Children of the Nations: News & Updates

Pacific Northwest Soccer Tournament Changes Lives in Sierra Leone

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:37:14 -0800

Rural Sierra Leone and Kitsap County, Washington, are about as far away from each other as you can get—geographically, economically, and culturally. But on New Year's Day, children and adults from these two different worlds were enjoying the same thing: the first soccer games of 2012. Both tournaments were a joyful celebration of the new year. But the soccer competition in the United States had a greater purpose. Each team played to sponsor a child in Sierra Leone for all of 2012.

The "Kitsap Cup," hosted at the Olympic Soccer and Sports Center in Bremerton, Washington, has become an annual affair, and each year raises enough money to support at least twelve children through Children of the Nations' (COTN) sponsorship program. After each team member makes a donation to play, they are assigned a child to "play for." After the game, team members are encouraged to write letters to their child, and the left over T-shirts from the cup are sent to COTN's children in Sierra Leone.

The tournament only lasts a day, but the money each team raises will make a difference for their child the entire year. For eighteen-year-old Patrick, support from the Kitsap Cup has been life changing. A soccer player himself, Patrick is a testament to the transformation sponsorship brings. Patrick was attending a high school in Freetown before he became a part of COTN. But he says he learned very little there. "The teachers were not always good," he explains. "You could miss your exams but give the teachers money and still pass them. COTN's school is not like that."

Patrick grew up in Freetown with his parents, but his father couldn't find work in the city, and took off in search of a job when Patrick was still very young. When his father finally found a job as a security guard at COTN's ministry center in Banta Mokelleh, Patrick's mother, who struggled to feed and send all six of her children to school, encouraged Patrick to join his father in Banta, where he could be a part of COTN's Village Partnership Program.

Patrick admits he didn't like COTN when he first came, because he had no friends. But soon he met Karim, an older boy from COTN's Children's Village. "Karim invited me to come to church, so I went there with him," Patrick recounts. "On the Saturday then there was a football [soccer] game, and Karim invited me to come and watch. After that I started to train with the team." Patrick explains that his mother never let him play the sport because his brother had taken it more seriously than school, and ended up without many options. But with a top-rate school, and a great team, Patrick flourished both on the field and in the classroom. His nickname became "Current" because he flies down the field like electricity. And he began making plans for his future—he hopes to become a lawyer. Patrick asks that his sponsors "pray that I can continue my education and also my football career."

Besides getting to play soccer and attend a good school, Patrick explains that his life is spiritually and socially different. "When I was in Freetown I didn't go to church," he says. "But when I came to COTN, I started to go to church again. When I was in Freetown I had been living a bad life, but here I have friends that advise me and that has helped me to change."

It's amazing to think that this transformation came about through an annual soccer competition. But Patrick is just one of many children whose lives have been changed by this event. His gratitude is immense. "I just want to thank my sponsors, because they're helping me go through my education," he says.

You can transform the life of a child like Patrick. Sponsor a child today!

Why Sponsorship? Sandy's Testimony

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:06:47 -0800

Ten-year-old Katiuska dreamed of one day having a sponsor. As an unsponsored child in Children of the Nations’ (COTN) Village Partnership Program in Don Bosco, Dominican Republic, Katiuska received all the same benefits as the other sponsored children, but she knew something was missing. She longed to write letters to someone and to get letters back. She longed to have a name, and maybe even a photo of a face, to pray for, and to know she was being prayed for by someone far away—someone who loved her and sacrificed a small amount on her behalf.

Katiuska's dreams came true last November. At the same time that she was hoping for a sponsor, a COTN Venture participant was arriving in the Dominican Republic for the first time. Sandy Anderson was considering sponsorship before her trip, but hadn’t made the commitment yet. Then, after visiting COTN’s ministry sites and serving as a volunteer writer in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, she was convinced to invest in a child's life through COTN. "Every day I was there I saw other people with their sponsored children—how they interacted," she says. "When I saw other people with children they had sponsored since they were very young, and how that relationship had developed, I really started wanting to be a part of a child's life in that way."

Sandy wasted no time—while she was still in the Dominican Republic, she marched up to COTN's Dominican sponsorship coordinator and asked him for a child to sponsor right away. Her fast decision meant that Sandy had a chance to meet her newly-sponsored child before she returned to the United States.

The morning she was to meet Katiuska, Sandy could hardly contain her excitement. "It's like adopting a child—I love her already," she said, in anticipation of the moment they would meet. When Sandy's translator brought out a slightly shy, but smiling Katiuska, Sandy's whole face lit up. "That's her," she said to herself.

In the next fifteen minutes, Sandy set about learning as much as she could about the new child in her life. "My favorite food is spaghetti, and my favorite Bible story is Noah's ark," Katiuska shared, still feeling shy from the surprise of learning she had a sponsor, and getting to meet that sponsor, all in the same day. But soon Katiuska warmed up. When it came time for Sandy to leave, Katiuska had moved up close to Sandy, and put her arm around her. "Gracias, abuela," she said in Spanish. "Thank you, grandmother."

Sandy is overjoyed to know Katiuska considers her a grandmother. It reminds her of a time when her own grandchildren were young. "I love being a grandmother, and I didn't have any little grandchildren any more. Now I do!" But Sandy knows she now has the responsibility of living up to this role as grandmother. "It will be a bit of a challenge," she reflects. "It's one thing to send money, but it's another thing to have a little person in your life."

Sandy feels privileged to have had the time and resources to travel and meet her sponsored child. For her, it has made an enormous difference in what sponsorship means. “I wish every sponsor could not only see their child, but see their community, the streets they walk on,” Sandy reflects. “To know for sure that through COTN's care they are getting enough to eat, and that their lives are being changed.”

For those of us who cannot make the trip to meet a child, we can trust Sandy's witness and read some of the beautiful stories she wrote on her trip, about other children and how their lives have been transformed through sponsorship.

Many unsponsored children like Katiuska are still waiting for sponsors! Sponsor a child today.

If you already sponsor a child, find out how you can be a bigger part of that child's life, by writing a letter or visiting a country.

Sharing Warmth with Children in Malawi

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:54:18 -0800

When Brooke Wright thought of needs in Africa, the last thing that came to her mind was blankets. But when she packed up for her first trip to Malawi, she was told blankets would make good gifts for her sponsored children. So she squeezed two blankets into her luggage, and set off for an adventure that would change her life.

Brooke had come to Malawi on a Venture trip with Children of the Nations (COTN), and what she saw and learned there rocked her world. "I fell in love with Africa on that trip," says Brooke. "And at the same time it totally turned my world upside-down." Brooke returned from Africa with Malawi heavy on her heart. "I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what that would look like," she explains. It was out of this yearning to give back that Mwana, Brooke's "buy one, give one" blanket company, was born.

Brooke remembers the first time she heard of the need for blankets in Mgwayi, a rural community in Malawi where COTN runs a Village Partnership Program. A COTN–Malawi staff member was giving a presentation on sponsorship, and he specifically called out the need for blankets. "I had never heard of that need before," says Brooke. "In Africa you don't see the need for blankets—but when you actually go there, you realize it gets chilly at night." Walking around Mgwayi village, Brooke was struck by the small huts with no beds and no furniture. "I just realized how little they have," she says.

But the ultimate inspiration came from her sponsored children. When Brooke handed Isaac and Iness each a blanket, she realized the difference the simple gift of warmth and comfort can make. "It was amazing," she says, remembering the moment Isaac and Iness received their blankets. "I realized that giving them something to comfort them when they get cold at night, or just something they can call their own, can be so impactful."

The need moved Brooke to action. A few months after returning home, Brooke went to a conference and encountered an organization that crochets beanies to benefit women in Africa. She realized she could do something similar. "I can't crochet, but I can sew," she laughs. Brooke contacted COTN to see if they could build a resource partnership, where her new business could supply blankets to children in Malawi. When COTN–USA Resource Director Dave Schertzer was enthusiastic about the potential partnership, Brooke immediately bought fabric. That weekend she got her first sixteen orders. Since then Mwana, which means "baby" in Mgwayi's local language, has taken off.

Each purchase covers the cost for COTN to send one blanket to the children of Mgwayi. The handmade blankets have an appliqué of Africa stitched on the back, to remind customers that a child in Africa will have their very own blanket because of their purchase. The first shipment is scheduled for May, and Brooke hopes to send 253 blankets to Mgwayi. Brooke plans to travel back to Malawi in June to visit the children who received blankets through Mwana, and also hopes to teach sewing to the women of the village. "I don't want it to be just about giving children blankets, but also helping the women find a way to make money," she explains.

Mwana blankets are available for sale online. Buy one today and share warmth with children in need in Malawi.

Or, visit our gift catalog to send a blanket directly to a child in Africa.

Material needs are just the first step of holistic care. Sponsor a child today, and transform a life.

Building a Better Future: Emmanuel's Story

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:29:42 -0800

Emmanuel's life was not easy before he came to Children of the Nations (COTN). Emmanuel lost both of his parents at a young age, and was left in the care of his uncle. But sadly, Emmanuel's uncle saw him as an extra hand for labor, not as a child who needed to be nurtured, educated, and cared for. "Life was not very easy with my uncle because there was a lot of work for me," he explains. "My responsibility at my age was grazing animals, and sometimes I was beaten for not taking good care of the animals." Emmanuel was only eight years old when all this was expected of him. It was too much for such a young boy to take, and he yearned for an escape. "I would even sometimes run and sleep in the bush in fear of my uncle, or escape to my auntie's place which was nearby," he confides.

Emmanuel says it was during one of these escapes that, "God heard my cry, and brought COTN to my rescue." COTN was in the process of building a Children's Village in Lira, Uganda. Emmanuel was identified as a good candidate to come live in a Children's Home, with eight to twelve new "brothers" and "sisters" from similar circumstances, and house parents to give him the care and love that every child deserves.

The love that Emmanuel experienced at the Children's Village changed his life. "I now know about loving people," he explains. He also says his life is different because he knows how to pray, and how to distinguish between good and evil. Taking a second to reflect on how radically different his life is today, Emmanuel begins to list all the things he now has that he never had before. Shoes, more than one outfit, toothpaste and a toothbrush, "I even have shoe polish and can polish my shoes!" he adds. "I feel good and loved—life is good now," he concludes.

Emmanuel's daily routine looks different too. Once violently forced to work, Emmanuel now enjoys freely offering his gifts of diligence, strength, and hard work to benefit others. These days, 11-year-old Emmanuel does his housework quickly after school, so that he can join the group of construction workers building nursery school classrooms for the youngest COTN children. The workers are glad to have him join, and are teaching him how to make Hydraform bricks, interlocking bricks that require no mortar, with the new brick machine that COTN partners funded. Emmanuel says he enjoys the work, and values the things he is learning. "I want to be an engineer when I grow up," he explains. "When I see an airplane flying in the air, I always think about how it was made and how it can be repaired. I also want to repair vehicles and motorcyles."

Quite a few other children enjoy helping with the construction, and many hands are making the work quick. Construction began in the beginning of January, and the first classroom stands at window-level today. Emmanuel knows that many generous partners made this school construction possible. He, in turn, wants them to know that the construction experience has taught him a lot, and he has plans to use his new skills to improve the Children's Village. He is hoping to one day build a small barn for their chickens and goats. "We could do that ourselves," he explains, "because we have learnt how to build already."

Child sponsorship changes lives. Sponsor a child like Emmanuel today.

Sierra Leone Twelfth Graders Share Their Plans and Prayers

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:13:26 -0800

These days, an air of excitement and tension has taken over the twelfth grade classroom at the Children of the Nations (COTN) Mallory Jansen Memorial School in Banta Mokelleh, Sierra Leone. Students are preparing for the hardest exam they have ever taken—the West African Senior Student Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which determines whether they will graduate and go on to continue their studies. Now is a time of endless preparation and studying for the April exam. But it is also an exciting time, as the students begin to look to their future after high school, and plan their next steps. This is the first group of young COTN men and women to graduate, and as this first wave of students moves on, we're excited and hopeful to see what they will achieve and how they will impact their country.

Recently, the twelfth graders wrote letters to their sponsors, asking for their prayers during this time of preparation, and sharing their plans and dreams for their future. They all expressed immense gratitude as they reflected on how far they've already made it. In Sierra Leone only 42 percent of young boys ever enroll in secondary school. This number is even lower for girls—28 percent. Those who do enroll often aren't able to attend, and few make it to the twelfth grade.

Our children know it is an enormous privilege, not only to attend school, but to attend one of the best schools in the region. Kadie proudly writes to her sponsors, "It is a great joy for me to say that Mallory Jansen is the best school in this part of the country." Kadie didn't make this up—the country's Minister of Education has declared COTN's school, "the most quality school in the entire region." The students recognize that without their sponsors, and without the partners who funded and helped construct the school buildings, they'd never be in the position they are today. "Without you, I might have been a school dropout," writes Albert.

At Children of the Nations, our goal and prayer is that the children you support will grow up to bring transformation to their nations. No one takes this more seriously than the children themselves. As each student considers their future careers, the welfare of their community and nation is foremost on their hearts. This could never be more clear than when they excitedly describe their plans to their sponsors.

"Our country is classed as one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world," writes Susan, who wants to study economics. "After my education, I will come and serve in my country to develop our economy, so that the hungry and the suffering children would no longer starve."

Alice takes a different approach than Susan to her country's problems—she wants to become a nurse. "Sierra Leone ... has a lack of qualified doctors and nurses, and people are dying every day because there are no proper treatments," she writes.

Patrick says that he wants to study both law and theology, so that he can, "stand for the poor, who are dehumanized because of not having money, and mistreated because they do not have anyone to talk to and take their matter seriously." Patrick knows this all too intimately—he comes from a poor family, and his widowed mother didn't have the resources to care for him. But thanks to his sponsors, he's actually in a place where his dream of becoming a lawyer is possible.

All of our students know they are aiming high, because they were taught to dream big, and they know they serve a big God. Their letters are full of pleas to their sponsors to pray for them, both for their upcoming test in April, and their future studies. "Please join me in prayers for these things to happen in my life, because only with God are all things possible," writes N'gardy, who hopes to become a gynecologist and serve the women of her community. "He alone plans the things in the most pleasing and perfect way," she concludes.

We're excited to see how these incredible children will transform their nations, and invite you to pray with us for their success.

As our students embark on this next exciting phase of their lives, many of them still need sponsors. Sponsor a child in Sierra Leone today!

Bolivena Recovers Her Health and Spirit in Haiti

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:52:16 -0800

Bolivena Antoine stands shyly next to her father at home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She has just returned from school, proudly wearing her bright orange uniform, with orange ribbons in her hair. “My favorite color is orange,” says 8-year-old Bolivena. Her father is bursting with pride, showing his photos of Bolivena recovering from a broken pelvis and broken femurs in the Children of the Nations (COTN) clinic in the Dominican Republic after Haiti’s January 2010 earthquake. Fully healed, and loving the third grade, Bolivena thinks she might like to grow up and sell clothing like her parents.

Two years ago, Bolivena was not thinking about her future at all. All she could think about was the pain that seared from her hips every time she moved. Trapped in her home during the earthquake, Bolivena's little body was crushed under collapsing walls, and her pelvis was fractured in several places. Bolivena's father, Bolivar, was able to take her across the border to the Dominican town of Jimaní, where a makeshift clinic was set up to treat the victims of the earthquake. But without proper equipment like X-ray machines, and with little attention from the doctors overwhelmed by patients streaming in from Haiti, Bolivena didn't seem to be getting any better.

It was at this point that doctors volunteering with COTN offered to transport Bolivena to COTN's clinic where, thanks to so many volunteers, and so many donations, Bolivena was able to get the intensive care she needed. Within months, Bolivena was fully recovered, and ready to return to Haiti.

Going back to Haiti was hard for Bolivena and Bolivar, who were happy to see their family again, but had to struggle to rebuild their lives after everything was lost in the earthquake. But thanks to our partners’ generous outpouring of donations, Bolivena’s family is re-settled now in an apartment that COTN has rented for them. These donations also helped Bolivar to rent a small stand where he sells clothes. This small business has been a great success, and Bolivar is now able to provide for his family. He dreams of expanding his little shop, and getting a place in the shade, instead of the hot Haitian sun. "People buy more in the shade," he says, considering the future of his business.

Looking at Bolivena today, it's hard to believe that this young girl, bursting with energy and life, was once unable to move without intense pain. Today, Bolivena is grateful for her health, and excited for her future.

You can make a difference for children in need. Sponsor a child today!

I Love Baseball Gives Young Men Training for Real Life

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:08:27 -0800

For 13-year-old pitcher Cristian, baseball is about more than just strikeouts and wins and losses. “You have to have camaraderie,” he says. It’s something Cristian has learned from his coaches during daily devotional times in the I Love Baseball (ILB) program in Barahona, Dominican Republic. Cristian has been a part of ILB—one of several Children of the Nations programs in the Dominican Republic—since 2009. He’s grown as a ballplayer during that time, but he sees other benefits beyond the development of his game.

Every weekday morning, Cristian comes to the ILB field to learn about baseball and responsibility. He gets to practice his pitching techniques, but that training is bookended by a Bible lesson and school work. “This is our program, but it’s really God’s program,” says ILB assistant coach Maximo Ortiz. “The first thing we teach is a relationship with God.” Being raised in a Christian family, Cristian appreciates the devotional times before practice each day. It’s a different environment compared to other teams he’s been on. “Here I feel better, and they talk about God here,” he says.

Cristian also appreciates the education he is receiving thanks to the support of his sponsors. By being enrolled in the ILB program, Cristian has his school fees (including school lunches, after practice) paid for. While his ultimate dream, like so many other boys in the Dominican Republic, is to become a professional baseball player, Cristian knows his education will provide him with something to fall back on. His coaches have taught him the importance of living responsibly, and how valuable a good education can be. Cristian has already developed an interest in agriculture, and thinks a career in that field would be exciting. “If I don’t reach my goal (of playing professional baseball), I would like to be an agronomist,” he says.

But Cristian is still young and has plenty of time to think about his future career and the broad range of opportunities ahead of him. For now, he’s happy to be on the field, sharing that camaraderie with his friends while learning some important life lessons at the same time.

Provide for a child like Cristian. Sponsor an ILB player today!

You can visit COTN’s I Love Baseball program and other Dominican Republic ministry sites by joining a Venture Team.

Children Receive Christmas Letters in Uganda

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:07:46 -0800

Just after Christmas, Children of the Nations (COTN) staff members Andy and Sylvia Taussig loaded up hundreds of pounds of mail and gifts, and headed off to Uganda for a special Christmas delivery. This year they had more mail than ever before—hundreds of sponsors responded to the call to send a personalized Christmas card to their sponsored child.

In addition to all the cards were hand-written notes from members of Flood Church in California, who organized a letter writing campaign this Christmas for all the children who didn't get letters from their sponsors. Many sponsors had sent small gifts as well—gum, stickers, photos, and other trinkets small enough to fit into an envelope.

Once safely in Uganda, Andy and Sylvia and the COTN–Uganda staff began the exciting process of handing out mail, and helping the children write back to their sponsors. For many children, this card was the first letter they had ever received from their sponsor. And thanks to Flood Church, every single child got a card. Some families walked a long way to pick up their cards, so our staff was relieved to have a personal note for every single child. The excitement was palpable as they opened them.

After the children marveled over their cards, treasured and showed off every photo, and read and re-read the messages inside, they set to work writing back.

This was an enormous task, but the older children from the Uganda Children's Village were glad to help. They patiently sat down with each village child, and helped them read, understand, and reply to their letters. "It was an exciting day for everyone," says Sylvia.

Your letters mean so much to your children. Find out how to write your sponsored child today!

Or, if you don't sponsor a child yet, today is the day to sign up to sponsor a child, and make a lasting impact on their life.

Children Celebrate Christmas in Sierra Leone

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:04:50 -0800

The week before Christmas, kids from the Children of the Nations (COTN) family all over the world gathered with their communities to celebrate the birth of Christ. Christian and Muslim, sponsored and unsponsored—every child got a share in the blessings and joy of a Christmas celebration. This year was especially exciting for the children because sponsors donated more than ever before, and also sent personalized Christmas cards to their children.

Your generous contributions allowed each COTN school in Sierra Leone to throw a party, and include all the unsponsored students from the surrounding community in the celebration. The children were so deeply grateful for their parties that they opened up the festivities with an extended time of prayer, thanking God for their sponsors, and asking Him to bless them for making their celebrations possible. The children were then led in a time of worship. In Mokpangumba and Mosenesi, the children had prepared a skit about the birth of Jesus, and they performed it for the community.

After so much activity, the children settled down for their biggest feast of the year—rice, stew, chicken, and crackers, and a soda each to wash it all down. The children all came back for more, "at least two times," reports Mangay Sankoh, COTN–Sierra Leone's Sponsorship Coordinator. At the end of the meal, they all got popcorn, chocolate, a cookie, and a lollipop. The staff distributed a Christmas gift to each child, and then the dancing began.

No party in Sierra Leone is complete without singing and dancing, especially not when COTN children, who love song and dance, are around. "It really was a joyous moment," says Mangay, thinking of all the children singing and dancing together. Everybody danced, and some of the more confident kids got up and performed for the whole group.

The kids went home with full bellies that night, each sponsored child grateful for a chance to share with their whole community the blessing of having someone across the world who cares enough to throw them a party for Christmas. A week later a Venture team arrived with huge duffle bags stuffed with mail—personalized Christmas greetings from their sponsors. This was perhaps the best Christmas present of all, as many children received a letter from their sponsors for the first time ever.

With a party that blessed the whole community, and personalized letters the children treasured, Mangay concluded, "this year's party was the best."

Sponsorship is a life-changing blessing. Sponsor a child today.

Two Years After the Haiti Earthquake, Children of the Nations is Still Committed to Long-term Support and Lasting Change in Haiti

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:13:41 -0800

Silverdale, WA – January 10, 2012 –Two years after one of the most destructive earthquakes in history struck Haiti, as many aid organizations are transitioning out of the still-devastated nation, Children of the Nations (COTN) is firm in its commitment to provide a long-term, comprehensive response to the disaster. By focusing on providing holistic care to children, COTN is investing in the future leaders of Haiti. "You've got to raise up a new generation. That's why it's so important to work with children," says Haitian-born Malou Faublas who is on staff with COTN in the Dominican Republic and helping establish their newest ministry in Haiti.

COTN, which has been working across the border in the Dominican Republic since 1997, entered Haiti as a response to the earthquake, sending doctors, nurses, and volunteers from its Dominican clinic to a makeshift clinic at the border to care for the victims. After two weeks, the COTN medical team identified thirteen children desperate for continued care, and brought them to COTN's Dominican clinic. Today, these children are healthy and back in Haiti, where COTN's commitment to their families continues, through microfinance loans and assistance with school fees.

In 2012, COTN plans to officially launch its first Village Partnership Program in the Gressier region, just outside of Port-au-Prince. Led by a Haitian board of directors, COTN's Village Partnership Program will partner with nationals to provide holistic, Christ-centered care for orphaned and destitute children, enabling them to create positive and lasting change in their nations. In a relief effort that many believe is characterized by the exclusion of Haitian voices from the decision-making process, COTN–Haiti stands in contrast to this trend, investing in and empowering Haitians to bring transformation to their nation.

Children of the Nations is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising children who transform nations. The organization currently serves in Sierra Leone, Malawi, Uganda, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Liberia, providing holistic care to orphaned and destitute children. For more information, visit www.cotni.org.

For more information contact:
Pam Wright, Senior Director – Advancement
360-698-7227 / pamwright@cotni.org