Pierre used to be a very timid and reserved child, and he rarely talked with his neighbors. He liked to be alone.
It can be difficult to understand what a child is going through, so helping Pierre sometimes felt impossible. But after three years of attending the child development center, Pierre is no longer the shy boy he once was.
When Pierre’s sponsor came to visit the boy for a second time, he immediately noticed a difference in his sponsored child.
On this visit, Pierre waved his hands with a joyful smile to welcome his sponsor and ran directly into the his arms, as if he missed him a lot.
This sponsor shares,
“I am surprised by Pierre’s reaction. It really touches me, and I can see that there is a change in his life. We can no more say that this boy is a poor one.”
The coordinator of the child development center, Nathalie also testifies,
“Pierre is one of the leaders of his class now. He likes playing football with his mates and he is one of the children I most encourage at the child development center.”
Many children are like Pierre. They do not have the opportunity to express themselves, so they do not have confidence in themselves. If no one helps them discover their potential, they will grow up being shy and timid.
Pierre was not the only person blessed by his sponsor’s visit. At the time of this visit, Pierre’s father was sick and in the hospital. He was suffering from a hernia and awaiting surgery.
When Pierre’s sponsor heard that Pierre’s father was in the hospital, he decided to visit him before going back home. This sponsor’s visit gave Pierre’s father strength and courage.
As for Pierre’s mother, it was difficult to express the joy of receiving a visitor at a moment when it seemed like everything was hard and there was no way out. This sponsor’s visit strengthened the hearts of Pierre and his parents. He tells us,
“I saw children in the bushes in Africa that do not even smile. But all the children I met here at the child development center are smiling. They are happy and they do not look like poor children. Compassion is doing something wonderful. I really appreciate what the ministry is doing. I think every sponsor should be able to visit his sponsored child.”