Update: Right before I published this, I realized that between drafting and publishing this, Asly got a sponsor. Yay!
Welcome to Sponsorship Saturday (on Monday today:)), where, every Saturday, I hope to highlight one or more kid living in poverty and in need of sponsorship, in hopes of finding sponsors for them.
Please share these posts so that many people can become aware of people living in poverty and hopefully take action! Sharing is so easy, but can make a world of difference!!
And, of course, please keep these kids and their families in your prayers.
I’ll be highlighting kids from many different countries, registered with multiple sponsorship organizations including Compassion International and Holt International.
Please note that it is my intention to both help the kids I spotlight, by spreading the word about their needs, and how others can help, and also, to honor the individuals I’m advocating for in my wording and the info I mention here. If you see anything that I’ve missed, or that I could do better to accomplish this goal, you are welcome to let me know in the comments.
This Saturday’s post shares two girls from Nicaragua, who are registered with Compassion International’s sponsorship program!
This is Asly! She needs a sponsor. Can you help? Here is Asly’s sponsorship page.
Asly is 11 years old, and lives with her family in the town of Las Mojarras, in western Nicaragua.
Most houses in the area are made up of dirt floors, tin walls and tin roofs.
Asly and her family probably eat maize, beans, plantains, cassava, eggs, chicken, beef, fish, pork and bananas on a daily basis. Asly speaks Spanish.
Most adults in Las Mojarras make a living by working seasonally as day laborers for agribusinesses. Others have small farms, perform domestic services, or sell goods in the street. The average family income is equivalent to about $45 per month, which does not provide for all basic needs. This community needs steady jobs with better salaries as well as financial support to send children to school.
Asly’s favorite hobbies include art or drawing, ball games, bicycling, clapping hands to rhythm, group games, hide and seek, jumping, play house, running, singing, swimming, doing arts & crafts, learning about God, listening to Bible stories, participating in service activities, snack / meal time, and spending time with friends
Asly helps at home with child care, cleaning, making beds, running errands, washing clothes.
Sponsorship for Asly will allow a local church to provide her with Bible teaching, food, health screening, vaccinations, testing for HIV, hygiene training, school supplies, uniforms, tutoring, computer classes, career guidance, leadership development, field trips, soccer tournaments, birthday celebrations and community service opportunities. The staff will also provide lessons on child development, child protection, cooking and literacy for Asly’s parents.
Neither of Asly’s parents are currently consistently employed, so sponsorship is especially important for Asly!
Asly has been waiting for sponsorship for 612 days.
Meet sweet Yazmin! Visit her sponsorship page here.
Yazmin is 2 years old, and lives with her family in the Reparto Hamburgo settlement in Nicaragua.
Most houses in the area are made up of dirt floors, plastic-sheet walls and tin roofs.
Yazmin and her family likely eat maize, beans, beef, chicken, fish and rice on a daily basis. Yazmin and her family speak Spanish.
Most adults in Reparto Hamburgo make a living by working as day laborers, performing domestic services, or selling items on the street or in the market. The average family income is equivalent to $95 per month. This community has struggles with extreme poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, crime, domestic violence and child abandonment. It needs steady jobs, medical care, public schools, more libraries, vocational training and better-quality education.
Yazmin has made it through her first year- one of the most vulnerable times in life for a human living in poverty. At this age, having someone to assist her family in caring for her can still mean the difference between life and death. Sponsorship provides for a trained Survival Specialist from a local church to visit Yazmin every month at home.
These specialists provide access to much-needed immunizations and medical care, as well as food and water to meet critical physical needs. They also lend emotional and spiritual support to family members committed to caring for her. Sponsorship will give Yazmin a strong, healthy start, early in life when it can have the biggest impact.
As Yazmin grows older, sponsorship allow a local church to provide her Bible teaching, food, health screening, vaccinations, hygiene and basic life-skills training, school supplies, uniforms, computer classes, field trips, contests and prizes, vocational training, music activities, soccer tournaments, birthday celebrations and community service opportunities. The staff will also provide medical assistance, income-generating projects and lessons on nutrition, child protection, marriage, literacy and disaster preparation for Bible teaching, food, health screening, vaccinations, hygiene and basic life-skills training, school supplies, uniforms, computer classes, field trips, contests and prizes, vocational training, music activities, soccer tournaments, birthday celebrations and community service opportunities. The staff will also provide medical assistance, income-generating projects and lessons on nutrition, child protection, marriage, literacy and disaster preparation for Yazmin’s parents.
Yazmin has been waiting to be sponsored for 557 days. You can sponsor Yazmin for $38 a month!
Here’s a link an article on Compassion’s blog Nicaragua, Asly and Yazmin’s country!
To learn more about Compassion’s work in Nicaragua go Here.
Giving, praying, and sharing are three great ways to help Asly and Yazmin, as well as other kids living in poverty!
Please consider sharing this post or sponsoring Asly or Yazmin!
Not everyone can sponsor, but that is not the only way to help! Maybe you could share, pray, or give a one time gift?
Thank y’all so much for reading!
-Clara
Photos and information taken from Compassion International’s website.
Clara's Corner 