How Sponsorship Helps Gird Communities Against the Worst Effects of Disasters

You know World Vision as an international Christian relief and development organization, doing just that -- emergency relief (in places such as those countries hard-hit by this season's severe flooding in Southeast Asia and hurricanes in Latin America) and community development (primarily through child sponsorship-related development activities in thousands of impoverished communities throughout the world). But what is the relationship between the two activities … emergency relief and child sponsorship?

Maria Chiyal Sacach (6), whose house was destroyed by the heavy rains of Hurricane Stan in 2005, stands in front of a tent her family received from World Vision. "Thank God we received this tent,” said her father, Ricardo said from the ruins of his home. “We are going to sleep there as we cannot live here anymore: there is nothing here."

Many World Vision community development projects, with child sponsorship as a central strategy, had their beginnings in a humanitarian emergency. After the initial relief phase is completed, child sponsorship projects are begun to assist in building long-term strength and sustainability into impoverished communities. World Vision does this through a strategy called “Area Development Programs” or ADPs.

But sponsorship also helps insulate communities against the ravages of humanitarian emergencies. Many examples can be cited, such as sponsorship ADPs in Ethiopia, created after the devastating famine of the mid-1980s. These served as models of economic strength which have sustained children and families despite repeated regional famines in recent years. Click to read about this progress in Ethiopia, 20 years after the famine.

In addition, sponsorship helps assure an on-ground presence for World Vision, which enables us to act quickly and decisively to speed help to sponsored children, families and communities affected by natural disasters. A good example of this is what happened recently to the people of San Marcos La Laguna, a Mayan village in Guatemala.

The entire village awoke suddenly at midnight, upon hearing an unearthly roar coming from the tops of the surrounding mountains. People ran from their homes and sought safety in the local church building. It wasn’t until later that they discovered the river had burst its banks, sending water sweeping through the community. Houses, animals, crops … everything in its path was destroyed.

When the community emerged from their shelter, they discovered their homes buried beneath enormous mounds of stones.

Hurricane Stan's heavy rains affected this community and many others like it. In San Marcos, more than a hundred people were left homeless.

Many areas became isolated as roads were blocked by mudslides, delaying relief operations. More than 39,000 people nationwide were affected by this disaster and around 10,000 sought refuge in shelters.

Fortunately for the residents of La Laguna, World Vision had already established a presence and was well positioned to intervene quickly to assist the residents. World Vision provided tents to 1,000 families, particularly those in the two most affected areas in Guatemala: Solola and San Marcos, situated in the western part of the country. In addition, food, foam mattresses and blankets were also distributed to those affected by the flooding.

San Marcos La Laguna is a community supported by World Vision’s Cotz Ij Ya Area Development Program (ADP). World Vision sponsors support some 2,000 children in this ADP. So World Vision staff already had key relationships and an organized network of community leaders in place. This existing infrastructure resulted in quick delivery of badly needed aid.

"Thanks for all the support you have given to us," said Antonia Vicenta Oxlaj, 48. "We hope you can also help us with the construction of our houses."

"We have to rebuild the whole community," a World Vision staff member agreed. "People lost everything."

Two of those people are Cristina and Pablo Luja Velasquez, subsistence farmers who lost everything they owned in the flood.

"I came back to my house to take some blankets, and found it covered by mud and trunks. My house was destroyed; we lost our shoes, our money, clothes, and wardrobe," Pablo elaborates. "I really thank God because our children are alive."

In addition, World Vision’s long-term development work in communities such as San Marcos La Laguna, through sponsorship, helps children, families, and communities rise above the devastating effects of poverty. The long-term economic strength, sustainable infrastructure, and human dignity provided by these efforts helps insulate these communities against the possible impacts of future disasters.

How You Can Help

• Sponsor a child in Latin America
• Sponsor a child in Asia
• Sponsor a child in Africa
• Make an emergency relief donation to World Vision’s Disaster Response Fund

1-888-511-6548 : P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, WA 98063-9716

	How You Can Help
	Sponsor a child in ...   - Latin America   - Asia   - Africa   - Middle East Please Note: Children available by clicking the above links may or may not have been affected by specific disasters in Latin America or elsewhere.
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	Make an emergency relief donation to World Vision’s SAVE Fund