WHY I BECAME A SPONSOR

Why We Became a Sponsor

Can you tell us a bit about what you receive from ODIM about your sponsorship each year? PEG: I love seeing the faces and hearing the stories of the people we sponsor. We quickly got an introduction to the scholars after we signed up as sponsors. It will be exciting to see their progress as they continue their education. We get an update with pictures of our healthy mama and her baby several times a year. The update is in the mother’s own words and it’s clear she recognizes the benefits of the program. Her baby will turn 2 very soon. The baby is beau‐tiful, healthy, and developing nicely. It is a small amount of money given each month with a very large impact. MARK: It is gratifying to see the benefits of our mother and child sponsorship. The communication brings a joy and a sense of relief that they are doing well. Have you had the chance to meet the mother and baby you sponsor? If so, what was that experience like? PEG: We met our young mother in 2019, the summer we began the sponsorship. She was very young, newly pregnant with her first child, and happy to be a part of a program where she could learn how to be a better mother. Her aunt was in the program already and she was eager to share the experience with her. Being in her home and hearing her story was such a contrast to our own daughter and daughter-inlaw’s pregnancy stories. It was a powerful moment for us. MARK:It certainly helped me to see that we were going to have an impact on a real person. What does being a sponsor mean for both of you and what value has it added to your life? PEG:My first year, in 2018, most of my interaction with the people of San Juan and San Pablo was in the clinic, in the shops, or on the streets headed to work or school. But our first visit to a home in 2019 to install a stove and water filter was eye opening. The poverty level is staggering. The instal‐lation of a new stove and filter is truly life changing for these families. I think often we use those words lightly, but it is very much the case here. I know our money is going directly to help families live healthier lives. Our visits to Guatemala have altered my views on poverty, wealth distribution, and immigration. MARK:Sponsorship brings more of a one-on-one connection to how our giving is used. Knowing that a person(s) will benefit helps me to see that it’s about the people, not just a program. Why should someone reading this consider becoming a sponsor for ODIM? PEG:ODIM was created in response to a need for affordable and accessible medical care in the small, isolated mountain vil‐lages. Because so many of the people they saw in clinic had chronic health issues, as well as the underlying problem of mal‐nutrition, they saw education as a way to lift the entire family. I appreciate that ODIM has taken a bottom-up approach to health care and education. They employee local people and train and teach their clients to take control of their own health. As a sponsor for ODIM, you know exactly where your money is being spent. You know for whom it is being spent. Giving an infant the nutrition they need or teaching seniors how to control their diabetes with diet and exercise, even teaching the adolescents about family planning and birth control will have a direct impact on the entire family, perhaps for generations to come. MARK:One can give to ODIM and let them decide where the money needs to go but the sponsorship programs let people connect with one another and that’s a good thing. Any last words? BOTH: We appreciate our partnership with ODIM. We have truly enjoyed our trips to the lake. Each one has been different, working with different staff members and partici‐pating in different cultural activities. We look forwardto many more years working together.