A New Blog, A New Project

Lately, as I surf the internet, I can find more and more interesting and intriguing organizations that aim to improve the lives of people. As someone who gets great joy out of working with others, I have found sponsorship to be a very rewarding way to help others and also a chance to form meaningful and positive relationships with others. Please read the Medicine of Altruism page to further understand the basis of my actions.

I have been very lucky to have many chances and opportunities to travel and volunteer as well, something I hope to do again soon. But sponsorship is a great way for me to continue to contribute, build relationships, and send good thoughts, wishes, and intentions to others in the world while I must remain in one place for school.

At first searching to sponsor in India in 2004, I chose to sponsor a child through Children International because of their lack of religious affiliation and transparency. A large organization, they were well established and have a great internet presence. I was able to visit my oldest sponsored child. Khayrunn, while on a trip to India to volunteer in rural Bihar. I was impressed and began sponsoring another child, Saba the next year. Due to her academic struggles, I began to discover the various avenues and opportunities I had with Children International.. Many of these I learned by joining a google group of CI sponsors, who shared their many amazing projects and ideas with me. This involvement got me further involved, and I decided to sponsor a third children with CI, and chose Semran. In the meanwhile, I also got involved in a group project with the google group to sponsor an additional child, Magda. We share the sponsorship, so each of us pays a minimal amount, but are satisfied knowing we are helping one more child.

During this time, I began to examine other websites that offered similar sponsorship of poor students. Since I one day hope to start my own non-profit to aid children in India, I was especially curious how many small non-profit organizations executed their sponsorship programs. As part of this project, I decided to sponsor a child from a few different programs to experience the different methods behind sponsorship organizations. I began with Nanhi Kali, an organization that sponsors and supports girl students in India. Another organization also impressed me, called Mayan Families, this small organization works in Guatemala. I have donated to that organization for a couple different causes but have not as of yet sponsored a child through there. Most recently, I can across a small, new but impressive seeming organization called People in Need Partnership. This organization is geared towards helping poor students, slaves (restavek), and mothers in Haiti. I was highly impressed by their use of technology and focus on relationship between partners. They use webcams, laptops, and internet so that the two partners can easily and regularly communicate. This interesting, fresh, technology friendly take, mixed with a connection to a little girl (Sandia) made me decide to sponsor one last child.

This blog will keep you updated on my sponsored children, while also examining and comparing the non-profit organizations that bring people together.

Additionally, I will blog about various non-profit organizations that I have had experience with. Please follow the blog if this sounds interesting to you.