The Ottawa Campaign for Children

Kurt Stoodley

Simply put, it was an experience of a lifetime. Let me first point out that I had never been to a country like El Salvador, and had never experienced a first hand look at an organization like World Vision. I had, however, recently become a World Vision child sponsor, so the trip had taken on some personal significance.

San Salvador, the capital, is a thriving metropolis...a modern South American city with all the comforts of home...a beautiful hotel, a huge shopping mall across the street...traffic, people...and nice warm weather.

The morning after our arrival, we were bound for other parts of El Salvador, in particular, to witness the work that World Vision had undertaken.

Our first stop was an Area Development Program (ADP) office in a community staffed by Salvadorans...local people employed by World Vision to carry out their work.

The surroundings seemed familiar...similar to areas of the Dominican Republic that I had visited. A small town, but what appeared to be a thriving community. I was initially quite impressed by the ADP office...well organized, a clear mission, with an obvious impact on the local community. Those working in the office were well informed, and quite willing to explain exactly what they were trying to accomplish.

From there, we were taken to meet the first of many Salvadoran families that we would encounter, many with similar circumstances. We were driving by truck over paved roads, then gravel roads, then dirt back
roads. It was only about a 45 minute drive, but it seemed like we were venturing into another world altogether.

The family we met was obviously in need of assistance...5 children, a single father, as the mother had passed away in child-birth some years ago. The father was needed at home to care for the children...the
oldest boy at 10 years old had to stay at home and work, rather than go to school, to help provide for the family...that boy needed a child sponsor.

Later that day, and the next, we would meet other families dealing with the same set of circumstances. Very poor, needing some sort of help, yet proud, and very willing to be open and honest about their plight.

Meeting these families, the parents, the children, really gives you a sense of how people in countries like El Salvador really live. You immediately feel very thankful for what you have, the lives we lead at home. However, I did not feel pity...that's not what these people want from you. Simple understanding seems to be what they would like from visitors.

Meeting these families illustrates first hand the need in El Salvador and other countries like it for help...not a hand-out, but help. Keep in mind that we have all seen the World Vision campaigns that point out that need. What you don't see in those campaigns are the results. As well as meeting poor families and children who need sponsorship, we also met others who had benefitted greatly from World Vision programs:

- A young girl who had been sponsored...her dream, to build a radio station for her community...a dream she has realized through World Vision.

- An early learning centre where the beautiful children greeted us with flowers...a community that is now thriving with the help of World Vision. Families working together to make their children's lives just that much better...families building parks, homes being constructed, getting organized, crops being grown...all with the help of World Vision.

It's a lot to take in over just a few days, but I came away from the experience hopeful that many of the children and families that I met would see their situations improve. I came away thinking that sponsoring a child can do so much more than help just one individual...it can help a family, a community.

There is so much more to World Vision than meets the eye...as well as encountering people in impoverished situations, I also saw results. I saw that an organization like World Vision can make a difference. At the same time, my visit to El Salvador was an instant reminder that there are people all over the world in dire circumstances, and in the end, what we can do on a small scale so many thousands of miles away can actually improve the lives of others.

I, for one, will continue to support World Vision in their efforts, and I can hardly find the words to show my appreciation for the opportunity to experience humanitarian aid at its very finest.

J.J. Clarke

On Approach to San Salvador our 727 glides toward the airport. This night is already special...a spectacular thunderstorm is happening on our port side as we descend...frequent flashes of lightning light up the sky.

As we exit the aircraft ,a blast of hot humid air greets us and welcomes us to El Salvador. On to the hotel and meet up with our fine crew for a planning session. They have been here for a few days and tell us that we are about to meet some wonderful families. They are right!

7 am...breakfast and off to Tacuba...a town in the mountains near the Guatemala border. On our way ,we get to know our crew...some of the best people I have worked with as it turns out. They speak with great passion about their work with World Vision and it is plain to see they love what they do. We spend most of Day One visiting families in the rural region of the countryside.

Rinaldo is 11 years old. He lives in a very small house built of wood and mud. The roof is sheets of rusty corrugated steel. There are large rocks on the top of the roof...to keep it from blowing off during hurricanes.

None of his brother or sisters are wearing shoes.He grinds corn in the tiny kitchen so his mother can make tortillas.As I saw on my last World Vision trip to Honduras..there are more family members than beds.

We are told that because of leaks in the roof during rainy season, some children have learned to sleep standing up.Rinaldo should be in school...but he only attended grade one. His father works in the fields to support his family and Rinaldo must help him plant and tend to the crops. A World Vision sponsor would help to change things for the better for this family. Rinaldo would be able to go to school.His new house might have clean drinking water, he and his family would have access to medical care. Things would be better for sure.

In the town of Tacuba the World Vision area office is humming.... people are coming and going,...programs to help area residents are in full swing..health classes for young mothers...nutrition information...seeds for farming....you name it..they are there ..giving a hand up.That's what I like about World Vision. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day... but with World Vision it is more like... teach a man to fish and you feed him for life! Low interest loans are provided to encourage entrepreneurs. A young lady may sew in the morning and then sell her wares in the afternoon. She may make tortillas and sell them at lunch. World Vision provides the knowhow and these people rise to their full potential.

We visit a number of schools and are received as special guests. The children and teachers are most gracious and eagerly display their talents...dancing, playing guitar..and singing a lovely song dedicated to Mothers' Day.

They are a happy, joyful and charming group and they make us feel very special.This is where World Vision is making a difference in the life of a child. Just outside the school ,members of the community are working with hand tools to build a park. World Vision supplied the materials and the residents are pitching in ..building what will be a lovely place for the children to play.

Transito and his wife Gerda have six children. They live in a home very much like Rinaldo. Four beds...eight people. Transito was injured in a farming accident. The family does the best they can to get by...but it's a struggle. They have a goat and some chickens and grow some vegetables but no real dependable income.

Their youngest daughter is a pretty 4 year old....Nolvia. She is small for her age due to malnutrition. Diagnosed with Downs Syndrome ,Nolvia and her family are facing numerous challenges. There is a Special Needs school not too far from her house....thanks to World Vision. If she had a sponsor ,her life would be a little easier, her future a lot brighter.Her family would be in a position to give her the help she will need in the future.

I am proud to have had the chance to meet and work with some amazing people, who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for children in El Salvador. World Vision is doing amazing work in this country and many others around the world.I am thankful to have been invited to work with this great organization once again.

Some day soon I would like to return to the town of Tacuba....to see how the Area Development Program is making lives better....and to visit my new friends once again. Most of all I would like to see how my sponsored child Nolvia is doing. I know she's in good hands.



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Kurt Stoodley Simply put, it was an experience of a lifetime. Let me first point out that I had never been to a country like El Salvador, and had never experienced a first hand look at an organization like World Vision. I had, however, recently become a World Vision child sponsor, so the trip had taken on some personal significance. San Salvador, the capital, is a thriving metropolis...a modern South American city with all the comforts of home...a beautiful hotel, a huge shopping mall across the street...traffic, people...and nice warm weather. The morning after our arrival, we were bound for other parts of El Salvador, in particular, to witness the work that World Vision had undertaken. Our first stop was an Area Development Program (ADP) office in a community staffed by Salvadorans...local people employed by World Vision to carry out their work. The surroundings seemed familiar...similar to areas of the Dominican Republic that I had visited. A small town, but what appeared to be a thriving community. I was initially quite impressed by the ADP office...well organized, a clear mission, with an obvious impact on the local community. Those working in the office were well informed, and quite willing to explain exactly what they were trying to accomplish. From there, we were taken to meet the first of many Salvadoran families that we would encounter, many with similar circumstances. We were driving by truck over paved roads, then gravel roads, then dirt back roads. It was only about a 45 minute drive, but it seemed like we were venturing into another world altogether. The family we met was obviously in need of assistance...5 children, a single father, as the mother had passed away in child-birth some years ago. The father was needed at home to care for the children...the oldest boy at 10 years old had to stay at home and work, rather than go to school, to help provide for the family...that boy needed a child sponsor. Later that day, and the next, we would meet other families dealing with the same set of circumstances. Very poor, needing some sort of help, yet proud, and very willing to be open and honest about their plight. Meeting these families, the parents, the children, really gives you a sense of how people in countries like El Salvador really live. You immediately feel very thankful for what you have, the lives we lead at home. However, I did not feel pity...that's not what these people want from you. Simple understanding seems to be what they would like from visitors. Meeting these families illustrates first hand the need in El Salvador and other countries like it for help...not a hand-out, but help. Keep in mind that we have all seen the World Vision campaigns that point out that need. What you don't see in those campaigns are the results. As well as meeting poor families and children who need sponsorship, we also met others who had benefitted greatly from World Vision programs: - A young girl who had been sponsored...her dream, to build a radio station for her community...a dream she has realized through World Vision. - An early learning centre where the beautiful children greeted us with flowers...a community that is now thriving with the help of World Vision. Families working together to make their children's lives just that much better...families building parks, homes being constructed, getting organized, crops being grown...all with the help of World Vision. It's a lot to take in over just a few days, but I came away from the experience hopeful that many of the children and families that I met would see their situations improve. I came away thinking that sponsoring a child can do so much more than help just one individual...it can help a family, a community. There is so much more to World Vision than meets the eye...as well as encountering people in impoverished situations, I also saw results. I saw that an organization like World Vision can make a difference. At the same time, my visit to El Salvador was an instant reminder that there are people all over the world in dire circumstances, and in the end, what we can do on a small scale so many thousands of miles away can actually improve the lives of others. I, for one, will continue to support World Vision in their efforts, and I can hardly find the words to show my appreciation for the opportunity to experience humanitarian aid at its very finest. J.J. Clarke On Approach to San Salvador our 727 glides toward the airport. This night is already special...a spectacular thunderstorm is happening on our port side as we descend...frequent flashes of lightning light up the sky. As we exit the aircraft ,a blast of hot humid air greets us and welcomes us to El Salvador. On to the hotel and meet up with our fine crew for a planning session. They have been here for a few days and tell us that we are about to meet some wonderful families. They are right! 7 am...breakfast and off to Tacuba...a town in the mountains near the Guatemala border. On our way ,we get to know our crew...some of the best people I have worked with as it turns out. They speak with great passion about their work with World Vision and it is plain to see they love what they do. We spend most of Day One visiting families in the rural region of the countryside. Rinaldo is 11 years old. He lives in a very small house built of wood and mud. The roof is sheets of rusty corrugated steel. There are large rocks on the top of the roof...to keep it from blowing off during hurricanes. None of his brother or sisters are wearing shoes.He grinds corn in the tiny kitchen so his mother can make tortillas.As I saw on my last World Vision trip to Honduras..there are more family members than beds. We are told that because of leaks in the roof during rainy season, some children have learned to sleep standing up.Rinaldo should be in school...but he only attended grade one. His father works in the fields to support his family and Rinaldo must help him plant and tend to the crops. A World Vision sponsor would help to change things for the better for this family. Rinaldo would be able to go to school.His new house might have clean drinking water, he and his family would have access to medical care. Things would be better for sure. In the town of Tacuba the World Vision area office is humming.... people are coming and going,...programs to help area residents are in full swing..health classes for young mothers...nutrition information...seeds for farming....you name it..they are there ..giving a hand up.That's what I like about World Vision. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day... but with World Vision it is more like... teach a man to fish and you feed him for life! Low interest loans are provided to encourage entrepreneurs. A young lady may sew in the morning and then sell her wares in the afternoon. She may make tortillas and sell them at lunch. World Vision provides the knowhow and these people rise to their full potential. We visit a number of schools and are received as special guests. The children and teachers are most gracious and eagerly display their talents...dancing, playing guitar..and singing a lovely song dedicated to Mothers' Day. They are a happy, joyful and charming group and they make us feel very special.This is where World Vision is making a difference in the life of a child. Just outside the school ,members of the community are working with hand tools to build a park. World Vision supplied the materials and the residents are pitching in ..building what will be a lovely place for the children to play. Transito and his wife Gerda have six children. They live in a home very much like Rinaldo. Four beds...eight people. Transito was injured in a farming accident. The family does the best they can to get by...but it's a struggle. They have a goat and some chickens and grow some vegetables but no real dependable income. Their youngest daughter is a pretty 4 year old....Nolvia. She is small for her age due to malnutrition. Diagnosed with Downs Syndrome ,Nolvia and her family are facing numerous challenges. There is a Special Needs school not too far from her house....thanks to World Vision. If she had a sponsor ,her life would be a little easier, her future a lot brighter.Her family would be in a position to give her the help she will need in the future. I am proud to have had the chance to meet and work with some amazing people, who are dedicated to improving the quality of life for children in El Salvador. World Vision is doing amazing work in this country and many others around the world.I am thankful to have been invited to work with this great organization once again. Some day soon I would like to return to the town of Tacuba....to see how the Area Development Program is making lives better....and to visit my new friends once again. Most of all I would like to see how my sponsored child Nolvia is doing. I know she's in good hands.
	Mike Fisher J.J. Clarke Kurt Stoodley