Sponsorship provides a little boy with his first pair of eyeglasses — and a new outlook on life.

February 2008

By Rachael Boyer, World Vision Advocacy and Communications, and Gerta Yzeiraj, World Vision Albania

When the teacher used to call on Denis to read from the board, he couldn't. So Denis sat quietly at the back of the classroom, trying to avoid embarrassment.

Denis Margega, 12, has had vision problems for many years. Unfortunately, no one ever addressed it, and he, a quiet and shy boy, never complained about it. But Denis' blurry world finally started to clear when he became a World Vision-sponsored child in December 2005.

Denis lives in a one-room house with his parents and 3-year-old brother in Balldren village, near the town of Lezha in northern Albania. The Margegas moved from a mountainous area to Balldren in search of work and a better life.

The family survives off the meager income Denis' father, Sokol, earns from his construction job. Sokol is working hard to build another room to the family's house. "It has been hard to finish it. I work on it by myself when I have some free time and when finances allow. Of course, Denis is helping me a little," says Sokol with a proud smile as he pats his son on the shoulder.

Health checkups a sponsorship benefit

The boy is very grateful for his World Vision sponsor in the United Kingdom and for all the opportunities sponsorship provides, like education. Denis is attending the brand-new school that World Vision built nearby.

Sponsorship also provides yearly health checks with a pediatrician for Denis and the other children in his village. And this year, sponsorship funds provided the opportunity for 18 children from Balldren village, including Denis, to see an ophthalmologist.

After the doctor diagnosed all 18 children with myopia — a condition that causes distant objects to appear blurry — World Vision staff made sure each child received a vision-correcting pair of glasses.

'He is so much more confident'

Denis no longer sits at the back of the classroom, afraid of being called on to read. Instead, he now actively participates in lessons from the front of the room.

"He now feels a lot more comfortable when reading from the board," says Denis' mother, Hane. "The teacher has had him sitting in one of the first few rows these past few months.

"The glasses have helped my son socially, too," she adds. "Before, he was timid playing soccer with his friends because he couldn't see the ball very well. But now, he is so much more confident. The glasses have made a huge difference in Denis' life.

"We are so grateful that World Vision could help our son," Hane says.

'I won't take them off'

Sokol wraps his big arms around Denis and picks him up. Pointing at the television antennas on the distant horizon, the boy's father asks, "Denis, do you see what is there on the top of that mountain?"

With eyes shining and full of joy, Denis quickly responds, "Yes, Dad, I can see them with glasses on. They are TV antennas."

Denis loves his new glasses and wears them almost constantly. "I won't take them off, even when I play soccer," he says with a smile.