Happy Birthday!

It is Kainat's 14th birthday today! I wonder how she will celebrate. A while back, I sent her a card filled with sparkly star stickers and a bracelet adorned with two charms: a globe and peace sign. I thought this was appropriate since her name translates to the world (is yours).  I hope she likes it! I'm still patiently waiting for a letter!

Dear Kainat, the World is yours.

I finally chose a child! It was a really tough decision, I felt as if I was adopting (and in some way I'm providing similar support!). All of the children are beautiful and in need of financial support, and if I could afford to sponsor more I would in a heartbeat. At first, I wanted to choose an only child from India because I would be able to relate to the family structure; but then decided I'd like to sponsor a child with a larger family: bigger family = more people to help! I also decided to sponsor a teenager because I thought I'd be able to influence her the most. I hope to be a source of encouragement and comfort.

I believe she lives near Kolkata

Here is everything I currently know about her: 

• Her name is Kainat and she is 13 (and will be 14 on August 14th!). She is beautiful.
• She loves to draw and jump rope. I hope she sends me pictures!
• Her favorite subject is Languages, so I hoping she might understand some English. 
• She lives with her parents along with her 4 brothers and sisters. Big family!
• Their home consists of a single, multi-purpose room made of brick and concrete with a tile roof. 
• They share a community bathroom and water source and also have a coal stove for cooking purposes.
• Their monthly family income is $43 (this made me count my blessings and feel even more excited about my financial contributions, it's fulfilling to know that I am going to make a significant difference in Kainat's life).

Immediately after I got her information, I wanted to send her a letter; but the small road block I faced was what should I say to a child who is of a completely different culture? I didn't know how thick the language barrier will be, but I tried my best to keep my letter as simple and informative as possible. I told her about myself and my family; I described my hobbies and how we both love to draw. I encouraged her about school and told her how excited I am to get to know her. Knowing the exchange rate of mail is slower, I saturated my letter with questions.

I also found out that Kainat's name means "universe" and "the world (is yours)". I hope I can help teach her to empower the meaning of her name. I sent my first letter and am patiently waiting a response.
I'm so excited!

The beautiful Taj Mahal in India

My Decision

I have decided to sponsor an child around the world. Being a college student and not having the funds to move across seas to change the world, I thought this would be a great way to make big changes through small investments. A woman I work with sponsors eight (eight!...I call her Pam Plus Eight) children from Children's International (link). The site allows users to pick the child they'd like to sponsor. Each child has a bio that includes their hobbies, siblings, interests, birthday, languages spoken, and family's monthly income. Some of the incomes total to my receipt after a normal Wegman's run; it'a an extremely humbling experience that tugs at your heartstrings. The hard part is picking a child because they are all adorable and in need of financial and emotional support. Once you've picked a child (or children), you receive his or her picture along with a family biography (including siblings' names and ages, parent's occupations, materials of the house, etc.). A minimum  of 2 letters are exchanged between the child and sponsor which is a great way to build a forever lasting impact on both individuals' lives. I can't wait to get mail!



Reasons why I decided to sponsor a child:

(1) I am an only child. This has been a blessing and a bummer all rolled into one. It allowed me to build an extremely strong and close bond with my parents (we're buds), but the bittersweetnes was that I never experienced that brother/sister relationship. I always wanted to loan my few years of experience and guidance to a younger soul. 

(2) I am fortunate enough to fiance $20 a month for someone who needs it more than I do. My goal is to support this child completely on my own with no help from my parents. $20 towards medical, education, food, clothes and shelter expenses > $20 towards a new dress at Target ...No brainer

(3) I'm passionate about making a direct impact on a child's life. I want to have that connection and be their overseas cheerleader.

I made this decision quickly, but it has always been something I've wanted to do. Great things happen at once, right? Now the hard part: choosing a child. They are all adorable and all would be full of appreciation; I had to hold back from selecting multiple children and inviting to come live with me. I knew immediately that I wanted to sponsor a little girl. After reading Eat, Pray, Love and My Name is Najood: Age 10 and Divorced, I became so impacted and intrigued by the exotic culture that I wanted to sponsor a child from India. Plus Indian are beyond beautiful.


With that all decided, comes the toughest decision of all: selecting a child.

I can't wait!