A World Apart, Yet United

A Brighter Future for a Vulnerable Child

Sneha, 11, grew up in destitute conditions in India—where children are more than twice as likely as adults to live in extreme poverty.* Her father earned very little as a fisherman. Education is one of the only ways to work towards a brighter future, but it costs far more than most families like hers can afford.

Then Sneha learned that a family in America—Stephen, Pamela and their daughter Shivani, herself adopted from India as a toddler—were going to sponsor her through Wide Horizons For Children Child Sponsorship program. Their sponsorship would help Sneha’s family with a stipend they could use to pay for food and education costs.

For Sneha, the sponsorship meant she could stay in school. For Shivani, it meant meeting her family’s sponsored child during a trip back to her own birth country.

Shivani had just turned 15 when she met Sneha for the first time in India.

“Getting to know Sneha was a little awkward at first, and then we laughed,” explains Shivani. “I brought her a box of art supplies, because she sends us beautiful hand-made cards. She was really happy about that.”

“Sneha’s mother told me many times that she was thankful for my family’s support of her education,” Shivani says, whose family is likewise grateful to have seen firsthand the impact of their giving.

Sneha’s mother told me many times that she was thankful for my family’s support of her education.

Shivani
Adopted from India in 2002

Pam, Shivani’s mom, sums it up: “This was an amazing experience for all of us!”

*World Bank Group and Unicef report, ‘Ending Extreme Poverty: A Focus on Children.’