See How a Family Gift Can Meet Urgent Needs
| Photos Courtesy of Hope Centers
Family gifts fill critical needs at home and bring children joy in their everyday lives.
In the north-central region of Bangladesh, there’s a village. Bananas, beans and beef are dietary staples for the people who live there. Most houses are made of tin, and the plains are covered in lush, green farmland.
In that village, there’s a little girl named Tanzima.* She loves to dance and dreams of becoming a police officer one day to serve the people of her beloved country.
Here’s a piece of her story.
How a Cow Transforms One Family’s Future: Tanzima’s Story
Tanzima’s father died when she was just 1 year old, leaving her family heartbroken and financially devastated. Since then, her family has suffered overwhelming sorrow and hardship. Her widowed mother has worked tirelessly, struggling to care for her four children while also working as a day laborer to bear the family’s expenses.
Day laborers are typically employed and paid on a daily basis to perform manual labor, with no guarantee of future work. Day laborers are a large part of the informal economy in Bangladesh. Agricultural and construction work are common. No minimum wage law exists to protect workers, and severe wage discrimination based on gender is normal.¹
The Power of Child Sponsorship
The girl who became fatherless soon after her life began is now 9 years old. She lives with her older brother, along with his family and her mother. A couple of years ago, Tanzima had the opportunity to join a local Hope Center and connect with a sponsor. At the center, she receives nutritious food, education, and regular encouragement and support from her Child Champions.
Tanzima beams when she receives letters from her sponsor. It brings her joy knowing that someone in addition to her mom is praying and hoping for the best for her family and future.
A Glimpse of Poverty in Bangladesh
Bangladesh in South Asia is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Poverty, access to clean water and sanitation, and natural disasters are common for many Bangladeshi people. However, the country has risen from being one of the most impoverished nations (in 1971) to earning “lower-middle income” status. The poverty level also decreased from 11.8% in 2010 to 5% in 2022. The country aims to reach “upper-middle income” status by 2031.²
Despite these achievements, the following statistics remain true:
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- Almost a quarter of children live in poverty, and 13% live in extreme poverty.³
- Nearly 72% of children can’t read or write.
- 51.4% of girls are married before they turn 18.
- 20 million children are exposed to extreme weather events like flooding, pollution and heatwaves.
- Violence against children and women is widespread.4
Inside Tanzima’s Village
Tanzima’s community struggles with dengue fever (a mosquito-borne virus), alcohol abuse and a lack of basic sanitation services.
The Hope Center faces these challenges head on, serving not only the kids of the community but their families as well. Child Champions are dedicated to seeing the next generation learn, grow and thrive by equipping kids with individualized care and vision for a better future.
A Gift for Tanzima’s Family
Sponsors have the option to send family gifts to their children once a year. The Child Champions at the Hope Center work with the sponsored child’s family to discover what they need most, and they use the financial gift to purchase and deliver it for them.
For Tanzima’s family, the gift was a milk cow.
Tanzima with her mom and family gift.
A Gift That Multiplies
In Bangladesh, a cow can cost 80,000–150,000 taka (approximately $670-$1,000) on the lower end, according to a 2024 news article from the Dhaka Tribune. Those living in extreme poverty survive on less than $2.15 (Tk256) per day, making a cow a luxury many families can’t afford. By comparison, the average U.S. household lives on about $212 per day, or Tk25,300.5
Tanzima and her family feel blessed to have their own cow to support the family income. Tanzima’s mom and brother care for it, cutting grass for it and bathing it regularly. And the cow now has a calf! They can sell the cow’s milk for additional income and look forward to the day when they can increase the gift even more. The cow has also been a personal blessing to Tanzima, enriching her physical growth.
“We believe we can multiply this gift, and we will have more cows one day. This gift is a great blessing for us. We are so thankful to the sponsor.” — Tanzima
Marth Biswas, Head Tutor of Tanzima’s Hope Center, told us, “We are so happy that we could stand beside the family, as they were in utter misery. As a mother of four, it was very hard for Tanzima’s mother to work as day laborer. The cow is supporting the family income now. We thank OneChild and our supporters for this.”
Tanzima with her mom and brother.
Empower Your Sponsored Child’s Family With a Special Gift
Sending your sponsored child’s family a special gift is a powerful way to reach them in a time of need. The child’s Hope Center will figure out what the family needs most and put your funds to work! It may be as simple as groceries or a warm bed, or it could be used to help the family generate more income in a sustainable and scalable way.
These essential gifts bless families around the globe when they need them most. This was the case for Ana and her family, who live on the other side of the world in the vibrant country of Honduras.
Provision at Just the Right Time: Ana’s Story
Tucked in an urban slum community on the outskirts of the capital city of Tegucigalpa, sits Generacion de Conquistadores (Generation of Conquerors) Hope Center. The hilly Honduran city is nestled in a valley hemmed in by a mountain range.
Generacion de Conquistadores is known as a place where children can gather, learn and dream. Child Champions at the center ensure kids have regular health screenings, medical care and nutritional supplements. Kids are tutored by loving teachers who cherish and champion them, and they can engage in fun extracurricular activities like art and sports. Most important, they get to learn about the love of Jesus through Bible study, worship and prayer. Parents are also encouraged to engage by attending special events.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras | Photo by Hudson Hintze
A Glance at Poverty in Honduras
Honduras ranks as one of the poorest countries in Latin America, with more than 60% of the population living in poverty.6 It also has one of the world’s highest murder rates.
In Tegucigalpa, unemployment is high, as is the cost of living. It’s common for children to suffer from malnutrition and other health problems due to poor living conditions. Nearly 20% of children under age 5 are stunted due to malnutrition. Many kids also endure forced labor to help their families make ends meet, and it’s not uncommon for parents to leave in search of work in other cities, disintegrating the family unit.
One way to break these harrowing statistics is to improve educational attainment, which includes increasing educational quality and lowering dropout rates.
One of the regulars at Generation de Conquistadores is a 12-year-old named Ana* who’s been attending the Hope Center since she was 5.
Ana on her way to the Hope Center.
Building a Strong Foundation
Ana lives with her parents in a small space on her grandparents’ property. She adores animals. When she grows up, she wants to be a vet, caring for all the animals when they get sick, spending time with them and petting them.
At her Hope Center, Ana loves learning about God and sharing with her tutors and classmates. She confides in her teacher, Maritza. Ana says she can go to Maritza for kindness and encouragement when she’s having a tough time or when problems arise.
“She Loves Me Like a Daughter”
Ana’s sponsor, Diana, sends her lots of letters and even visited her a few years back! The visit made a lasting impact not only on Ana but on her entire family. Diana’s visit marked the first time Ana’s father attended church.
“My sponsor tells me that she is always praying for me and for my family, she loves me like a daughter,” Ana said. “I have all the letters she has sent me — they are very special to me.”
Ana keeps a photo album with her pictures from that special visit.
Hardships at Home
Ana’s father, Hugo,* can’t work regularly due to a physical disability in his spine. He sells food on the weekends at soccer games, and her mother works in a business selling fruit juice. It’s difficult for her parents to make ends meet in a city where costs are high and unemployment runs rampant.
The family gifts Ana has received over the years have blessed the family with basic needs like food, a comfortable bunk bed and clothing. And Ana and her father say they always come in the nick of time.
“Sometimes we would like to buy many necessary things, but we don’t have enough money to do so. The gifts have been very helpful to us because we have bought many necessary things for our home.
“I only have words of thanks, first to God and then to my daughter’s sponsor.”
— Hugo
Ana stands next to her father in front of their home holding a Bible from her sponsor.
This year, the family was struggling to put food on the table. Ana also needed a uniform for her physical education class. They’d already received some family gifts in the past and didn’t anticipate more. But new gifts came when the family needed them, and they were struck by the kindness.
“When these blessings came into our lives, we did not expect them. I wanted to have some things, but my parents couldn’t buy them for me because they only had money to buy food.
“The last gift I received was a sport trouser. The school was demanding it, and the one I had no longer fit. … When I received it, I was able to go to school in my full uniform. I felt great!”
— Ana
A Message of Gratitude to Ana’s Sponsor
Meet Your Sponsored Child’s Urgent Family Needs Today
We invite you to send a family gift to your sponsored child as often as once a year. These gifts, ranging from $50 to $300, can have a lasting impact on your sponsored child’s family. If you have more than one sponsored kid, we’ll split your donation evenly among them. Thank you so much for your generous heart and for giving families hope in hard times.
Give a family gift to your sponsored child today!
*We change certain names to protect the identities of children and their families.
1 Power and Participation Research Centre
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