Sponsoring Siblings

My Hubby and I recently made the decision to sponsor some siblings of some of our sponsor children. This was something I had been thinking about doing for awhile, but it was a hard decision for me to make.

On the one hand there are several families that I am very close to and I would like to offer them more help by sponsoring an additional child. Siblings are not necessarily automatically enrolled in the Children International program. I think each family is allowed either four or five children to be in the program at any one time but once two or three children from one family are enrolled and sponsored CI tends to concentrate on getting assistance to new families. So these siblings might never get the benefits of the CI program if I didn't request to sponsor them. Also, how crappy must it feel to be the only non-sponsored kid in a family where all of your other siblings are sponsored? Being left out while watching your siblings getting all the benefits from CI and letters and perhaps even gifts from their sponsors must really suck.

On the other hand I was very worried that if I shared my attention between two siblings I would make my original sponsor child feel less special to me. That's not something I want to do at all! I also thought it might create sibling rivalry (although I fully intend to do everything equally for each child - and actually there is probably more jealousy if one child is left out rather than if they share).

After thinking about it for a long time, and discussing it with my Hubby (he was for it) and with other sponsors (some mixed opinions), I finally made the decision to stop worrying about it and just do it.

So this feels like a grand experiment - we will see how it goes...

I don't have the children on my account yet because CI has to get the field office staff to go out and sign the kids up. It will probably be a month before all the paperwork is done, the first medical visit completed, pictures taken etc...And I guess there is always a chance that for some reason or another the families don't want to sign up another child. (Although I seriously doubt that.) So barring something going wrong, I will soon be sponsoring these three new kids:


Jerica Mae in 2008

Jerica Mae is Harry's youngest sibling. I think she turned five this year. She was the only eligible child left in Harry's family that wasn't sponsored. I don't think sponsoring her will upset Harry. He will probably be just fine with sharing. I think the fact that there is such a difference in their ages and they aren't the same gender will lessen any chance of there being a rivalry between them. Also, by sponsoring Jerica I will be able to keep in touch with Harry for a long time after he graduates from the CI program. So I think (I hope!) it will be a win/win for everybody. Plus, Jerica = Adorable!


Adriana in 2008

The second child I am adding is Ana's youngest sister Adriana. I think she is eight years old. She was also the only child who was not sponsored in the familiy. I am already in the process of setting up the family with an Income Generating Project through Aura's House. So until Ana graduates high school and is ready for further education, sponsoring her sister is the only other major way I could help the family right now. Adriana looked somewhat sad in the family photos I have. I hope she will feel happier now that she has sponsor too.


Dulce in 2009

Dulce is Hermelinda's younger sister. I think she is four years old. Since I am unable to do anything major to help the family with their houseing situation and they are unable to do an IGP at this time I think that sponsoring Dulce is the best way to releive some of their burdens. Besides - as if I could resist that little smiley face! From what I know of the sisters they seem to be almost opposites in personality. It will be interesting to get to know Dulce. I wrote to Hermelinda last week and told her that she was very special to me and that because I loved her so much I would like to help her family even more by sponsoring Dulce. I told her that maybe when she is old enough, she will help Dulce write her letters just like Hermelinda's brother helps her now.

So - I hope this is a decision that will work out for everyone. I'll be a little trepedatious until I hear from Ana, Harry and Hermelinda and hear what they have to say about it!

It's a Miracle!

Many of my fellow sponsors have expressed their concern for my little Guatemalan sponsor child Hermelinda. After seeing her living conditions in the video that Steve shot for me on his visit I contacted Children International to inquire about the possibility of getting the family into better housing. I didn't hold out much hope for a positive out come but I thought it was worth a try. Unfortunately I recently received a letter from CI informing me that it would cost around $14,000 to purchase a plot of land and build a suitable house. The family, quite understandably wishes to remain in the same village where they have family support and friends. There is a lack of adequate housing in general so it's not feasible to simply move them to another house. It's a complex situation and sadly the solution is just beyond me financially. :(

So I spent several days feeling very bummed out. I only wish I could solve every problem for my sponsor kids and it's so frustrating to not be able to do so.

Then I received these photos of Hermelinda and a report on the first special needs gift I had sent them. Look closely - what do you see??


A smile from Hermelinda!

I opened the envelope and took a look at the photos and instantly burst into tears. The very first thing I saw was that smile on Hermelinda's face! My Hubby was standing right next to me and of course was curious as to what was causing my emotion. I handed him the photo and could only say, "Look!"

Hubby took a look and said, "Oh that's so great! She got her gifts."

I said, "Yes - but who is that."

He took another look, "It's Hermelinda."

"Yes, and what is she doing?!"


Hermelinda's new shoes.

"She's holding up her new little shoes and...oh!...she's smiling!!"

I'm not going to say that Hubby got tears in his eyes too or anything because I wouldn't want to out him on the blog but I will say that he is just as big of a softie as I am. :)

It's taken about a year and a half but I finally got a smile out of Hermelinda. It really feels like a small miracle. It perked me up out of my unable-to-buy-a-house-for-my-sponsor-kid doldrums and reminded me that I may not be able to do everything - but I can certainly do something.

Last night I made a list of the approximate dates for when my sponsor kids will graduate from the CI program. Aside from the fact that I am just sort of a compulsive list maker, I actually do need to start to think about this sort of thing so that I make sure to keep the graduation dates evenly spread out. I will be able to help with further educational needs better if all my kids don't graduate at once. Not to mention the "sponsor panic" I will go into if I lose too many kids all at the same time! I figured out that my first couple of kids will graduate in about 2012. (Doesn't that just sound like a futuristic, fictional date? I still can't believe we are in the 2000's.) One of the first to go will be my precious friend Harry - which I am not going to think about.....! Hermelinda will graduate sometime around 2020. I'm so grateful and excited to have so many years to watch her grow up and be a part of her life. Getting a sweet little smile from Hermelinda feels like the first step in a long and exciting journey. Is it weird that I miss her grumpy face just a little bit? :)

I'm so happy to see all the things they were able to get. That wardrobe is pretty impressive and the new metal bed with complete with mattress, blanket and sheets made me happy. I hope Hermelinda now has a comfy place to sleep.

I'm also expecting another report soon for a second special needs gift I sent that will buy the fan that Steve suggested as well as new cookware and some other household supplies. I will update everyone about that as soon as I hear anything.

And I'm waiting and holding my breath to see the photos from Steve of his visit to Chile where he got to meet with my sponsor child Carla!! I will share those photos as soon as I can.

Video of Hermelinda

I (hopefully) figured out how to embed video on the blog.

So here are some videos of one of my little Guatemalan girls, Hermelinda. "Super Sponsor" Steve took these videos for me last month when he visited his own sponsor kids in Guatemala.

The first video is of Hermelinda (in the pink shirt) and her family at the Children International center in Guatemala. Hermelinda was too shy to smile or wave at the camera. Plus it looks like she was given a lolipop and I doubt she wanted to let go of that long enough to smile. :)



This is video of Hermelinda's family in the van on the way to her home. Hermelinda is still overwhelmed by all the attention. And the CI field worker keeps urging her to smile "or else your sponsor will be sad". Poor Hermelinda! I hope she doesn't think I'm disappointed with her. I think she is adorable with or without a smile.



This video is of Hermelinda's family home. I think the video gives a much better idea of what the situation is really like. My poor kid lives in a level of poverty I've never seen in real life (and I've been to some seriously poor areas in the USA). I'd like to say a big thank you to all the sponsors who have expressed an interest in helping Hermelinda. It means so much to me!



I am waiting for word from Children International about plans to improve Hermelinda's situation. I'll update you all as soon as I hear anything.

This Is What Poverty Looks Like

Let me take you on a tour of Hermelinda's family home in Guatemala, courtesy of Steve. These are still photos taken from the video he shot for me.


The trail leading up to Hermelinda's isolated home - 200 steps up a very steep hill.


Hermelinda's father Victor holds her two year old sister Marlyn in front of the tin sheets which comprise the walls of their family "home".


The kitchen. Hermelinda's mother Dorca cooks here over a fire in the open air.


Hermelinda's family in a photo from 2008 that I got from Children International. Mother Dorca holds baby Marlyn, Hermelinda next to her mother in a purple skirt, Yessica and Victor holding little Dulce. Since this photo the family has added one more child - I think a boy. After that birth Dorca had her "tubes tied". I think this was a smart decision for the future of her family.


This is the "pantry". A large barrel I assume is for water storage that hopefully will keep out the worst of the bugs, animals, rain and dirt.


The "bathroom". This looks like it is also in the open air with a curtain for privacy.


The family stands by the "front door" in 2008.


The "bedroom". The family has two metal bed frames for seven people.


The "living room". Hermelinda's family also sleep on the floor here.


Hermelinda's isolated home and extreme poverty readily explain the rarity of her smiles.


Hermelinda waves goodbye to me through the camera.

I have Children International looking into options to try to arrange better housing for Hermelinda's family but it is a problematic situation since they are essentially squatter's on the land that their "home" sits on. If I provide them with new materials to build a more secure structure there is every likelihood that the owner of the land will kick the family out and keep the new house to rent out to people who can pay. The only other options will probably be to buy them a piece of land (likely to be out of the range of what I can afford - thousands of dollars) or to attempt to relocate them to a rental (hard to see how they could afford to rent anything but possibly a move to a less isolated area may enable me to set them up an Income Generating Business). Anyhow - the housing situation outlook remains rather bleak.

In the meantime I have sent a special needs donation and have asked CI to enquire about portable household items the family could use - bunk beds, cooking utensils, furniture etc. - that will help make their situation better in the short term and can be moved with them if they can get into a better home.

The good news is that in addition to Hermelinda, Victor and Yessica also have sponsors. Please - if you can - consider sponsoring little Dulce:


or Marlyn:


Sponsorship is $22 a month and the aid this family gets from sponsorship is literally the difference between life and death for these kids. Without the food, medical and schooling help I don't see how they could survive. Contact me at the email link in the sidebar if you think you can help.

If you can't commit to a sponsorship please consider donating to one of my Income Generating Projects for some of my other families over at Aura's House. Donations seem to have slowed down so I really need your help!!

I'd also love to give out some surprise gifts to anyone who donates so please email me or leave a comment and let me know if you do!

Cobblestone Pullover and Hermelinda*

*Aka: I hate trying to come up with clever blog post titles.

So last night I finished up the knitting on a Cobblestone sweater for my Hubby. I just have to kitchener the underarms and weave in the rest of the ends. So I'll be all done by tomorrow probably. I really like the sweater and want to knit one by myself but I'm a bit put off by the wraps on the short rows. I can do them just fine when I am knitting traditional stockinette but something about the garter stitch in the round seems to be throwing me off. The problem is not doing the wraps themselves - that I get! - but what to do with them on the next row...the whole picking up the wraps thing. I followed the instructions in the back of the magazine and think I understand what they want me to do - but the results aren't so pretty. Am I just being overly picky (it's been known to happen...) or is there something I don't get about the technique or some mysterious tip that would help them look better?? Helps!!

I used Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran - sadly discontinued but I literally have bags and bags of it. I used "Muffin" which is almost the same shade as the Brooklyntweed original. I love Yorkshire Tweed. The colors are so awesome and it is just so woolly. I admit it's sometimes not so fun to knit with though. Knitting it straight out of the skein/ball is a pain. It loves to stick to itself and tangle up which slows me down. I finally re-wound the skeins into "cakes" and it helped the problem some. The yarn is also rather rough and will give you rope burn if you knit for any length of time. It's also heavy and hard on the wrists when you have a whole sweater on the needles all at once! But still - I do love it. :)

Has anyone tried the girly version of Cobblestone? (I forget the name of the pattern but I know it's around here somewhere...*rummages around*) Thoughts?

And for your amusement (because I hate posting without photos)...here are some photos of Hermelinda that I somehow never posted when I got them last year.



She is doing her typical Hermelinda pose, looking like she is in hostage negotiations. (You know where they make the hostage hold up the current newspaper to prove that they are still alive...)



I think she's adorable whether she smiles or not, but it had become a personal mission to actually see her smile.





Thanks again Steve!!

What a Wonderful Gift!

A smile from Hermelinda!



Isn't she the sweetest thing you ever saw?



These are the pictures that Steve took for me while he was in Guatemala. I have never seen Hermelinda smile before! It really transforms her. In other photos I have of Hermelinda she looks shy and unsure. But I feel like in these new photos you can see her real personality. I can tell she is still very shy but I hope that she will continue to gain in confidence and her personality will have the chance to blossom. The increase in self-esteem for these little girls is one of the best effects of sponsorship.

Hermelinda with her family at the CI center in Guatemala: (I think Steve was making silly faces at them in this sequence. :) )







Hermelinda's family are: her father Victor, mother Dorca, oldest brother Victor (11), oldest sister Yesica (8), Dulce (age 4, being held by her Daddy), and youngest sister Marlyn (2)peeking out behind Yesica. I don't know the baby's name but I think it is a boy. As of the last report I had Dulce and Marlyn need sponsors.

Almost As If I've Been to Guatemala! (Another Great Big Ole Post)

So, in addition to the recent visit from Meaghan and Franklin from Children International (which was totally awesome btw!!!) I also have some other great sponsorship news. One of the other "super sponsors", (my name for the group of CI sponsors that I hang out with online - hi all!!) Steve is currently on a trip to Guatemala to visit several of his sponsor children. I think he has somewhere around 25 kids! Anyhow, Steve very, VERY generously offered to meet with some of my sponsor children as well. Hooray - the next best thing to seeing them myself!

Steve was able to meet with Hermelinda:



and Lesly:

He took lots of photos for me (dying to see them!) as well as video!! I'm so thrilled I could burst.

Steve travels all over the world visiting his many sponsor children so he has a unique perspective on poverty and the potentials of sponsorship. His descriptions of his trip have been so thoughtful, entertaining and insightful. I feel like when I go to Guatemala myself someday (please!!) I will feel more prepared for the experience.

Steve sent me the following email about Hermelinda and gave me permission to reprint it here.

Hey Stephanie,

I met Hermalinda (not sure of the spelling) today, along with her 5
siblings and both parents. Your child is painfully shy. Maybe it was
seeing this guy she´s never met nor knows anything about. Her parents
did their best to coax a smile or two out of her. I´ll be sure to
send the still photos upon my return.

I took some video too. Unfortunately, the walk from the town to their
place did not record. I screwed up and feel terrible about it. We
were ready to leave when I realized my error, so I went back and took
video of their home, the family, and their neighbors. Unfortunately,
I was not willing to make the trip from the beginning. Be advised
that their place is on a hillside, and the walk is not for the faint
of heart. There are probably 200 steps to get there. If you plan to
visit, you might want to train on a StairMaster or something!

More importantly, Hermalinda´s home is a metal corrugated shack. The
temperature in there during the summer months must be sweltering.
From what I can tell, they do have some access to electricity. That
family needs a fan badly!

They are poor. Very poor. The trail to their place is strewn with
garbage, and many of the steps are uneven and little more than rocks.
This is no environment for small children. Actually, this is no
environment for anyone. I don´t know how human beings live like
this. I can´t imagine what a predicament they´d be in without your
help. Your are their Godsend. That is their message that I´ve
recorded, and I hope to somehow figure out how to post it for you.
Failing that, I can make a DVD and send it to you.

I can try to fill in some of the blanks later for you if you have
questions. Right now, I´m a little beat and need to grab some dinner
and prepare for tomorrow.

Again, thanks for your efforts with that child. God knows she needs
it.

Steve

This email made me sad but also excited that I have an opportunity to make a difference. Fortunately I had already funded a special needs project at the beginning of April for Hermelinda. The family had requested the following:

1 metal bed
1 chest of drawers
2 sets of bed sheets
2 bedspreads
1 poncho
1 pair of shoes
1 pair of jeans
1 blouse
1 pair of stockings
3 underwear

Now thanks to Steve, I know that they also could use a fan. I will be sending extra money for a fan if they don't purchase one with the money I have already sent. I included some extra money already and asked that they buy something special for Hermelinda since her birthday has just passed. I know that the money has arrived at the field office but I don't think they have had the chance to take Hermelinda's family shopping yet.

Lesly's special needs project is still up over at Aura's House. Only $98 to go!

You can read about other "super sponsors" at these blogs:

Heather runs a sort of "super sponsor collective" blog at Children Are the World where she posts about her own sponsor kids as well as those of other "super sponsors" like Efrain, Mack, Victor, Alice and Barbara. (Did I miss anyone?)

Heather has also set up a fundraising site for small projects for the families at: Firstgiving where she has just finished funding the very first project!

Heather also gets her children involved in sponsorship and you can read about her little sponsor Jaden here.

Skye blogs at Life, Love and Happiness - when she isn't on the Children International's homepage that is!

Robyn shares stories and great photos of her sponsor kids at robynapplause.

The official Children International blog is at here.

You can see and read about all of Steve's sponsor children here.

And of course my Hubby blogs at our crafting site Flaming Lotus Creations and posts updates about our sponsor kids as well. He just sold his first set of coasters for our sponsor kids! (And I was serious about him taking requests.) :)

I'm sure there are more great "sponsor blogs" out there... (and you all thought I was the only one!:) )

Phew! Another huge long post. What has gotten into me? :)

Hermelinda Housing Photos

I'd like to share these photos I received from Children International of Hermelinda's family and their home in Guatemala. Hermelinda is the little thing in the light purple skirt. Isn't she just so tiny? I always think of her as "little Hermelinda".

Hermelinda's older sister Yessica, 7 (standing next to her in the first photo) and her brother Victor 11, (in the black shirt) both have sponsors. Hermelinda's younger sisters Dulce, 3 (being held by Victor) and Marlyn, 1 (held by Hermelinda's mother) both need sponsors. If you think you could sponsor either of them please email me and I will help you set it up. The girls are probably not listed on CI's site.



I think that Hermelinda's housing is probably typical for the area she lives in. It's difficult for me to think of a child I care about (or any child for that matter!) living in such conditions. I know it could be worse of course, (unfortunately there is always something worse) but I also know it could be much much better!



Since Hermelinda's family felt unable to start an income generating project they asked instead for some money to cover the expenses for some special needs. They asked for $251.41 to buy a bed and bed clothes, a set of drawers, and several items of clothing for the children. I'm hoping that by the end of next month I will be able to send the family this donation.

Hermelinda's New Photo

We got a new yearly photo of Hermelinda. Still no smile. I think Hermelinda and Javiera are the only two sponsor kids who have never smiled in their photos. They are also the only two of my sponsor kids whose families replied that they weren't interested in an income generating project. In Hermelinda's case the family lives in a very rural area and did not feel that there would be enough community support to enable them to start a new business. Personally, I don't think that the lack of smiles and the lack of opportunity is any coincidence. I wish there was more I could do to change that situation...



I'm not giving up though. I think of it as a challenge. :) I know I'll find a way to her heart somehow!! I just have to figure out something that she just can't resist...

Hermelinda is six years old and lives in Guatemala. Any ideas to get a smile out of Hermelinda?

Thinking about:
1. Quilting - all the time. Quilting makes me happy.
2. The Suspicions of Mister Whicher - very good book.
3. Colors and patterns - see #1.
4. Weeding out the yarn stash - has to be done but will happen slowly. Must not shock the system.
5. The Chupacabra - totally lives in our neighborhood. Last seen crossing the road under the overpass.

Thanks so much to everyone for the nice comments about the quilt. I've got to find a better commenting system that allows me to more easily reply. Hate the system I have. Anyone know anything better that works with blogger?

Little Hermelinda

These are some of my favorites amongst the "gift" photos we got of our sponsor kids. I was really glad to get them since up to that point we had only one photo of Hermelinda. She is six and lives in Guatemala.



I just think she is the cutest little thing! She's so petite. And so totally unfazed. LOL! I am determined to get this kid to smile. :)

I have noticed that the girls especially seem quite shy and reserved when they first enroll in Children International's program. It's not that often that you get a little girl that smiles in her first picture. But, little by little, you can see that they gain self-confidence and feel safe to express themselves. That's one of the greatest things about CI - seeing the children grow and become more confident. Many of the older girls in the program often comment that CI helped them to lose their reserve and become more self-assured. It's like sponsor kid girl power!



We'll keep working on Hermelinda. :)

Letters

As if on cue yesterday's mail brought me two letters from my sponsor kids! We had sent birthday packages to Mary Joy (one of my son's special sponsor kids) in the Philippines and also to Hermelinda in Guatemala and they replied to thank us for the gifts.



Mary Joy turned twelve. She has the neatest handwriting I have ever seen! She writes her letters to me in English and says she loves school. Her letter had four photos in it! Yay! She was wearing the t-shirt I had picked out for her - it fit and looked so pretty! I was relieved that it fit her properly.



Little Hermelinda just tuned six. She is so adorable! I love this picture of her. She looks like she is so unimpressed with having her photo taken. Her expression is just so real. I've seen this same look on my daughter - when she is a little tired and we insist on taking her picture anyway. Precious! Hermelinda calls me her Godmother and always sends a "strong hug" in her letters. She is too young to write herself so I have gotten letters written by her mother, uncle and even a neighbor. It makes me feel good to think that she has all these people around her to help her out.

Hermelinda's letter included two new photos of her. She is so tiny and her hair is quite bleached out by the sun. Adorable!

I'll have to scan some of these letters and pictures to show you guys. The kids always illustrate their letters with drawings that are very sweet. You have to see the letters to get the full effect. :)