A little boy called Dalchad

In 2016 I met a little boy called Dalchad in a special needs school in Al Buss Camp.

He waved me over to show me his work and he smiled and took a picture with me and I was smitten.

His family were refugees and he had cerebral palsy, hearing impairments and epilepsy. This little boy had already experienced so much upheaval and confusion in his first ten years of life. His parents were unsure of how to care for him and his brother as they struggled to find work and settle down in Lebanon. He needed specialist schooling as well as additional medical support that was beyond the family’s capacity.

I asked to be his sponsor.

Every year I have received progress reports showing him with the same smiling face, just a little older each time, and a sweet letter thanking me.

Each year, I know that life is still difficult for Dalchad and the recent Pandemic has made things increasingly hard for his family. I am privileged and fortunate enough to have met him and to be able to purify my wealth and provide him some comfort. My sponsored child has many needs and whilst I may not be able to meet them all at once, I am hopeful that I can contribute positively to improving his quality of life.

Boys and girls like Dalchad do not choose to be born in times of conflict and crisis. They do not always understand the decisions their parents or family make for them and they may not understand the limits poverty places on them very well but they feel its impact.

I cannot recommend being a sponsor highly enough. You are not saving any one or ending poverty in the Middle East…but you are making a small but important difference to the life of one special child at a time. Poverty is complicated and difficult to escape but having a regular financial lifeline means families are able to support their children and navigate poverty better for themselves. It helps ease the burden on struggling parents and it builds a link of solidarity and connection.

There are so many other children like Dalchad who need someone to think of them and ensure they are not left out. There is so much more we can do for these children that will be left behind without our help.

As things get more uncertain and more desperate, you can light up a life and have your own made a little brighter too.

Yasmin