Meet Merida Haydee in Guatemala | Children International | Child Sponsorship in Africa, India, South America, & USA

About me & my family

Name: Merida Haydee
Avg Family Income in Community: $125.00
Gender: Female
Age: 8
Personality:
Interests: Doing general housework, Playing with toys, Singing
Siblings:
Edy Santiago, 14, Male
Emely Alexia, 10, Female
Lives with: Parents
Language: Spanish
School: Yes
Child ID #: 1766344

Learn more about education in this child's country.

About my house

Walls: Metal, cloth, cardboard, or plastic scraps
Roof: Metal, cloth, cardboard, or plastic scraps
Floor: Cement or gravel
Water source: Water in home
Level of Overcrowding: Adequate privacy
Access to Internet: Occasional
Access to Telephone: Occasional

Learn more about homes in this child's country.

Learn more about water in this child's country.

Poverty in Guatemala

Children growing up in poverty in Guatemala face many difficulties including gangs, violence, drugs, poor education and a lack of jobs, chronic malnutrition and a high teen-pregnancy rate.

That is why we focus on providing educational assistance to keep kids in school, programs in our centers to allow them to learn and grow in a safe environment, as well as nutrition support and health programs.

See how our program works and why we focus on health, education, empowerment and employment.

Learn more about our work in Guatemala.

How does child sponsorship work?

Your $39 monthly gift gives kids like Merida Haydee access to life-changing benefits, like:

medical care
educational support
life skills
job-training before graduation.

More about child sponsorship:

+ When you sponsor, what do you receive? Click to find out.

When you sponsor, we'll send you more info about your child, including a photo and a quick-start guide to child sponsorship. You'll also:

Receive photos and updates about your child on a regular basis.
Receive letters from your child, and many letters will contain pictures drawn by your child.
Have access to MyCI, your online account where you can view photos of your child, learn more about him or her, read and write letters and cards, manage your giving, and join our online community of sponsors.
Be able to visit your child and tour our amazing community centers
Subscribe to receive emails and our Journeys magazine to see your impact in action.

+ Need to make a change? We can help.

You can make changes to your monthly giving anytime. Please contact our Care Team to adjust, delay or cancel. And because we've made a commitment that we'll be a part of our kids' lives until they graduate, your sponsored child will continue to receive benefits from the program, and we will work to find a new sponsor as soon as possible.