Before meeting Agegnehu, my sponsor child, I only knew him as a face.
I only knew him and his family through a couple short letters sent back and forth. This trip to their home gave me a chance to know him as more than that face, more than the thirty dollars I send each month. I was a little nervous going, I wasn’t sure what they would think of me. They did not know me more than those letters but they invited me into their home like I was family, like I was more than the face they saw in pictures.
I was able to learn what his personality was like, what his sister and mother’s ambitions were and create a more personal connection. Being fortunate enough to see how my donations were helping them gave me reassurance, that the time and money my family and I were pouring into these trips made a difference.
I was not sure how I would react to this visit, I had seen people cry on their visits, laugh or just a deep, spiritual prayer session. I’ve never been a very emotional person but I was stumped that I was there, that this family I knew from across an ocean was sitting here with me in person. It was hard to wrap your mind around it.
I wait to see them again, to see his cute, contagious smile that easily lights up the whole room. The letters and care packages I an send mean so much more now that I have this personal and spiritual connection. They know I care about them and more importantly, I know my contributions make a difference.
If you’d like to become part of the Hawassa Hope family and sponsor a child, click on the link below.
Sponsor