We are Messengers of Good News

Ivon Cuervo - Posted on February 5, 2010

We invite you to meet Ingri, 8, and through her story to know the benefits of the follow-up World Vision is doing with the sponsored children in two of the most important areas of their development: health and education.

Ingri, 8, is a girl who lives in conditions of misery. Gustavo, her father, gets up very early every day to go to the butcher shop to buy cow bones for a low price. Then, he himself resells them to other families with few financial resources, like his.

Delcy, Ingri’s mother, uses the bones to give some flavor to the soups she prepares for the family because they do not have enough money to buy meat. Because of the lack of public services, Delcy also has to buy the water near her house and cook using wood.

Ingri has two sisters and one brother: Lina, 18; Veronica, 17, and Cristian, 10. Veronica, Christian and Ingri are all sponsored by World Vision.

Although the family has multiple needs, Ingri has the capability to overcome the hard times and look to the future. Her greatest dream is to study medicine. “I want to be a doctor that takes care of the babies,” she explains.

She sees the adults as the ones who have the responsibility to take care of the children. For her, the greatest example of affection in her life is the relationship she has with her parents and to see how they do everything they can to take care of her. Ingri, however, also holds a high opinion of the sponsors and how they help as well, “they are good people who share their friendship with the children and take care of them too,” She says.

That “friend in the distance”, who is the sponsor, is important for her. That’s why she takes advantage of sending them a drawing she makes with a lot of attention and dedication while coloring it. Recently, she drew a house surrounded by flowers and butterflies that the sponsor will receive along the annual progress report sent by World Vision.

School Life

Last year, Ingri had difficulties with some of her classmates. At that time, the support of the World Vision program staff was very important for her. “I was in charge of helping the family see Ingri’s potential so she could go on studying in a more comfortable environment,” says the sponsorship promoter, Martha Mercado.

Following this advice, the family changed Ingri to a different school. This year, the difference is easy to see, “the girl is very motivated to learn and has made new friends,” says Martha.

“I was promoted to the second grade of primary and I am doing well. I have not failed any exam!” says Ingri. “I play hide and seek with my friends at school,” she adds.

Following-up on her Health Condition

Through the medical evaluations carried out by World Vision to all the sponsored children, it is determined the physical and mental condition of each one of the children. This is included in the annual report received by the sponsors through the mail.

For Ingri, this is her only opportunity to have a medical check-up because her family does not have access to health insurance.

During the medical checkup, the doctor talks with the girl and observes the relation of her weight and height with respect to her age. Then, he checks her breathing, her cardiac rhythm, and the health condition of her ears, eyes, nose and mouth. After the examination, the conclusion of Dr. Arcesio Sanches is that “Ingrid has a good health condition.”

In case Ingri or another sponsored child requires a special kind of medical attention and does not have health insurance, World Vision offers advice on how to get access to the service from the State and according to the need, the organization will subsidy part of the cost for medicines and exams to get the children they care they need.

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