Sponsor Kid Program and Excursion

The main focus of the VFV Sponsor a Kid program is to break the cycle of poverty by ensuring sponsored kids get an education. Without sponsorship, many of their families could not afford to send the child to school. It is also to ensure the children get proper nutrition so they stay healthy.

A foreign donor sends $15/month to sponsor a child. This is enough to provide him or her a nutritious meal every day (cooked at the Center), vitamins, school supplies, uniforms and registration fees, and medical checkups. They also get special programs like tutoring and excursions (As you will see below).

I like this program a lot because most of the money goes directly to the children and you can really see the difference it makes for some of them. The satisfied look they get after a good meal, for example.

Some of you have asked how you could sponsor a kid. Basically, go to this website, read about the kids up for sponsorship, and download the sponsor form to send in your check. http://www.visayans.org/sponsor-a-child.cfm You can of course email me for more info.

Francis!

Part of the VFV program is to pair an international volunteer with one of the sponsored kids. The volunteer is not just the child's sponsor, they are supposed to be their friend. This can include making time to hang out with the child, taking them out to a meal, just paying special attention to them.

There is also a group excursion in which the staff organizes a sightseeing trip for the volunteers and their sponsored kids. Ours took us to the tourist spots in Tacloban City, including Hill 120 (WW II monument), Calverly Hill (18 foot Jesus statue), Santo Nino Shrine, and the MacArthur Landing Memorial.

My sponsored kid friend is Jhonalin, 13 years old, and Christian's is Francis, 11 years old.

The Marcoses on their wedding day. It looks just like them but smaller!

Santo Nino Shrine is a heritage museum built by the infamous Imelda Marcos, who grew up in Tacloban City. It houses the Marcos' international collections of homeware (Czech chandeliers, Chinese jars etc.) and is built in honor of Tacloban's patron saint, Santo Nino.

The weird thing is that it is built not like a regular museum but as a big mansion with many never used guestrooms and master suites paying homage to a First Family that never slept there.

And the weirdest things are the dioramas depicting scenes from Imelda's life in EVERY ROOM! (see above)

Queens for a moment: Jhonalin and Laura

I have known Jhonalin for 2 and a half months now. She is one of the smartest sponsored kids, and always is in the "first section" of her class. Her house is dark and small, and there are always so many people there - 5 out of 14 of her adult brothers and sisters still live there, as well as all their kids. She likes to go over to her neighbors less crowded house to watch TV.

MacArthur continues to land forever

The Philippines was occupied during WWII by the Japanese for three years. According to one man, the Japanese occupation was a low period - no schools, no jobs, and many Filipinos hiding in the hills.

US Forces helped liberate the country, starting with a famous landing from the water by General Douglas MacArthur in Palo, right down the road from Tacloban. People from Leyte are proud MacArthur chose their province to liberate first.

Filipinos are still proud of the way they fought side by side with Americans.

There is a nice monument and park surrounding it on the beach, and we spent the afternoon swimming and eating picnics with our sponsored kids. I felt like my dad teaching me when I taught some of the kids how to jump waves.