We recently received two letters from two different Compassion center directors around the world. As much as I love letters from my sponsored children and letters from pastors, these letters are a gold mine!
If you want to know how each Compassion project is run, then this type of letter will give you all that information. I don't know for sure, but I would guess that most Compassion projects within a country operate in a similar fashion. So even if your child doesn't attend this particular project, chances are he or she experience a similar thing in their Compassion project. I know that it varies greatly from country to country, but within a country...probably not so much.
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Dear Kevin and Jill,
Please receive my greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am Mr. Thomas Amisi, the Project Director of Lweya Child Development Center where your sponsored child Joylyne Awuor attends. The project is located in the Lake basic region, Siaya County of the republic of Kenya. The project is about 3 km off the shore of the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Victoria, and is about 80 km from Kisumu city.
I wish to sincerely thank you for encouraging and supporting Joylyne.
The children receive the most far reaching programs at the center. The program is curriculum lead, delivered by the center staff and qualified teachers who are Christians and of high reputation in the community. The center has designed books on spiritual, social emotional, cognitive and physical development which are used to teach the children when they come to the center.
The younger children between the ages 3-11 years are taken through age appropriate games as playing with balloons, swing and merry go round. They also learn the Word of God through songs, Bible stories and memory verses, whereas the older children of 12 and above are taught income generating skills as fashion and design, cookery, agriculture skills beside learning the Word of God through Bible study.
Along with the activities that take place in a typical day at the project the sponsored children are also given individual attention through regular home and school visits. This kind of attention is given to provide guidance and support to the child. Each child is assigned an adult project staff or volunteer who walk with him/her through the challenges of life. During such visits the development needs of the child's family are identified and appropriate intervention taken.
The caregivers are empowered through trainings in modern agricultural technics and small scale business. These efforts are made to ensure that the caregivers to these children are empowered to enable them to provide the basic needs for their families. The caregivers are periodically trained on parenting skills and children right issues where they learn how to bring up the children in a positive manner.
Many sponsored young persons in this community have acquired secondary school education with a few of them acquiring even university degrees. This can be attributed to the sponsorship program that has ensured that the children access education and other educational support. This situation is quite different among the other children in the community who did not have the opportunity to participate in the sponsorship program.
The number of children that profess that Jesus Christ is Lord and engage in service activities in the church and community is higher among the sponsored children compared to those children who are not sponsored thanks to the spiritual nourishment the sponsored children get at the project.
The epic of sponsor-child relationship is realized when a sponsor visits the child. This is a very exciting moment for the child. It is the only opportunity when the child meets the sponsor face to face. The sponsor normally takes this time to know the child's family background and also meets the family members. Such a visit has the most far reaching impact in cementing the sponsor-child relationship.
Children also enjoy receiving letters from their sponsors. The words shared encourage the children and build their self-esteem.
Finally, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for being a sponsor to Joylyne in this community. May the God continue to shower you with His sufficient grace.
Blessings,
Thomas Amisi
Lweya Child Developement Center, Kenya (KE 808)
