Students and scholars at a CFCA youth forum in Delhi, India.

More than 350 sponsored students and scholars in Delhi, India, recently participated in a CFCA youth forum designed to help them learn money-saving practices, leadership skills and public speaking techniques.

Students deposit 50 rupees (about $1) of their own money into a savings account every time they meet. This money, along with funds from CFCA’s scholar program, is put in an account and members are able to take out loans from this account to pay for their higher education expenses.

Some forum participants may apply for and receive scholarship grants and others have the opportunity to take out school loans through CFCA.

The youth forum gives sponsored students encouragement and support as they think and plan for their future.

Senior students provide personalized counseling and guide the younger members in their academic and career goals.

Nagma, a young lady sponsored through CFCA, participated in the youth forum and shared her experiences with us!

Nagma: CFCA students have extra learning opportunity

My name is Nagma, and in 2010, I completed the 12th class.

After that I took the entrance exam to pursue my bachelor’s of technology in computer science, but I did not receive a scholarship from the school.

At the time, I was very frustrated because of the situation.

I have a younger brother and younger sister. My father sells milk, and with the income he earns he must take care of the family’s needs.

My family could not afford to pay the admission fees, and I was confused whether to continue or wait and try to score good marks in the next year’s entrance exam.

It was difficult to take the next step.

A short time later, I learned that CFCA in Delhi was initiating a youth forum to discuss problems and offer solutions.

I joined the forum and discussed my situation. It helped me make the decision to start my bachelor’s of technology program by taking out a loan from the CFCA youth forum.

The loans can be paid back in small installments, which make it really helpful to pay higher education fees.

My experience in CFCA activities has helped me present myself in college-level seminars and activities, especially topics about public speaking, which is required for my area of study.

I am confident that I can face job interviews without any hesitation or fear after participating in these discussions.

Sponsorship support helped me to pursue my technology studies and achieve my dream to become a software engineer.

I scored top marks in my first year of technology studies. I am now in my third year of school, with only one more year of studies before I complete my degree.

After earning my bachelor’s degree, I will pursue a job as a software engineer and support my family.

When my family’s financial situation improves, I would also like to do social work in a similar way that CFCA has supported me.

Related links:

Sponsor a youth in India today!

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As scholars, we like to feel productive and we like to help all we can. We always help at the CFCA office. We help with the records and with some of the accounting, but we wanted to do something to help and impact our community.

Our story started when we were planning our future as a CFCA group of scholars. We took a look at the mothers groups because they all have livelihood projects.

We had a meeting with all the CFCA scholars in Cali, Colombia, and we thought, “Why not create a vegetable garden?”

We wanted to create our livelihood project to be an example for future scholars in CFCA.

A nearby school allowed us to use their land and grow a vegetable garden.

CFCA helps us with our project’s finances and how to be more productive. They also help us manage the money we get selling the vegetables we grow.

We learn about strategies to grow the vegetables and we named our project “Growing a Future and Harvesting Hope.”

We have saved the income we have earned to make the vegetable garden bigger.

We are able to sell our vegetables to our neighbors, friends and people in our area, and it is a successful business.

Laura, a CFCA staffer in Cali, taught us how to grow the vegetables and we feel very proud of ourselves because we worked as a team and we learned how to grow vegetables very well.

We feel glad when we harvest our vegetables because it shows our efforts. We are thankful for the vegetables garden because now we have a stronger friendship with our partners and we all show all our talents.

Our goal is to teach younger children how to grow vegetables.

We want to teach them our experience and how they can have a livelihood project and be an example for future scholars of CFCA.

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Chicken curry from India … mmm!

Prakash is a mother of a sponsored child in India, and for her, curry is her livelihood. She took out a loan through her mothers group to start a food stand business, called “Curry Point,” with her sister, Jecintha, selling curry and other foods. (CFCA serves more than 30,000 sponsored children and elderly in India.)

Prakash and her sister used the income from their business to support themselves and their families.

Prakash shares her chicken curry recipe with us, and we invite your taste buds for a spicy treat. Enjoy!

Servings: 6

Total time: About an hour

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of chicken
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ginger paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic paste
• 1/2 cup of onions
• 1/2 cup of green chilies
• 1 cup of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon red chili powder
• 1/4 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 1/4 tablespoon salt
• One cup of dried, shredded coconut
• 1/2 tablespoon mint leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon of coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves (for garnish)

There are many varieties of chicken curry. Prakash prefers this recipe because it yields more sauce to serve and sell.

Preparation:

1. Cut the chicken into small pieces

2. Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

3. Add onion, and green chilies and cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to low.

4. Add curry powder and mint leaves. Cook until leaves have wilted, stirring occasionally. Combine with ginger and garlic paste, turmeric powder and salt.

5. Add chicken and cook over high heat. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste and dry, shredded coconut.

6. Cook for another 5-8 minutes and then add red chili powder and stir.

7. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Wait until the oil begins to float in the pan (probably 8-10 minutes). This indicates the curry is ready.

9. Add the coriander, which gives a new flavor to the dish, and stir.

10. After that, sprinkle chopped coriander leaves as garnish.

The tasty chicken curry is now ready to serve! Enjoy with chapatti bread, buttered naan (a leavened oven-baked flatbread) or rice!

Check back soon for Jecintha’s recipe: Egg curry.

Did you try Prakash’s recipe? Leave us a comment and let us know what you thought!

Prakash and her sister, Jecintha, left, enjoy their delicious curry with their family.

Related links:

• Two of a kind: Sisters in India open food stand

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“Bob’s notes” are reports from CFCA President Bob Hentzen, who regularly accompanies awareness trip participants. You can see Bob’s full update on his Facebook page.

Photo credits for this report go to Bob Hentzen, Henry Flores, the CFCA-El Salvador communications center staff and CFCA staffers in Medellin, Colombia.

Colombian motto:

“Libertad y Orden” [Freedom and Order.]

Bob speaking:

I send you greetings of peace from Colombia.

Colombia was the first country I visited during my overseas service 50 years ago.

Cristina and I come to Colombia very energized and we are accompanied by a great group of CFCA sponsors.

Our trip to Colombia actually began in El Salvador.

We have just completed two days with the CFCA mothers, families and staff in El Salvador.

More than 3,000 mothers came together organized under one roof to learn, celebrate, sing and listen.

Their message is loud and clear: “We are ready, to grow, to take off and to fly in freedom and hope.”

I feel energized working with the team in El Salvador.

It was great to have Ana Martinez with us from CFCA in Kansas City, along with Hermano Pedro project coordinator Jorge Armas, Hermano Pedro auditor Francisco “Chico” Chavajay and CFCA-Venezuela coordinator, Reinaldo Noriega.

Medellin and Cartagena:

We form a cohesive group of 22 CFCA sponsors and supporters from the following states and countries:
Illinois
Kansas
Arizona
New York
Maryland
California
Washington
Texas
Wisconsin
Michigan
Minnesota
Guatemala
Colombia

Colombia was the first country to enter the CFCA family. Since 1982, our programs have grown into five projects and 80 subprojects across the country.

Currently we have 18,786 children and youth and 2,206 elderly friends sponsored in Colombia, in addition to 3,654 individuals in Colombia who are still waiting for sponsorship.

Tarso, a town in the mountains of Antioquia, Colombia:
My day began before 4 a.m. Five new individuals were sponsored after our morning reflection; bringing the total number of children sponsored on this trip to a grand total of eight.

Excitement and energy levels ran deep among the waiting families. The staff carefully planned our visits in Tarso and the surrounding villages, but we were still in the mountain villages after 10 p.m. because of bus problems.

I am deeply grateful for the sponsors for hanging in there with us on this very long day.

The following morning, sponsors were able to visit the birthplace of recently canonized Saint Laura Montoya, a native of beautiful Colombia.

A staff testimony:

My name is Deicy. When I was only 6 months old, my father was stabbed to death.

When I was 7 years old, the Lord of Life allowed me to find two angels named Thomas and Mary — my sponsors.

They gave me the opportunity to make my dreams come true.

They accompanied me in my process of spiritual and professional formation.

I was a good student, and I was very dedicated and responsible.

I dreamed of becoming a professional in the areas of psychology and social work.

I love to teach and to convey whatever I learn to others.

The seed planted in me was not in vain. I eventually became a full-time employee of CFCA.

My worldview has been enriched, and I have learned that in CFCA there is room for our dreams.

—Deicy Deque, coordinator for CFCA in Tarso, Colombia.

What I’m hearing:

“This is the most gratifying thing I have done my life. I have been a sponsor for four years. This has been the most wonderful experience of my life. I would recommend CFCA to anyone.” — Mauro Santillan

“As a mother, I admire, respect and love you.” — Diane Austin

“I have sponsored for 10 years, [and I have participated in] 10 trips with CFCA. Now I sponsor seven children. I have never experienced so much love as I have with the sponsored friends and their families. A wonderful visit to Colombia. Thank you.” — Mert Garrison

“We continue to grow after 17 years of sponsorship. We thank you for what you do for us.” — Ray and Rosie Aubry

“We pray for you, sponsors. It’s great to know we can count on you.” — Miriam, mother of a sponsored child

“Spending the day in La Pintada with the sponsored children and elderly friends, CFCA staff and others was a special treat. In the afternoon, we broke into small groups and visited with families. Some live right on the banks of the powerful Cauca River. Their homes are always subject to flooding.” — Bob Hentzen

Testimony from 18-year-old CFCA Scholar, Alex Agudelo:

I am the youngest from a family of five: my father, my mother and my two siblings.

My sponsors, Patricia and Ruth Rogers, chose me when I was 3 years old, and accompanied me throughout my growth.

My entire family and I enjoyed 14 years of love, support and friendship.

I went through difficult moments. My father went to Venezuela in search of job, and I was hit by a drunk driver while riding my bicycle, which almost brought me to my death.

The accident and hospitalization caused me to be separated from my parents and family for a year and a half.

Through all this, CFCA gave me the opportunity to study English and to better myself.

Now I am one of the CFCA interpreters, and I am also a scholarship student. Thank you, CFCA, for giving me this great opportunity.

— Alex Agudelo, CFCA Scholar

Final note:

The Children in Cartagena dramatize beautifully. The opening ceremony in Cartegena included a lively cumbia dance and song by four teens with images of light, water, scripture and a CFCA sign.

Cristina and I are looking forward to seeing everyone at CFCA headquarters in Kansas City in early June.

God’s blessings, and please know of our love and thanks.

Bob Hentzen
Colombia
June 2013

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The spring/summer issue of CFCA’s magazine, “Sacred Ground,” features our work with indigenous communities all over the world.

Read more interesting facts about these communities and how their cultures contribute to their self-identity.

CFCA works with families all over the world offering hope and restoring dignity through sponsorship.

Indigenous communities have been marginalized in many places around the world, which is why CFCA has crossed paths with them.

The indigenous groups CFCA works with represent diverse regions, cultures, races and religions.

“Indigenous communities embody a wealth of wisdom and experience that are invaluable to all of humanity,” said Dan Pearson, CFCA director of international programs. “Like any complex system, diversity makes humanity stronger and more resilient.”

In this first of a three-part series, we present two of the indigenous communities we work with in Asia.


Asia: India
Santal indigenous community

• The Santals depend on nature for their survival. Agriculture is their way of life.
• As their villages are spread across four Indian states and are miles away from towns, they create their own communities with whatever resources are available. They build houses with mud and clay supported by bamboo sticks and cover the roof with grass, straw and tiles made of mud.
• The Santal people take nothing for granted, and they have a lot to share about using scarce resources in the most sustainable ways.
• Their culture and religious observances are colorful, dynamic and unique. To the Santals, dancing is essential to life.
• Slowly their agricultural lands are being usurped, leased for other purposes on a long-term basis, putting their way of life in jeopardy.

Asia: Philippines
Dumagat indigenous community

• The Dumagats believe that all forms of life are a gift of nature.
• They once lived in the lowlands but were slowly pushed into the mountains of the northern Philippines. They have lived there for a thousand years, but never had official rights to their lands.
• The National Commission of Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) awarded the recognition of ancestral domain to the Dumagats on Nov. 12, 2012, in Antipolo City, Philippines. The recognition was an important step in the process to obtain official title to more than 46,000 acres of land.
• Many Dumagats have a tradition of sleeping on the ground because they desire to be close to the earth.
• From March until mid-May each year, many Dumagat families build temporary homes of leaves and branches along the riverbed. It is a time when they gather to be close to nature and celebrate with singing and dancing.

Read more about the Dumagat community

Sponsor a child, youth or aging friend from India or the Philippines to help support CFCA’s work with indigenous communities.

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The CFCA project in Legazpi, Philippines, recently sent us success stories from young adults who were sponsored through CFCA. Here’s one from Gina!

My ambition since I was a kid has been to become a teacher. I want to impart knowledge. Teaching can influence children to learn and become better individuals.

When I graduated from secondary school, I didn’t plan to continue my studies in college because I knew that my parents couldn’t afford it. But my parents and sisters encouraged me to enroll, even though my heart did not agree with their decision.

At first, I found it difficult to mingle with my new classmates and get the lessons, but I did my best to catch up and learn.

Since I was sponsored through CFCA, I received school supplies, a school uniform, shoes and tuition fees. But at times in my college days, the expenses doubled. We had so many assignments and research projects to complete.

My parents’ income was not enough to support my needs. I didn’t know where to get money to do my projects and research … until one day, our CFCA social worker asked me if I would be willing to be a CFCA scholar. I answered, “YES!”

I grabbed the opportunity because I knew it would be helpful to me. As a CFCA scholar, we spend time helping the CFCA social worker in serving sponsored friends, their families and their communities. I helped file documents, facilitate assemblies and parties, and assist sponsored friends to write letters, thank-you cards and Christmas cards.

With my determination, I earned good grades in my classes. I was in my third year in college when my father suffered from a heart attack. His body still can’t move, and he can’t speak either.

I didn’t know what to do. Every night I cried because I didn’t know whether I was still going to continue my studies, knowing that no one in the family was working. We didn’t know where to get money to buy my father’s medicines.

Then it came to my mind that I needed to stop my studies to lessen the burden of my mother. But my mother greatly disagreed with my plan. She told me not to stop, given that I had almost finished college.

Through my mother’s effort and support, I continued my studies. Finally, I got my diploma – the fruit of my hardship and perseverance. I know it is one steppingstone in reaching my dreams.

At present I am looking forward to passing the licensure examination for teachers, so that I can finally impart knowledge and influence my soon-to-be students, for them to learn and become better individuals.

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While she was there she had the opportunity to meet Estela, the girl her sorority sponsors through CFCA. Find out how a 6-year-old brunette with chocolate brown eyes melted her heart and changed her life.

By Katie Lockee

Katie Lockee is a sophmore at Rockhurst University and a member of the Kappa Eta chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha.

Katie’s sorority sponsors Estela, a 6-year-old-girl in Guatemala.

Katie recently returned from a service visit to Guatemala, and while she was there she had the opportunity to meet Estela.

When I signed up for a service trip to Guatemala I expected a few things to happen:

1. Though I did not know the people I would be traveling with, I knew we would form closer bonds after one week in a foreign country than we could after one month in the United States.

2. I would help and meet people who would have a drastic, positive influence on my trip, as well as my life.

3. My life would never be the same after I returned home.

Each of my predictions came true. The week I spent in Guatemala did change my life, and in ways I would not have imagined.

Had you asked as I arrived in San Lucas Toliman, I would have told you that I would be changed because of the people I would meet and the work I would do.

I would have said that I would leave with a new and profound sense of the world, always thinking about those in San Lucas Toliman, and knowing I made as big of a difference in the lives of the Guatemalans as they did in mine.

All of that I expected.

What I did not expect was that the most influential part of my trip would come in the form of a 6-year-old brunette with chocolate brown eyes that melted my heart, and a laugh that carried my troubles to the edge of the earth.

Meeting Estela, my sorority’s sponsored child, will forever be the highlight of my time spent in Guatemala.

Being a new member to the Zeta Tau Alpha family that sponsors Estela, I did not know much about Estela before I got the chance to meet her and her mother.

Though the language barrier made some communication difficult, we quickly found ways around it; the first being a timid, but warm, embrace spurred by the push of her mother.

The next being an exchange of gifts and a game of Candy Land, which I had brought as a gift for her and her family.

We decided to get some ice cream before we went to the park, and Estela sat on my lap as we ate our ice cream cones.

After we were both done with our treats, we continued to sit together and enjoyed some small talk with the help of our translators.

It was then that I discovered something that brought me undeniable joy — Estela is ticklish.

And with that came the most beautiful and carefree laugh I have ever heard.

A laugh that swept away all of my worries, insecurities, and troubles; a laugh that carried me right back to my own childhood; and a laugh that immediately evoked a shining smile from her mother.

The glorious melody of Estela’s laugh echoed throughout the rest of the afternoon as we went down slides at the park and buried our hands in the sand.

The memory of Estela’s smile and laughter eased me through the hard transition back into American living, and the same memories ease my heart on my darkest days.

It’s been close to three months since I met Estela, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about her.

While I was nervous at first to meet Estela and her mother, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and the first thing I think about when I reflect on my time spent in Guatemala.

Though the date is not yet on my calendar, I know I will be back to Guatemala to visit the beautiful little girl that stole my heart.

But until then, I will continue to write Estela and keep up to date on her life as well as her family.

Related links:
Sponsor a child today!

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1. Dominican father sets example for a united family

Jose Luis struggled to provide for his family’s needs without leaving them to find work. He was able to stay and find employment in the Dominican Republic after discovering CFCA’s Hope for a Family program. Read more

2. Dads of sponsored children repave Honduran roads

When heavy rains washed out the main road to a village near Santa Rosa, Honduras, fathers of CFCA sponsored children decided to build a new path for the community’s common good. Read more

3. Kenyan farmer pumps up income with CFCA’s help

Joel, 60, is sponsored through CFCA’s Hope for a Family program in Timau, Kenya. The water pump that the CFCA project helped him buy is bearing fruit. Read more

4. Ruben and Yuli — CFCA family in Colombia

Ruben, a father in Colombia, has two children sponsored through CFCA. This video is a beautiful example of the daily sacrifices he makes to support his family, which has renewed hope through sponsorship. Watch the video

5. Happiness in hen manure: Organic fertilizers in CFCA communities

Ciriaco, the father of a sponsored child, and his family in Guatemala utilize every possible resource for gardening on hand. Or should we say, on hen. Read more

6. Sponsored elder cares for abandoned animals

Gregorio is a sponsored aging friend from Cuernavaca, Mexico. Gregorio’s kind-hearted nature inspires him to find sick or abandoned animals to take home and nurse back to health. Read more

7. Filipino fathers reaffirm their paternal role

Since their formation in 2004, the Antipolo ERPAT fathers (Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities) have distinguished themselves as leaders in the community.

The ERPAT concept originated with CFCA fathers who wanted to strengthen their social responsibilities and participate more in the sponsorship program. Read more

An ERPAT fathers group from the Kalayaan community in the Philippines.

8. Fathers of sponsored children honored for work with blood donations (Philippines)

CFCA-Antipolo was among the national recipients of the Dugong Bayani Awards. The award honors heroism in saving lives through blood donations. Many sponsored youth and their families, as well as project staffers, are blood donors. The ERPAT fathers groups often spearhead the blood donation activities. Read more

An ERPAT father preparing to donate his blood at the annual ERPAT blood bank drive.

9. Drying potatoes (chuño) in Bolivia

Dario is the widowed father of Cristian and Giovana, who are both sponsored in the CFCA Hope for a Family program. One way Dario provides for his family is to help his neighbor grow potatoes. Read more

10. CFCA Communications Centers: Santa Ana, El Salvador

“After wearing many hats in the organization, I now serve as the director of the CFCA Communications Center in El Salvador and finally became the journalist I wanted to be.

“I’m also the father and husband I dreamed to be, thanking God for Roxana, my wife, and Sofia and Henry Jr., my children.”

— Henry Flores, director of the CFCA Communications Center in El Salvador. Read more

Leave us a comment below, and let us know your favorite CFCA fathers story!

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Jenni and Todd LeCompte became sponsors in 2007 and currently sponsor two friends, but they wanted to do more.

Volunteering and sharing a child’s dream with people they knew helped deepen their connection with CFCA’s mission.

“It makes me feel more part of the family,” Jenni said. “I know in the future, I will try to help more children or adults get sponsored.”

Through our Share a Dream campaign, it’s easy to give hope to a child living in poverty.

For Jenni, the decision to volunteer arose simply from a desire for others to have a loving relationship with a sponsored friend like she does with hers.

By sharing the dream of 11-year-old Adanil in the Philippines, Jenni and Todd connected people across the world through sponsorship.

Sponsorship gives sponsored friends hope that their dreams are possible, that they can defy the odds set against them and overcome poverty.

Adanil dreams of being a policeman, and sponsorship will give him resources and encouragement to help him achieve his dream.

It’s all possible because Jenni and Todd helped find a sponsor for him.

“Listen to your heart and just go for it, and you will make a difference in somebody’s life,” Jenni said.

Click here to learn more about how you can share the dream of one child.

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From left: CFCA scholar, Yilber, helps sponsored children Daniela and Naye with their homework.

CFCA scholars perform service hours as part of the scholarship program.

Yilber is a CFCA scholar who performs many of his service hours as a tutor to younger children in the Hope for a Family sponsorship program.

Here is Yilber’s interview with Harry in Colombia. Thanks, Yilber and Harry!

My name is Yilber and I am so grateful for being a scholar thanks to CFCA.

I am glad I can help younger children at the CFCA office do their homework and to bring them support to improve in the subjects that are difficult for them.

I have been teaching younger children for two years.

I like to teach children because it gives me a great satisfaction to see the joy of the children when they can understand topics they could not understand before.

I like to teach them with love and care, and I do my best to be a good example because it is like a profession to me.

I learn a lot from them, too.

Yilber, Daniela and Naye all learning together.

For me, and for everyone, I think education is very important.

Education is the key to have a good formation as a person.

Thanks to the education we receive, we learn how to speak and it brings us the chance to be an important person in life. If you have a good education you can be a successful person.

It is very important that children get their education while they are young, so they can get enough knowledge to face the world when they get older.

“Let us join hands to build a more humane world.”

Their education will be their key to finding a good job and having a good profession.

The children I tutor learn with joy and thankfulness. They are grateful for us because most of the times they do not have the chance to get school help at home.

Many of them feel glad for having scholars always ready to support them.

My favorite part of teaching is the impact I can make in the lives of the children.

When they improve in their difficult subjects at school, they learn they can do it by themselves and then they start to help other children.

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CFCA Sponsorship Sundays are open to everyone, no matter what your faith background might be.

Whether it’s your first time volunteering or you’re a seasoned volunteer, Sponsorship Sundays give you the opportunity to talk about sponsorship in your own place of worship.

“It may seem daunting or scary to pitch the idea [of sponsorship] … but it’s well worth it,” said Jennifer Callon, a CFCA sponsor.

Jennifer and her friend, Kathryn Nygaard, were both new to CFCA sponsorship when they decided to host a Sponsorship Sunday event at their church in Houston, Texas.

This was the first time the duo volunteered with CFCA, but they were determined to show others the benefits of sponsorship.

Coming from a large congregation, at St. Michael Catholic Church, the team advertised their event for several weeks beforehand.

They created a flyer to include in their church bulletin, had their priest make an announcement the week before and sent emails to friends and family.

The planning paid off for the two friends, and they were able to find 84 sponsors.

“It’s important to remember [that sponsorship] is going to be a blessing to these families,” Kathryn said. “Even if you only get a few individuals sponsored, it’s worth it.”

At the Unity Christ Church of Bonair in Richmond, Va., Frank Einsmann, a veteran CFCA volunteer, got ready for the “Love in Action” fair at his church.

Frank prepared a table with folders and other information about sponsorship to share with visitors to his booth.

“I set up a little booth, and I try to find sponsors,” Frank said. “The first year we started I talked to friends and relatives and other types of people, and we probably got 15 kids sponsored.

“Every year since, we get 8 to 12 kids sponsored by little drives and things like that.”

Frank’s interdenominational Christian church believes in CFCA’s mission so strongly that each Sunday school class sponsors a child from a different country.

On scheduled days, the children in the Sunday school class read letters from their sponsored friend and compose letters as well.

“Several of the kids are now sponsoring their own friend somewhere else in the world,” Frank said. So it sort of propagates the sponsorship.

“It introduces kids and families to what CFCA is all about. It’s just good for your soul to have a personal relationship with somebody all the way around the world.”

Are you interested in becoming a CFCA volunteer? Call the volunteer outreach team at (800) 875-6564 or email at outreach@cfcausa.org.

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Thanks to Henry Flores and Naresli Calito, CFCA communication center staffers in El Salvador, for this engaging report!

Think. Eat. Save. That’s the theme for World Environment Day 2013!

The food choices we make can sometimes negatively affect the environment in which we live.

Think. Eat. Save. encourages us to be more aware of the impact our food choices can make in our environment.

Global food production occupies 25 percent of all habitable land and is responsible for 70 percent of fresh water consumption, 80 percent of deforestation and 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Environment Day website.

To help fight these problems, CFCA-El Salvador came up with five creative and inspirational ways to improve their environment!

1. Salvadoran families receive an eco-stove through CFCA

The cost to fuel a 35-pound gas cooking stove averages $12.50 each month for a family of five.

Because many of the families we work with have an extremely low income, a gas stove is a luxury they cannot afford.

Eco-stoves waiting for their new homes!

Instead, many families use firewood, which can be purchased or cut down from trees.

Besides the impact on the environment caused by the use of firewood for cooking, respiratory problems, eye infections and lung cancer are some of the health problems families face when cooking with firewood.

To tackle this problem, CFCA-El Salvador purchased 37 eco-stoves for sponsored friends and their families through a donation from McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School in New York.

Students and faculty at the High School have been supporters of CFCA for some time and raised funds to help CFCA in El Salvador.

Students, teachers and others in their community donated more than $3,400 for the eco-stove initiative!

Families in El Salvador receive eco-stoves through CFCA.

Eco-stoves reduce the amount of firewood used, which lessens smoke and pollution as well as the number of trees being cut down.

CFCA staffers chose these 37 families to receive the eco-stoves because they witnessed their dedication and positive attitude toward creating a healthier environment for themselves and their families.

Many live in very poor housing conditions: huts made out of rusted sheet metal, some wood and some adobe. They had no gas stove and were using firewood for cooking.

3 cheers for eco-stoves

• Eco-friendly stoves reduce the amount of firewood regularly used by 60 percent! That’s a lot of trees!
• The stoves are equipped with a metal chimney that funnels the smoke and fumes outside the house, which reduces respiratory problems and eye infections.
• The cost of an eco-stove is $100 and lasts an average of 10 years.

2. An eco-friendly CFCA center in El Salvador

When it came time to build the new CFCA center in El Salvador, staffers made sure to consider the environmental impact of their work.

“We searched for materials that were environmentally friendly,” said Tulio Ramos, CFCA center administrator in El Salvador. “For example, regular bricks have to be fired/baked in a handmade kiln, which uses large amounts of firewood for firing.”

The CFCA center was built using eco-friendly cinderblocks, instead.

“If we had used regular bricks, which are smaller, we would have had to use more bricks than cinderblock,” Tulio said.

A traditional brick kiln in El Salvador.

“This would have resulted in cutting down more trees for firewood to fire/bake the bricks, and it would also produce large amounts of smoke and toxic gases in the communities where these bricks are baked. It would also release harmful emissions into the ozone layer.”

The beautiful new CFCA center in El Salvador.

Brick facts:

• For every 7,000 bricks, an average of three adult trees are needed for firing/baking them.
• Brick firing is done in handmade kilns made of adobe, mud and molasses.
• The firing period, with constant fuel burning, can last between 18 and 30 hours.
• The kiln emits carbon dioxide, suffocating smoke, ash and other contaminants into the environment.

3. H20 go!

The location of the CFCA center has very little connectivity to running water.

A water well was built in order to obtain and purify drinking water on the premises.

When the stones for the parking lot were placed, staffers made sure to allow for 1/4 inch separation between stones.

The new parking lot at the CFCA center.

The separation helps rainwater enter the sand layer, enabling the water to go back into the land.

CFCA staffers in El Salvador have calculated that an average of 70 percent of the rainwater received at the CFCA center is going back into the land and refilling the water sources for the entire community to use.

4. Reusable bag initiative for benefit distribution

In 2008, CFCA-El Salvador spent an average of $7,000 in plastic bags when distributing benefits such as food staples.

To ban the bag, they decided to give each family in the program reusable bags, which they use to pick up their items.

Since that time, CFCA-El Salvador has reduced usage each year by an average of 120,000 plastic bags that are no longer being purchased or thrown out.

This decision has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars since 2008, as well as almost 1 million fewer plastic bags in the environment!

5. Recycling initiatives

El Salvador does not have an official public recycling system.

Therefore, CFCA has reduced the number of plastic bottles used during awareness trips by encouraging sponsors to bring their own bottles and refill them with purified water available at the center.

Non-disposable plates and cups are used at meals, and go through a strict process of sanitation afterward.

Congratulations to CFCA-El Salvador for making our Earth a little greener!

What are your plans to improve the community where you live? Leave us a comment below!

Related links:

World Environment Day website

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Raharimalala, mother of a CFCA sponsored child in Madagascar.

By Regina Mburu, CFCA communications liaison for Africa

As they put bits and pieces together, gluing the different parts and polishing the surfaces, Raharimalala and her husband, Ramanjanahary,are busy making pousse pousse toys, a business they have been operating as a means of livelihood.

Life was not always like this for this beautiful family from Madagascar.

“We were struggling to provide for our two children. Paying for school tuition and having a meal on the table at the end of the day was a milestone,” recounted Raharimalala.

A friend from their neighborhood saw the family’s struggle and empathized with them. She introduced them to CFCA.

Staff members from the CFCA office visited the family’s home and could see that they were hardly making ends meet. CFCA enrolled their son, Michael, in the Hope for a Family sponsorship program.

“CFCA lent us a hand when we needed help the most. They shared our burden and made our load lighter,” Ramanjanahary said.

The couple knew, however, that they could not depend solely on CFCA. They had to come up with a business idea.

They got the idea to make pousse pousse toys. A pousse pousse is a type of cart in which passengers sit and someone pulls them. It is the most common means of transport in the city of Antsirabe, where CFCA’s project in Madagascar is based.

Regina Mburu, CFCA communications liaison for Africa, rides in a pousse pousse in Madagascar.

“I once saw a man selling pousse pousse toys in the streets of Antsirabe, and it captured my interest. I bought the toy, and when I got home I dismantled it and put it back together. This is how I learned the art of toy making and passed it over to my wife,” Ramanjanahary said.

The husband and wife make the toys from their home and sell them to tourists. Depending on the season, they can make handsome profits from the sale of the toys.

A sample of the pousse pousse toys made by Raharimalala and her husband, Ramanjanahary, in Madagascar.

“We both enjoy our work very much. I have become very close with my husband because we work together,” said Raharimalala, giggling.” We are our own bosses and this gives us plenty of time to spend with our children. I am glad that we have become a close-knit family.”

Raharimalala is a member of a CFCA mothers group called Fiorenana, which translates to Foundation in English. They meet on a monthly basis and discuss various issues, such as their children’s development. The mothers also share their thoughts on other topics.

“The group is like family to me. I trust them and it gives me great joy to be part of the Fiorenana group,” Raharimalala said.

The family receives nutritional benefits from CFCA in addition to the education benefit that their son gets. The benefits are of great help to the family because they can save money they would have spent on the items provided through sponsorship.

They hope they can expand their toy-making business using the money they have been able to save.

CFCA’s Hope for a Family program encourages and supports families to start livelihood programs to help them break away from poverty.

“Other than benefits, CFCA opened up our minds; they have encouraged us and made us believe in the strength that lies deep in us,” Ramanjanahary said. “Families should work hard and utilize their talents to better their livelihoods.”

Raharimalala constructing a pousse pousse toy.

Raharimalala and her husband encourage their children to work hard in school. They believe that education is the only path to success.

“We would love to see our children get the best education,” Raharimalala said. “We want them to have the opportunities we never had.”

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CFCA staffers in Guatemala pick up sacks and sacks of letters from sponsors at the local postal office.

By Jordan Kimbrell, CFCA Sponsor Services

Creating a one-on-one relationship between you and your sponsored friend is at the core of the CFCA sponsorship experience.

You form a relationship through the exchange of letters and photos.

And, while many sponsors are now taking advantage of the eLetter feature on the CFCA website, there is still something special about sending handwritten letters and cards through the mail.

To help you send those special mailed letters, we take a moment to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about sending mail to sponsored friends.

1. Can I use Forever Stamps?

Forever Stamps were issued into standard circulation in the United States in 2007, when several rapid increases in postage rates made it inconvenient for customers to keep up with the current rate and constantly having to purchase new stamps.

The Forever Stamp is always valued at the current U.S. postage rate for a 1-ounce envelope.

Currently, the postage rate is 46 cents, which is far less than the average international mail rate. While it is allowed to use Forever Stamps on international mail, one stamp would be insufficient for the actual cost of the mailing. Additional postage is required (see No. 2 below).

A stack of letters waiting to be sorted at the CFCA office in Guatemala.

2. What is the cost of sending international mail?

According to USPS.com, the cost of sending a 1-ounce envelope internationally is $1.10 U.S.D. This would require at least two Forever Stamps with an additional 18 cents in postage.

If the envelope contains several sheets of paper, photos, stickers or other items, it may weigh more than 1 ounce, and would need additional postage.

(Editor’s note: Thanks to Leah Olszowy, whose comment at the end of this post noted that the post office now has an international forever stamp that costs $1.10 and covers a 1-ounce piece of mail to anywhere in the world!)

3. Can I send a box?

When sending items to sponsored friends, we ask that all items be no larger than 9 x 12 inches and that they weigh less than a pound and be under an inch thick.

A 9 x 12 envelope is considered a standard-letter size by international mailing criteria.

If a mail item exceeds this size, the CFCA field project accepting the item may be asked to pay high customs fees in order to accept the item.

When this situation occurs, the project staff is instructed not to pick up the mail item.

Unfortunately, we do not have a way for the sponsor to pay the customs fees at the receiving end, so we ask that sponsors follow the suggested mailing size.

Once the staffers bring the mail back to the CFCA office, they begin to sort through the letters.

4. Can I mail something overnight or use an express mail service to send something faster?

We understand that the estimated six- to eight-week mailing time can be frustrating. Or perhaps a sponsored friend’s birthday came sooner than remembered.

But when sending items by overnight or express mail, typically a physical address and a signature of receipt are required by the companying delivering the item.

Most of the addresses on our project mailing labels (the pink stickers) are post office boxes, and many overnight and express mail services do not deliver to P.O. addresses.

It is also quite costly to send anything overnight or through an international express mail service.

Another thing to consider is that part of the six- to eight-week estimate includes the time it takes for letters to be sorted and translated.

Many sponsored friends live some distance away from the CFCA office, so the letter is hand delivered by our project staff after it has been translated.

It’s always important to remember that your sponsored friend will still appreciate the gesture whenever your item may arrive.

Did we answer all your mailing questions? If not, leave us a comment and we will quench your thirst for mailing knowledge!

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“Bob’s notes” are reports from CFCA President Bob Hentzen, who regularly accompanies awareness trip participants. You can see Bob’s full update on his Facebook page.

Photo credits for this report go to the CFCA Bolivia staff and to Bob Hentzen.

It is a joy to be in touch with you, this time from Bolivia in South America. This is a beautiful, mountainous and highly indigenous country of over 10 million people.

I read that nearly a fourth of the Bolivian population try to make it on an income of less than one dollar a day.

We at CFCA are privileged to walk with these hard-working families on their path out of poverty. Spanish, Quechua, Aymara and Guarani are just a few of the 34 native languages spoken in Bolivia.

Bolivia is roughly 10 times larger than Guatemala, but it also has about 4 million less people.

Walking from border to border, all of us on Walk2gether personally felt the size of Bolivia.

We also noted that Bolivia is very rich in minerals, such as tin, iron and gold. I remember picking up good-sized rocks along the desert roads that sounded like two pieces of steel when hit together.

Since our humble beginnings in 1988, CFCA-Bolivia has grown to include more than 10,000 children and youth, together with more than 800 elderly participants. We currently have 1,000 families waiting for sponsorship.

We are blessed to have more than 800 sponsored aging friends in our program in Bolivia. As in all the places where we are privileged to serve, a significant intangible benefit is the sense of belonging to the CFCA community.

States and countries represented on this awareness trip:

Michigan

Florida

Texas

Minnesota

Connecticut

Ohio

Iowa

Kansas

Missouri

Guatemala

Bolivia

“It was the Lord that helped me first.” — Harold Grundman, CFCA sponsor

“I am moved by the presence of these people. Thanks for teaching us songs, dance and sign language.”— Stacy King, CFCA awareness trip coordinator

Carmen Rosa, 34, has lived a tough but inspiring life. Her youngest boy, 9-year-old Matias, is sponsored.

“With the CFCA training and encouragement, my husband and I have received in CFCA, we and our four children are much better off now,” Carmen Rosa said. “Our children are healthy and helpful, although our son Nicholas goes to a special school because he does not hear.

“Little by little, we are finishing construction on our own home. May God bless Matias’ sponsor and each of you in your home.”

“You have included us in your life, and you are part of our daily life. You are helping us to be better people.” — Marsha, mother of a sponsored child.

“The bond between sponsors and families cannot be broken.”— Hugo Plaza, CFCA-Cochabamba project coordinator

“These are lovely unforgettable days with you.” — Evelyn Chalustowski, CFCA sponsor

Final note:

The families feel your presence. They are encouraged. Cristina and I will have a few days with the CFCA projects in Guatemala before heading over to El Salvador for an meeting with the mothers groups.

Please know of our love and thanks.

Bob Hentzen

Bolivia

May 2013

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From the CFCA archives: Joe Bergkamp and his wife, Nery.

Joe Bergkamp worked as a missionary in Venezuela during the 1960s and 1970s, wandering the rural churches and helping those in need. He loved how the people lived simply but also felt hope for a different future.

When he moved to Puerto Rico in the 1970s, he met his wife, Carmen Nery. Decades later, he clutches her ragged photo and gazes upon her gentle smile. “Hi, Nery!” he says, smiling back. She passed away several years ago, but she is never far from his thoughts.

The memories flooded back as he thought of the several children they sponsored through CFCA over the years.

Joe and his wife started speaking to people about sponsoring in the 1990s. When they moved to Puerto Rico, CFCA founders Jerry Tolle and Bob Hentzen asked them if they would advocate for CFCA in Puerto Rico.

Neither of the founders could have predicted the dedication Joe and Nery brought to their outreach.

Pastors invited them to speak at Catholic churches in Puerto Rico to share their passion for sponsorship and address the members of the parish, inviting them to sponsor a child.

“I would give the main talk about sponsorship and the background,” he recalled. “Nery would give the emotional message.”

Nery believed in giving the poor a helping hand, something she learned growing up.

“Her mother was her inspiration. Her mother would always fix an extra pot of rice so that if a friend or neighbor needed a meal, one would be waiting for them.”

Joe Bergkamp at CFCA headquarters in Kansas City.

The personal touch resonated with people who heard the Bergkamps’ message. Thousands of people listened to them talk about sponsorship in the nearly 20 years they spoke for CFCA. Joe believes many of those sponsors living in Puerto Rico felt a special closeness to those living on the margins.

“A lot of people are very poor in Puerto Rico, and many of them understood the problems of poverty. Many of them would begin sponsorship based on their own experiences.”

Today, Joe looks back at the fond memories he has of sponsoring children with Nery. They sponsored four in all, and the oldest child is a mother herself now. Whenever he can, he shares his passion for CFCA and the joyful adventure of sponsoring a child.

Joe shows that you never know how many people you can impact or what an adventure you can have when you share your love of helping children through CFCA.

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Jim Parro, CFCA sponsor, recently returned from a trip to visit his sponsored friends in Honduras. Jim documented his trip through photographs, which we would like to share with you now.

Thanks, Jim!

It was a wonderful and very busy trip to visit with my sponsored children and their families, as well as many others in the Ocotepeque project in Honduras.

All of the sponsored children and family members met together as a group to allow many sponsors to meet their child for the first time. Later in the week we visited them again at their homes.

Getting to the home is quite a journey. There are 22 families living on this mountain.

Noe, the Ocotepeque project coordinator, has considerable experience driving the mountain roads because he was born and raised on the adjacent mountain.

It was a memorable visit.

Jim Parro

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Patrick Clementine, CFCA sponsor, meets his sponsored friend, Victoria, in Kenya on a CFCA awareness trip.

Have you ever traveled somewhere and thought, “Wow, I’m never going to forget this moment?” Only months later, buried in laundry and countless errands, you think, “I can’t even remember what it was I wasn’t going to forget!”

Maybe you visited your sponsored friend and family on a CFCA awareness trip and experienced their daily life firsthand.

Do you remember what your surroundings looked like?

Did you try a cultural dish that you might never have tried before? What did it taste like?

What about the experience meeting sponsored friends and their families? How many people were there? Did they welcome you with cultural presentations that included indigenous costumes and instruments? Was it warm or cold?

Remembering specific details from a trip can be difficult after some time has passed. The best way to remember the full experience from your trip is to chronicle significant moments.

And with these six methods, you can begin to document those moments in multiple ways.

1. Journal your experiences

Bringing a pocket-sized notebook and pen with you can be a powerful tool. Journaling small but powerful moments can instantly bring a memory back to you.

The best tip about journaling special moments: Write down everything, and don’t worry about making it perfect.

Sponsored children journal their experiences in a letter to their sponsor.

It can be difficult to stare at a blank page and want to fill it with beautiful prose, but you can always save that for later.

Try writing down everything that happens, like a stream of consciousness, and then allow yourself to sort through the details later. By giving your mind time to rest and process what was important, you can look back and recall what really made you feel great about that moment.

When you start journaling, try to describe things you may forget: the smell of the outdoors, the sounds of car horns, the colors of clothing or the taste of a delicious new dish. You’d be surprised how much these small details can bring you right back to where you were.

2. Make a video diary

Not everyone is a writer. We get it. If that’s the case, why not try a video diary of your trip!

Nearly all tablets, smartphones and digital cameras have the capability to take video footage. You can record those special moments as they happen, and then watch them again to remember your trip.

Zena Weist, CFCA sponsor, records trip experiences with her digital camera on a CFCA awareness trip to Guatemala.

You can also make a personal diary of your reflections for the day. When you get back to your room for the evening, or when you wake up in the morning, record yourself describing the day and how those experiences made you feel.

At the end of your trip you can put all the footage together and watch the good times roll. (Just don’t forget some extra memory cards!)

3. Use a hand-held tape recorder

A handy tool for journalists for years, much like the trusty pocket-sized notebook, a hand-held tape recorder allows you to quickly record your experiences with your voice.

A perfect combination between journaling and a video diary!

When you arrive back at your destination you can listen to your recording and write out the important things you want to remember. Some hand-held recorders will even download as word files into your computer.

4. Photograph your trip

With the invention of digital cameras, we can now take thousands of pictures without worrying about the cost of film.

Take pictures of everything you see. Your room, the bathroom (make sure you’re alone), your food, the sights, the people, everything!

Regina Mburu, CFCA communications liaison for Africa, captures moments during an awareness trip in Kenya.

Taking a lot of photos will help you remember your trip with visual cues. Are you going to the beach? Take a picture of the sand between your toes or the tide rolling in over your feet. One look at that photo and you’ll smell saltwater in no time.

You can also make a food diary with photos from your trip. Take a picture of all the food you ate on your trip and share it with foodies everywhere.

5. Stream it on social media

Share photos of your trip on Instagram (@cfcausa) and Facebook, and send out updates through Twitter.

Using social media is great for those who are “on the go” and tech savvy.

When you travel on a CFCA trip, send us a photo, message or tweet through social media. Use the hashtag, #CFCAtrips, and see photos and tweets from other fellow travelers who are documenting their trip on social media.

When you get back, start a hangout on Google+ with your family and friends and share your trip experiences with them!

6. Sketch, paint or write a song

If you can’t express the true artist in you with the above ideas, try using your experiences as inspiration for creative works.

Bring a sketchbook or use a tablet to draw something you find meaningful on your trip. You can even use your journal.

You can also elaborate on your sketches when you get home by using them to paint your experiences onto canvas.

CFCA sponsors Fred and Scheryn Pratt visited their sponsored youth, Newton, in Kenya. Newton, an artist, painted these pictures for them.

If music is your bag, try writing a song. You can write lyrics or simply a melody evoking the memory of your trip.

Whatever you decide to do, just remember the most important part of your trip is to be present in the moment.

Have a great adventure!

How do you remember your travel experiences? Let us know and leave a comment!

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Orchids in Cali, Colombia.

Our Kansas City headquarters will be closed this Monday for Memorial Day.

We would like to take this time to remember and honor the men and women who died in U.S. military service and those who serve and protect.

We take this opportunity to remember sponsors and sponsored friends and their family members who have died.

If you have someone you would like to honor this Memorial Day, please feel free to leave a comment below.

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Benedictine college students from Kansas celebrate with Faustina and her family in front of her new home.

A group of students from Benedictine College in Kansas traveled to El Salvador to help build a house for a family in the CFCA program.

Bridget Jensen, a student at the College, wrote a letter to the CFCA staffers in El Salvador to express the gratitude the students felt after building Faustina’s new home.

Dear Henry and CFCA staff,

I would like to try to express my gratitude for all that you have done for our group this week. This was my first time to El Salvador, and after this week I hope it is not my last.

We all came down this week to serve, and I know I, for one, did not expect to be served in such an amazing way by you and your staff. Our every need was met. But even more, you all went so above and beyond to show us hospitality. The food was amazing, the bedrooms were great, and the facilities are beautiful. I can honestly say we were so well taken care of by all of you, so thank you so much!

I know I am not alone when I say it was an honor to serve beside you all this week. Even though I came this week to serve, you and your staff have taught me such humility, charity and love. To be able to join you in the work CFCA does, even for one week, has left a mark on my heart for the rest of my life.

Thank you for your service to the poor, for your hospitality toward us, and for the example you have been to all of us this week.

You will all be in my prayers as I leave here and return to the U.S., and I would please beg you to remember us. I look forward to the day when I can say that I walked among saints with CFCA in El Salvador.

Love and God bless,

Bridget Jensen and Benedictine students

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Bernard, third from left, with his family in front of their home. Bernard is a first-generation college student among his family and those in his village.

Bernard is a sponsored youth from Bhagalpur, India, who is the first person from his family and his village to attend college. Here’s his story about the academic and social challenges he’s overcome during his academic career.

It takes about 4 hours to travel from my family’s home to my college in Bhagalpur.

I travel one hour to reach a railway station. From there I catch the train to go to Bhagalpur. If I get on the express train I will reach Bhagalpur in two-and-a-half hours, but if I get on a passenger train, it may take nearly three hours before we arrive.

Since it takes me nearly half a day to travel, I live near the school when class is in session.

My parents do not have any professional education. I am the first in my home to attend college.

I have been receiving CFCA sponsorship since I was in second standard. The sponsorship support gave me the opportunity to study.

It also helped my mother, Teresa. She joined a CFCA mothers group and took out a loan to purchase a few pigs and hens to rear. It has improved our family income and helped provide financial assistance for my two younger sisters’ education.

When I was ready to go away to school, I explained the situation to my parents and told them that I don’t have anyone to teach me here in our village. Once I go to Bhagalpur to study, I know some friends and older students who can guide me there.

My parents agreed and allowed me to study and live in Bhagalpur.

I wake up at 4 a.m. every morning and get ready for class.

The class is from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and I study physics and chemistry. After this class, we have breakfast and go to another class until 2 p.m., when I come back to my room and take lunch.

From 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. I attend math class and afterwards I spend time with my friends for a few hours. In the evening I again study my class subjects.

I am planning to graduate with a degree in history, and I am also planning to prepare for bank exams.

I changed my major to the arts from science because the expenses would increase and it would be difficult for my family to educate my two younger sisters.

If I do well in my bank exam, I would prefer to serve in a rural area because I can guide and help those in the community.

Back home, I am the oldest among all the sponsored children in our area, and at that time I felt that I studied a lot.

However, compared with my classes now, I feel like my previous classes don’t even compare to my middle school.

At first I was frightened to go to college in Bhagalpur because I thought that the other students were from a wealthy background and had more knowledge then me.

But after two months I came to know more students, like me, who came from far away places to study.

I worked hard to compete with the other students. Slowly I gained confidence and I completed my intermediate level with good marks.

I am proud because I am the first person from my village to study in Bhagalpur.

When I meet people from my village, they say “you are the first person studying in Bhagalpur, the second best city in Bihar state. So work hard and study well.”

When I hear this, I feel very happy.

My sponsors write me letters and ask about my education. I feel very happy to read those letters and reply back.

Because of my sponsor’s help I have the opportunity to complete my education. Without their support I may not have come to this stage. I am very thankful for them.

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In the United States, May brings anticipation and excitement for those graduating from school and moving on to new chapters.

Although graduation times vary from country to country, these feelings still exist within every student around the world, and today we applaud our CFCA graduates!

Ladies and gentlemen, please move your tassel to the other side of your cap, as we present a dedication to our grads.

Cristian:

This was a great joy, a great satisfaction, to have earned a high school diploma.

Because of sponsorship I was able to graduate from high school as a computer technician. I am so proud because I am the first of my family to graduate from high school.

[My sponsor] writes letters for me every year; those letters fill me with love, support and encouragement. It makes me happy to read how proud she is of me. I also remember in one of her letters she wrote, “Never give up, every effort is rewarded.”

These words charged my batteries and it charged my enthusiasm to fight for my dreams.

Maria:

It was a great joy to receive my diploma [from middle school] and I know it was very gratifying for my mother.

I am now in high school, I have new goals, and I am studying to be a school teacher because I love children.

My biggest dream is to continue a full education because I want to go to college. I am grateful for CFCA because I am also receiving help through a scholarship.

Rene, a sponsored youth and middle school graduate in El Salvador.

Rene:

I graduated from ninth grade four months ago. I felt happy because I accomplished one of my goals in life.

For me, it means a big step in my life and a big opportunity. My goal right now is to finish high school and be able to go to college.

Having a sponsor helps me to be motivated. To have someone who shows interest in me and my goals motivates me. I feel really happy for the benefits I have received. Without this help, I couldn’t accomplish my goals in life.

Jacqueline, a primary school graduate and sponsored child in Guatemala.

Jacqueline:

My mother is a great role model because she has persevered in her education. I am proud because she graduated from high school last year.

I am happy because [finishing primary school] is how I thank my mother and my sponsor for all of their support.

I was nervous because it is such a great thing to reach one of my goals. I wanted to be on that stage and receive my diploma. I graduated with excellent grades so I am proud of that, too.

One day I would like to go to college. I want to be a preschool teacher.

Jonathan:

On my graduation day, I felt happy because I was finally able to go to college and that was one of the things I wanted most in my life. It feels great to have the diploma in your hands and to be accompanied by my mother in that moment.

I am currently in my first year of medical school at the National University of El Salvador. My goal in life is to specialize as a surgeon. My dream is to open a hospital where people living in poverty could have access to health care.

My motivation is my family; I wish to give them a better future.

Zulma:

[Graduating from primary school] is my first big academic achievement; I know I still have a lot to learn but I am proud of finishing this first goal.

I feel fortunate because I know that education is not available to everyone. I see the effort of my parents and I know it is not easy for them.

I would like to go to college to be a businesswoman, I want to work in a big company and earn enough to help my siblings and my parents. [My sponsors] have made it possible for me to go to school. Thanks to their encouragement, we have moved forward.

Deysi, a CFCA sponsored youth and middle school graduate in Guatemala.

Deysi:

My graduation day was exciting; I was nervous thinking of what laid ahead in high school. I was also happy to see my father at my graduation. He was proud to see me on stage receiving my diploma from the school principal. I am privileged to have the chance of an education. I will treasure this gift all of my life.

My sponsors are very kind, they have sent letters, cards and small gifts. I get excited when I read their words and open the things they send. Their heart is special; their heart is kind and beautiful.

My goal is to continue my education, I want to go to college to be a psychologist and be able to help my family. The support of our sponsors is fundamental for our dreams; their aid helps our parents to pay for our education. I send my prayers and hugs for my sponsors.

Rudy:

I am currently in my first year of college to be an Agronomist. It was a great joy for me and my entire family to reach this goal. I dreamed about this moment when I was a child.

My eyes were full of joy to see my loved ones at the ceremony and how proud they were to see me graduate from high school as a mechanic. My family has encouraged me throughout my entire life, now it is my turn to help them.

I can’t thank my sponsor enough … she gave me encouragement to continue my dreams. Her support motivated me to say to myself, “Rudy, you must achieve excellent grades.” My sponsor will always be in my prayers.

I now dream of graduating from college. This is my first year of college so it is a great blessing to continue in the sponsorship program.

Maria:

To me, graduating from college is a big accomplishment. I have to give thanks to God and CFCA for the support. One of my goals now is to continue studying.

I received help from my sponsor, which also gives me emotional support. My family and CFCA give me support every time I need it. My sponsor always supports me through her letters.

Congratulations, graduates!

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Q. I’m traveling to India this summer and would like to meet my sponsored child. Is this possible? I looked up CFCA awareness trips on your website, but couldn’t find one scheduled for India when I would be traveling there.

A. We’re so glad you asked! Meeting your sponsored friend is a wonderful experience that you will cherish for a lifetime.

If our CFCA awareness trips don’t work with your schedule, we can facilitate an individual sponsor visit for you.

All visits between you and your sponsored friend must be coordinated through the Kansas City office. We ask you to notify us as soon as you decide to visit, with a minimum 30-day prior notice.

This allows enough time for us to contact the project office to make sure they can accommodate your visit, and for you to complete and sign required forms. Out of respect for schedules and prior commitments, we arrange all visits at the project staff’s discretion.

We don’t charge a fee to coordinate individual sponsor visits. However, we invite you to help defray any visit-related costs that are incurred at the project site, such as a meal or transportation.

Here are more answers to frequently asked questions about individual sponsor visits.

Feel free to contact us at (800) 875-6564 or mail@cfcausa.org for more information. Thanks so much!

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Aura and her son Alexander, who is sponsored through the Hope for a Family program.

Aura is a mother to four boys in Colombia. Her son Alexander is sponsored through the Hope for a Family program. Through CFCA mothers groups, Aura learned reading, writing and how to use a computer. This helped her to demonstrate a love for learning to her four children.

Congratulations, Aura!

I always tell my children that a good education is the key for a successful future.

I was worried about them because they were not doing well at school, so I made a decision. I decided the best way to teach my children is by giving them a good example.

So I became their example.

Aura puts her skills to the test at a CFCA office in Colombia.

Thanks to my son’s sponsorship, I had a chance to join a CFCA mothers group.

I am so thankful for CFCA because I did not know how to write and to read before. Thanks to the CFCA staff, I learned to read and write letters, and now I help at the CFCA office.

One of the mothers group leaders had a great idea to learn how to use a computer, so we could help our children do well in school.

At first I was nervous to take the computer class, but I did very well.

Since I started to attend the CFCA meetings and events, I have learned many new things, and I have never lost the hope to have a better life.

The other mothers in my group supported me and encouraged me.

I have good times with the other mothers, and they have helped me a lot.

Now, I can type letters on the computer and surf the Internet. The Internet allows us to discover the world.

I like the class because now I can help my children with their homework on the computer.

“I congratulate my wife for studying and learning new things to get ahead in life.” — Hector, Aura’s husband, pictured above.

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By Steve Taylor, CFCA sponsor

It has been just over a year since my wife, Jayne, and I began sponsoring Nathasha, a 17-year-old from Hyderabad, India, but WHAT A YEAR.

Nathasha’s maturity, sincerity, appreciation, beautiful thoughts and handwriting are evident in the letters she has sent.

She has done a wonderful job responding to stories and questions from the letters and eLetters we have sent.

Letting Nathasha know I intend to visit her on the October 2013 CFCA awareness trip to India heightened the value of the letters as we get to know each other and our respective families prior to actually meeting.

Our respective letters don’t need to be translated, and she has a very enjoyable writing style.

She shares the joys and challenges in her life. In June she wrote that her father abandoned the family several years ago, causing her, her mother and sister to live with their grandmother. She said my letters make her feel like she has a father again.

It doesn’t take more motivation than that to want to write to her, but there is much more motivation.

She knows I search the web to learn about India, and she can also search the web to learn about the U.S. and specifically Newport News, Va., but she wants to learn about these things through our letters. I guess my wife and I have a lot more letters to write.

I also plan to bring an iPad on the trip, filled with video and pictures of our area, church community and my wife’s school.

I once asked if I was writing too much. She replied, “We actually enjoy and we anxiously await your letters. It is like a kind of health energy and encouragement, which boosts our feelings. It is a great pleasure to have your letters often written to me which makes me feels your presence is with us.”

From her letters, we’ve learned that her 16-year-old sister is a wonderful cook. Her grandmother is a seamstress, and I also look forward to seeing her work. She has such wonderful friends in college. She says, “It’s a disappointment when even one isn’t around.”

We know how hard Nathasha is working in school to achieve her goal of a nursing degree. Beyond the nursing degree, we can tell she is called to a greater purpose.

We look forward to future letters to see where her journey will take her. We enjoy encouraging her and letting her know how proud we are of her and her family.

We would have been blessed with just the two letters during the year. With many letters between us, we are not just sponsors of a sponsored child; we are a part of each other’s families through our “love of letters.”

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Harry gets help with a photo shoot from Juan, a sponsored child in Cali.

By Harrison Garcia, CFCA communications liaison for Colombia

As a communications liaison, it is always a gift to have the chance to visit CFCA projects in another city or country.

I recently had the chance to visit the CFCA office in Cali, Colombia.

The people in Cali are sweet, and they welcomed me as if I were family or we were old friends.

I was greeted with big smiles and strong hugs.

The sponsored children in Cali are wonderful. They are curious, kind, playful and very active. They bring you their love and their care even if they just met you.

Viviana, a sponsored child in Cali.

When I said goodbye to them to visit another community, one of the sponsored children started to cry because she did not want to say goodbye.

It was a touching moment. I felt so loved and it was the best compensation for my work as a communications liaison.

CFCA staff members and the community of sponsored friends and their families worked together to repair storm damage to their homes.

Strong bonds

The women who participate in the mothers groups are united and care for each other.

I noticed their bond during a mothers group meeting at a school.

I was covering a story, and it started to rain very hard. Everyone got worried and ran to see what happened to their homes, which were not far from the school.

In that instant, I felt the love and care they felt for each other.

Many of the mothers experienced some roof damage, but everyone helped each other with the repair of the homes.

It is very nice to see how the families work together to get ahead, and everyone has a role to play in some way.

‘Music in their blood’

People in Cali have the rhythm of the music in their blood. They are very talented dancers, especially when it comes to salsa dancing.

Miguel, a CFCA sponsored child, and his dance partner, Catalina, rehearsing for their dance performance.

I had the chance to see the salsa-dancing talents of Miguel, a sponsored child in Cali. I felt privileged to have the chance to meet Miguel.

He is very special and talented, and he is happy despite the economic needs of his family.

‘A gift from God’

The landscape of Cali is a true gift from God.

There are all kinds of animals, flowers and other native plants.

Some of the families of sponsored children grow coffee and lulo trees. Lulo trees produce the lulo fruit, which tastes like tangy pineapple or a combination of lime and rhubarb.

Many families also grow oranges, onions, coriander, lettuce and other fruits and vegetables.

Cali has many tourist sites to visit. The air is fresh and it is a peaceful place.

My favorite part of my trip in Cali was to see how the community of sponsored friends and their families really love CFCA.

They are grateful for all the support they receive from their sponsors.

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We recently heard from our Hyderabad project in India about several mothers of sponsored children who are exemplifying the potential of families living in poverty. Here’s the story of Jyothi – enjoy!

The main occupation in our village is agriculture. Since my family doesn’t have any farmland, we had a dairy business instead.

Our dairy business was not successful, and we went into severe debt. It became very difficult to provide for our family.

It’s fortunate that both of my sons could be part of the sponsorship program. My eldest son, Raj, recently graduated with an engineering degree and is pursuing special coaching related to his field. Raj graduated from the sponsorship program after he finished his studies.

My youngest son, Ravi, is still sponsored and is pursuing an engineering degree as well.

The expenses for engineering school are very high. When required, I take a loan from my mothers group and pay the school fees. My sons might have dropped out of school if we were not blessed with sponsorship.

When I first heard about a mothers group loan, my husband and I discussed our situation, and we decided to start a hotel in our village. I took out a loan from the group and started the hotel. Once I repaid the loan, I was able to take out more loans to develop our hotel.

With the second loan, I purchased a gas cylinder and stove, and the third loan helped us purchase a grinder and refrigerator for the hotel.

The hotel has been supporting us for the last 10 years. We also have a staff of four other people to help us run the hotel; so the hotel is actually supporting five families, including us. My children also work in our hotel when they are on school break. They help us even though they are doing higher studies.

Whatever we are now is because of CFCA. We are so thankful to CFCA.

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CFCA Athletics Day in Kenya encourages youth to explore their talents in sports.

By Regina Mburu, CFCA communications liaison in Kenya
The grey and heavy clouds did not stand in the way of the Nairobi youth who had prepared for the CFCA Athletics Day held in the heart of Mathare slums, in Nairobi.

As they warmed up, so did the weather. Rays of sun soon filled the sky and the clouds gave way to blue skies and the bright sun. It was going to be a bright day and the athletes were ready for the races.

Kenya is well known all over the world for having some of the best athletes, especially in long-distance races. I saw great potential in the young men and women who participated in the races. They showed great talent, and I was so excited to watch them from the sidelines. When not taking photographs, I would cheer them on!

“It is exciting to see just how talented our CFCA youth are; I am sure one day soon we will have one of our own representing Kenya in races abroad,” said social worker Peter Muchiira, who helped in making the athletics day a success. “There is so much untapped potential in these youth, and as CFCA we are doing all we can to encourage them to make use of their God-given talent.”

As sweat broke from their brows, the youth from different areas within Nairobi ran as fast as their legs could to bring glory to their respective subprojects (local CFCA programs). It was a tough competition, and the fastest touched the finish line amid cheers and applause from their teammates.

“I am so happy to be part of the CFCA youth program. I do not feel alone anymore; I have met other young people who have a lot in common with me. I also have discovered I am talented in athletics,” Beryl, a sponsored youth, cheerfully said. “I was leading in the 100-meter race,” she happily added.

The CFCA-Nairobi youth program schedules the games during school holidays, to keep the youth busy and keep them away from vices.

“The youth are easily influenced by their peers, so we decided that having sporting events during school breaks would keep them occupied and serve as a distraction from the negative things in their environment,” Muchiira said.

The athletics day organized by the CFCA youth program is one way of encouraging the youth to explore their talent. It also fosters strong friendships between the youth, creating a feeling of mutual accountability and support among them.

“I have always admired the athletes in Kenya, and so today I am so happy that I got to participate in a race and I won. I feel great,” John, a sponsored youth, said.

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Elizabeth Alex, right, with her mother.

By Elizabeth Alex, community outreach and media relations director

As I grew up my mother never told me I should give.

She showed me.

Whether it was for church, at-risk children or a neighbor in need, my mom made giving a quiet priority.

I remember when I was 12 years old, a struggling young couple expecting a baby purchased a coffee table at my family’s garage sale. Even as a child, I was touched as I watched my mother gather up baby clothes and supplies from around the house for the mom-to-be.

“Just to help them out a little,” she said.

My mother never gave a reason for donating to good causes or helping others in need.

It was simply part of life growing up in our family.

So when I came home from college to find a framed photo of a little girl named Claudia holding a chicken, I wasn’t surprised.

My mom explained she and Daddy had sponsored Claudia. Through CFCA sponsorship they provided medical care, nutrition and help with her education.

In turn Claudia gave my mom years of joy with the photos and letters she sent about her life in Guatemala and the dreams she had for her future.

Claudia has long since graduated from the CFCA program. She was eager to get a job, as she explained to my mom, to help her own mother live a better life.

I had almost forgotten about the photo of the girl and the chicken when I came to work at CFCA last summer, but my mother reminded me.

Mom got out all of the photos she had lovingly kept of this special girl in her life.

She even had the hand-colored card Claudia sent to us one Christmas.

I now help tell the story of how CFCA is an encouraging voice and a helping hand to hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are finding their way out of poverty to healthy and productive lives.

All these years after spotting that photo of Claudia, I sponsor an elderly woman from Kenya named Nduta.

Giving is just a natural thing to do.

I learned that from my mother.

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1. ‘Moving on up’: Colombian mother buys first home

Celina, mother of a sponsored child in Colombia. Through CFCA, Celina was able to purchase the required materials she needed to start her own homemade empanada business and make the dream of owning her first home a reality. Read more

2. Mother in Madagascar puts a spin on her career

Marcelline is a 36-year-old mother of four children in Madagascar. She found a creative way to help her family and break gender barriers, by repairing bicycles! One of her children, 12-year-old Elie Jean, is sponsored through CFCA. Read more

3. A ‘bee-utiful’ career

Busy as a bee! The phrase fits Wanjiru, mother of three children in the Hope for a Family sponsorship program, since she started harvesting honey to provide for her family. CFCA helped Wanjiru with the protective gear she needed, and she now feels much more confident when working with the bees. Watch the video

4. Two of a kind: Sisters in India open food stand

Prakash and her sister Jesintha are part of a mothers group in Hyderabad, India. In 2010, Prakash and Jesintha started a food stand called Curry Point. The income they receive helps them support their families. Read more

5. A hard day’s work for those living in poverty

Luisa is the mother of Javier, a child sponsored through CFCA in Chile. She’s a seasonal vineyard worker and has work only half the year, in times of pruning and harvesting.Payment for her painstaking work depends on how many boxes she can pick during harvest time or the hours she works when pruning. If she picks about 100 boxes (each box weighing about 25 pounds), she can make approximately 17,000 pesos ($30 US) a day. Read more

6. Mothers in Mexico create positive change

Violence is a challenge that many families in Mexico face. In several communities the drug and gang violence has increased dramatically, which has driven some sponsored friends and their families from their homes. Many of the families are led by single mothers, and CFCA small community groups provide mothers with livelihood training workshops, encouragement and support. We asked two of these mothers, Gloria and Maty, how the Hope for a Family program has helped them with the challenges they face. Read more

7. Back to school: Mothers of sponsored children take classes

Mothers of sponsored children in Guatemala are going back to school with the help of CFCA scholarships. It began in 2007, when CFCA staffers started a literacy program in the town of Nahuala for mothers who wanted to learn how to read and write. Read more

8. Massage therapy benefits CFCA sponsored friends

The saying “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” comes to mind as many mothers of CFCA sponsored children and youth in the Philippines have found a new way to earn income. In a CFCA community in the Legazpi project, mothers train to learn massage therapy, and in turn provide their services to sponsored elderly friends. Read more

9. Single mom in El Salvador finds hope through CFCA

Most countries harvest coffee from December to March, and it is a major source of income for many families living in poverty. Here is an interview with Isabel, a single mother of four daughters in Ataco, El Salvador. She did not continue school beyond first grade, and coffee picking is her only livelihood to support her family. Isabel belongs to a CFCA mothers group, which has boosted her self-confidence. Read more

10. Nicaraguan mothers group works to help others

When the Nicaraguan mothers group Mothers Overcoming Obstacles for a Better Future first organized, they decided their first act would involve giving back to someone in their community. Read more

Leave us a comment below, and let us know your favorite CFCA mothers story!

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Floodwaters are finally receding on the Nyando River in Western Kenya, and CFCA sponsored friends and their families are now safe to re-enter their homes to assess the damage. Thankfully, all emerged physically safe.

The tan mud squished beneath their feet as they navigated the soggy soil. Their modest huts were made of the mud they now walk on. When the rain and water flooded in, the walls washed away, leaving the roofs precariously perched on the supporting sticks and chunks of the remaining mud walls.

Thirty CFCA sponsored friends and their families were left homeless by the flooding and another 180 families also were affected. As soon as the roads were passable, Lucy Amollo, CFCA project coordinator for Kisumu, went with some of the families to see how to best help.

She saw the still raging Nyando River and saturated fields puddled with water. Malaria is the dangerous side effect of the standing water. The water attracts the mosquitos and they bite those who can’t escape. She notes that the families would need mosquito nets and possibly medicine for waterborne diseases.

The affected CFCA sponsored friends and their families still receive monthly benefits, but the floods washed away most of their food, clothing, belongings and livestock. The community has embraced the families with places to stay and food, but Lucy could see the flood was stretching resources paper thin.

CFCA has issued an emergency grant to the Kisumu project. The money will help provide warm clothing, bedding, mattresses and food. The children will receive gum boots (tall rubber boots) to protect their feet from parasites in the muddy, wet ground.

This community is home for 30 families. The CFCA grant will provide labor and supplies to help these families rebuild and repair damage caused by the flood to their homes.

“The rainy season challenges our families but we constantly are amazed at how resilient they are,” said Felipe Reyes, project director for Kenya. “The heartwarming stories of how families in poverty take in others who are worse off just make you want to help more.”

CFCA will continue to work with the families to rebuild. For these families and others who are impacted by natural disasters, you can donate to the CFCA Disaster Assistance Fund.

Related links:
Malaria a major concern after Kenya floods

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Romelia, a sponsored child, and her father, Ciriaco, use organic fertilizer in their garden.

Ciriaco, single father of four children, one of whom is sponsored through the CFCA program, uses organic fertilizer on his crops in Guatemala. This fertilizer is different from most because Ciriaco makes the fertilizer himself.

“I have all of the ingredients to make fertilizer, so why not do it? I also believe that God has trusted his creation to us, and this is why I practice organic farming. Besides, I can’t afford to buy chemical fertilizers,” laughed Ciriaco.

CFCA staffer Celso Cum is in charge of the livelihood program initiatives in the Occidente region of Guatemala. His job involves training for families to start small businesses, workshops and presentations on how to be more productive, efficient and friendly with the environment.

The livelihood program in this area has guided Ciriaco through developing his own organic fertilizer by using the manure from the hens in his garden. Organic gardening was passed down through the generations in Ciriaco’s family.

“For as long as I can remember my father and his father also used the organic fertilizer in farming,” Ciriaco said. “I have a small garden in which I grow pears, apples, avocados, onions, tomatoes, corn, herbs, beans, grapes, plums and many other things.”

Ciriaco collects manure from his hens to make his own organic fertilizer.

For those who are unlike Ciriaco and new to the idea, the program guides parents through the techniques for making organic fertilizer, Celso noted.

“Our work now is to help Ciriaco improve his organic system by refining the process of making the compost and use it efficiently,” he said.

Celso and other CFCA staffers provide knowledge and guidance for families who wish to follow the same path as Ciriaco, but making the organic fertilizer requires time and patience.

1. Leftover vegetables, grass, leaves or other vegetation are collected. These ingredients provide a source of nitrogen that accelerates the decomposition process.
2. Add this to animal manure (from cows, pigs, horse or hens) and soil in a space of about 1 meter tall and 1 meter high.
3. Every five days add water to help keep the organic fertilizer moist, and every two weeks it must be turned and mixed. With proper care, a good compost results after 60 to 90 days.

“Industrial fertilizers cost around $40 to $60 for a 100-pound bag. … They have an immediate effect but only for one or two weeks and no more,” Celso said. “Organic fertilizer lasts longer, provides a full set of nutrients for the crops and is friendly to the environment.”

Ciriaco and other families helped by CFCA have already begun to reap the benefits of environmentally friendly gardening.

“I thank CFCA for giving me the tools to walk with my family.” — Ciriaco, father of a CFCA sponsored child.

“My garden speaks for itself,” Ciriaco said. “The things that I have growing here are healthy and filled with natural nutrients. My crops are well-fed with this compost and they show their gratitude with abundance during the harvest.”

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“Bob’s notes” are reports from CFCA President Bob Hentzen, who regularly accompanies awareness trip participants. You can see Bob’s full update on his Facebook page.

In God’s loving care, we have come to Honduras with 24 sponsors plus CFCA staff members from several projects.

I really enjoy seeing the manifestations of love and enthusiasm by both children and sponsors. This is the celebration of a true family reunion, with poetry, songs and hymns.

What I’m hearing:

“Thank God, we can still think of a more united world.” — Jose Carlos

“I am proud and pleased to be part of CFCA. I have received much love and many blessings.” — Theresa Farmer

“I promote CFCA … [CFCA] sponsors are some of the best people in the world.” — Christine Gray

“The way we thank God is to help our neighbor.” — Father Art Kirwin

“It has been a great experience. I want to thank the CFCA staff.” — Diane Palmer

“Thank you for sharing God’s love with us.” — Julio CFCA-Ocotepeque staffer.

Bob speaking: “What a beautiful experience to spend this day with CFCA sponsored friends and their families of San Marcos. I always find them outgoing and affectionate.”

Final note: Photo credits for this report go to Juan Ramon and colleagues at CFCA-Ocotepeque. I wish I could communicate the conviction and enthusiasm of these sponsors. They have sponsored four new children on this trip. In addition, they are requesting 36 profiles of children waiting for sponsorship with plans to invite and motivate new sponsors. Cristina and I will have a few days in Guatemala, before leaving for Santa Cruz, Bolivia, with another great group of travelers. We look forward to seeing everyone in June, and we wish you every blessing.

Bob Hentzen

April 2013

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Maria Luisa with her daughter Gabriela, a sponsored child in Bolivia.

“A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.”

―Cardinal Gaspard Mermillod

Happy Mother’s Day, or should we say month? Mother’s Day is celebrated all around the world throughout the month of May, and even extending into June and August in some countries.

Take a look at our tribute to the mothers who are part of the Hope for a Family program.

May 10: Happy Mother’s Day, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico!

May 12: Happy Mother’s Day, Colombia, India, Philippines and the United States!

May 27: Happy Mother’s Day, Bolivia!

Maria Luisa with her daughter Gabriela, a sponsored child in Bolivia.

June 30: Happy Mother’s Day, Kenya!

In Kenya, Millicent worked hard to acquire birth certificates for her children Robert, left, and Ben, right, both sponsored through CFCA.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers around the world!

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We recently heard from our Hyderabad project in India about several mothers of sponsored children who are exemplifying the potential of families living in poverty. Here’s the story of Shaheen – enjoy!

When my daughter found a sponsor through CFCA, I also found help through my CFCA mothers group.

I know how to tailor clothing, but I didn’t have a sewing machine. When I took my first loan from my mothers group, I purchased a sewing machine and started sewing for people in our area.

The income I earn from my tailoring business helps me support my family.

After I repaid the first loan, I took out another loan and brought a bigger sewing machine to meet the demand of my customers.

I also used the mothers group loans to purchase another sewing machine, which I use to stitch special designs on the garments. With this specialty sewing machine, my income increased further.

Two years ago, my husband’s hand was badly fractured. We consulted doctors and had to get treatment for his injury.

The treatment was very expensive and did not fully restore his strength. Even after the treatment, he cannot lift anything heavy with his injured hand.

We faced a severe economic crisis after my husband’s accident.

I had to manage the family and take care of our four daughters with the income I received as a tailor, and it became difficult to pay back the group loan.

After a few months of hard work, however, I was able to repay the loan completely.

My husband realized that his injury prevents him from working outside and decided to open a shop selling costume jewelry.

We opened the shop with the help of another mothers group loan.

My husband works by purchasing the required items and managing the store, while I take the customers’ orders and do my tailoring work.

We are getting a good response at our shop, and we are planning to increase the quantity of jewelry and other items in the store.

CFCA has helped us start our journey for a better future and they continuously support us to achieve it. We are so thankful.

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Thanks to all who submitted a caption for our contest!

Our talented panel of judges (a.k.a. CFCA employees) has selected a first-place winner.

To keep things impartial, the judges heard the caption only when they were judging and did not know the author’s name.

And the one that won, based on the most votes:

(Drum roll, please …)

“What do you mean I don’t have enough hot air to blow up a balloon myself? / ¿Qué quieren decir con que no tengo suficiente aire caliente para volar un globo de mí mismo? ”

— Paula Kiger

Paula Kiger will receive a CFCA coffee mug and recognition from the general CFCA community. Congratulations!

We also had a separate contest for CFCA staff entries, and the winner of that contest is:

“Bob wows sponsored children with another of his many gifts: yodeling.”

— Ellen Schuch

As a side note, this photo was taken by Erin Gaffaney, on a CFCA awareness trip to Guatemala.

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Wendy, 16, dreams of becoming a nurse someday in Guatemala. CFCA sponsorship has played a key role in enabling Wendy to go to school.

By Luis Cocón, CFCA communications liaison for Guatemala

Wendy and her three siblings live on $4.50 a day, which is what their father Elio makes as a day laborer.

They don’t take education for granted.

“In Guatemala, education is a precious gift,” Wendy said. “I want to go to college to be a nurse, have a good job, help my family and help others through my work.”

These dreams of higher education, however, stand in stark contrast with the family’s daily realities.

Wendy is only 16 but has assumed the role of being “mother” for her siblings, as her mother no longer lives with the family. Wendy also helps her father occasionally with field work to earn extra income.

“I take care of my siblings, cook, make tortillas, clean our home and do the laundry,” Wendy said.

Poverty is often the main reason that children in Guatemala either don’t go to school or leave before they have finished their education. They leave to help their family with basic needs such as food, clothing and housing.

“These children want to have an education, but they lack the opportunity,” said Migdalia Pata, Wendy’s social worker at CFCA.

Child labor is seen as a necessity because the child will bring some income to the struggling family. It is not uncommon to see children carrying a heavy load on their fragile backs, eating a meal with shoe polish residues on their hands and face, or selling candy under adverse weather conditions.

Poverty has forced these children to work. It has denied them access to education. And it has limited their opportunities to become productive adults.

Indigenous girls like Wendy face even more challenges. They often live in rural areas, making it difficult to have access to a school. Additionally, some Guatemalan families place a higher priority on girls preparing for marriage rather than continuing their education.

“Some parents are reluctant to send their girls to school because they believe it is not necessary,” Wendy said. “They have the idea that girls should prepare for marriage and a husband and develop skills to be a good mother and housewife.”

Sponsorship and education can help make a difference in these children’s lives. The CFCA Hope for a Family sponsorship program has played a key role in Wendy’s education.

“CFCA has provided the means for me to go to school,” Wendy said. “It is that simple.”

Sponsorship has helped Wendy with school uniforms, school supplies, books and encouragement to continue her education.

“Sponsors are providing the means for these children to stay in school and have dreams,” Migdalia said. “I am convinced that education is the key to break the chains of poverty.”

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We recently featured a story about Nectania, a former sponsored child and scholar in Nicaragua who became a CFCA staffer after she graduated.

Bismark and Mayela are two other CFCA scholars turned staffers in Nicaragua. Here are their stories, told in their words. Enjoy!

Bismark: Overcoming obstacles in life

I was abandoned by my mother at age 3, and I never met my father. I was raised by my grandmother, Estela, who unfortunately died from cancer when I was only 6.

I used to come to school at 7 a.m., since I was living in a distant community.

I had to leave my house at 5 a.m., and ride my bike every day in a 6-mile (10-kilometer) commute. If I got a flat tire, it was difficult because I had to carry my bike all along my trip to or from school.

At age 18, I finished high school and asked myself, “How am I going to pay for my university education?” I wanted to study to become a professional.

I decided to request a scholarship at the local municipality. I was lucky; I got one!

In the beginning, I studied full time for a tropical agro-ecological engineering degree.

Sadly, three months later, the authorities at the university told me that the scholarships financed by the municipality had been withdrawn, and I could not continue with my studies unless I covered the cost of my tuition.

I decided to study on Saturdays only and started to work as a mason/bricklayer, making 80 córdoba per day ($3.38 US) to pay my tuition.

A short time later, the construction project was completed, and I lost my job.

One day I visited a friend of mine, and he told me about an organization facilitating scholarships for economically challenged students. I did not think twice — I got all my papers ready and went to the CFCA office in Nicaragua.

I entered CFCA as a scholarship holder at age 19 and in my second year of university.

I considered the scholarship as a gift from God. Back then, my CFCA scholarship helped cover my university costs and meals.

I was an active CFCA scholar for about two years. After that I asked the CFCA coordinator for a part-time job opportunity at CFCA.

I began working part time in 2008. I worked for two years as a social worker, and worked with an average of 300 families.

It was a nice experience for me. It meant lots of responsibility, working with families.

I felt l was contributing to society, and I was also receiving so much love from families: love I never had before.

At 22 years old, I began working full time for CFCA. I feel happy with what I do because to me, to serve is more important than being served.

What I like the most about CFCA is that it is in constant evolution and change. It is not neutral; it really works for the families most in need, whom we learn so much from every day.

Mayela: Inspired by helping others

At age 16, I left my home in Nicaragua to go to the city of Esteli, an unknown city for me, with the goal of obtaining a degree in computer engineering.

My first goal was to pass the university admission exam. Thank God I made it.

I had many challenges, since my parents have few economic resources, and they cannot help me with much.

Moving out meant that I had to pay rent, food and transportation, so my goal was to have a part-time job.

After looking for work for a year with no luck, CFCA came into my life.

A classmate explained to me that she was a scholarship holder at CFCA, and that there was one opening in the program.

I went to the CFCA office with so much hope. I had an interview with the social worker, and after that, it was a matter of waiting.

In February 2009, I entered CFCA as a scholarship holder. My first experience was delivering a letter from a sponsor to the sponsored friend.

I met a very cheerful family, who asked me many questions and began telling me about their life.

I was able to see their gratitude for their sponsor. It was a pleasant day; I left satisfied.

I met many people and learned from all my experiences at the CFCA office with other scholars and the staff members.

Each day was a new experience for me. Simply helping distribute benefits was a special experience — seeing the people’s gratitude, knowing that they would no longer suffer from hunger or cold.

Little by little I began appreciating what I was doing.

With the CFCA scholarship I received, I could cover my transportation and food expenses at the university.

It was a great relief. CFCA was helping me to accomplish my goal of becoming a professional.

I completed my studies amidst many economic challenges, but that does not matter anymore.

I learned from those tough experiences and today, I appreciate what I have accomplished, as well as the many people that helped me get there.

CFCA has taught me that if we want something we can accomplish it, and that friendship is a gift from God.

I came to the city without the support to be able to complete my education. There were days that I starved, but God never abandoned us; he open many doors for me.

Later on, when I was in the fourth year of studying for my degree in computer engineering, I had my professional internship, which required my full-time attention.

I could no longer be with CFCA and sadly, I had to leave the CFCA scholarship program.

It was sad to leave my co-workers and the families served by CFCA.

God helped me find a place that would help me economically while I was doing my professional internship for six months.

During this time, I never lost contact with CFCA and after completing the internship I received some good news: I had a job proposal from CFCA to become a social worker in Nicaragua.

I was very happy to accept this opportunity, and I hope God will give me the strength to keep collaborating in this cause.

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By Natalie Urban, CFCA sponsor

Every year hundreds of sponsors meet their sponsored friends and return home changed and deeply touched by their experience.

I was one of those sponsors on a recent visit to Costa Rica.

For the past 20 years I have sponsored a child through CFCA, an organization dedicated to helping children and elderly people in poverty all over the world.

On the last day of my stay in Costa Rica, my sponsored girl, Lorena, and her family were brought from a remote mountain region, where they live on the border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, to meet me in San Jose.

The mother and her three children, Antonio, 7; Yanci, 11; and Lorena, 2; had come to San Jose, the capital, for the first time.

They met me at my hotel and rode in an elevator, which was a first-time experience for them.

We visited the Children’s Museum in San Jose since they had also never been to a museum.

It was a hands-on experience for them, and the joy on their faces for what they saw was a reward in itself for me.

They were so thrilled with their new experiences. Little Antonio said he wanted to live in the museum!

The joy that they brought me far exceeded what I gave them.

They made me see courage and humanity at its best.

CFCA is always in need of more sponsors — click here to sponsor today!

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“Bob’s notes” are reports from CFCA President Bob Hentzen, who regularly accompanies awareness trip participants. You can see Bob’s full update on his Facebook page.

Photo credits for this report go to Ricardo Ajpuac at the Hermano Pedro project in Guatemala.

It’s a pleasure to be in touch with you and to share these profound experiences.

Great things happen when the CFCA family swings into action. Sponsored friends and their families, sponsors and staffers make sacrifices to convert these trips into real pilgrimages.

The sponsors on this trip took on six new sponsorships this week. In addition, they are requesting more than 100 folders to help find and motivate new sponsors. God bless each of you.

I am filled with hope and gratitude when I see the home states, countries and especially the enthusiasm of our sponsors.

Places represented by this group of travelers:

Puerto Rico

Oregon

Kentucky

New Hampshire

California

Oklahoma

Kansas

Wisconsin

Texas

Missouri

Massachusetts

Colorado

Minnesota

These are exciting times to be in Guatemala. The historic public trail of former head of state Gen. Efrain Rios Montt is in process with all its ups and downs. According to the United Nations, this is the first time for a former head of state to be brought to trial for genocide within his home country.

On the journey from Guatemala City to San Lucas Toliman, sponsors were able to visit the CFCA communities in Parramos and San Andres Itzapa. For Cristina and me, it meant tremendous memories of some 20 years ago. It was great to see sponsored friends and their families after so many years of friendship. The mothers groups are strong here, each one with impressive production projects.

The cultural program was diverse. We were able to divide into smaller groups to visit the homes of families and the colonial church of Chichicastenango.

Our morning in Quixaya, included about 40 different performances as well as visits to homes. These mothers groups are composed of five members and are very active. They are learning small trades and learning to read and write.

Final note from Bob and Cristina:

Thank you for being with us in solidarity and prayer. We wish you God’s blessings. Time now to begin another trip in Honduras.

Bob Hentzen

Guatemala

April 2013

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Mothers in Guatemala tend to tree seedlings in a reforestation project they created to help restore their local environment.

Maria Surec, a CFCA social worker in Guatemala, walks around the area where small tree seedlings have started to take root. She lifts her hand to shade her eyes from the bright sun.

She turns, allowing the sun to cast her shadow over the vast, lush land before her.

“We have mountains, valleys and far in the distance, three volcanoes,” she says as she points out the landmarks. “What can I say? It is beautiful.”

Maria works with parents of children waiting for sponsorship on a reforestation project to help replenish the area’s trees.

“This group is really special because they volunteered to do this,” Maria said, “and more amazing is that their children are not even sponsored yet. These children are on the waiting list for a sponsor. The parents’ good hearts and their enthusiasm are incredible.”

Much of the area was cleared of trees and natural brush by farmers growing crops. Water scarcity has also become an issue.

To address this situation, mothers began collecting tree seeds in November and December. Next, they started clearing an area to prepare the seeds for planting.

Once the seeds were planted, the mothers cared for the seedlings every day until the baby trees were ready to be transplanted to a larger piece of land.

The community cares for the seedlings, watering them until they have grown enough to be transplanted.

Each sponsored child in the community is expected to receive and care for two baby trees this year.

“I was happy to take this project as a personal challenge because I wanted to learn the process of planting trees, and because I want to help my community,” said Rosa, the mother of Angela, a child waiting for sponsorship in the CFCA program.

“I am 54 years old and I have never planted a tree. Now, CFCA has brought this opportunity and it brings joy to my heart because it was about time I planted a tree, right?” Rosa said as she laughed.

Rosa, the mother of a child waiting for CFCA sponsorship, will be planting a tree for the first time through a reforestation project.

The goal of the reforestation project is to not only plant trees, but also ensure the future of the environment.

“This is how we teach our children to take care of the trees that we have and show them how to plant new ones for their children,” Rosa said. “I do not want the children of my community to become environmentally conscious at 54 years old, like me. I want the children to be happy and build a connection with their trees.

“To the sponsors, we may get old, but the seeds that you are planting today will grow to provide for generations after us.”

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David Herbison meets with his sponsored friend Moreen in Uganda in this 2011 photo from the CFCA archives. Sponsorship benefits helped provide for treatment when Moreen had malaria.

By Elizabeth Alex, CFCA community outreach and media relations director

April 25 may be World Malaria Day on the calendar, but for lots of people living in poverty, every day is malaria day.

CFCA sponsor David Herbison discovered the harsh reality in person when he visited his sponsored friend Moreen in Uganda in 2011.

“She was battling malaria,” David remembers. “You could tell she was appreciative of the visit, but she was tired, lethargic and struggling.”

Making life even more miserable, the malaria was causing Moreen to miss school.

“Education was a priority to her,” David explains. “She was so close to achieving her goal.”

David spoke to the local project coordinator, offering to pay for medicine to help Moreen.

But he learned the medicine she needed was already there. By the time he left Uganda, Moreen was on the mend.

Medicine, mosquito nets and malaria prevention information all can be part of sponsorship benefits for CFCA families who need it.

That is the beauty of a sponsorship program focusing on individual families and their needs as CFCA does.

In the end, the Herbison family’s sponsorship may have saved Moreen’s life.

She recovered, finished her studies and is now enrolled in a university studying fashion design – the only child in her family to go to school at all.

David and his family know all about Moreen’s progress through the letters they exchange as part of the sponsorship program.

The dollar a day David gives for Moreen provides life-changing opportunities to her and her family.

But David doesn’t see it that way.

“I am not making a difference in the world,” David said. “Being a sponsor is making a world of difference to me.”

Moreen is pictured with her sponsor, David Herbison, who visited her as part of a 2011 CFCA awareness trip to Uganda.

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Volunteers in our Kansas City office enjoy a breakfast in their honor, with a special performance by singer/songwriter and CFCA staff member Barclay Martin.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”
— Martin Luther King Jr.

Happy National Volunteer Week!

CFCA celebrates our volunteers and their commitment to helping the children, youth and aging friends all around the world.

Today, we highlight the energetic group of volunteers at our Kansas City office, who help us process more than 1 million letters a year!

Check out some of the amazing accomplishments of this group of people:

• In 2012, CFCA volunteers in Kansas City donated 8,343 hours of their time to help process letters from sponsored friends to their sponsors. This is equivalent to having four additional full-time staff members.
• CFCA volunteers handled about 1.37 million letters in 2012.
• Our volunteers range in age from teenagers to retirees in their 90s.
• We have a core team of 17 volunteers who come in regularly to the office. Others volunteer whenever their schedules allow.
• Our busiest times for volunteering include Christmastime, when we send almost 300,000 holiday cards from sponsored friends to sponsors!

Volunteering opportunities in our Kansas City office include:

1. Processing letters from sponsored friends to sponsors.
2. Helping sort and send CFCA-printed materials to sponsors.
3. Labeling and/or processing mail for CFCA departments and working on creative projects, whenever possible.

For more information about volunteering for CFCA in our Kansas City office, please call (800) 875-6564 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or email mail@cfcausa.org.

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By Michelle Wertz, CFCA volunteer outreach team coordinator

National Volunteer Week is April 21-27, and CFCA proudly recognizes the service of our dedicated volunteers. They are a vital link in our efforts to connect people in the United States with children and elderly in need around the world.

As a member of the volunteer outreach team at CFCA’s Kansas City headquarters, I talk to volunteers from all over the country, and they inspire me every day. Even though we may not ever get the chance to meet face to face, I can feel their enthusiasm and the impact they make around the world.

There are many ways to get involved as a volunteer with CFCA.

If you would like to help find sponsors for children on our waiting list, our team is happy to provide you with a child’s photo and profile to share with your family and friends, or set you up to help at a CFCA event in your area. Click here to check if an event is coming to your area.

Over the past year, our volunteers have found sponsors for more than 1,583 children, youth and aging persons, who now have hope for a brighter future!

Do you have your own ideas for sharing CFCA with others?

One volunteer I spoke with hosted a cocktail party for friends to learn about sponsorship.

Another climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise funds for CFCA.

Still another volunteer raised funds by hosting a cultural “Taste of the World” evening with foods from regions across the globe and a live auction.

We would love to hear your ideas for sharing CFCA and invite you to join our efforts as we celebrate National Volunteer Week! Leave us a comment below, or contact us at (800) 875-6564 or outreach@cfcausa.org.

Editor’s note: Tomorrow our blog will feature the contributions of our Kansas City headquarters volunteers, who each year process more than a million letters from children and aging friends to their sponsors.

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Happy Earth Day! Families in the CFCA sponsorship program are united by their closeness to Mother Earth.

From the daily search for firewood and potable water, to the rugged trek through the elements required for so many of our school-age children, the realities of the natural world are never far from their minds.

This closeness to the earth brings challenges, especially for those who are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and the scarcity of resources. But blessings can be found in the awareness that human life and the life of our planet are inextricably bound together.

Today, as we observe Earth Day, may we be resolved to learn from those for whom respect for the earth is not a wish, but a daily lived reality.

These photos celebrate the families CFCA serves from different regions around the world.

Guatemala: Central America

Pablo, right, father of a CFCA sponsored child, and his family harvest onions. “Onions are seeds of hope for my family. When we harvest onions we are also harvesting hope. This is our livelihood.” — Pablo

El Salvador: Central America

Clockwise, from left: 1) Brenda, sister of a sponsored child in El Salvador, finds the perfect spot for a bit of shade. 2) A tree in a rural area where many sponsored friends and their families live. 3) Three sisters, including CFCA sponsored child Katia, left, enjoy the outdoors.

Bolivia: South America

Gabriela, second from left, with her mother and siblings outside their home. Gabriela is a CFCA sponsored child who lives in a mountainous area of Bolivia.

Kenya: Africa

Sophia, left, a CFCA sponsored child in Kenya, with her mother Ann. Sophia and Ann are part of the Maasai tribe.

India: Asia

Archana, left, a CFCA sponsored child, joins her family on the land they farm for a living. The family lives in a rural area about 50 miles from the city of Hyderabad, India.

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CFCA sponsor and awareness trip traveler, Tom Weir, right, shows photos on his smartphone to his sponsored child, Purity, and her mother, Monica, in Kenya.

By Shanxi Omoniyi, CFCA online content manager

Welcome, friends! If you’re a longtime blog reader, you may have noticed our new look and redesign. We’re excited to give you a quick tour and then open the conversation up to you.

Layout
Our new layout is cleaner, more integrated to our website’s design, and more responsive to whatever platform our readers are using. If, for example, you’re accessing our blog on your smartphone, tablet or computer, the screen size and resolution will adjust accordingly.

We’ve also given our other social media channels more prominence up front. You’ll find it easier than ever to share posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. And as always, feel free to email us with any questions, at any time.

We’ve taken steps to enlarge the font size and headlines, making the blog’s overall appearance more visually appealing. You’ll be seeing a lot more photographs, and in higher resolution and quality, too!

Navigation

The redesign has both top and right-hand navigation options to make finding things easier.

“Ask Sponsor Services,” one of our most popular pages where we answer sponsors’ questions, is still prominent on our top navigation bar.

On our “About” page, you can read more about the bloggers and contributors who bring our stories and other content to you. Now you can finally start putting faces to all these names! Many people contribute to our blog, and we need each one of them to help tell the stories happening around the CFCA world.

If you’re a blogger, you can “blog about us” and explore some resources we have for those who want to share CFCA with their friends.

On the right-hand navigation bar, you can browse blog categories and subscribe to our blog and CFCA eNewsletter.

We’ve also featured a link to our ever-popular “Recipes” section where you can try food straight from the countries of our sponsored friends.

Ultimately, everything posted to the blog should accomplish this goal: to invite everyone of good will — both current and future sponsors, CFCA staffers, sponsored friends — to join and help build the greater CFCA community. This blog redesign is for you.

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By Larry Livingston, CFCA church relations director

After the attack at the Boston Marathon, I couldn’t help but think about how this week marks the anniversaries of infamous acts of violence in Waco, Columbine, Oklahoma City and Virginia Tech. It seems we are again subject to the awful determination of those who exploit human suffering for their own purposes.

The days when we were shocked by these acts sadly have passed. Still, losing the ability to be shocked by evil is not the same as taking it for granted.

Some of the most heroic people are those who witness acts of horror regularly, yet they never lose their resolve to be messengers of healing and peace.

There are many such heroes in the CFCA world. Sponsored persons, their families and our project staff live in places plagued by violence and corruption. They struggle valiantly, often in systems designed to keep people down.

Yet, our CFCA community does what they must — day in and day out — to be agents of hope and joy in the lives of those in need. Heroes, indeed!

I find it revealing that whenever a natural disaster or an act of mass violence happens in the United States, our project colleagues and our sponsored friends are inevitably among the first to reach out to us in prayer and concern. While some might find this surprising, what it teaches us is that those who suffer the most can also be the most empathetic to the sufferings of others.

Therein lies a profound truth about humanity. We are frail. We are vulnerable. But it is in that frailty and vulnerability that the best of humanity shines forth. Our weakness can be our greatest strength, if only we allow God’s grace to flow through us. This week, we need to hold that close.

The sun rose today, leaving us trying to navigate our way through a world in which fear never seems to stay quiet for long. We are determined not to be consumed by anger as we look for rays of light in the darkness. We can seek that light and the hope it brings. We can see what is good and what we can all become.

And we can dig in on our resolve to be people of peace.

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After a lot of hard work to reach her dream, Celina invites you to see her new home!

We recently met Celina, mother of two sponsored children in the Hope for a Family sponsorship program in Colombia. Through CFCA, Celina was able to purchase the required materials she needed to start her own homemade empanada business and make the dream of owning her first home a reality.

Harry Garcia, our communications liaison in Colombia, visited Celina in her new home and sent us an update of what she’s doing now and how the Hope for a Family program is still making a difference in her and her family’s life.

A view of the hallway in Celina’s new home: new floors and fresh paint!

I feel glad and so blessed! This is the new life that I wanted to bring to my children. We are happy here. I continued my studies, and I am now learning at the fourth-and fifth-grade level.

I am thinking about new projects to generate more income for our family.

My children are smiling all the time and they help my husband and I take care of our home.

I am thankful for CFCA because the mothers groups helped to motivate me and I learned to save my money so that I could have my own house.

I also learned to believe in myself.

I am so thankful for my daughter’s sponsorship because it helped us to reach our goal and to have a happy life.

My husband is so grateful for all the efforts we made to get our own house.

Celina, left, and CFCA staffer, Alba.

For the other mothers who are part of the CFCA program, I have a message:

I know we all have a dream in our hearts, and we have to make our dreams true. Our hearts do not see the difficulties it can take to achieve those dreams.

I know at first we have fears and insecurities, but it is time to overcome these obstacles to get ahead in life.

Celina enjoys cooking her homemade empanadas in her new apartment. Click here to get the recipe!

We can show ourselves that we can do everything we want. When you work hard the time goes by quickly, and once you open your eyes your dream will come true.

Thanks, CFCA, for encouraging me to work hard and to teach me how to make my dream true!

Related links:
• ‘Moving on up’: Colombian mother buys first home
• Celina’s recipe for homemade empanadas

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The CFCA project in Legazpi, Philippines, recently sent us success stories from young adults who were sponsored through CFCA.

Here’s one from Grace, who just graduated with her teaching degree after many challenges along the way. Congratulations, Grace!

“Poverty is not a hindrance to success” is an old saying, which I can attest to be true.

I was born to a poor family, the third of six children. Before my father passed away, he was a laborer, and my mother is a seamstress. Six mouths to feed is no joke, and we did not leave the burden to our parents alone. Instead we helped them ease the burden.

During my college education, the harsh realities of life were instilled in me when my dear father soon came to terms with God and left us.

At first, it was hard for me to believe that plain yet shocking truth. Heavy tears fell from my sad eyes because our family’s financial status was unstable.

My mother’s salary is not enough for our daily necessities, and, as the sole breadwinner, she finds it difficult to make ends meet.

As the third child in the brood of six, I began working while I was in school, so I could finish my studies and help my family.

Self-pity was not in my vocabulary. I was determined to finish my studies so that I could help my family, and so that my future children will not experience the kind of poverty I experienced in life.

I’ve implanted in my mind that poverty is a competitive edge — it’s not something to be ashamed of. It is an engine that will propel us to greater heights.

Though I was challenged by the cruel fangs of poverty in many situations, generous people who shared their selfless love gave me the courage to continue.

Through the help of Almighty God, I was able to be one of the CFCA scholars studying for a bachelor’s in elementary education. I persevered and finished my studies. I earned my diploma and successfully passed the teacher’s licensure examination.

After graduation, I applied for a teaching position in a private school, and I was hired.

I work at a private school as a preschool and elementary teacher.

Now I can help my mother send my younger siblings to school and help provide for their needs.

This experience has taught me that there is no easy way to achieve our goals. Instead, it takes a lot of prayer, hard work and patience and, most of all, an appreciation of the life you have.

I really believe that life offers happiness and problems are part of our trials in life, but all these things make us strong. In God, all things become easier.

Thanks to CFCA! More power!

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CFCA serves about 31,000 sponsored children and elderly in India. Vincent Murmu, Bhagalpur-Dumka project coordinator, sends us this recipe for Dumbok’, (pronounced “DOOM-bok”) a traditional dish of the Santal indigenous community in India!

Many of the Santals cultivate rice, which is harvested in the months of November and December. After the harvest, the rice is prepared and ground into flour. The rice flour is then mixed with other ingredients to create Dumbok’, which is shared with neighbors.

This recipe makes approximately 50-75 rice balls.

Time needed from start to finish: approximately 60 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups of rice flour
• 6 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of whole aniseeds
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and slowly add lukewarm water until a soft, doughy consistency is reached.

Roll small pieces of the dough between palms to make the rice balls.

Next, cook the rice balls in a steam cooker on medium to high heat.

The members of this community use two pots to cook the Dumbok’. One pot is for boiling water, and the other pot has small holes in the bottom for steaming. The steamer pot is then placed on top of the pot with boiling water.

Once the water is boiling and steam can be seen, the rice balls are placed in the steam cooker.

To prevent them from sticking together, place a small amount of rice balls in the steamer for about five minutes and cover. Continue cooking, and add a few more rice balls to the steamer. Follow this process until the pot is full. Keep lid covered when cooking.

Steam the full pot for 30 minutes, and the Dumbok’ should be ready. (The Dumbok’ will be ready when the inner and outer color of the rice balls are the same. This can be tested by breaking a rice ball in half.)

Serve the Dumbok’ warm and enjoy!

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