From sponsored child to sponsorship coordinator

By Justin Douglass, World Vision Mali, and Rachael Boyer, World Vision U.S.

January 2009

Claudius, who has worked for World Vision since 2005, is proof that sponsorship works. "If I did not have a sponsor, I would have abandoned school," he admits.

Now, Claudius encourages children to finish school, despite the many challenges that they face. But one of Claudius' favorite things about his job is seeing the transformation that occurs in villages where World Vision works.

'Sponsored children have hope'

When he goes to visit children in the villages, Claudius can see a difference between sponsored and non-sponsored children. "Sponsored children have hope and a desire to go to school. A sponsored child is always happy when he or she greets me because they know that I have something to give them," says Claudius with a smile.

World Vision staff members like Claudius regularly seek out children who've dropped out of school and encourage them to finish their education. Despite the hardship these families face, Claudius says, "If a child has a sponsor, then the family realizes that the child needs to go to school because the schooling is being paid for by someone."

Claudius' story

There was a time before World Vision came to work in his community, when Claudius' family went hungry. The memory of his family running out of food before the next harvest is still quite vivid. His parents asked neighbors for food, but everyone in their village was in the same predicament.

Then Claudius registered with World Vision and got a sponsor. Nearly 20 years ago, Claudius received a particular letter from his sponsor. In the letter, his sponsor encouraged him to do his best. "This was a great encouragement to me. I felt very happy when read that letter. I would read it many times — sometimes three times a day. That letter...motivated me tremendously to do well in school."

Claudius kept the letter in his school bag so he could read it more often. "I got the encouraging letter at the time when I wanted to abandon school because school was very difficult for me at that time," he says.

And as soon as Claudius discovered that the translated letters he was receiving from his sponsor were in English, Claudius had a mission: "I wanted to learn English."

If someone hadn't sponsored Claudius and sent him that encouraging letter when he was a child, he never would have finished school and gone on to college. And he certainly wouldn't be where he is today — helping sponsored children and encouraging them to finish school.

Help now

Become a sponsor today and be the encouragement that a child needs. You never know who that child could grow up to be, whom that child will help, or what good that child will do as a result of your support.

World Vision targets 50,000 people with emergency assistance in Gaza

Updated January 2, 2009

As soon as the situation in Gaza permits, World Vision plans to provide food parcels, blankets, and other basic supplies to the most vulnerable families — particularly those who have fled their homes, seeking sanctuary from the shelling.

"Our priority now is to assist those who are living in intolerable conditions with limited access to food, water, or medical facilities," said Charles Clayton, World Vision's national director for Jerusalem-West Bank-Gaza. "Eighty percent of the people in Gaza are already dependent on food aid, and even those who had relied on a meager daily income now find that it is no longer available," added Clayton.

At a later stage, World Vision will develop cash or food for work activities, to help families provide for basics like medication, food, water, and household supplies.

Report highlights humanitarian emergency

Additionally, World Vision issued a report highlighting disturbing findings of a baseline survey conducted in the Beit Lahya community in North Gaza on Dec. 18. Significant findings include:

• More than 33 percent of families in Beit Lahya have 10 or more family members and live in extreme poverty. They rely on coupons for food and cannot afford to adequately clothe and educate their children.
• Among children, bedwetting and nightmares featured heavily in focus group findings — both linked with fear and anxiety as a result of the ongoing conflict. "Most children with nightmares experience lack of concentration and attention deficit disorders," shared a teacher in a focus group session.
• While nearly every household in Beit Lahya has access to water, the quality is so poor that 95 percent of households have to buy their drinking water. Many children are affected by parasites and diarrhea, which is adequately treated in only 24 percent of cases.

Violence taking its toll

World Vision staff in Gaza noted that after six days of bombing, the number of children showing signs of trauma is rapidly increasing. With shelling going on hourly and randomly, World Vision's activities in the Gaza Strip have come to a halt. Staff are checking daily on the well-being and safety of 1,500 children and their families who are part of the organization's regular aid activities and support.

World Vision continues to advocate for a complete cessation of violence, and for all parties to respect international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention.

Help now

Check back for updates on World Vision's response as this situation develops. Please pray for a quick end to the violence in the Gaza Strip and for the children and families severely impacted by this fighting.

Donate now to World Vision's Disaster Response Fund. Your gift will help World Vision respond quickly and effectively with life-saving assistance for children and families affected by global emergencies, like the current fighting in Gaza.

American families face hard choices in midst of economic crisis

January 2009

By Nathalie Moberg, World Vision U.S.

At the end of the Christmas season, impoverished communities across the nation are spiraling even deeper into need. "Families are not able to get the necessary things to survive, such as food and clothes," said LaVenia Donaldson of SADCO Christian Church in Los Angeles. "We see more families moving in with other families to cut costs on the rent or mortgage."

Across the country, including in the 10 sites where World Vision works, mounting needs are challenging local community organizations' capacity to respond. As unemployment escalates, World Vision and its more than 3,000 community partners are working tirelessly to meet basic needs.

Donated goods

World Vision's U.S. Programs provides these community-based organizations with the training and resources — including daily essentials, school and office supplies, medical and health-care items, and building materials — that equip them to care for those in greatest need. Corporate donors provide these new, top quality goods to World Vision, where they are distributed from our 10 Storehouses.

Throughout the United States, and especially in communities already struggling in poverty, families faced added stress this Christmas. In December, World Vision's Storehouses also distributed toys, clothing, and personal care items to community organizations that, in turn, provided them to parents for use as Christmas gifts for their children.

"The expectations at holiday time are unbelievable," said Liz Lutton, executive director of Joseph's Coat in St. Paul, Minn., which provides essentials to families facing financial hardship. "Even though the economy has changed, the expectations haven't."

Struggling families

As the economy falters, the heavy toll falls on children and youth, as well as adults.

Reg Trefethen, World Vision's Appalachia field site director, echoed the growing need for basics in the already under-resourced West Virginia communities where he serves. "Some of the children in our area don't get anything to eat over the weekends. The snacks that they receive in our KidREACH [academic mentoring] program have to hold them until Monday."

In Albany, Ga., World Vision's Storehouse manager estimates that requests for assistance have risen 15 percent this fall. In New York City, the Love Kitchen food pantry, a World Vision community partner, is feeding 50 more people daily than it fed six months ago.

Teachers in low-income schools report they also are making financial sacrifices when their students cannot afford school supplies. In Detroit, teacher Cynthia Spear said she and other teachers are "spending a lot of our check going to the dollar store trying to get pencils, sharpeners, pens...we can't keep doing that with the economy the way it is."

'They rejoiced'

In these, and many more situations of need, World Vision is supplying the goods community organizations provide to those who are hurting.

Bethesda Church in Chicago distributed World Vision clothing in October as part of a huge clothing distribution, where lines extended around the block from the church. "With the economy going down, many people have lost their jobs," said Bethesda Co-Pastor Ruth Rivera. "They rejoiced when we gave the clothes away."

La Venia Donaldson of SADCO Christian Church in Los Angeles said her church is grateful for World Vision's U.S. ministry to those in greatest need. "The donations we get through World Vision make such a difference," she said.

Learn more

Get more information about World Vision's work with communities right here in the United States.

Two ways you can help

Please keep in prayer those families across the United States who are struggling in the midst of the recent economic crisis. Pray that their hardships would be eased through the work of organizations like World Vision and the community groups with whom we partner to serve those in need.

Donate now to World Vision's Storehouses in the United States. Your gift will help World Vision distribute corporately donated goods to community groups, who then provide them to families in need.

New killer in Congo

December 17, 2008

Hospitals in eastern Congo have seen an influx of young patients since the fighting intensified. Specifically, the number of children under age 5 dying from disease as a direct result of war has increased notably, according to World Vision field staff. Many of the patients have been displaced because of the conflict, and now they are suffering from preventable diseases because of poor living conditions in the camps.

A hospital in the city of Goma reported that 30 children under the age of 5 died from respiratory distress in November, a dramatic increase from the three deaths reported in September from the same preventable condition.

'Poor conditions in camps'

"These deaths are a direct result of children living in poor conditions in camps," says Dr. Louis Kamate. "The rain goes straight through the banana leaf huts and makes children extremely vulnerable to disease."

Kamate describes the scene where he works, at the Virunga Referral Hospital in Goma: "Since October 29 [when fighting escalated], the numbers arriving at the hospital have gone through the roof. Displaced people are arriving in Goma and coming straight here. People are sleeping on mattresses on the floor as there are not enough beds."

Meanwhile, a health center in the poorest slum in Goma admitted close to 60 cases of acute respiratory distress in the past week — and all the patients were children under 5. Seventy percent of those pediatric patients had been displaced from their homes.

World Vision providing needed supplies

Two hospitals and two community health centers in and around Goma received medicine through World Vision. This badly needed medicine is helping the health facilities respond to approximately 35,000 patients in all. World Vision is also providing plastic sheeting, blankets, and sleeping mats to displaced families in camps close to Goma.

"Before World Vision brought the medical supplies, our pharmacy was almost empty," says Kamate. "We can't afford to buy more. Displaced people are getting free care, but we can't continue without support."

A success story

Many displaced families, like Shukuru Kirarika and her 2-month-old son, live in these poor conditions, sleeping on stones covered with leaves. Shukuru brought her son, Mungu Iko, to the Virunga Referral Hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe respiratory distress and malnutrition.

"When I arrived, I thought he would not survive," said Kirarika, who lives in the Buhimba displacement camp with her five children. But thankfully, two days later, Mungu Iko received treatment with antibiotics, steroids and re-hydration therapy. Hospital staff members say that the child is now out of intensive care and will be able to return home to the camp soon.

Without supplies from World Vision, the hospital would not have been able to help Mungu Iko, or children like him.

Help now

Donate now to help provide assistance to those who have been displaced by the fierce, ongoing fighting in Congo. Your gift will help World Vision deliver emergency aid to those who need it most in this war-torn region.

Contact your members of Congress. Urge them to encourage their colleagues at the U.S. State Department to work toward bringing peace to eastern Congo.

World Vision leads response to Zimbabwe cholera outbreak; meanwhile, city of Bulawayo at serious risk

Updated December 18, 2008

A little girl who was registered with World Vision has died of cholera. No other cholera cases have been reported among children who are registered. If a tragedy affects a sponsored child, it is World Vision's policy to contact the child's sponsor as quickly as possible.

A plea for help

Zimbabwe's minister of health and child welfare, Dr. David Parirenyatwa, declared a national emergency and appealed for resources.

"Our central hospitals are literally not functioning," says Dr. Parirenyatwa. "Our staff is demotivated, and we need your support to ensure that they start coming to work and our health system is revived." He says there is an urgent need for medicine, laboratory and surgical equipment, laundry and sanitizing equipment, x-ray films, water treatment chemicals, and food to feed patients.

Without help from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like World Vision, people like Simon Makaza would not receive treatment for their illnesses. Makaza became sick with cholera recently. "I started feeling dizzy and my tummy was running, and it was so painful," he says.

"And I wished the pain would go away, but it would not just disappear. It was then I called my brother for help," says Makaza, whose monthly wage is about 30 cents U.S. "The scary thing is that hospitals are closed and I do not have money to pay for a private doctor or even buy the drugs. I am grateful to the NGOs and donors who have set up this clinic. At least I am being attended to and will be on my way home soon."

Crisis in Bulawayo

Meanwhile, World Vision is set to drill 25 new boreholes fitted with hand pumps, rehabilitate 20 existing boreholes, and unblock sewerage fixtures in the city of Bulawayo following a significant funding boost from the Swedish government to help improve the supply of sanitation and clean water in this urban area of 1.2 million people.

"Our prime focus right now is in the areas that are hardest hit by the outbreak," said Robert Mukuwe, World Vision's water and sanitation coordinator.

David Ndou, senior engineer for the Bulawayo City Council, warned that "Bulawayo is approaching a catastrophic crisis where the council has water treatment chemicals to last [only] until the first week of the new year. If no water chemicals are sourced, the city's 1.2 million residents are at risk of being exposed to unsafe water, making them vulnerable to cholera infection."

Ndou added that "on a daily basis, 800 sewer blockages are reported, and the municipality does not have the capacity to deal with them due to lack of equipment, protective clothing, and no work force..."

World Vision takes action

We have been scaling up responses in all of our project areas, especially those where cholera has been reported. Response kits have been purchased and pre-positioned in those areas, as well as in all district health centers where we work. Additionally, four World Vision staff members with health-related backgrounds are working in the quarantine camp in Beitbridge to assist in the clinical management of more than 1,000 patients.

World Vision staff members also are drilling and rehabilitating boreholes in all health centers, as well as providing water-harvesting rain tanks to schools and households, to ensure access to safe sources of water for public and domestic use.

Three ways you can help

Please join us in prayer for those in Zimbabwe who are suffering from the outbreak of cholera, and pray for the safety our staff as they work to save lives.

Donate now to help World Vision provide emergency assistance to children and families affected by the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe. Your gift will help World Vision deliver urgently needed support, including medical supplies, emergency food, and technical and logistical help.

Sponsor a child in Zimbabwe. Your love and support will help your sponsored child grow up to be a healthy, productive adult; it will also help him or her be better equipped to handle disasters, including the current cholera outbreak.

New law prevents U.S. tax dollars from funding use of child soldiers abroad

December 12, 2008

On Wednesday, Congress passed a bill to restrict any U.S. funding that would fuel one of the world's most brutal forms of child exploitation — the abuse of children as soldiers. World Vision is a key supporter of this bill.

The Child Soldier Prevention Act, which Congress passed on Dec. 10 as part of a larger human trafficking bill, threatens to cut several types of U.S. military assistance to countries that continue to enlist or force children into their ranks.

A quarter-million child soldiers

Currently, an estimated quarter-million children serve as soldiers for government forces, paramilitaries, and rebel groups around the world. In the past year, American tax dollars funded military assistance to six governments that use children to fight in their armed forces.

Child soldiers — some as young as 7 — are used as frontline combatants, porters, spies, human mine detectors, and sexual slaves in some 20 conflicts on nearly every continent. The physical, emotional, and psychosocial damage caused by children's exposure to armed conflict is severe and lifelong.

"Americans' tax dollars should never contribute to training and arming children and sending them into battle," said Joseph Mettimano, vice president for advocacy at World Vision and a key adviser in the development of the Child Soldier Prevention Act. "This bill ensures genuine consequences for governments using children to fight their wars. We applaud Congress for passing this legislation and urge the president to sign the bill immediately."

The Child Soldier Prevention Act

Each year, the U.S. State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights identify government forces that recruit or use children in violation of existing international standards.

Countries listed in each year's report will be given two years to release the children within their ranks. During that time, the only military assistance the United States will provide will be specifically to help in that process. If, after that two-year period, there is evidence that child soldiers are still being used or recruited, all key forms of U.S. military assistance will be cut.

According to the State Department, the countries that could be affected currently are Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Uganda.

Learn more

Read more about the abuse of children as soldiers.

Three ways you can help

Thank God for the passage of this bill that will protect the lives of countless children impacted by war. Continue to pray for children who are vulnerable to this kind of abuse.

Thank your members of Congress for passing this invaluable bill.

Give monthly to help provide for the needs of children affected by war and conflict around the world. Your monthly gift will help World Vision provide these children with food, clean water, and health care, as well as trauma counseling, protection, support, and more.

Former sponsored child gives back

November 2008

When an earthquake rocked her homeland of central Indonesia in May 2006, 27-year-old Sri Yatini quickly seized the opportunity to help World Vision assist those who had been left homeless. For this formerly sponsored girl, it was an opportunity to show gratitude for the help that she received as a child.

“I get a chance to repay the kindness of my sponsor by helping others who need help,” says Sri.

Lightening the burden

Sri became a sponsored child in 1991 when World Vision began community development projects in Indonesia’s Central Java. At the time, her widowed mother was struggling to provide for Sri and her brother and sister. Sri remembers how difficult things were and admits that “sponsorship started at the right time, when the economy of my family collapsed.”

Sri’s mother was working long hours, selling souvenirs to tourists, but she did not make enough money to provide schooling, health care, and basic daily needs for her three children. “The fact that my older brother, younger sister, and I got sponsorship at about the same time really lightened our family’s burden,” says Sri.

Motivated to succeed

Sri was 11-years-old when her sponsorship began, and she recalls feeling relieved that her mother no longer had to worry about health care or school fees. Sri was also personally encouraged when she realized that someone she had never met cared for her. “When I first received the letter and photo from my sponsor, I was so elated. I was so happy that there [was] someone — a Westerner — who knew about me and helped me,” Sri recalls.

The care she felt motivated Sri to do well in school, and the commitment of her sponsor gave her a desire to be successful. With hard work, Sri became the top student in her class. When she finished basic classes, Sri sold souvenirs with her mother until she had enough money to enroll in college. Eventually, Sri attended the Yogyakarta National University, where she earned a degree in construction education.

The chance to give back

It was not long after her college graduation that Sri received a call from World Vision. A staff member who remembered Sri from her sponsorship days wanted to know if she would be interested in helping with the earthquake relief. When Sri heard about the need, she did not hesitate, but quickly volunteered to offer whatever assistance she could.

In the days immediately following the earthquake, World Vision distributed tarpaulins, blankets, tools, and hygiene kits to more than 40,000 people. World Vision also set up Child-Friendly Spaces — areas that provide a safe place for children to play, attend classes, and receive emotional support. Sri was instrumental in opening the area’s first Child-Friendly Space, and over the following months, her team started around 19 more.

Sri quickly formed a strong connection with the children in that first Child-Friendly Space, and her passion for the work led to a full-time job as the center’s facilitator. Happy to help others, Sri gave her time out of a desire to serve and did not expect anything in return. So when she was paid for her full-time work, Sri was quite surprised. “I did not expect to get any money. What I did was merely to help my neighbors,” she says.

The urge to help

Sri remembers how hopeful she felt as a sponsored child and wants to share that hope with others. “Now that I’m a grown-up, I have the urge to pay back what I have received in the past. I have the urge to help other needy people, particularly needy children,” says Sri.

Today, Sri continues to serve with World Vision in a job that allows her to directly apply her college education. Working as an infrastructure facilitator, she assesses permanent housing and determines which families should be assigned to newly built homes.

Sri is thankful for World Vision’s involvement in her own life and believes that she would not be where she is today without the investment of her sponsor. “Sponsorship, to me, is the realization that someone has been pushing me forward to excel, to nurture my potential,” she says.

Help now

Help nurture the potential of a child like Sri and provide him or her with motivation to excel. Sponsor a child today. Your love and support will provide a child with the essentials for a healthy life, including education, food, water, and health care, and will create the foundation for a lifetime of success.

Single mother gets small loan for bakery from World Vision

December 2008

By Mauricio Rosaldo, World Vision Mexico, and Rachael Boyer, World Vision U.S.

In a village in southwest Mexico, Rafaelita Sanchez Garcia, 43, proudly pulls fresh bread from her oven. Baking is a delicious tradition that she learned from her mother 25 years ago.

But it's not just a tradition; it's a business, and Rafaelita always has plenty of orders for her bread and pastries. In fact, business is so good that sometimes she has to enlist help from her sister-in-laws so she can keep up with all the orders.

'Everything is different'

Life is good for Rafaelita and her two children, Angel, 14, and Carlos, 11, but it wasn't always this way. Rafaelita used to lose bakery clients because she had no extra money to buy supplies and raw materials. She often had to stop production for days or weeks at a time until she got more money.

Her small, improperly built oven also caused problems. And even though Angel and Carlos are children, they often had to take temporary jobs as day laborers instead of going to school.

All this changed two years ago when Carlos became a World Vision-sponsored child. World Vision helped the family by connecting Rafaelita with a small loan for her bakery business. This "micro-loan" made a huge difference for her business and for her family. She is now able to earn 160-180 pesos per week in profits (about $16-18 U.S.), and she earns more when she bakes cakes for special occasions like weddings.

Rafaelita says that "everything is different" since she received her loan. "Look at my oven," she says. "I can buy by wholesale, which helps me to save money and makes my job easier. With that money I can buy flour, oil, sugar, eggs, cheese, yeast, and everything I need to bake my bread."

Giving back

"I am a single mother and I am not ashamed," she says. "It has been difficult but I have overthrown everything in order to succeed. I suffered humiliation and discrimination from the community and some of my relatives." Rafaelita could feel discouraged, but this determined woman feels blessed and loves giving back to her community.

For Rafaelita, the day begins at 4 a.m. and includes a busy schedule of caring for her children and keeping up with her business — preparing dough, grating cheese, and greasing pans. If that weren't enough, she is also an active parent at the local elementary school and a coordinator at her church.

Rafaelita also takes some time every day to write letters and papers for the people in her community. Most of the people living in her community do not know how to read or write, and sometimes they can only speak Zoque, their native dialect.

Education is very important to this family, and now that Rafaelita's children can concentrate on their studies instead of working, their grades are improving. Angel, who just started ninth grade, is the first member of the family to attend high school.  As one might imagine, his mother is very proud.

Words of encouragement

An inspiration to the women in her community, Rafaelita asked to share an important message with the women who might read this article:

"An advice I give to women is that they must have a time to serve the community. There are people who need it, and I do it with love; I dedicate my work with love. It makes me feel free, and sometimes I even have fun. For that reason, I tell my friend that we should not close ourselves; we should serve our community. We must have a free dialogue, and we should not cross our arms and do nothing. We should give ourselves a better life, and as free women, we must think of more things for our future."

Thanks to a small loan from World Vision, this professional baker and mother of two has been able to take her own advice and live it out as an example.

Learn more

Read more about World Vision's Microenterprise Development Program, which helps build an independent and sustainable financial future for families like Rafaelita's.

Three ways you can help

Praise God for Raphaelita's passion for baking, which she was able to turn into a source of sustainable income through the loan she received from World Vision. Pray that World Vision's Microenterprise Development Program would help transform the lives of families in need all around the world, as it has done for Raphaelita.

Sponsor a child in Mexico. Your love and support will provide basic necessities like nutritious food, clothing, education, health care, and hope for a brighter future.

Provide a small business loan to a woman like Rafaelita. Your gift can be the key that helps her and others create a future of independence and prosperity.

Surviving Romania's winters

December 2008

By Mirela Savu, World Vision Romania, and Jessie Lester, World Vision U.S.

“Winter can be a nightmare for our family,” says Petronela Miturca, a mother of two who lives in a small, two-room house in Romania’s rural Vladeni region. The cold season is brutal in this country, and for families living in poverty, it presents a unique set of challenges.

'Urgent requests'

In Vladeni, where World Vision has been assisting families for the past 10 years, these challenges center on food and heating. Most families in this region survive on limited incomes and can barely afford to feed their children. When the weather grows cold, expenses only increase, and many families are forced to improvise. “Winter is always a time when we receive urgent requests for blankets, food, [and] warm clothes for children,” says Ms. Ciobanu, a World Vision community worker.

The cost of keeping a family warm through the winter, including a proper stove, wood, and warm clothes, can be as much as $1,000, and like many of their neighbors in rural Romania, the Miturcas cannot afford this.

'Barely enough'

Petronela’s husband makes around $150 each month at his job in the city but has to spend most of this on weekly food and travel expenses. Anything that is left is used to pay for electricity, and virtually nothing remains for basic daily needs.

Though Petronela works hard to provide for her girls, Madalina, 11, and Alexandra, 9, she is limited in her opportunities to make money. In the summer, she earns $10 per week for working in the fields, and caring for an elderly neighbor brings in $50 per month. But, as Petronela admits, “this is barely enough to feed the girls. There is rarely anything else to buy clothes or pay the bills.”

Insufficient heat

When winter comes and daily survival becomes more difficult, Petronela, her husband, and their two daughters struggle to stay warm using a makeshift stove constructed of mud and bricks. Though their house is small, the stove only creates enough warmth to heat one of the two rooms. Petronela’s husband sleeps in the unheated room, and Madalina is often sent to her grandmother’s to stay warm.

The situation is far from ideal, but purchasing a new stove is out of the question. Good stoves can cost up to $350, and the Miturcas do not even have enough money to buy warm clothes for their growing girls.

'God has blessed us'

Yet as another winter approaches, Petronela is still confident that her children will be protected from the chill. “For the last 10 years, God has blessed us with World Vision’s presence in our community…usually, during this time of year, they provide warm blankets and clothes for our children, warm boots to go to school, and school supplies,” she says.

World Vision is working to address severe infrastructure problems in this area and will continue responding to urgent food and clothing requests that are common during the cold season. Thanks to World Vision’s involvement, the Miturcas and their struggling neighbors know that they will not have to face the long, frigid months alone.

Preparing for the future

The people of Vladeni are not the only ones struggling. Families all over Romania need help in order to survive the difficult months of winter. World Vision is committed to assisting these families in the present and helping them build sustainable futures and prepare for winters to come.

In parts of rural Romania, this is done through World Vision’s family sponsorship projects. These projects partner with entire families to equip them with necessary resources for long-term survival. With gifts of livestock, agricultural goods, tools, and training, families are able to establish farms that will provide both income and food. In addition, construction materials, stoves, and reliable water sources help families build strong houses that will protect them from the chill of winter.

Learn more

Read about family sponsorship and learn how World Vision partners with families to help them break the cycle of poverty.

Read another story about how gifts of warm clothing helped protect children in Armenia from the cold winters.

Three ways you can help

Thank God that, through organizations like World Vision, families like Petronela’s have warmth for the present and sustainability for the future. Pray for families facing harsh winters in Romania and other countries where poverty makes survival difficult.

Donate now to help provide warm clothing and blankets for children living in cold climates like Romania. Your gift will help World Vision deliver warmth and comfort to children who desperately need protection from frigid winter weather.

Sponsor a family in Romania. Your support will bless an entire family, empowering parents to provide for their children in the present and build a sustainable future.

Gold medal with a Cause

December 12, 2008

When Hannah Teter won the gold medal for the half pipe in the 2006, she was determined to use her fame for a good cause. She's an activist with a big heart, inspiring others to join her in supporting an entire village in Kenya through World Vision.

"I wanted to get involved with Team World Vision because in my heart, I've always had a passion to give back and be able to reach out to those in need and spread God's love," says Hannah. "After receiving the gold medal, I now have an opportunity to pursue this dream and encourage others to give back."

A community in need

After looking at various giving options, Hannah found World Vision and chose to sponsor the rural community of Kirindon in the East African country of Kenya. Hannah likes World Vision's community-based approach to development, which includes partnering with local churches.

She made a long-term commitment to bring hope and transformation to this community of 56,000 people, including more than 5,000 children who have been orphaned because of AIDS.

The residents of Kirindon need clean water wells, a school, vocational training, income-generating opportunities, improved agricultural practices, and better access to medical care. And although the humanitarian needs in Kirindon and around the world can be overwhelming, Hannah keeps things in perspective: "One child — and one community — at a time," she says.

'Real, sustainable solutions'

So far, Hannah has raised more than $43,000 for projects in Kirindon with the help of corporate partners and friends. She hopes to raise even more this week as she auctions off a snowboard, jacket, bindings, and even a weekend of snowboarding.

"We can help Kirindon with the critical first steps out of poverty and despair," says Hannah. "And, we can walk alongside them as they find real, sustainable solutions to the challenges they face."

Check out how you can join Hannah and bring hope to the children and families of this community.

Three ways you can help

Bid now on snowboarding items donated by Hannah Teter! All proceeds will benefit the Kenyan community that Hannah supports through World Vision.

Donate now and join with Hannah in supporting the community of Kirindon.

Sponsor a child in Kenya today.

For just $35 a month you can sponsor a HopeChild in African countries and other countries around the world and help turn the tide of the HIV/AIDS pandemic!

Give a personalized gift through the World Vision Gift Catalog. Bless a loved one with a unique gift they will never forget. Bless children and families around the world by providing for their daily needs.

Stop deadly intestinal worms and other killers of children. Lack of basic drugs is why worms, which should be easy to defeat, are responsible for more than 200,000 deaths each year. Will you help stop this needless suffering?