Volunteers at Work:The Makings of Child Sponsorship

One of David and my projects during our volunteering here was to help develop a sponsorship program for the students of the computer vocational school with a dependence on La Chureca. The student’s dependency on the trash dump ranges from living there, working there, their parents working there, or any combination of the above. Nica HOPE charges a small monthly fee of about US$1.50 to adults and non-Chureca students to help ensure student commitment to the program. Fee-based services help program beneficiaries put value on the services they are receiving, as has been demonstrated through a variety of development projects world-wide . These fees do little, however, to actually cover the costs of running the computer center. All students under the age of 18 with a demontrated dependency on La Chureca receive a full scholarship to the school. A sponsorship program would allow individual sponsors to cover the per-student costs of teacher’s salaries, electricity, class materials, etc. that are necessary for each child to receive this valueable training in computers. For a relatively small contribution, a sponsor can help an individual child from the La Chureca community complete their computer education, which can serve them for their future job search, and keep them out of working in the trash.

David and I have had the great fortune of seeing the kids in action. They love computers and love learning. For the sponsorship program each student will have a profile and portrait to be given to their sponsor to know a little more about them. The teachers were gracious enough to afford us some of their class time to fill out their profiles which served as an exercise of the computer skills they are developing. They answered questions like “What is your favorite subject in school” and “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and “If you could have a superpower what would it be?”

I loved to see the kids excited to change the format of their profile and see them beam when they inserted the photo of themselves onto the page. The answers on their profile were endearing. My favorite response to the superpower question was “el poder de salvar el mundo”: the power to save the world.

I feel so fortunate to have been able to get to know these kids. They were very shy towards David and I at first but I feel I have really gotten to know some of the personalities here. Nica HOPE is an amazing organization that offers these children a safe haven from their harsh environment while teaching them a marketable skill. I am confident that once a sponsor sees these profiles they will help these children achieve the bright futures they deserve.

-Liz

Liz Haight
Nica HOPE intern
Wake Forest University