for your reply! A letter from you, even a sticker, is a treasured item – worth far more than you realise. Each thing you send is beloved by them. It takes pride of place in their mud hut house; it adorns the walls; it captivates them. You are so much more important to them than you realise. You are the reason they are in school. Your support is invaluable and is giving them a chance to make something of their lives. Perhaps even take it one step further and consider making your next holiday destination his or her hometown! One reason people are sometimes hesitant to sponsor a child is because they are fearful of the corruption and unaccountability that occurs in third world countries. After visiting the project, standing on the soil, meeting the children that are only at school because they are sponsored and looking through our sponsor child’s well ordered and organised office files, I can recommend and proudly stand behind the excellent, professional and honest work Compassion and TEAR Fund are partnering together in Uganda. These are two organisations we trust.”
Change a life today, sponsor a child like Whilifred. Just fill in the form on page 7 in this publication, phone 0800 800 777 or visit www.tearfund.org.nz
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