Cork Views: 'Our trip to Tanzania to see the child we sponsor'

We arrived in a remote, arid area with a few neat mud huts. Our sponsored child is Faraja, and his mum and her neighbours came to welcome us. As Faraja is just seven years old, he stayed very close to his mum. He was shy, it was probably his first time meeting white people.

What struck us most was his mum’s heartfelt gratitude. A tall, graceful Maasai woman, she wore traditional Maasai dress. Life obviously hasn’t been easy - she is a widow, raising her children on a small plot of land. Their one-bedroom mud home was spotless. It was easy to see the family is really close. She was deeply thankful for the support she is receiving, her eyes welled up when she spoke. It is obviously making a big difference in her family’s life.

Faraja and the other kids were thrilled with the gifts we brought - a soccer jersey with his name printed on the back got a brilliant reaction. We brought clothes, sweets, colouring books, pencils etc. But it was the soccer ball that really hit the spot. Their reaction was priceless. We’ll never forget their happy faces.

We left feeling delighted and privileged that we were able to make a positive difference in the lives of such a gorgeous family.

Our second day’s site visit to Oljoro was a real eye-opener. We saw the living conditions in an area where World Vision were just getting started. We saw:

Women and children collecting unclean water from an almost dried-up river bed, having walked up to 15km

A school with over 1,000 children, almost no toilet facilities, evidence of malnourishment in kids, clothes in very poor condition, again collecting and drinking water from an unclean river with livestock in the water upstream

Over 60 children per classroom

A medical centre catering for thousands with one doctor and two nurses. 75-80% of the diseases they deal with are water-related

We also really saw the tangible benefits of World Vision’s work on our trip, including:

Schools with classrooms in much better condition, proper toilet facilities, kids in good uniforms, clean running water, and more than anything, much happier looking children

A water project with a well, a solar-powered pumping station, piped into local communities, staffed by local personnel

A family in the local community involved in community ‘savings group’ that allowed them to extend their farm, building a new house.

Focus moved from basic needs to enterprise like bee keeping, charcoal production, sustainable tree planting, orange growing, sustainable cooking methods.

There were a few memorable moments from our trip, such as the sight of a little schoolgirl drinking water from an unclean stream, we all noticed it and had the same reaction, we wanted to reach out and stop her.

We saw schoolchildren showing evidence of malnutrition, many of the uniforms were in rags. We found it hard to look at.

Other eye-opening encounters included a doctor’s plea for help in dealing with so many patients in such a remote area without the basic necessity of clean running water, and the children at a school in Endabash who were so proud of their running water/working toilets and performed a handwashing song,

The trip had a big impact on us. We went eager to learn more, but also with some doubts - about large NGOs, how much of the donated money actually reaches those in need, whether we were unintentionally playing the role of ‘white saviours’, and if the scale of the problem was simply too vast to make a real difference.

When we think about problems in the developing world, we would have thought in terms of numbers - millions of people. But this trip, especially the visit with the child we sponsor, changed that. It made us see these are individuals, with their own likes, dislikes, hopes, and fears. Meeting Faraja and seeing first-hand the impact that child sponsorship can have on his life brought it all into focus. And learning that something as vital as a clean water supply for thousands could be delivered for around €250,000 helped us to understand that change is possible - tangible, meaningful change.

We were really impressed with the World Vision operation. We saw how they engage with the poorest communities, collaborating with village leaders, are child-focused, not differentiating on religious grounds, supporting basic needs like the provision of clean water, focusing on education (ensuring girls have the same opportunities) and encouraging local enterprise. The World Vision personnel we spent time with are very professional and deeply committed. They are so knowledgeable, open and eager to answer our questions. They do an incredible job of making the most of very limited resources.

We came away from the trip convinced we can make a difference and wanting to help in any way we can.

To anyone considering sponsoring a child through World Vision Ireland, we can’t recommend it enough. If you witnessed a child in dire need in your own community, you’d likely help without hesitation. Sponsoring a child through World Vision is just that - except the child happens to live in another part of the world. And your support could truly transform their life.

If you’d like to learn more about child sponsorship with World Vision Ireland, visit worldvision.ie or call 01 498 0800.

World Vision Ireland is a relief, development, and advocacy organisation dedicated to helping the most vulnerable children, families, and communities overcome poverty and injustice. Through its Child Sponsorship Programme, it empowers communities to create lasting change for children - ensuring access to clean water, education, healthcare, and protection.

Last year, Irish entrepreneur Paddy Finn - co-founder of VIOTAS and EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalist - travelled to Uganda with World Vision Ireland to meet his sponsored child. Moved by the experience, he encouraged fellow members of his EY Entrepreneur Of The Year network to get involved and become a child sponsor.

This year, he returned to Tanzania with a group of new sponsors, including John Desmond, the Founder and Managing Director of Cygnum, a timber frame construction company based in Macroom.

The trip offered a powerful, first-hand look at the impact of child sponsorship in communities supported by World Vision Ireland.