Overlooking Older Children

13 posted on May 13, 2010

POSTED IN: Blog Posts, Compassion

When I was in Kenya with Compassion International in March I fell in love with the beautiful children I met. Their bright, curious eyes followed us wherever we were and they were always ready to pose for the impromptu photo-opp.

When someone says they want to sponsor a “child” they’re often referring to younger children like the ones above (4-8 years old). For that reason older children are often overlooked by new sponsors. And yet, older children living in extreme poverty struggle too. Many are trying to overcome their circumstances and find a way to achieve their dreams.

Where would young men like Eliud (read his story here) be if he didn’t have a sponsor who was willing to invest in his teenage years?

My time in Kenya with Compassion showed me that every sponsorship makes a difference in the life of a child, no matter the age. But I’d like to think that there are some of you reading this with older children or teens who would be a perfect sponsor family for an older child. How cool would it be for your kids to have a pen-pal that they write around the world? Even better is knowing that your sponsorship is helping to break the chains of poverty in that child’s life.

Right now, 700 children age 10 and older are waiting for sponsors (in many cases these older children have lost their sponsor for one reason or another). You can be the answer to one child’s prayer by reaching out today.

[photo: Keely Scott]

Would you consider sponsoring an older child today? Your sponsored child will cherish and appreciate you more than you can imagine.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at 9:23 am and is filed under Blog Posts, Compassion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Comments

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May 13, 2010

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1 Rebekah said:

I just blogged about this! I think it’s extra special sponsoring an older child because Baraka can write us back, personally!
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May 13, 2010

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2 Sarah C said:

Such a great reminder. Thanks.

And the same rings true for adoption. My husband and I have a heart for adoption, and are often reminded of how “unwanted” the older children are.
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May 13, 2010

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3 jd said:

Hey Brad,

We just signed up for an 8 year old boy from Uganda today. He is our 4th, and our oldest at the time of sponsorship. We wanted one a bit older, but he had been waiting 407 days, and something about him just spoke directly to our hearts.

I really look forward to getting to know him and telling him how much he is loved.

Much love!

JD
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May 13, 2010

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4 Brad Ruggles said:

Rebekah – Great point. Thanks for writing about this as well.

Sarah – Very much true when it comes to adoption as well.

JD – That’s Awesome! I get excited when I hear about every new child sponsored. And I think it’s just as awesome whether its your first, fourth or fifteenth!
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May 16, 2010

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5 Marci in MO said:

Hi Brad,
When you and the other blogglers were in Kenya, I followed each word written; at that time I had 4 sponsored children. I was so taken by what I saw in Mathare, that I knew that I wanted to sponsor a child from there. While waiting I had a new heart for the older children, especially oprhans. So, I sponsored an 18 year old, newly orphaned young man in Ethiopia. On May 12th, the day before this blog was written/posted, I found an 18 year old orphan in Kenya, Mathare, KE373/Mathare Child Development Center, his name is Isaack. I am now waiting for his packet to arrive, I look forward to hearing about his life and all that Compassion enables him to do and learn. Did you visit that project while in Mathare? May God continue to bless you and your family. Blessings~Marci
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June 7, 2010

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6 Juli Jarvis said:

This is a great post! I just returned from Thailand — attended the LDP graduation of the girl we sponsored since she was 8! Very memorable, to say the least. I’m a Child Advocate for Compassion — love being a volunteer — and I especially love it when someone specifically asks for an older child. Most of these kids have lost a sponsor, for whatever reason, and it’s precious when someone wants to lovingly pick up where someone else left off (either because of economic hardship, death, or negligence). Thanks for speaking up for these kids Brad!
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September 17, 2010

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7 You don’t cut hope « living3368 said:

[...] sponsoring Nshimiyimana. I’ve been sponsoring him for about five years and he’s now 14. It’s more difficult to find sponsors for older children. (You can see older children in need of sponsors [...]