Tomorrow Puja will be 5, she has no idea that I exist...yet. Last week at "New Wine", I made the decison to sponsor her until she is 16, I was quite surprised at how emotional I felt, once I had chosen her. I specifically wanted a child from India as at some point, when she is older, we would like to visit her. As many of you know, India is a country close to my heart since I visited Asha, an NGO which works alongside the urban poor in the Delhi slums, in 2005.
http://www.asha-india.org/
Puja lives in Orissa, her father is a subsistance farmer. She is one of three children. I will be the only Sponsor she has. I hope I do her justice.
Her photo sits on my dresser, awaiting a frame, her little face has the expression of someone trying to stand still for the photo...Her palms pressed against her legs, trying to do the right thing...she looks so innocent and cute in her pink outfit, I just want to scoop her up!
In the next week I will write my first letter to her. It will be translated and read to her and she will dictate one back to me. I will send a photo of us and probably a small page of stickers or something. Everything must be flat for posting. Compassion seem to have thought of everything.
I like the idea that Compassion partners with local churches to reach out to the poorest children in their community. The projects where they work are safe places where children are free to enjoy being children...It's not just about giving money, it's about building a future for a child, their family and the wider community.
I will be praying for her and developing a relationship over time. I need to see that poverty and injustice have a face, but that I can play my part in enabling her to break out of the cycle and be given the opportunity to fulfill her God-given potential.
This will explain far better!
http://www.compassionuk.org/
1 comment:
I was quite moved by your post on sponsoring Puja, she sounds so adorable and what a wonderful start you are giving her in life. Congratulations!!
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