World Vision holds its sixth DRC Chosen™ event in Gemena
By Didier NAGIFI - Communications Officer, DRC
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World Vision has held the sixth edition of its Chosen™ initiative in the DRC, at the organisation's Ledia Area Programme in Gemena, in the North-Western part of the country. Chosen™ is a new child sponsorship initiative from World Vision that allows children to choose their sponsors through an innovative experience.
The initiative consists of a simple but powerful change at the beginning of the sponsorship relationship, recognising the dignity and worth of children living in marginalised circumstances and expressing World Vision's belief that these children have the power to change their own lives and communities, and even touch the lives of their sponsors.
At the sixth Chosen™ event, many parents, sponsored children, and volunteers welcomed this new initiative which has raised the level of understanding of child sponsorship within the community.
"I bless God and appreciate this change in the sponsorship system", says Moise, a parent to a sponsored child. "Before, it was the sponsors who chose the children, and the children had to wait a long time to get their sponsors; this may take four years of waiting, and the others did not even get to be chosen. But this time, the system has changed, only the sponsors send their photos and the children in turn choose them. First of all it is a thanksgiving, as the children have chosen them. May the sponsors be happy to accompany them. Thanks be to God!"
"I am very happy to see this change that World Vision has made", adds Constantine (63), a grandmother to a sponsored child. "Four years ago, our children did not have sponsors; the pictures of the children were sent for the sponsors to choose. But what has happened today makes us very happy. As parents, we are very happy. The sponsors have sent their pictures and each child is very happy to choose his sponsor. Thank you very much, may God bless the sponsors and bless us too. May the other sponsors think of the children who do not have yet their sponsors. God bless you!"
Eleven-year-old Plamedie is one of the children sponsored through this new system. Present at the site, and for her first experience, she is happy to make her choice. She was amazed by the photo of her sponsor.
"I am very happy to see Lorrie and choose her to be my sponsor! I praise God. Thank you", said Plamedie.
The first Chosen™ event in the DRC was held in March 2021, and has left an impact to this day. Chosen™ allowed 439 children in Gemena to choose their sponsors through the exhibition of photos that was made in the community. The initiative gives children the power to choose their sponsors, which changes the way child sponsorship has worked for decades before.