Update: We stand at 9 child sponsorships and a total of just under £2500 pledged or donated. WorldVision are fully behind us and tweeting us out, in case you were concerned as to whether we have their blessing. I have included a screenshot of this at the bottom 🙂
A few weeks ago I posted about the #ShareNiger trip that was coming up to highlight the food crisis occurring in Niger. Sian, who I have met and spoken to and got to know a little, went out to experience first hand the plight of women, children and men who are struggling against the reality of a drought that has left their rivers looking like this.
It’s a little hard to imagine, yes? We’ve got a hose pipe ban. My children moan a little about a hot day in the garden when they’ll have to use buckets of water to fill the paddling pool. I ‘m not looking forward to next week when Max goes back to work and I have to do all the stuff around the house and make lunch while looking after a hungry baby too.
I know… I KNOW… how it feels to struggle to get a baby to eat when he’s a little too frail and a little bit sickly. I know how it feels to watch a baby give up and not bother to try and be beyond saving by anyone, least of all me and watch him die and then have to get on with life and managing caring for the rest of this.
And I still have no bloody idea how it must feel to be in this woman’s shoes 🙁
Watch. Please. It’s only 3 minutes of your life. She’s feeding a family of 5 on the small boxes of cereal WorldVision give her to feed ONE BABY. That’s all they have. She’s in such a desperate position and she lost everything because she had an accident which meant she couldn’t water her crops in the garden scheme she is part of. She tried so hard to support herself, her husband has gone looking for work in the mines and she hasn’t heard from him for months and she’s trying to stop all those children from starving to death. And she is only one of so many women in a similar position.
However hard I try I simply cannot get my head around the fact that there are women going through what I have gone through who also have to literally fight their world to stop it happening to their other children too. They are utterly powerless to stop it. Their children are starving and dying and on top of that their husbands can’t hold them and try to make it better and it is hot, dusty, dry and desperate and each day is a grinding fight, not just against tears but against their entire environment.
And when I’ve been into my unit this morning and seen all the beautiful toys we sell and how lucky kids are in this country, this just breaks my heart.
WorldVision run a sponsored child programme for £22.80 a month which literally changes the lives of children in villages across the world. Wouldn’t it be amazing to know that you made a difference to the family and the playmates of a family like the one above?
Food. Healthcare. Education.
Hope.
I know my readers have been very generous in the past and donated to our SCBU unit and I know it is a lot to ask to call for you to do something more. I also know that £22.80 a month, in times which are undoubtedly a different sort of tough here, can feel like a lot to commit to, so Sian and I have come up with a plan to make a difference, to change a life somewhere, as part of a group. If you can’t commit to £22.80 a month, you can donate below – just whatever you can afford – and we can sponsor a child together.
£2… £5… £10…£50. We can make a difference. We can’t change the world but we can bring hope to a family, a village, a mother… and that is an amazing thing to try to do.
If you would like to contribute a small amount, say £6 on a monthly basis, please leave a comment below and I can arrange for recurring payments to be organised from your PayPal account and form people into groups who can sponsor a child together and follow their progress.
Credentials: Donations will come to my personal Paypal account and I will forward the money on to WorldVision either to sponsor a child if we get enough or as a direct payment to them. This money is now receiving matched funding from the government, so it will count double towards making a difference in Niger. I believe I am a trusted member of the online community and so in a good position to do this, but my account does get looked over by an accountant once a year since I have a business attached to it. In addition, Sian and I live near each other and I will arrange for her to check my account with me when we have completed the collection for full transparency.
Merry, I already sponser a child through Plan International,wish I could sponsor more, but I’ve sent you the last few £’s in my paypal account. I hope it helps. x
Thank you so much Jeanette. Received with thanks.
I sponsor a child and can’t quite stretch to another, but I could put something towards a group sponsorship.
Thank you Sarah. Just think what a difference it would make if all the people who read this blog donated £5 or £10. Think what a difference it would make if every reader got another friend or reader of their blog to donate £5 too 🙂
Merry,
Thank you so much for organising this. I’ve donated into the fund, lets see what we can do together.
xx
Thanks Sian, it is great to be helping.
Very happy to join in and help sponsor a child-just let me know what I need to do.
Thanks Tammy. Either use the donate button below or if you mean as part of a smaller group, I’m thinking I’ll put people happy to do £6 a month or do into groups to one child between 4 people over a year.
Think I could do £6 a month. Don’t know how paypal works but hubby has a paypal account so let me know what I need to do and I’ll do it. Could learn how to use paypal myself, I suppose:-) Off to bed now, will do it tomorrow x
Hannah, that’s amazing. I think we could be well on our way to sponsoring a child with that pledge. I’ve had some direct donations and have a small list of people happy to do £6 a month (including me).
Merry, this is incredible!
Thank you for organising this and to each and every one of those who have donated whatever they can. Every little bit helps and your contributions are truly appreciated.
Thank you, truly.
I have commitments to sponsoring 3 children plus a little more so far which is amazing. People are pledging £6 a month to sponsor a quarter of a child each. I’m thrilled to have promises for 3 children after less than 24 hours 🙂
Count me in! I’m up for a monthly donation so let me know what you need me to do x
You are a star 🙂
And you’ve also inspired my children too 🙂
Merry what a fabulous idea. We already sponsor a child in Bolivia with World Vision but my children are very keen for us to do something to help in Niger too. I think between the 6 of us we can stretch to the £1 each it would take to offer that £6 for a shared sponsorship! We’re in xxx
Great idea, it’s tough to find the whole £22 every month. Be fabulous for so many more families to be supported regularly.
I am in 🙂
Thanks Emma.
Cheers to you, Merry, for writing about such an important cause. It’s dear to my heart, my family sponsors three children through another program and it’s such an easy way to support another family and to really change lives. xx
I have a lovely act of kindness re our appeal to share with you….
Last week I ordered a new @CybherUK necklace for my friend @Melaina25 (she nabbed mine at Cybher!!) and when I ordered it I sent the lady who makes them a link to my CNN news report where my necklace is mentioned by the reporter.
Today she refunded me half the cost of my necklace because she was impressed with the campaign and so I have added her donation to our sponsor a child pot.
If you would like to order your own Twitter name necklace, you will find her on ebay…
http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/soulspearjewellery/&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2754
That’s so lovely – I’m going to order one 🙂
I gave a small donation this month but as I seem to be getting a few odd-jobs suddenly looks like I’ll have some extra cash in July which will be sent your way 😉
Thanks for setting this up. It’s a fab idea!
Well done for highlighting such an important cause. I have made a small donation but this is a wonderful cause and I wish I could do more x
I’ve blogged too!
http://www.mummy-tips.com/2012/06/help-us-to-sponsor-child.html
Count me in. Have been meaning to do this ever since Sian got back from Niger, but to my shame, kept procrastinating. This gave me the nudge I needed. Thank you for organising it and making it so easy to be part of.
Honey we are in
I can pop £6 annually to your bank if preferred just send me the details
much love x
Love you loads for this Jane (specially as I know you mean monthly!)
Just visited from Rosie Scribble’s place and donated what I can. Such a wonderful idea to group sponsor. It’s awe-inspiring and humbling that women are raising their families in such hardship. I’ve tweeted this out this morning in the hope that more people will visit and contribute.
Thank you so very much 🙂
A brilliant idea to help those who need it desperately. I’m happy to donate £6 a month to help a child. standing order is fine for me anything to make sure every penny gets to them. lots of love Amy xx @and1moremeans5
You are amazing. Thank you 🙂 Have emailed.
I’ve blogged now. http://scottishmum.com/2012/06/bloggers-saving-lives-help-us-sponsor-children-for-shareniger/
I will do a £6 monthly donation for a year if you can email and let me know how to do it, please.
Thank you for setting this up.
Sarah x
Sarah, that is amazing. Thank you. I think you just got us to 8 children. I will email.
This is a wonderful, wonderful example of what the parent blogging community can achieve when we all work together. I am so proud to know you guys! Thanks Sian, Merry and everyone else making this such a success.
Isn’t it brilliant? 🙂 and thank you for joining in.
Merry, I’ve got a job interview next week and will make a decision on the back of that whether to sponsor a whole child but am definitely up for at least £6, will come back to you.
I will keep by fingers crossed you get the job (for you and the whole child) so good luck, but if it doesn’t work out we will be delighted to have you 🙂
Hi,
Fantastic post. I have made a one off donation. It will come through as Susan Lang. Wish it could be more. I’ve got a blog post going live tomorrow to ask others to help. Good luck and what a great thing you are doing x
Thank you so much Susan 🙂
I can’t donate but i just want to say Merry and Sian this is a wonderful example of how the parent blogging community can make a difference. I think the group sponsorship is a fantastic idea. Good luck to you all
Your support is very much appreciated – and a tweet, facebook like or blog post would be fantastic too if any of those are things you can do 🙂
Really annoyed with myself for not commenting here sooner. You’re doing an amazing job Merry and it’s been a pleasure to do my little bit to promote this post. I’ve just stumbled it too and added it to my Facebook page. Why I forgot to comment I have no idea. You’re awesome. People like youn add an extra dimension to blogging and make this community an absolute privilege to be a part of.
We have been continually moved and humbled by the support and comments that have been coming through showing your support to those in West Africa – from the pioneering force that is Merry to each and every one of you who has tweeted, blogged, commented and shared for #shareNiger and child sponsorhship.
Please continue to spread the word – together you are making such a difference. Thank you.
You’re doing an amazing thing with this Merry. Keep going. We CAN reach a 10th child. I know it.