Child sponsorship agencies stay hopeful in tough economic times
STOUFFVILLE, ON - Canada's faith-based charities are confident that the threat of another recession will not deter donors from continuing to fund much-needed child sponsorship programs in developing countries.
On the contrary, says Beth Jost-Reimer, director of marketing and communications with Christian Blind Mission (cbm) Canada, the uncertainty "seems almost to be clarifying for them."
"They seem to dig deep and give over and above," she says. "They understand that even if they're experiencing a pinch, they've got so much compared to other people with many fewer resources."
Jane Bargout, who oversees child sponsorship for World Vision Canada, believes our multiethnic society gives us a special awareness of the difficult conditions overseas. "Many Canadians that sponsor children tell us, 'I'm from Sri Lanka or I'm from the Horn of Africa, and I know how bad it is,'" she says.
Last year, for the first time, the number of children sponsored through World Vision Canada exceeded half a million. This year, that number is down - but only slightly.
"No question, just like anybody else, the economy is taking a bit of a toll," Bargout says. "But it's a cyclical thing, so we do anticipate things to pick up."
But while Canadians may need to watch more closely how they spend their money, for millions in other parts of the world, the challenge they face is basic survival. In the Horn of Africa, people are dying from drought and famine and many more are refugees.
Jost-Reimer says such catastrophes are especially dangerous for those who are both impoverished and disabled. That is one reason why cbm recently launched the Forgotten Child sponsorship program.
"Other aid organizations just don't have sometimes the knowledge or the resources to meet their special needs," she says.
Cbm currently has about 1,300 Canadian child sponsors. It hopes that number will grow by an additional 2,000 in the next few months.
Also "desperately seeking" many thousands more child sponsors is Gospel for Asia Canada, development director Martin Lamb says. Its program is called Bridge of Hope, and its goal is to take the gospel to 300 million Dalits, the lowest caste in Hinduism.
"We started an outreach amongst them through their children about six or seven years ago and it has grown in leaps and bounds," he says. "We now have 60,000 children in Bridge of Hope throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka."
Lamb too acknowledges that today's uncertain economic outlook could keep some Canadians from rising to the challenge. But he also believes the program to be an instrument of God's will.
"I can't help but think that we're in the last days," Lamb says. "And maybe the last move of God across Asia, where the majority of the unreached live, is through these children."
Bargout agrees that apart from Him, they will accomplish little or nothing for needy children. "We can be the messengers in terms of the importance of our work among the poor and the impact it's having," she says, "but we really look to God to work on the hearts of Canadians to help them reach out."
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