Thanks for posting this, Jimmy. Is there any way to help repair the family's roof?
jagjag14
Nov 30, 2016
I have the same sort of question.
Sean_3c5ca
Dec 12, 2016
Jimmy this is soooo inspirational.....im so much more keener to visit my boys in the phillipines thankyou SOOO much for this video
SHERRY_4703d
Feb 17, 2017
Thank you Jimmy for sharing your visit with us. It truly shows us how fortunate we are and how many people in this world do not have lives as we do. Thank you so much.
Jennifer_fa211
Mar 22, 2017
Very inspiring.
anjmantikas
Jul 1, 2017
really inspiring!
dccmd2001
Apr 16, 2018
I hope to go sometime myself! My child is now 16, I wonder if I only have until she turns 18. It would be great to hear more details about visiting and best time of year to do so.
annemach
Jun 18, 2018
un 18, 2018
Hello I also was so proud to be a part of this CI, I have been sponsoring for over 30 years. I also visited Quito in March to see my sponsored children, One is no longer in the program and one is still in the program. I did not book anything with children International because I wanted to surprise my kids. I saw exactly what actually goes to the children that we sponsor and it is not much at all. A gift for Christmas (candy) and a birthday gift (pants) is all they get per year. Your child gets exactly the same things as all the other children in this program. The only extras they get for being "sponsored" is the extra money we send and only if it's over $100. gift and at that they do not get all of the money because they take money for their service fees. As a result of my visit to Ecuador my child was taken off the program because I made an unannounced visit and did not notify the agency. I spent a lot of time with my sponsored family I had a feeling this is how it worked because these children are "coached" on what they can say to their sponsors on our visits. I have been sponsoring for over 30 years and was upset at the actual help these children get from this agency. My child also does not have a roof and it would be less expensive to send money directly to them for the past 30 years then this agency. These people are so poor its upsetting. Sorry for bursting your bubble but this needs to get out. I also believed in this agency but no longer. I encourage everyone to go see your child if you can. Thank you,
debbies
Jun 21, 2018
We love it when sponsors visit -- we encourage them to visit whenever they can – as the kids LOVE meeting their sponsors, and we love it when sponsors get to see firsthand how their support is making a difference in their child’s life.
As an organization, we are focused providing the youth programs that deliver a real path out of poverty through a whole-child approach focused on health, education, empowerment and employment. The materials goods we provide for birthday and Christmas are not intended nor expected to have significant impact on the child. It is rather a gesture to ensure every child receives something for their birthday and Christmas.
The kids in Quito, including your child, received shoes for Christmas in 2017 and a polo shirt and a pair of casual shoes for their birthdays in 2018 (We include a list of gifts in the FAQ section of our website each year). As you can see, the sponsorship benefits with impact are through our health, education, empowerment and employment programs.
In addition to our programs, we also provide community centers as a safe haven from dangerous environments, and follow the safety and privacy guidelines as outlined by InterAction, a global coalition with strict child-protection standards for organizations like ours. Their rules cover all aspects of communications: letters, phone calls, in-person visits and becoming friends on Facebook or another type of social-networking site.
debbies
Jun 21, 2018
We do ask sponsors’ to notify our Kansas City office to plan a visit with their child, so that our agency staff can work with the youth and their family to plan the visit. While our staff does remind the family of the direct contact guidelines, as outlined in our Child Protection Policy, this is done to ensure the safety of the children, families and sponsors and that all child protection guidelines are being followed. You can read more about our Child Protection Policy on our website here: https://www.children.org/child-protection-policy
No family would ever be removed from our program because a sponsor made an unannounced visit. However, in a case in which the family and sponsor have direct contact outside of the program (via social media or another method), and the family tells their volunteer that they prefer to continue the direct contact with the sponsor, than to continue participating in our program, the family would be asked to sign a form releasing them from the program.
I’m sorry you are disappointed in the outcome of your self-visit, and I wish our staff could have given you a tour of the child’s community center, so you could have seen the programs in action and learned about them firsthand through our bi-lingual staff members -- I know you would have been impressed. We truly appreciate your many years of friendship and support and wish you the best of luck.
Phung_2167c
Jun 14, 2019
Thank you for the visit and sharing your experience. My child is also from Ecuador. I wish to visit her someday!
Joan_cd3bd
Nov 20, 2022
This was eye-opening ,yet beautiful to see ! My child is from Ecuador, I would love to go myself and this inspired me! They have LOVE & each other, its beautiful to see ! Thank you for sharing
cascalise
Nov 22, 2022
WOW, what an amazing journey, and so inspiring !! My child is from Ecuador, and after watching this, I am inspired to visit my own child too. To experience the appreciation and difference you make in a person's life... PRICELESS!! Beautiful to see, thank you for sharing.
Quinn_2b0c3
Mar 25, 2023
Great thanks for sharing this makes me want to do it myself!
Comments
n23foster
Nov 25, 2016
Thanks for posting this, Jimmy. Is there any way to help repair the family's roof?
jagjag14
Nov 30, 2016
I have the same sort of question.
Sean_3c5ca
Dec 12, 2016
Jimmy this is soooo inspirational.....im so much more keener to visit my boys in the phillipines thankyou SOOO much for this video
SHERRY_4703d
Feb 17, 2017
Thank you Jimmy for sharing your visit with us. It truly shows us how fortunate we are and how many people in this world do not have lives as we do. Thank you so much.
Jennifer_fa211
Mar 22, 2017
Very inspiring.
anjmantikas
Jul 1, 2017
really inspiring!
dccmd2001
Apr 16, 2018
I hope to go sometime myself! My child is now 16, I wonder if I only have until she turns 18. It would be great to hear more details about visiting and best time of year to do so.
annemach
Jun 18, 2018
un 18, 2018
Hello I also was so proud to be a part of this CI,
I have been sponsoring for over 30 years.
I also visited Quito in March to see my sponsored children, One is no longer in the program and one is still in the program. I did not book anything with children International because I wanted to surprise my kids. I saw exactly what actually goes to the children that we sponsor and it is not much at all. A gift for Christmas (candy) and a birthday gift (pants) is all they get per year. Your child gets exactly the same things as all the other children in this program. The only extras they get for being "sponsored" is the extra money we send and only if it's over $100. gift and at that they do not get all of the money because they take money for their service fees.
As a result of my visit to Ecuador my child was taken off the program because I made an unannounced visit and did not notify the agency. I spent a lot of time with my sponsored family I had a feeling this is how it worked because these children are "coached" on what they can say to their sponsors on our visits.
I have been sponsoring for over 30 years and was upset at the actual help these children get from this agency. My child also does not have a roof and it would be less expensive to send money directly to them for the past 30 years then this agency. These people are so poor its upsetting.
Sorry for bursting your bubble but this needs to get out. I also believed in this agency but no longer. I encourage everyone to go see your child if you can.
Thank you,
debbies
Jun 21, 2018
We love it when sponsors visit -- we encourage them to visit whenever they can – as the kids LOVE meeting their sponsors, and we love it when sponsors get to see firsthand how their support is making a difference in their child’s life.
As an organization, we are focused providing the youth programs that deliver a real path out of poverty through a whole-child approach focused on health, education, empowerment and employment. The materials goods we provide for birthday and Christmas are not intended nor expected to have significant impact on the child. It is rather a gesture to ensure every child receives something for their birthday and Christmas.
The kids in Quito, including your child, received shoes for Christmas in 2017 and a polo shirt and a pair of casual shoes for their birthdays in 2018 (We include a list of gifts in the FAQ section of our website each year). As you can see, the sponsorship benefits with impact are through our health, education, empowerment and employment programs.
In addition to our programs, we also provide community centers as a safe haven from dangerous environments, and follow the safety and privacy guidelines as outlined by InterAction, a global coalition with strict child-protection standards for organizations like ours. Their rules cover all aspects of communications: letters, phone calls, in-person visits and becoming friends on Facebook or another type of social-networking site.
debbies
Jun 21, 2018
We do ask sponsors’ to notify our Kansas City office to plan a visit with their child, so that our agency staff can work with the youth and their family to plan the visit. While our staff does remind the family of the direct contact guidelines, as outlined in our Child Protection Policy, this is done to ensure the safety of the children, families and sponsors and that all child protection guidelines are being followed. You can read more about our Child Protection Policy on our website here: https://www.children.org/child-protection-policy
No family would ever be removed from our program because a sponsor made an unannounced visit. However, in a case in which the family and sponsor have direct contact outside of the program (via social media or another method), and the family tells their volunteer that they prefer to continue the direct contact with the sponsor, than to continue participating in our program, the family would be asked to sign a form releasing them from the program.
I’m sorry you are disappointed in the outcome of your self-visit, and I wish our staff could have given you a tour of the child’s community center, so you could have seen the programs in action and learned about them firsthand through our bi-lingual staff members -- I know you would have been impressed. We truly appreciate your many years of friendship and support and wish you the best of luck.
Phung_2167c
Jun 14, 2019
Thank you for the visit and sharing your experience. My child is also from Ecuador. I wish to visit her someday!
Joan_cd3bd
Nov 20, 2022
This was eye-opening ,yet beautiful to see ! My child is from Ecuador, I would love to go myself and this inspired me! They have LOVE & each other, its beautiful to see ! Thank you for sharing
cascalise
Nov 22, 2022
WOW, what an amazing journey, and so inspiring !! My child is from Ecuador, and after watching this, I am inspired to visit my own child too. To experience the appreciation and difference you make in a person's life... PRICELESS!! Beautiful to see, thank you for sharing.
Quinn_2b0c3
Mar 25, 2023
Great thanks for sharing this makes me want to do it myself!
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