“Stories create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims of others.”
– Peter Forbes, photographer and author
Each and every child sponsor chooses to come alongside the life of a child for their own particular reason. Those reasons and the stories that follow are important. They connect us all. At World Vision Canada we are grateful to each and every person who says yes. These are their stories:
Steph & Neil
There's a verse that I love, and it goes “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We really treasure pouring into other people's lives and so, about three years ago, we were engaged, and we were getting really excited to start our lives together. We had heard people share their stories about World Vision. It really touched us to hear these stories and we wanted to have our own child together just to kind of set our intention for our relationship and our new chapter. So, we went home, went online and we sponsored a boy named Useni.
We feel really grateful to be a part of Useni’s life and for him to be part of ours. It's something special, being able to connect, getting his letters and the updates about how he's doing, and the chores that he does, and what he likes in school. It humbles us and it has been a really grounding experience for us having a sponsorship with World Vision Canada.
Living in Canada, we are so grateful to have all the resources and access that we do to be able to live a life that feels empowering, with education or health care. So being able to really help provide Useni with the tools and the resources in his community is such a fulfilling thing as is the knowledge that he's going to be able to be raised up in a way where he feels supported. We’re so thankful, to play a small part in that because it's really the love around him from his community and people that volunteer that make the impact when we're over here and we can't necessarily be with him. Just our little contribution of a dinner or a few cups of coffees we save a month and all of a sudden it results in helping a kid and empowering a leader.
Harry La Forme
Harry LaForme, World Vision Canada child sponsor
I learned about World Vision many years ago, and while I don't really recall how, I suspect it was through a television message. It's been such a natural part of my life since then, how it got there is not something I've thought about. The children I sponsor are as important to my daily life as water and food. Sponsoring the children, I have, over the past 40 (maybe more) years is an essential part of my life.
I am an Indigenous man who was born and raised on a very poor Indian Reserve in Canada. Today, my Reserve is prosperous and independent of the need for government assistance. My childhood was very much like those of the children I have sponsored for so many years. I was fortunate to have had much success in life, both as a lawyer and as a judge. I have been blessed with a fabulous life that has included many important firsts as an Indigenous man. The children I have sponsored must take much of the credit for this. They have taught me pride in who I am, how to handle adversity, how to try hard to overcome tragedy, and most of all, how to love.
My success in life, whether personal or professional, I attribute to the children. I continuously believe in my heart that, if they were not in my life, none of what I've been blessed with would have occurred. I will sincerely continue with the children for the rest of my life...I love them.
Carol Hyatt
Carol Hyatt, World Vision Canada child sponsor
I first heard about World Vision through the media, decades ago. At the age of 40 I lost my mother from a heart attack. The grief was unbearable. I felt alone. I had no husband and was childless. But I had purchased a Bichon Frise the previous year with the option of breeding her. She became my best friend. I could not have loved a creature more and knew having a human child without a husband was nothing I wanted to handle. The decision to sponsor my first World Vision child was made the same year my mother passed.
When this amazing boy from Africa became an adult years later, I was assigned another boy. When things became more difficult financially, I asked a friend to share the sponsorship. That boy also grew up to be an amazing adult. Then I was assigned another child, a baby girl from Georgia. Sponsoring a child is a beautiful thing. Things were difficult financially, but this baby girl had a puppy dog picture on her shirt. How could I resist?
My children here in Canada are my Bichon Frise. But I am proud to have sponsored three children through World Vision and would highly recommend sponsorship to others, whether they have human children of their own or not.
Thank you for this privilege World Vision Canada.
Anna Eisner
Anna Eisner, widow of Ben Eisner stands at a World Vision Canada sponsorship table.
My name is Anna Eisner. I currently sponsor 12 children with World Vision. This is my story.
My late husband, Ben Eisner, always loved children.
When his cancer was declared as terminal in the summer of 2019, Ben wanted to leave behind a legacy that would help some of the most vulnerable children in our world. Together, we decided that sponsoring children in developing countries was the right thing to do.
As a seasoned child sponsor, I cannot stress enough the difference a sponsor can make in the life of a child who is facing the many challenges that come with being in a developing country. I have visited one of my sponsored children years ago and have seen for myself the good work that these organizations do to help develop entire communities in the poorest countries around the world and render them self-sufficient.
One of my newly sponsored children has the same name as my late husband----Ben from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is my Little Ben. I picked him from the World Vision website because I figured that was a good way to commemorate my late husband. Or maybe it was the closest thing I could ever come to having a Ben in my life again. Either way, as soon as I saw his profile, I immediately grabbed him for sponsorship.
I haven’t received my first letter from Ben yet, but I love him already. With all my heart. Just like how I love my husband Ben.
Do you have a story to share? We'd love to hear from you today!