By: Kwame Appiah-Kubi

All Nations International Development Agency

When you look at a child waiting for a sponsor, what do you see? If you lived in the community where the child lives, you might see poor health, limited opportunities, difficult circumstances, and a future that feels uncertain.  

You might wonder whether this child will remain in school, whether they will have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, or whether circumstances will eventually force them to give up. 

But we see something different. We see a child made in the image of God, with possibilities that may not yet be visible. We also see the barriers standing in the way.  

We do not pretend that sponsorship guarantees success. Life is more complicated than that. A child can face many challenges, and no single program can remove every one of them.  

But we have learned something important: when the right barriers are removed, a child is better positioned to learn, grow, and pursue the future God has given them the ability to pursue. 

Sometimes Hope Needs Someone to Act 

It can be easy to look at the challenges surrounding a child and feel overwhelmed by how much needs to change. But imagine seeing those challenges and doing nothing. 

Imagine watching a child’s confidence disappear, their opportunities narrow, and their hope for the future slowly fade. That is why people choose to act. 

Sometimes action means providing the support a child needs to remain engaged in school. Sometimes it means helping remove a practical barrier. Sometimes it means connecting with a child, encouraging them, or simply praying for them. Each one can become part of a child’s journey. 

I Know Because I Was That Child 

I know this personally because I was once an ANIDA sponsored child. When I joined the Hope for Tomorrow Program when I was entering Senior High School at the age of 14, I was growing up with challenges that could have affected my future. 

But through the program, many of those barriers were removed, giving me greater opportunity to focus on my education and pursue my goals. 

Today, I have a bachelor’s degree and work with ANIDA as the Child Sponsorship Specialist, overseeing the child sponsorship program globally. 

I now work with children who were once in circumstances similar to mine. And that experience changes the way I see them. I don’t simply see their present circumstances. I see what may become possible when someone chooses to stand with them. 

One Life Can Become a Chain of Hope 

My story is not proof that every sponsored child will have the same outcome. Every child has a different journey. But it is proof that circumstances do not have to have the final word. Someone once chose to invest in me. Today, I have the opportunity to invest in children and families through the work I do. That is what inspires me to keep giving back. I do it because someone did it for me. 

And I have learned that the gift of giving is not something everyone has. But if God has placed that desire in your heart, you have an opportunity to use it. 

What Do You See? 

When you look at a child waiting for a sponsor, you can see the challenges. We see them too. But beyond the challenges, we see a child made in the image of God, with possibilities worth protecting. 

Do you have the gift of helping a child become what God created them to become? Visit ANIDA’s website to meet children waiting for someone to stand with them and help make a brighter future possible.