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Sponsor Carol Roberts Shares Her Story
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I first became a Save the Children sponsor in 1986. Receiving the picture of Matrida, then nine years old, was electrifying. She and I quickly became the best of pen pals and then visiting with her in person in Malawi three years later seemed like a small miracle. My three-day visit was unforgettable, and was crammed with so many activities – meeting Matrida’s family, teacher and friends and observing the local Save the Children programs in action.
And that was that– I was hooked. I have traveled to Malawi every other year since that first visit and each time I am further enriched because of it. My trips are among the most gratifying experiences of my life.
There have been five additional sponsored children in my life, each one special and unique. My repeated trips have been to meet my new children and to observe the work of Save the Children in the field. The children I’ve sponsored participate in a number of different community-based programs depending on their age – from Primary Education programs, which focus on things like building schools and training teachers, to School Health and Nutrition programs that help strengthen the health of children so they can learn.
I’ve listened to the discussions of village school committees and visited the schools they themselves, built with the help of Save the Children. In a leaky rowboat surrounded by hippos and crocodiles, I’ve crossed a river to see fields that were part of an income-producing project; I’ve visited AIDS patients and their families and witnessed the training and supplies that are provided to caregivers by Save the Children in order to try and cope with the devastating effects of the disease.
Sponsorship has enriched my life immeasurably, and the joy and sense of purpose have grown with each child I sponsor. I wish the same and more for all sponsors!
Carol Roberts
