The faces of holiday hope

We hear a lot about hope as we celebrate the end of a year and move into the beginning of another, but what is the true meaning of hope? For many children around the world, it’s not an abstract idea. Just having access to the basics – a warm bed, a nutritious meal, a glass of clean water or the chance to go to school – can go a long way to renew that child’s sense of optimism about the future and confidence to face life’s many challenges.

Here at ChildFund, our goal is to raise $31,000 in 31 Days of Holiday Hope before the new year begins – and we need your help! Your generosity can provide life-changing support for kids who need it the most. Here are just three stories of what hope looks like in real life for children living in the world's toughest places.

The best charity gifts

Vanessa harvests tangerines in her family's garden in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Think back to your favorite childhood gift. Was it a toy car? A stuffed animal? A doll? For 11-year-old Vanessa, none of these things could quite compare to the gift of a fruit tree. 

Growing up in Minas Gerais, Brazil, Vanessa recalls the difficulty of not having access to quality nutritious produce: a problem that directly impacted her family until ChildFund supporters gifted them a fruit tree and vegetable seeds through our Real Gifts Catalog earlier this year. Vanessa used the seeds to start a garden in their backyard, which has since provided her family with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are helping them grow healthier and stronger. 

“Very few people have a garden like this,” Vanessa says. “Usually, they have to buy their produce from a store, and it’s not organic.

“I like the garden because it means healthy food for us. There are no chemicals involved, so we don’t get sick or feel bad. When I eat good, I feel good. It’s good for my body, and even my hair grows better and looks more beautiful.”

Along with the various nutritional benefits, the garden has also had a huge financial impact on Vanessa and her family. Any produce they don’t eat is sold to help pay for other necessities. 

“We use the money to invest in medicines for our family,” says Vanessa’s mom, Neide. “We keep a small cupboard in the house now where we store medicine for the kids in case they get sick. This saves us from going to the main town an hour away every time they come down with something.” 

The fresh produce from Vanessa’s garden will serve as a lasting source of nutrition and financial stability for years to come. You too can give the gift of fruit trees and plant seeds from our Real Gifts Catalog, along with countless other necessities that make a real, lasting difference in children’s lives. A gift purchased through our Real Gifts Catalog can stave off hunger, fund a child’s education or even lift a family out of poverty.

Sponsor a child for the holidays

Ana Kelly holds up the letters she received from her sponsor, Larry.

One of the most rewarding ways to bring hope to a child this holiday season is through sponsorship. When you sponsor a child, you become a source of hope not only for them, but for their entire family and community. You get the opportunity to establish a direct connection with your sponsored child, learning about who they are and who they want to become – and making it possible for those dreams to come true, one letter at a time. 

Sixteen-year-old Ana Kelly from Brazil says that her sponsor, Larry, was one of the best things that could ever have happened to her. 

“He became my sponsor when I was nine years old, and when I heard that I was sponsored by him, I was so happy!” Ana recalls. “I remember the feeling when they told me that I had been sponsored, and I thought, ‘My God, I got a sponsor. I can't believe it.’”

Over time, Ana and Larry have formed a beautiful friendship. They often exchange letters, photos and postcards. Ana estimates that they have exchanged more than 120 letters to date!

“I like to write to him about me, my family, my studies, what kind of book I am reading at the moment, the last movie I watched, things from my day-to-day,” she explains. 

But by far the most impactful gift of all happened in one of Ana’s most vulnerable moments. In May of 2021, Ana was diagnosed with a health condition that could alter the course of her life if not properly treated. Larry’s support made it possible to overcome the situation, something that Ana will forever be thankful for.

“The [ChildFund staff member] started to read the letter – he said that he [Larry] wanted to help and support me during my health problem. I couldn't hold up and started crying and thought, ‘How does someone who doesn’t know me in person have such a great love for me?’

“If I could meet him in person, I’ve already thought about it a lot and I think – I don’t think, I’m sure – that it would be a very special day. That would be the day that I would cry the most in my life because he’s the most special person that I had the opportunity to meet … to get to know him and to be able to personally thank him for everything he has done for me and my family and show him all the letters I have kept from him,” Ana says. 

Success stories like Ana’s are possible because of people like you who care enough to be a source of hope and encouragement in an individual child’s life. Sponsor a child now to see the difference you can make.

Help a child for the holidays

Ida, 5, drinks clean water from a tap installed at her school by ChildFund.

Sometimes the best way to give is just to give where it’s needed most. End-of-year donations to our general fund allow ChildFund the flexibility to expand and deepen our work with children and their communities, meeting the need where it is most urgent or unfulfilled. 

Earlier this year, with the help of generous folks like you, ChildFund was able to completely transform a school in the western region of The Gambia. Before we stepped in, students and teachers had to walk 20 minutes away from the school just to access a water source that often ran dry. ChildFund has since installed a solar-powered borehole with two distribution taps on the school grounds. 

“Teachers were missing classes to find water and bring it back for their students,” says English and math teacher Omar Baldeh. “Now, there is water here at the school.”

This simple fix allowed teachers to stay present with their students and made it possible for students to better focus on their studies. That’s something 13-year-old Binta will never forget. 

“If you don’t drink water, you won’t survive,” Binta says. “It’s important for our health. When you’re thirsty, you cannot concentrate on your lessons. We used to leave the grounds and trek to the village to fetch water and bring it back to the school. We used to suffer a lot because anytime the water would run out here, we had to leave the class and return to the village to fetch more.”

Along with the gift of clean and accessible water, ChildFund also constructed a new playground with a tires course, jump ropes and monkey bars for the children to enjoy during recess. Students received textbooks, pencils, erasers and school bags. Boys and girls living furthest from the school were gifted bikes with helmets and reflecting gear for a shorter, safer commute.

“I would like to thank ChildFund for supporting us and making this school a place where we can come and study well and get an education,” Binta says.

Just look at all the smiles that spread when caring people like you decide to give the gift of hope.