What my daughter learnt from being a child sponsor

For the first few years before Jacinta and Thom could write, their parents wrote letters on their behalf to keep the girls in contact.

How does it feel to visit your sponsored child?

Many child sponsors will take the opportunity to visit their sponsored child, a visit which ChildFund Australia encourages wholeheartedly. When Jacinta turned four years old, Sue and her husband booked a flight to Vietnam so she could meet Thom and her family.

“It was magnificent for them to meet,” recalls Sue. “They were only four years old yet seemed to communicate. They hugged each other, which was beautiful to watch.

“When we got home Jacinta wanted to give everything she owned to Thom as she didn’t want her to miss out.”

Today the girls are young women and, while they stopped writing letters when Thom completed ChildFund’s sponsorship program in 2015, they’ve had a lasting and positive impact on each other’s lives.

“I appreciate the small things and don’t take things for granted, like water from a tap and having my own bedroom,” says Jacinta.

“While we are no longer in contact I know the area Thom lives in became self-sufficient, which means ChildFund’s support is not needed in that area any more. We know we helped to make that happen.”

What can you learn from child sponsorship?

Sue says sponsoring a child on behalf of her daughter taught Jacinta not only about Thom’s culture but also compassion and gratitude.

“I am hoping Jacinta learnt that supporting a child and visiting is a privilege – not a given – and that everyone has a story to tell, and we should accept people from all walks of life,” she says.

“Sponsoring on behalf of your child shows them to accept and appreciate what they have.

“It also shows them that although we may not all look the same, we are the same inside.”

Sign up to our child sponsorship program!

Do you want to make a lasting impact on the life of a child in need? Consider sponsoring a child today and your donation will help the child in a number of ways including:

• Keeping the child in school
• Paying for food, medicine and other essential supplies
• Supporting the child’s family with additional income
• Giving a child back the childhood they deserve

Child sponsorship is a powerful way to make a charitable contribution to the life of someone in need. We’ll work with you every step of the way to make your sponsorship journey a memorable and valuable experience.

We’re committed to helping all children in the countries where we work, because every child needs a childhood.