Touch the moon: Making the leap to sponsor a child

 Guest blogger Kayla Lofton-Black.

When I first learned about ChildFund, I was still a child myself.

I remember being in my parents’ car as a kid growing up in South Carolina, listening to a Christian radio station, and the radio personalities would always talk about their sponsored children. There were even segments where families would call in and join the conversation.

I remember wishing, back then, that my own family could sponsor a child. But we were a large family, and we already had a lot of mouths to feed.

Then, when I was 11, my dad passed away – an event that shattered my family’s world. As the oldest of my five siblings, I had to take on a lot of extra responsibility. I always somehow had to have the answers and help that everyone needed, and no one except my mom – who had a lot on her plate – could help me. I quickly became very self-sufficient.

But I never forgot about those radio shows. I knew that one day my time would come to make a difference in a child’s life – and it did.

The drive to sponsor a child

Fast forward a few years. I grew up, became a teacher, opened my own jewelry business and reached for my goals. After moving to Arkansas, I was even crowned Ms. Curve Arkansas in the Regency International Pageant, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

I always thought I’d wait until I was married with a family of my own to become a sponsor. But at a Newsboys concert a few months ago, I saw the ChildFund volunteers coming around with the cards full of kids needing sponsors. I knew then that I wouldn’t wait. Instantly, I heard the clearest voice in my head: “Do it.”

I received a card with information about Maramawit, a 5-year-old girl from Ethiopia whose family earns less than $250 a year. Her country is being ravaged by a merciless drought and a civil war with no sign of ending anytime soon.

Maramawit, 5.

As a Black woman in America, I have seen my fair share of inequality. And I know that most, if not all, the origins of inequality can be traced back historically, to a lack of love and compassion that’s centuries deep.

That cycle ends with me. My sponsorship isn’t enough to change or make a dent in the many struggles that others face in the world, but I know without a doubt that it makes a difference to her.

The case for sponsoring a child

The months that have passed since have been nothing but pure joy. I love to exchange letters with Maramawit. I just received one back from her, and it made me extremely happy. She’s in kindergarten, looking forward to becoming a doctor one day, and she wrote me some of the letters of the Amharic alphabet to show how hard she’s been working in school. The fact that we can share experiences and get news from each other while oceans apart is amazing.

But I think the most rewarding thing is knowing that I can make a small difference not just in Maramawit’s life, but in her family’s. Even though I may not get to see it in person, I know that every little bit of support helps them and is a blessing. I learned that as a child myself.

Childhood is so important because it is the foundation of your life. Yes, we learn and grow and mature in every stage of our lives. But our childhood is what shapes us into the people we are to become. I think often about my own childhood, how I became independent and a strong leader who could take on things alone. It all shaped me to become the woman that I am today. Life is full of challenges, but knowing that you have people rooting for you makes all the difference.

To anyone considering making the leap to sponsor a child, I’ll be the voice in your head that I heard so clearly that day I decided to become a sponsor: “Do it.” Sponsoring is such an amazing experience, and it’s something you won’t regret.

My greatest hope for Maramawit is that she has the brightest and most beautiful future possible. I hope that over the years, she will know that she can touch the moon if she so chooses. And that she will always have someone rooting for her.