Thelma Tappin, from Scarborough, Ontario, has been sponsoring children since 1978.

Currently, she's sponsoring a little boy from Kenya named Ilius Rolata. The first time Thelma saw the boy's picture, she thought to herself, 'Oh my, he does look like he needs a hug.'

In September 2001, Thelma travelled to Kenya to visit Ilius. World Vision picked her up at the guest house where she was staying and drove her two or three hours to meet him at his school.

"He's a very shy boy," she says. A World Vision field worker showed her the new school World Vision was building and the old broken down school it would replace.

Thelma says, "I felt good about what I was hearing. Child sponsorship gives me the satisfaction that I'm helping not just the child but the whole family."

World Vision encourages meetings between sponsors and sponsored children. You can also volunteer overseas with World Vision as part of the Destination Life Change program. Click here to find out more.