Catching up with Oscar

My wife, Helen, and I are celebrating an important anniversary. It is 25 years since we first sponsored a child with World Vision. 

We were introduced to Oscar Jandres in Obed, El Salvador, through a compelling WV Canada television commercial. Since then, we have never been without sponsored children.

The unique power of child sponsorship is that it forges a relationship. You can give money to help alleviate world poverty and then forget it, but when vulnerability has a name, a face and a history, it becomes part of your own story. You are on the same team as someone half a world away, working together to end an injustice, change a life and spread a little more joy.

The human connection is powerful. It is part of the lesson that, in this hyper-connected world, our neighbour can be in an African slum, an Asian village or a Palestinian refugee camp.

Or, in Oscar’s case, in a Pentecostal church in El Salvador. I have often wondered what became of him. I had heard of former Salvadorian sponsored children becoming professionals, one who ran the 1500m race in the 2012 Olympics (Nataly Landaverde) and another who is a noted Salvadorian church leader (José Avelar).

“I remember sponsorship as an opportunity that God gave me of knowing that someone was concerned about me in this world”

So what of shy Oscar, now 32, the boy who was given up by his mother and who initially fetched firewood to earn money? He was eventually treated for hydrocephalus, a dangerous build-up of fluid in the brain, and brought up by a family who loved him. I knew that he thrived in school, even though he was older than his classmates.

He was trained in metal-working and married his childhood neighbour, Rosa. After two years, she became pregnant. Oscar decided to go to the United States to work in construction – as many Salvadorians do – until he had earned enough to buy a house and set up a business back home.

View photos of Oscar, Rosa and Sheyla

Oscar’s daughter Sheyla is now five, and he is yet to see her. He speaks to her and to Rosa every day by telephone. Rosa says he sends home all the money he can. His mother-in-law praises him as respectful and deeply committed to a family he has not seen for years.

“I remember sponsorship as an opportunity that God gave me of knowing that someone was concerned about me in this world,” Oscar told World Vision staff by telephone.

“I suffered since I was a child, but the education I received was thanks to World Vision and my sponsor. I am very thankful, because through sponsorship, I was able to attend school.”

I wish Oscar was at home with his family, but this is a reminder that sponsorship is a real relationship with real people who make their own life choices. It is our privilege to share in their journey for just a little while, to pray for them and trust God for the best outcome possible.

World Vision is making exciting changes to the way we promote and handle sponsorship but it remains, at its core, a powerful and meaningful relationship. I thank God for using World Vision sponsorship over the years to touch millions of children like Oscar … and millions of sponsors like Helen and me.