Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Most needed gifts given through our gift catalogue and other emergency funds are directed to meet the most urgent needs of families, children, and communities at our sponsor sites. Emergency food supplies, relief from natural disasters and pandemics, and life-saving medicine are some examples of the timely support provided thanks to this incredibly diverse and thoughtful gift.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “most needed” photos from our sponsor sites. We’re so happy to share these wonderful life-changing moments where, thanks to your help, we were able to provide support where it was so urgently needed.

#5: Flood relief for families in need

When powerful flooding devastated the community of Munnar, India, hundreds of families were displaced from their homes. Children and parents had nothing but the clothes on their backs, unsure of where to turn. Thanks to an incredible outpouring of generosity from our supporters, our Kerala site was able to provide emergency bundles of blankets, clothing, and food for families in dire need of support. Everyone showed their appreciation with genuine smiles and heartfelt prayers!  Continue reading →

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Animals are gifts that are universally loved and requested by every one of our sponsor sites around the world. Raising animals like chickens, cows, and goats helps families supplement their income so that they can afford to send their children to school and purchase other essentials. Some families and communities even start entire businesses with the help of the animals they receive through our gift catalogue! 

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 animal photos from our sponsor sites! These adorable animals have provided families with eggs, milk, wool, and best of all, financial security for the future.

#5: The gift of goats 

This beautiful family from our Madurai site in India was thrilled to receive a pair of goats from kind donors through our gift catalogue! Goats multiply quickly, and milk and offspring can be sold for an income to support the family.

At our sites in India, it’s a tradition for families who receive goats through our gift catalogue to gift an offspring from their pair of goats to another family in need. This way, when families within a community receive the gift of goats, the benefit is felt for years to come!

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Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Today is World Children’s Day, a day held especially close to our hearts. This is a special time to promote international awareness for children’s rights worldwide. Together, let us strive to provide safety, comfort, health, and education for each of God’s children, no matter what circumstances they were born into.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “child sponsorship” photos! Child sponsorship is at the core of our work; over the years, we’ve been blessed to witness thousands of children benefit immensely from the loving support of their kind Canadian sponsors. On this special day for children, we’re sharing this collection to show our appreciation for the true, lasting impact that our supporters make in the lives of precious children in need.

#5: Blessings blossoms at school 

Blessings was born blind. Her parents, unfortunately, didn’t have the means or knowledge to look after her. Since Blessings couldn’t be left to wander and was unable to attend local daycare or school, her parents would lock her in a room when they would leave the house. Her motor skills became delayed, and she relied on others for walking and eating.

When Blessings was sponsored, she was able to attend a specialized boarding school for blind children. With a lot of support from Sisters, staff, and other children in a loving environment, she has blossomed! She’s now one of the best in mobility, and can read and write in braille. She loves to sing and recite poems, and her teachers sing her praises for being reliable and kind.

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Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Today, November 13, is World Kindness Day, a day annually celebrated across the globe to promote the wonderful virtue of kindness. We’re so blessed to witness abundant acts of kindness each and every day; both at our sites around the world, and from our incredible supporters at home here in Canada.

In honour of this special day, we’re sharing our top 5 “acts of kindness” photos! These heartwarming gestures remind us that even the smallest acts can make the biggest difference in the lives of others.

#5: Foot care for elders 

On our Medical Mission trip to Haiti North, our team treated local elders suffering from foot and leg pain to medical evaluations, stretching classes, and massages. The massages included a gentle washing from our dedicated volunteers. This act of kindness truly touched the hearts of the elders receiving treatment.

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Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

We’re excited to announce the launch of our 2020 Christmas Gift Catalogue! This year, our theme, “Little Things with Great Love,” reminds us that even the smallest gesture of kindness can make a world of difference in the life of another.

This week, we’re featuring our top 5 “littlest gift” photos! These tiny gifts may be small in stature, but pack a big punch for the recipients at our sites. Take a look through this adorable collection, and see for yourself!

#5: Cuddly baby chicks

Sweet baby chicks certainly are small, but deliver a huge impact to families who receive them. Chicks are easy to raise, and quickly grow to lay eggs. Eggs are highly nutritious, and can be incorporated into families’ diets, or sold for a profit! Chicken coops are becoming a popular small business idea at many of our sites, with families collaborating to sell eggs and more chickens back into their communities.

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Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

This weekend, many kids here in Canada will be receiving lots of goodies from trick-or-treating, which means that caregivers will have to make sure those little teeth get an extra good brushing! It’s important for children all over the world to have constant access to good dental hygiene to ensure that they have a happy, healthy smile every day of the year.

Without assistance, many children and families at our sites would be forced to go without dental care. Cavities and tooth loss leads to pain, missed school, low self esteem, and lost job opportunities. Thankfully, our wonderful supporters make it possible for kids and families at our sites to receive essential dental care, training and supplies through donations to our programs and our gift catalogue. This week, we’re featuring our top 5 “brush your teeth” photos, so you can get a first hand view of our kids keeping their smiles bright and pain-free.

#5: Toothbrushing tutor

This little girl from our Mbinga site in Tanzania is getting a hands-on lesson in dental hygiene! It’s helpful for older siblings and students to assist younger children with their teeth brushing routines until they get the hang of it. These children received their toothbrushes and toothpaste through kind donations to our gift catalogue.

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Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Each and every person deserves the comfort of a safe and secure home. For many families living in poverty, however, this basic human right is far out of reach. In communities surrounding our sponsor sites, we see families living in difficult situations. Some houses are unsafe and in disrepair, or lack appliances and furniture. Other times, families struggle to afford the high cost of rental properties.  Some families don’t have homes at all, and are forced to shuffle between neighbors or relatives.

Thankfully, our dedicated donors selflessly support all sorts of incredible initiatives that help many of these families overcome these obstacles and achieve the dream of living in a secure and comfortable home. This week, we’re featuring our top 5 “comforting home” photos from our sites, so you can get a peek at some of these heartwarming stories for yourself!

#5: Mercy’s many home upgrades 

Mercy, from our Serenje site in Zambia, is 13 years old and in grade eight. She lives with her mom, dad, and five siblings! Mercy has been sponsored since pre-school. Without her sponsor’s support, Mercy’s dad explains that they would be unable to afford to send her to school.

Mercy’s sponsor has been very generous with the family by sending gifts of special money, which has allowed them to dramatically improve their previously dire living situation. They’ve been able to get connection to the electrical grid and have since gotten a fridge, a sewing machine, some minor household renovations. Eventually, they plan to build a new small home on the land next to their current home for more space for the large family!

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Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Here in Canada, autumn is in the air! Seasons at our sites look very different depending on which country they’re located in. Our Ukrainian sites have autumns just like ours, while others like our Filipino sites only have two seasons!

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “autumn” photos from our sites. Whether or not our sites have a traditional “autumn” season, we think these photos filled with harvest goodies, hats, and sweaters just feel like fall!

#5: A hearty harvest 

This farmer from our Mbinga site in Tanzania is enjoying a bumper harvest of corn! Farming is an essential source of livelihood in Mbinga. Many parents of sponsored children earn a living through farming. Nearby schools supported by our nutrition program also do the same to supplement their school lunch programs.

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Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

On October 5, we globally celebrated World Teacher’s Day, a time to recognize all of the incredible teachers that share their knowledge and shape the future of the precious young minds in their care.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “teacher” photos from our sites! At each of our sites, we have so many ambitious teachers working diligently to educate sponsored and non-sponsored children alike. Some schools may be in disrepair and supplies may be lacking, but day after day, teachers inspire students to shine in the classroom.

#5: Maisie and her many minis! 

Maisie is a teacher at St Charles Lwanga Nursery School, located in the Muchinga province of Zambia. This is an acutely poverty stricken area; many parents work as farmers and earn less than a dollar a day. The Sisters and teachers who work at the school provide quality education for under privileged children, and ensure they have a meal each day through the school’s feeding program.

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Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Elders are an integral part of our families and communities. They formed and raised each and every family in the world today, pass down and preserve traditions, and continue to share their unique gifts and talents with their loved ones, friends, families, and communities.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 “elder” photos from our sites! In addition to child sponsorship, some of our sites have a sponsorship program for elders. Elders with little or no family support can rely on sponsorship and their Chalice site for food, medical support, and companionship! We’re so happy to be able to partner with our supporters to help give our elders the opportunity to live safe and dignified lives.

#5: Mario’s support system

Don Mario, a retired farmer, is sponsored through our Don Bosco site in Paraguay. His father was sponsored until his passing ten years ago, at which time Mario began receiving support. Mario’s passion was playing the accordion, but unfortunately he had to sell it to cover living expenses.

Most of his sponsorship funds go towards medicine and food. He has four brothers and four sisters, one of whom lives next door and keeps an eye on him, helping him to arrange his weekly visits to the hospital. He is very grateful to his sponsor for helping him make ends meet and live comfortably!

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