THE BLESSINGS OF
SPONSORING A CHILD

Written by Kerry Harvey
January 2024

For decades, the term “sponsoring a child” has been known across the developed world. With media campaigns, TV advertisements, and massive fund-raising events, most households at some point have been informed on the need of child sponsorships in places like Africa. Interestingly though, it was over a century ago in the year 1919 that the first ever child sponsorship program began. For as long as we can date back to, humans have been helping others in a less fortunate situation offering food, water, clothing, and a helping hand to provide a step up towards a fuller, healthier, and enriching life. Such gestures of kindness have helped countless people across the globe take that step closer to leaving immense poverty behind. In recent years, the offerings of heart felt kindness have progressed towards offering sustainability for the less fortunate and not just a short-term fix. Organizations such as Promised Land Foundation and its partners have been working hard to nurture the roots of struggling communities by sponsoring children. By investing their donations, guidance, and love, Promised Land Foundation has been laying down the foundations to allow growth and development amongst their sponsored children.

Africa is the second largest continent in the world covering 20 percent of the land space across the planet. With an estimated 11.7 million square miles, Africa is home to a staggering 1.4 billion people across 54 countries. Sadly, this humongous part of the earth is ranked the poorest, with 1 in 2 people living below the poverty line. In Malawi and Zambia, the regions in which Promised Land Foundation are currently assisting in, 87 percent of the population live below the poverty line. Both countries combined are home to over 40 million people, meaning an estimated 34.8 million people are in desperate need of help within these two African nations. The astonishing figures highlights the importance of offering sustainability and not just a quick fix, as said. In sponsoring the children of poverty-stricken Malawi and Zambia, Promised Land Foundation is offering a chance of this sustained change. By providing nutrition, clean water, sanitation, education, and resources, the Foundation is offering these vulnerable children (and victimized women) a better chance of a future and certain hope. The knock-on effect of this structure could be momentous. Future doctors, future farmers, future politicians, future teachers, future engineers, future pastors, and future community role models who will have the ability to keep the change moving forward. A progression that could change the life of their children, grandchildren, and the community as a whole.

It has been well documented for a very long time that countries such as Malawi and Zambia are in need of clean water, nutrition and education. Three important elements crucial in the development of children and crucial in the development of society as a whole. Both countries which rely on agriculture have had extremely tough times in recent years. With torrential rains, storms, and flooding, the crops and agricultural foundations have been hard hit. Food is scarce. With no food, nutrition is minimal, and with scarce produce the prices rise, meaning that being able to provide a simple meal for the family is becoming increasingly harder. Nutrition has been proven to impact on a child growth both physically and mentally. Good nutrition impacts a child’s cognitive and physical development, while aiding a strong immune system. Without the nutrition, learning in school and retaining the knowledge would be near impossible. Without a strong school system involving trained teachers and resources, an education would be non-existent. Without the ability or funds for an education, children’s futures would be limited and community growth impossible. By sponsoring children, Promised Land Foundation is providing an opportunity for change and a limitless future.

The first child sponsored by the Founder of Promised Land Foundation was a 10-year-old little girl named Mabel. In 2017, Tim, the Founder of the Foundation, met Mabel in her distressed home. Mabel’s sponsorship began before the Foundation was established and as a private sponsor by Tim. This was an introduction to a sponsorship that would have an enormous effect years later, not just for Mabel, but also for her mother Carol and the family as a whole. What began as a mission by the Foundation’s founder became years of nurturing and assistance that has changed the life of this small family. Not only that, but this child sponsorship has led the Foundation to more children in need just like Mabel being sponsored and having their own lives changed towards a more positive and sustainable future.

But what exactly does it mean for Promised Land Foundation to sponsor a child? The sponsorship program invests its donations to help the sponsored children grow safely, nutritionally, and with an education. Each child sponsored has their own complex needs and Promised Land Foundation through its partners (Hope for Life, Healing Hearts, One Girl One Promise, Family Legacy, Good Soil), and others assess the best path forward for such individual needs. Some children are part of a large struggling family with many siblings, others are orphaned children with no family at all. So you can see the diversity of the requirements. Twice a year, on average, the Foundation visits their sponsored children first hand to see the growth and change, but to also assess current needs. When the Foundation’s founder, Tim Peloquin, is not on the ground in Africa, his trusted friends, colleagues, and partners are there daily to keep the sponsorship program and the children thriving. This is not a once off capital donation, but a lifetime of support. Mabel is now 17 and a great example of just what a Promised Land Foundation child sponsorship program can do. Nearing the point of further education, the Foundation is dedicated to continuing their sponsorship and seeing her through university. In areas like Malawi and Zambia, 57 percent of children do not even finish primary school. To get into secondary level education at early teenage years children must pass an exam. If they do not pass the exam to progress further, then secondary education such a high school is not possible. This highlights the importance of firstly being able to offer a child an education, and secondly being able to offer them an adequate education. Without this, Mabel’s future could have been taken a completely different path to what it is now. For Mabel, she now has the world of opportunity at her feet. Not only can she dream of one day becoming a doctor, which is her goal, but she also has a real chance at making her dream come true. Note, through her hard work and commitment, Mabel is currently ranked 2nd in her class of hundreds of girls!

For Promised Land Foundation, the importance of child sponsorships is momentous in their mission to offer sustainability in Africa. Just like Mabel, there are already nutritionally healthier children embarking on an education that will change their lives forever and the possibility at changing others too. Perhaps, a future President of Malawi or Zambia, for instance. One who could make sustainable changes in the country. Or even a future scientist or doctor who can help eradicate some of the fatal diseases that too many pass away from so early. The future indeed is bright for the sponsorship children, as is the future of their communities. Prayerfully and earnestly, Promised Land Foundation is fully committed to see this to fruition. Stay tuned to our website to see how you too can sponsor a vulnerable child in Africa. It for sure is a blessing to be a blessing, particularly the less fortunate ones of our world.