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2024 year in review: A photo essay

sharing some of our FAVORITE COMMUNITY PHOTOS OF 2024

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From Arkansas to Zambia, from January to December, our agency journalists spanned the globe, capturing a dozen favorite moments of 2024. Before we turn the page and dive into 2025, look back at the year that was, in pictures.

Woman handwashing clothes outside

Clean as mountain air: Mother of four sponsored children, Mirian and the rest of her family live in a rural area of Guatemala known for its mountain peaks and the cultural influence of its indigenous peoples. Cleaning the dishes is just one of Mirian’s many daily chores.

Photo by Carolina Pichillá, Agency Journalist, Guatemala.

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Woman and girl sit at a table

As a sponsored child, Jade (12,) benefits from the many opportunities, programs and assistance available to her in Honduras. The girl's mother, Karla, says, “... it gives me peace of mind because she is learning things that I cannot teach her — trained professionals lead these important workshops.”

Photo by Nelson Guevara, Agency Journalist, Honduras.

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Young girls pose for the camera

Best friends in sisterhood: Sandy (18, right) and Xiomara (17) are youth leaders and volunteers for our health programs in their neighborhood. Saying they are more than sisters; they tell us they are also best friends.

Photo by Patricia Huerta, Agency Journalist, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

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Kids in costumes pose in front of the community center

Food for fun: Sponsored children (with youth leaders on either end) learned about nutrition while having fun in Colombia. After choosing their favorite healthy food, children then made their own costumes and dressed up in their creations.

Photo by Patricia C, Agency Journalist, Colombia.

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Mother and daughter in their kitchen

Coffee time is family time: Honduras ranks fifth overall in global coffee production. Sharing coffee and bread or cake with friends and family in the afternoons is a common custom. Volunteer mom Glendy, here with sponsored daughter Glenda, says, “It's a time to share with the people that we love and esteem.”

Photo by Nelson Guevara, Agency Journalist, Honduras.

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Girls in caps and gowns smile on graduation day

Graduation Celebrations: Coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and earning Children International scholarships, these youth graduates' lives began transforming early on, through vital programs that provide the skills and mindsets needed to escape poverty.

Photo by Patrcia C, Agency Journalist, Colombia.

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Kids play in their neighborhood

Katherine leads a game of make‑believe. Sponsored 7‑year‑old Katherine (in red) enjoys the made-up games she, her siblings and her cousins play outside their home in the Dominican Republic. When Katherine gets to visit the Children International community center, she says she really enjoys creating things with putty.

Photo by Carina Cruz, Agency Journalist, Dominican Republic.

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Soccer game with spectators

Olympic athletes of the future? The Summer Olympics may have just kicked off in Paris, but inside the Nina Rae Wesson Center, in Jalisco, the competition is all about learning, exercise and having fun. Tapping into the nation’s love of soccer is one effective way for children to develop lifelong tools to help them achieve their goals.

Photo by Paola Gil, Agency Journalist, Mexico.

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Family works on laundry

Beatrice is a single mother raising three children in an underserved community in Lusaka. Her eldest, 13-year-old Emmanuel (left) receives vital support from sponsorship which helps the entire family. Beatrice tells us, “I feel good knowing that people who I am not related to care so much about my child Emmanuel. It has given me hope in humanity again.”

Photo by Caren Mwelwa, Agency Journalist, Zambia.

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Girls smile for the camera

Family stands (or sits) together! Rebeca (second from right) is the youngest of five sponsored siblings in Jalisco, Mexico. While attending a recent leadership workshop for younger children, Rebeca approached the facilitator about a bullying situation at school and was given useful tools and techniques that helped the girl resolve the issue.

Photo by Paola Gil, Agency Journalist, Mexico.

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Family works together to repair their home

Building back better: Typhoons are a familiar force of nature to Filipinos. Here we see a sponsored family rebuilding a part of their home which was damaged by a storm’s winds – with funds for materials provided by Children International partners.

Photo by Levi M, Agency Journalist, Manila, Philippines.

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Kids in costumes pose in front of the community center

Cheerful Lights at Night: Sponsored 9-year-old Nicole (between her parents in the bottom right) loves seeing the Christmas lights in the evening that go up every year on a city square near her home. She also mentions how much she enjoys sharing a big dinner with her family and other relatives, who gather from different parts of the country at Nicole’s house for holiday food and fun.

Photo by Carina C, Agency Journalist, Dominican Republic.

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Comments

kathyg123
Dec 11, 2024

I'm Proud to be a part of my Sponsor Children's lives, and proud to be a part of Children International. Thank you Children International Staff for All your hard work, and dedication. Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Thank you Staff of Children International for sharing the photos.

cascalise
Dec 15, 2024

These are wonderful! It's great how the families appreciate their sponsors. I'm thankful to be a part of it

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