After many months of deliberation, I have finally made a very big commitment. I signed up for the World Vision Child Sponsorship project. This is a very big step for me, as I still have doubts as to whether I can fully sponsor a child given my limited capacity.
What made me finally decide to take the plunge? Since last year, I have wanted to do something for abandoned or under-priviledged kids, to let them have a better life. I was deliberating adoption initially, but then adoption is taking care of a child, bringing him / her up, and giving him / her the best. To a child, what better gift than to have a complete family for him / her to grow up in? And if I am not able to achieve that, it is better not to go through with it.
The next alternative would be to sponsor a child, be it in terms of education or welfare or medical expenses. There are so many poor children in the world with sickly parents, who cannot afford medical fees or to go to school. And World Vision does just that - identify children around the world who need help, and source for sponsors to help these children.
The money does not go to the child's parents for them to upgrade to a better living standard. Rather, the money goes to a local representative, who will then apportionate the amount for the child in terms of education, medical, food and lodgings. The child can communicate with the sponsor by sending letters, and the sponsor can also send letters, cards or gifts to the child, but no money is to be sent (besides the monthly contributions).
The child I am sponsoring is a seven-year-old girl from a village in the Philippines. Even though I have committed, there are still apprehension. This is a life-long commitment, or at least until the child has grown to a suitable age and the family situation improves. I cannot state that I want to contribute, then a while later stop the contribution. It is just not right. If I am to do it, I have to do it right and continuously. And for now, I am unsure of just how long I can continue this commitment.
But if I can make a difference to just one person's life, no matter how young, that is an achievement already. So I told myself that by hook or by crook, I have to continue the sponsorship, as I have the ability to make a person (or family) life better. And that is the whole issue - to give back to society what I have taken from it, and to help the less priviledged and let them know they are not alone.
What made me finally decide to take the plunge? Since last year, I have wanted to do something for abandoned or under-priviledged kids, to let them have a better life. I was deliberating adoption initially, but then adoption is taking care of a child, bringing him / her up, and giving him / her the best. To a child, what better gift than to have a complete family for him / her to grow up in? And if I am not able to achieve that, it is better not to go through with it.
The next alternative would be to sponsor a child, be it in terms of education or welfare or medical expenses. There are so many poor children in the world with sickly parents, who cannot afford medical fees or to go to school. And World Vision does just that - identify children around the world who need help, and source for sponsors to help these children.
The money does not go to the child's parents for them to upgrade to a better living standard. Rather, the money goes to a local representative, who will then apportionate the amount for the child in terms of education, medical, food and lodgings. The child can communicate with the sponsor by sending letters, and the sponsor can also send letters, cards or gifts to the child, but no money is to be sent (besides the monthly contributions).
The child I am sponsoring is a seven-year-old girl from a village in the Philippines. Even though I have committed, there are still apprehension. This is a life-long commitment, or at least until the child has grown to a suitable age and the family situation improves. I cannot state that I want to contribute, then a while later stop the contribution. It is just not right. If I am to do it, I have to do it right and continuously. And for now, I am unsure of just how long I can continue this commitment.
But if I can make a difference to just one person's life, no matter how young, that is an achievement already. So I told myself that by hook or by crook, I have to continue the sponsorship, as I have the ability to make a person (or family) life better. And that is the whole issue - to give back to society what I have taken from it, and to help the less priviledged and let them know they are not alone.
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