Sponsoring a poor person can help them to learn more about your world

Sometimes as rich westerners it is very easy to feel out of touch with the lives, needs, aspirations, and daily challenges of poor people. So what better way to find a common bond than by directly sponsoring a poor person, or, even better, one of their children. Many families are too poor to provide their children with regular food and adequate nutrition, or to support their education, so what could be more effective than for a rich westerner to step in and pay for it instead. And if you were that parent, how happy and grateful would you feel that a total stranger would be so generous as to take over your parental responsibilities for feeding, clothing, and educating your child? Now that's what I call empowerment!

Many charities offer direct sponsorship programs, which allow good-hearted, wealthy westerners the opportunity to bond with their own sponsored poor person. And you won’t just be giving them money. You can communicate regularly by letter, providing you both with the opportunity to share information about each other’s lives and lifestyles. You will even receive a photo of your sponsored poor person, which you can put on your fridge, or maybe keep in your wallet and regularly take out and share with friends and colleagues at drinks parties. 

Personally, I like to send photos of our lake-house renovation project to my sponsored family in Ghana. I’m sure even they cannot believe how long it is taking!