Many of us have seen profile photos of children in sponsorship programs; they are often solemn, sad and sometimes down-right angry looking. I know I have thought at times, “Wow, that poor child must be so unhappy!” But then I come across a video from the same organization in which the children are playing and laughing, and I scratch my head wondering what the difference is.
I recently had the opportunity to visit our children’s sponsorship program in Vernet, Haiti. In advance of the trip, one of the tasks I was preparing to tackle was taking updated photos of the children. Because I had experienced this aforementioned phenomenon with our program kids, I was a little daunted by the thought, but also determined to get cheerful photos if I had to stand on my head (not really–but you get the point) to do it.
While pondering how to go about this, I remembered a conversation I had with a friend. I was remarking that even though we try to model smiling for the kids and say things like “show your teeth”, we often end up with toothy grimaces instead of genuine smiles. She then shared something I had never thought of: Many children don’t understand the concept of smiling (especially on cue) because they don’t know what that looks like on them. The next thing she said caused the light bulb to go on–”Children often don’t know what they look like because they have never even seen themselves in a mirror.” I knew then what I would do!
When I met our Haiti kids I was elated by how full of joy they seemed–and I was encouraged that I could capture that in my photos. Over the course of the next two days I started playing and making silly faces at and with them. I smiled A LOT, stuck out my tongue, rolled my eyes and invited them to do the same. We just had fun. Then I whipped out my cell phone and started taking photos and showing them what they looked like–they couldn’t get enough, and soon my phone was more popular than I was.
All of this was going to culminate in a lesson and activity I would lead the next day which I hoped would help my cause. The topic was being made in the image of God–and while it was a great biblical teaching in its own right, I had an underlying motive. During the course of the lesson we played the mirror game, I did a funny skit with a mirror, and we finished with a craft in which each child made a mirror of their own. We looked at ourselves, made funny faces, smiled big smiles and thanked God for making each of us unique and in His image.
Then, (wait for it…) it was picture time! I would love to say that after all that practice every child smiled, but some didn’t–at least not without a little cajoling. However, the majority of the kids smiled easily straight-away, and I was thrilled; I could see the image of God in each of their sweet faces.
This exercise was a good reminder to me that there is usually more behind what we see on the surface, and sometimes it takes looking from another’s perspective to discover the truth. The reality may often be more innocent than we judged it to be, and can be transformed by a little understanding and encouragement.
This blog is a part of an ongoing series on Forward Edge’s Pearl Partners. Check out our highlights on Cuba and Haiti and enjoy this interview with Jane Wathagana. 20 years ago, Jane Wathagana was a successful businesswoman in Kenya, the Director of Animal World Safaris and Elangata Luxury
As a child sponsor for over 3 decades, and now as the Child Sponsorship Administrator for Forward Edge, I am often asked (and challenged myself) about how to best communicate with a sponsored child. In almost all cases, the children we sponsor live in other countries. We do live in
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Sheri Stanley, our Director of Operations & Mobilization, to hear her Forward Edge Story. While what we spoke about was only a fraction of God’s incredible works in her life, these significant moments were an inspiration to me, and I hope they
Tough Times It never ceases to amaze me the accomplishments children can achieve, but more importantly and impressively, their hearts behind it. The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but one of the largest hurdles the families in our programs have had to face is watching the prices for their
17 yrs. old
Entered the program: March 2023
Fatima lives with her mother in a one-bedroom house built with mud and roofed with thatch. The community has access to electricity and potable water but Fatima’s mother cannot afford to pay for it, so they are not connected to these services. There is lack of good sanitation in the community which poses a health hazard.
Fatima’s family is Muslim. Her father is deceased and her mother sells red pepper in the local market but barely earns a dollar a day. Keeping Fatima in school is challenging and, without assistance, her ability to continue would be affected.
