"Baby" Pictures

These are 8 of our 9 sponsored children. Do you recognize them? Each of these pictures are pictures that I call their "baby" picture because it is their first photo taken when they joined the sponsorship program. Mwanza is the only one not shown because he looks the same~ he only became sponsored less than 1 year ago (for the first time, at the age of 12!).

Can you match the baby picture up with the child they are today? It is wild to see that only 1 child in this group smiled for their first picture.

Eighth and Ninth Sponsored Children~ Dulce and Leydi from the Dominican Republic

Leydi's details:

Age: 7	Gender: F	Date of Birth: 6/1/2001
Height: 3 Feet 9 Inches		Weight: 50 Pounds		Hair Color: Black		Eye Color: Black
2. Health problems, if any:
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Art
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with dolls
Chores at Home: Running errands
Talents or Hobbies: Dancing
Languages Spoken: Spanish
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $65.00
6. Name of Father: Milcen			Age: 37	Occupation: Daily Worker
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Ociani			Age: 33	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Chaline		Age 12	Gender F
9. Child now living with: Relatives
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One Bedroom
Cooking Facilities: Coal stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block			Roof Corrugated metal		Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Community faucets
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Latrine

Dulce's details:

Age: 9	Gender: F	Date of Birth: 1/25/2000
Height: 4 Feet 1 Inches		Weight: 55 Pounds		Hair Color: Black		Eye Color: Black
2. Health problems, if any:
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Mathematics
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with dolls, Running
Chores at Home: Running errands, General housework
Talents or Hobbies: Drawing, Dancing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Spanish
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $100.00
6. Name of Father: Victor Manuel			Age: 46	Occupation: Street Vendor
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Dulce Maria			Age:	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
8. Brothers and Sisters:
9. Child now living with: Relatives
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One Bedroom, Dining Room, Kitchen
Cooking Facilities: Gas Stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block			Roof Concrete		Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

I have put Leydi and Dulce together on a post because I think it is fitting. Leydi has the top 5 pictures, and Dulce has the bottom 5. Both of these two girls still need a sponsor. I added them to my account in order to find them sponsors. I want to make sure that all of the HIV +/ AIDS diagnosed children in the Children International program get the extra care they need to stay alive. I know people are sometimes hesitant to take on a task of sponsoring a child who has special needs, but they are normal kids. They have the same dreams and aspirations of other children their same age. They do need sponsorship, however, in order to get the vitamins, nutritional supplements, and regular food they need to stay healthy. If you would like to sponsor one or both of these girls, let me know... Or, if you want to sponsor a child but don't want one that has that diagnosis, let me know which child you would like. If I can get sponsors for 2 of my healthy children, I can keep these 2 beautiful girls.

Now, on with the best part, Leydi is 7 and in the 3rd grade. When she is not going to school she likes to play with her dolls. As of the last report, her father is still alive, however, his health may not be the best. She lives with her grandmother and cousins. Her mother has already passed away. She, also, is in need of surgery. She has an umbilical hernia that needs to be corrected. She went into the doctor in 2007 to have her hernia looked at, and that is when she found out that she was HIV+. Now, she takes her medication and sees a specialist on a regular basis.

Dulce just turned 9 a few days ago. Her birthday was January 25th. She lives around the same field office as Leydi. They are both part of the Santo Domingo project. Dulce was determined to be HIV+ at birth, and more recently was diagnosed with AIDS> However, she is currently in stable condition. As you can see by the pictures, she does not let the diagnosis affect her smile or her attitude. Her letters are positive and true to her name sweet (dulce) as can be! According to her latest update, her father is alive, but does not currently take care of her. Her mother has already passed away, so she lives with her cousins.

So what do you think? Are they great kids, or what?! Oh, yeah, and don't forget that Jaden is still raising money to get all 4 children (the ones with HIV/AIDS) a bed, so that they can get the rest they need to stay healthy. You can participate in the fundraiser by checking out my Ebay listings, and bidding. Or, she is, also, collecting coins in a jar (if you are close enough to bring her your coins). Her total raised as of today is: $101.04!! She almost has enough to buy one bed, and she will just have 3 more beds to go! Then, I am sure she will come up with something else she wants to do to help others... That's just how she is!

Seventh Sponsored Child~ Jonathan from Guayaguil, Ecuador

On October 22, 2008, I added 4 new children to my account. They are all children that are either infected with the HIV virus, or have already been diagnosed with AIDS. I decided that I wanted to find sponsors for them. In my group of four children was a girl named Katherine (a different Katherine than the one I currently have), who was almost immediately placed when Alice (already a sponsor) read my post about the 4 children: http://ilovemykids08.blogspot.com/2008/10/stigma-of-hivaids-can-devastate-child.html
If my post inspires you to take action, maybe you will take one or both of my last two children with the virus. The 2 children that I have left are the two girls on the top of that post...
Now, back to my story, Alice took Katherine. Katherine is the girl at the bottom of that same post. Shortly thereafter (10/28/08), Mack (another seasoned sponsor) was looking for a child in Zambia. She took Mercy, and I took on one additional child with HIV... Jonathan!
Jonathan lives with his grandmother since both of his parents are deceased (just like Diego's are). So, here are Jonathan's details:

Age: 10	Gender: M	Date of Birth: 1/20/1999
Height: 3 Feet 11 Inches		Weight: 46 Pounds		Hair Color: Black		Eye Color: Black
2. Health problems, if any:
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Art, Mathematics
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing soccer
Chores at Home: Sweeping, Running errands
Talents or Hobbies: Singing, Dancing
Languages Spoken: Spanish
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $50.00
6. Name of Father: Jonathan			Age:	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
7. Name of Mother: Cacilda			Age:	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
8. Brothers and Sisters:
9. Child now living with: Relatives
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room
Cooking Facilities: Portable gas stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Wooden beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block			Roof Corrugated metal		Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Private pump
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

Searches that give back

Did you know that you can search the internet and give money to your favorite charity (without money leaving your pocket) at the same time? Next time you are looking for something, use "Good Search" instead of your regular search engine. Choose your charity... Children International, I hope ;) And then, search! Here is the link:
http://www.goodsearch.com/

Sixth Sponsored Child~ Diego from Colombia

Diego was one of the children featured in CI's Blog action day slideshow. I didn't immediately decide to take him, but when I found out only one person had responded to their request for sponsors the day before, I had to help. I sent an e-mail to Kelly to find out which specific ailments the children had, and I requested children with either epilepsy or HIV/AIDS> When he responded telling me that Diego had full-blown AIDS, I couldn't turn him down. I actually wound up taking on 4 more children with HIV/AIDS in order to make sure that they could all get the special treatment that they need to stay alive... But, more on that later. I took Diego on 10/16/08. He uses the same community center that Henry uses (which is what I was looking for earlier in my quest to find a child in Cartagena~ so, I got what I wished for). Plus, since both of his parents are deceased, and he is battling a disease that causes him to be more suseptible to diseases that kill, I feel like I am making a difference in his life. He lives with his aunt and uncle. In a letter earlier, he told me that his aunt gives him the strength to go on. He is one of the children on Jaden's list that will receive a bed this year. Check out my Ebay link to donate to this cause. To date, Jaden has raised $86.97!!! Here are his details:

Age: 11	Gender: M	Date of Birth: 7/24/1997
Height: 4 Feet 4 Inches		Weight: 74 Pounds		Hair Color: Black		Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any:
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Mathematics
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing soccer
Chores at Home: Running errands
Talents or Hobbies: Dancing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Spanish
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $175.00
6. Name of Father: Manuel			Age:	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
7. Name of Mother: Marilis			Age:	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Laura		Age 32	Gender F	Name Maria		Age 35	Gender F
Name Yondo		Age 29	Gender M
9. Child now living with: Relatives
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One Bedroom, Living Room, Kitchen
Cooking Facilities: Open fire
Sleeping Accommodations: Wooden beds
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block			Roof Corrugated tile		Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

Yessica's Christmas Package

Well, I am already disappointed that it has taken so long to get a response on the packages that I sent, but now, the Guatemala office only took one picture! I guess I should have expected that because I don't think they have ever taken more than one. Anyway, I sent Yessica's package out on 10/8/08. The letter says that it was received by the office on 11/5/08 & delivered to Yessica on 12/11/08. Luckily, I meant for the package to be a Christmas package, so it all worked out. I just got the thank you letter today. This is what her letter says:
This letter is to thank you for the package that you sent me. I received 1 letter, 1 photo album (with my pictures in it), 1 board game, 1 chalk board, 1 jacks games, 4 books, 1 water color paint set, 12 pencils, 1 sharpener, 50 erasers, 3 ponytail holders, 3 skirts, 2 blouses, 1 dress, and 1 vest.
I am very happy for all of the things that you sent me. I will celebrate Christmas with all of my family at home. We are going to eat tamales and drink fruit punch. We, also, shoot off fireworks. Thank you for thinking of me.
Goodbye with kisses and hugs~ Yessica

Fifth Sponsored child~ Aldair from Colombia

The picture that I saw of him on the CI web-site when I decided to sponsor him



When I first saw Aldair's picture, I was looking for a child that would share the same community center with Henry. I inquired of CI if Aldair was in Cartagena. When they told me he was not, I was disappointed. Then, a few days later, when I saw he was still on the web-site, I decided to take him. I began sponsoring Aldair on May 25, 2008. Here are his details:

Age: 9	Gender: M	Date of Birth: 12/19/1999
Height: 4 Feet 2 Inches		Weight: 53 Pounds		Hair Color: Brown		Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Grammar
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing soccer
Chores at Home: Running errands
Talents or Hobbies: Dancing, Singing
Languages Spoken: Spanish
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $90.00
6. Name of Father: Ricardo			Age: 43	Occupation: Daily Worker
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Judith			Age: 38	Occupation: Homemaker
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Carlos		Age 19	Gender M	Name Ferney Ricardo		Age 6	Gender M
Name Ingrid		Age 22	Gender F	Name Ivan		Age 14	Gender M
Name Luz Estefany		Age 11	Gender F	Name Miguel Angel		Age 4	Gender M
Name Yesica		Age 17	Gender F
9. Child now living with: Parents
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room
Cooking Facilities: Wood burning stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Beds
Home Construction: Walls Wood			Roof Corrugated tile		Floor Dirt
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Neighbor's faucet
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet

The countdown to Dulce's Bed!!

Dulce has officially been switched with Leydi on the "bed fundraiser" list. I know that it will take a few weeks to get Leydi's information back from CI, so since Dulce's is already available, she will get the first bed. As noted before, Jaden is selling shirts and collecting coins to raise funds to get all of the HIV +/ AIDS diagnosed children a bed. Here is the new list:
1. Dulce
2. Jonathan
3. Leydi
4. Diego
This is the request that I received from the Dominican Republic:
"Dulce currently shares a bed with her cousin. It would be beneficial to her to sleep in her own bed. The total cost to provide Dulce with her own bed is $116."

Right now, the total that Jaden has raised is: $56.87, so she is almost halfway there!!! I will keep you posted on the progress.

A letter from Mwanza!!!

I am REALLY loving this!!! I had asked Mwanza to please try to write to me himself, even if he can not write so well. His sister had been writing for him for about 6 months, but after I requested this of him, he did it!!! Now, today, I got another letter written by him. It warms my heart to see his own words put to paper!!! I am so proud of him! Here is his letter (short, but he wrote it all by himself!):

How are you and your family? Here I am okey with my family. I was happy to receive the card. I enjoy to listen to the music. I like the drawing picture from Jaden. I wish you a merry Christmas. More from you
Yours, Mwanza

The power of one letter received on my birthday :0) He just made my day! By the way, the card that he is referring to is a card that I found at the dollar store. I found a Christmas card that plays Christmas music when you open it. I sent all 9 of the kids one for Christmas because I thought they might enjoy seeing a card with music. You don't see one of those every day :0)

The Fourth Sponsored Child~ Mwanza from Zambia

Mwanza is the one standing up with the tattered white shirt.



This last picture on the bottom is the family after they all received sponsors, $500, beds, and other donations.

If you were around on May 7, 2008, and already a part of the CI family, you probably remember the post "What it Means to be Alone" http://childreninternational.blogspot.com/2008/05/what-it-means-to-be-alone.html Who was not moved by that post? I know that I was, and still am! I had to help, and so, I added 12 year old Mwanza to my family of kids. He is 13 now, and is just starting school this month!!! He had gone to school for just a little while before his parents passed away, so he can not write very well. Mary (his oldest sister) usually writes his letters for him. Because all 5 of the children were able to find sponsors, all 5 will start school this month!!! I am so excited for all of them! I can't wait to get his letters that will tell of his school experiences. Here is his latest bio (of course, the updated report will show that he now attends school):

Age: 13	Gender: M	Date of Birth: 8/5/1995
Height: 4 Feet 9 Inches		Weight: 71 Pounds		Hair Color: Black		Eye Color: Brown
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: No - Family lacks money
4. Favorite School Subjects:
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing soccer, Playing with toys and cars, Playing with friends
Chores at Home: Washing dishes, Taking out the trash, Cooking
Talents or Hobbies: Sport, Singing
Languages Spoken: Nyanja
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $5.00
6. Name of Father: Usifu			Age: 46	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
7. Name of Mother: Chipo			Age: 43	Occupation:
(If not present, why?) Deceased
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Clever		Age 10	Gender M	Name Lovemore		Age 6	Gender M
Name Manase		Age 8	Gender F	Name Mary		Age 15	Gender F
9. Child now living with: Relatives
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One multi-use room, One Bedroom
Cooking Facilities: Coal stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Sleeps on the floor with mattress
Home Construction: Walls Concrete block			Roof Corrugated metal		Floor Concrete
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Community faucets
Electricity: Available but not affordable
Sanitary Facility: Community latrine

Mercy~ Zambia (also, the third sponsored child)

I took on 2 sponsored children simultaneously. I saw Mercy's picture in the slide show for the Easter gifts in 2008, and I sent an e-mail inquiry. I asked CI if she had found a sponsor yet. While I was waiting to hear back from them, I went ahead and added Yessica to my account. Just a few hours later, Mercy was, also, in my account :0)

I do not sponsor Mercy any more, but I am able to stay in touch with her. As reported earlier, I added a total of 5 children to my account later on in order to find sponsors for them. I wanted to make sure that the sick children especially would be able to get the extra care that they need. I took all 5 kids left in the CI system that had HIV/AIDS. I was able to find a sponsor for one of the children with HIV (Thanks to Alice!), and Mack was looking for a child in Zambia. None of my sick children were in Zambia, and since I would still be able to keep contact with Mercy, Mack took Mercy (and I was able to keep one more of the sick children because of it). It worked out because Mack sent Mercy a very SWEET letter. She told Mercy that she had seen Mercy's picture and really wanted to sponsor her. She told Mercy that I was reluctant to let her go, but that Mack begged me and promised to keep me updated and to take care of her. Mack was able to send her a nice big box of clothes for her, her brother, and her new baby sister for Christmas as well. Maybe I can post those pics when she gets them from CI.

Third Sponsored Child~ Yessica, Guatemala City

Every time I see this picture, my eyes get drawn to their exposed feet. I just wonder how they stay healthy walking around through the unpaved (not necessarily clean) roads with their feet exposed. Definitely something I need to look into fixing!


This is the first picture that I saw of her when I started sponsoring her. I took her on because the family's income was listed quite low (I think about $76 for a family of 6).

As you already know, I started sponsoring Henry and Katherine in 2007 (previously highlighted). I lost my big paying job in September, and had to go on a hiatus of adding more children until April 9, 2008, when I added Yessica to the family. Yessica is my only child in Guatemala. She loves to talk about how beautiful her country is and how proud she is to be Guatemalan. She is sweet, and has thanked me for being a support. I can't wait to get her next letter, so that you can see for yourselves... Or I may have to dig one out of her scrap book shortly. Maybe I will get a letter from her tomorrow :0) I hope!
Her income has gone up in less than a year. Here is her latest bio:

Age: 10	Gender: F	Date of Birth: 8/9/1998
Height: 3 Feet 10 Inches		Weight: 46 Pounds		Hair Color: Black		Eye Color: Black
2. Health problems, if any: None
3. Attends School: Yes
4. Favorite School Subjects: Grammar
Favorite Pastimes or Sports: Playing with dolls
Chores at Home: Washing dishes
Talents or Hobbies: Drawing
Languages Spoken: Spanish
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S FAMILY:
5. Approximate monthly income for the family (in U.S. Dollars): $234.00
6. Name of Father: Rogelio			Age: 37	Occupation: Machine Operator
(If not present, why?)
7. Name of Mother: Marieta			Age: 36	Occupation: Homemaker
(If not present, why?)
8. Brothers and Sisters:
Name Rogelio Isaias		Age 8	Gender M	Name Sandra		Age 14	Gender F
Name Velter		Age 12	Gender M
9. Child now living with: Parents
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S HOME:
10. Description of Home: One Bedroom, Kitchen
Cooking Facilities: Gas Stove
Sleeping Accommodations: Metal beds
Home Construction: Walls Corrugated metal			Roof Corrugated metal		Floor Dirt
11. Facilities and Services:
Water Source/Storage: Running water in home
Electricity: Available
Sanitary Facility: Toilet