Angel Blair, CTV Regina weather anchor, traveled to Nicaragua with World Vision Canada and witnessed first-hand how child sponsorship transforms a community. She shares her personal thoughts below.

Nicaragua May 2008

The Unknown...
I found out about our trip to Nicaragua two weeks before we left. I was ecstatic! My job as a weather anchor involves helping a lot of people in need through fundraising events, but nothing like this. Although I was careful not to put any expectations on the trip I somehow believed everyone when they said "it will be life changing." It was!

A different meaning to the word "poor"
Our initial trip into the rural areas showed what I would call extreme poverty. Families in Canada are not lacking electronics, toys or new clothing. Families in Nicaragua are lacking clean drinking water, fresh food and basic medication. Imagine a dirt floor, holes in a makeshift tin roof, a pig or a chicken just running through a one-room hut and that is your house. The worst part is they have no help.... No Food Bank or Government support. No help.

The World Vision Crew and the work they do...
I will fully admit I knew very little about World Vision other than what they show on commercials before this trip. I guess you could say the "reporter" instinct came out in me when we were introduced to children who had been sponsored for a year- but their family still lived in a hut in dire need of help. The World Vision crew was very open and able to explain the stages of relief help in poverty-stricken areas. I now understand the idea behind their long-term strategy. It made sense not to just give a handout of money and leave. It was absolutely amazing to see villages and towns where World Vision money was making a difference over the long term 10 to 15 years.

What I saw and what it meant to me...
On our third day, I saw a girl who looked like my little cousin. The resemblance was remarkable. It prompted me to think about how lucky we are to be born in Canada. We have access to health care and education—things that this little girl only has on a limited basis. It also reminded me that kids are kids. They love to play and really need so little to be happy and carefree. For some children in Nicaragua, just going to school involves walking miles and miles on an empty stomach. They shouldn't have to worry about drinking bad water with parasites; they should be worried about playing with their friends and sports.

Most of the families we met were clearly in need of help, yet their family units keep growing. My question was, "Why would they have more children when they can't afford to support the ones they have?"... I was told women often want to use birth control, but they are afraid their husbands will leave if they do. Due to lack of education, men often feel their wives would only take birth control if they wanted to cheat on them. As a woman this made me sad.

A little girl named Jayce in a brand new computer lab also showed me the importance of helping children. I asked her to show me her work on the computer, but instead she went straight to the paint application and drew the word "love". Despite a huge language barrier we did our best to use the few Spanish/English words we knew to talk. That was pretty cool! We heard a lot of stories about sponsored children going on to become doctors or community leaders.... Youth have so much potential and I think as adults we need to help them.

What I will never forget...
The toughest part of the whole trip was meeting Kevin and his family. Kevin is a five- year-old boy who got hurt while playing on the way to school. He fell and broke his leg. To most, that doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. But in this case, Kevin's first surgery didn't work. In fact, Kevin had several surgeries that didn't work—not to mention a cast that was left unchecked. Kevin's leg was infected with gangrene, and while he didn't have to have it amputated, he cannot move it. With no wheelchair—and no rehabilitation—he is a little boy who is forced to lie on a cot all day.

Through an interpreter I spoke with Kevin's mom. She explained that the family was struggling financially and emotionally.

There were times during my interview that the three of us were silent. It will sound quirky but sometimes you can talk to someone just by looking into their eyes. As the reporter, I knew what questions to ask...but I didn't want to. I didn't want to see her cry and I couldn't help but cry with her. That was really hard.

I was sad that this little boy was traumatized. Kevin's mom said every time a vehicle drove by their remote farm, Kevin thought it was going to take him away to a hospital. He seemed so sad.

I woke up that night with tears in my eyes. To my surprise, I was upset about Kevin's mom's situation. I couldn't help but compare my life to hers....

She needs so much help. She is so young and to me she is in an almost helpless situation. The fact that her husband makes a little more than $12 a month, and they are forced to live with his parents and another family in nothing more than a hut—without enough food—making their situation desperate. But she is upset because she can't help her son; she is sad because her son is sad. She can't work because she can't leave Kevin alone. My heart broke when she said, "I feel so bad for Kevin, some days I don't leave the house. I just sit with him."

In the end...
I am really thankful that I was given this opportunity. I think about my trip to Nicaragua all the time. I think of the people, the amazing scenery, the smiles and the tears. I think about what we can do to help. I think of the possibilities...