During these times when most of us are ‘social distancing’ and ‘sheltering in place’, we probably have much more time on our hands and yet are unable to be in touch with many of those on our minds. This is especially true of our sponsored children. We know they and their families are experiencing the same difficulties we are, and possibly more, depending on where they live in the world.
All our sponsorship programs have been affected due to the Coronavirus pandemic. As schools are closed and churches are not meeting, our normal weekly program activities have been greatly altered. Thankfully, our staff is creatively finding ways to still serve the children and their families with food and supply pick-up and deliveries. The major area that has been affected is that of personal contact.
While we wait for things to return to normal, here are a few things we can do to help us be more connected:
Fortunately, right now, this is something we’re probably finding very easy to do and it is the most important. Most of the countries our children live in have limited resources and infrastructure and are particularly vulnerable in times of crisis. Our prayers for health, protection, wisdom for their governments, good information, communication, and availability of health care resources, food, water, etc. are essential. Praying for our sponsored child, their family, their community, and their country unites us together in spirit and helps us feel closer.
Although quarantining has required that correspondence be temporarily suspended, you can still write to your sponsored child. Many times, writing down our thoughts and feelings helps us to process them, and it draws our hearts closer to our friends or loved ones. Notes of encouragement, prayers, scripture verses, and just your usual expressions of love are great, as well as talking about what you and your family are doing together during this time. Letters are still being forwarded to our staff and they are saving them until they can be safely delivered. Your sponsored child will feel so special and loved to know you were thinking about them.
Like so many, Forward Edge’s ministry has been financially affected due to the nationwide shutdown, and this has carried through to the operation of our programs as costs have increased to procure and provide food and goods. We have also, unfortunately, lost sponsors and donors which has had a considerable impact. If you are in a position to help, please consider sponsoring another child, increasing your sponsorship, or giving an additional gift to support all our children’s programs through our Day by Day campaign; they need more support than ever through these challenging times and through the recovery that will likely last for some time to come.
We are so grateful for all our dedicated sponsors and donors; your partnership with Forward Edge in the caring of our children is invaluable. You mean so much to us and so much more to them. We are praying for you and your families. May God keep you in His loving care and bless you as you continue to bless others.
“Consider this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly,
Two Lives Forever Changed Adriana and Itzel both grew up with difficult home lives but everything changed for them when they joined Trigo y Miel, Forward Edge’s program in Oaxaca, Mexico. As children, they didn’t have many material possessions, but because of the program they were privileged to hear about
In his book, “Empowering Children”, former Forward Edge board member, Dr. Ravi Jayakaran, shares the importance of involving children in the process of their own development. When a community invests its resources in its children, it invests in its own future. Just as Forward Edge values all children and believes
Pikliz is a spicy, tangy condiment made primarily from pickled cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, onions, and Scotch bonnet peppers, seasoned with vinegar and spices. It adds a burst of flavor to Haitian dishes, particularly fried foods like griot (fried pork) and fried plantains, yum! Pikliz is often made in large
3 yrs. old
Entered the program: March 2025
Gift lives with her adoptive parents and four older adopted siblings; she is the baby of the family. They live in a four-bedroom, bungalow-style house with a cement floor and electricity. Meals and drinking water are prepared using firewood from an outdoor kitchen, and they have an outdoor toilet facility which is in good condition. Water is fetched from a water tap within the family compound. The family raises chickens and goats for additional food.
