My Dear Sponsor….
So begins every Christmas letter I have received from Albella, every year since I was around 11 or 12 years old. My family began sponsoring a boy at Albella at that time and my brother and I looked forward to receiving his letters. Through those letters, we watched him grow up alongside us, the thousands of miles between us seemingly reduced by this exchange of letters. We saw develop from an anxious young boy, into a confident young man who was applying for a technical apprenticeship.
Since then, we have sponsored other boys – shy boys, sporty boys, academic boys, boys with a cheeky sense of humour. Receiving their Christmas letter and photograph continues to be a source of joy for me. Watching them grow in confidence and knowledge, reading about their hopes and triumphs continues to make the world feel both smaller and brighter. I confess I am always a little bit sad when they grow up and leave, as that is the point when our contact ends. Sometimes their final letter provides a clue as to their future: college, an apprenticeship, finding employment in their local area. Although I mostly don’t hear what happens next, I am pleased to have had a positive impact, however small, on their formative years and am grateful for the positive impact they have had upon me.
If you are considering sponsoring a child at Albella, my advice is to go for it. You will be making a difference to that child’s life, ensuring they have food, shelter and access to a good education. The perhaps less-expected benefit is the sense of connection and the opportunity to watch, in real time, that child discover and embrace the opportunities that Albella offers.
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