What Sponsorship Really Changes

When people ask us what difference sponsorship makes, instead of listing the material support provided, we have begun to say: it’s not just the practical support—it’s the communication.

We do our best to support all of the children in our programme, whether they have a sponsor or not. Sponsored children are guaranteed support with school fees, equipment, meals, and invitations to all our parties and community gatherings. For our unsponsored children, we work hard to provide as much as possible through donations, fundraisers, and other efforts. From the outside, it might look like there’s no difference between a sponsored child and an unsponsored one.

While our goal is to find sponsors for every child, we’ve come to realise that the overriding aim is actually to support each and every child equally—without any distinctions. So far, we have generally been able to receive enough donations to cover school needs for all the children each year. But the key difference they notice isn’t just about material support. It’s about communication.

Children are no longer simply ‘sponsored’ or ‘unsponsored’—those categories mostly describe the kind of financial support they receive for school and home needs. Instead, they’re more meaningfully divided into those who receive regular, personal communication, and those who don’t. Some unsponsored children get messages from donors or from us, while some sponsored children receive less contact in that way. And that is the difference the child truly sees and feels.

Let me tell you about Eliand.

Eliand has been sponsored for a few years now. She’s always been lovely—intelligent, gentle, and on the quieter side. At our gatherings, she often stays close to a small group of friends. She smiles for photos, in a soft, reserved way.

The other day, Marceline, our field worker in Bamenda (where Eliand lives), visited her as usual. She sent us some pictures of Eliand—beautiful as always, but still with that quiet, shy look we know so well.

Then something simple, but extraordinary, happened.

Marceline passed along a message from me to Eliand and allowed us to chat briefly via her phone. I asked her directly how her exams had been going, how she was feeling in herself, and what her plans were for the summer—real, personal questions just for her, not the usual one-question-fits-all updates. At the time, I didn’t think much of it - I was just catching up with Eliand. And then, a voice message came through. It was Eliand, replying in her own words.

Her voice was calm, and that short message said so much. Not only did she answer the questions I’d asked, but she also took the opportunity to tell me something else going on in her life: her grandmother had passed away.

I hadn’t asked about that at all. I hadn’t thought to ask her about that. But because the conversation had been opened in a genuine and human way, it seemed she felt safe. Safe enough to share something deeply personal, something important to her. That space had made room for her to share things, and she trusted it.

That’s what communication does.

After the exchange, I passed on a greeting from her sponsor—who happens to live in my house—and Eliand smiled and sent a voice message just for him. Marceline then took more photos. And what those photos showed was unmistakable.

Gone was the quiet posture of before. These new pictures showed a girl who looked relaxed and understood. More comfortable. Someone who knew she was being heard and cared about. Someone who had just been reminded that she matters—individually, uniquely, personally.

Remember - this was a 5-minute exchange! And honestly, it had nothing to do with me, or what I asked her. It was just care, which everyone deserves. 

This is what sponsorship really does. Yes, it pays for school. Yes, it provides supplies. But more than anything, it opens a door to relationship.

Just look at Eliand.

We support over 50 children, and we’re so focused on doing our best—covering school needs, gathering information for sponsor updates, managing everything behind the scenes—that sometimes we forget to prioritise these small, but huge, things. Like simply checking in. Like showing them that we’re there, that we’re people, and that we see them as people too.

You can create that same shift for another child. Help us show each and every child and young person that they’re cared for, which everyone deserves. That’s the most accurate description of our mission. Sponsor one of our children today—and start something truly beautiful.

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