Do you remember dreaming as a kid? Dreaming of what you would be one day? Maybe you dreamed that one day you would be a firefighter, astronaut, doctor or teacher. I was going to be a veterinarian, along with most other girl my age. It was great to dream, my mom always told me i could be whatever i wanted to be. But for some a dream is all they will ever have, no hope for it to come true. For some, the only dream that they have a chance of coming true is that maybe one day they will be able to read and write. The truth is that without a basic education there isn’t a lot you can do. Without a basic education you can’t go to college. I never lived that specific dream out – mostly because I realized that being a veterinarian was not my dream – but I always had that option. Even though I haven’t always acknowledged it, being able to go to school is an incredible blessing. I didn’t realize just how big of a blessing until I came to the village of Sielmat in Manipur, India.
When we were in Sielmat we had the chance to work with a sponsor school. Three of the days we spent painting the walls and one day we were able to help get kids signed up for classes. We gave them their books and took their picture to be sent out to their sponsor. Over 2600 kids attend the Christian school in Sielmat, and the vast majority of them are sponsored children. Unfortunately the organization has to turn down over 300 applicants a year because of the lack of sponsors. I grew up knowing that it was a ‘good thing’ to sponsor a child, but i didn’t fully understand the impact it could make until I met one of the kids.
I have a new friend named Jeremy. He is 10 years old and lives in Manipur, India in this little village of Sielmat. I first noticed Jeremy as he peeked down from his window at all the world racers, I waved…but as soon as he realized that he was spotted, he tucked back in. A few days later I found him sitting in the hammock. He said his plan was to sit in that hammock for 9 hours without getting out and to my surprise he almost made it. We got to talking about our favorite music and life in America and then I asked him if he had any siblings. He said he had two, one lived two hours away with his mom and another lived somewhere else. He said that he hadn’t seen his mom or sister in over 2 years and that he was living with his grandparents so that he could go to school. Jeremy and I quickly became good friends. Every day I would look for him so that we could hang out. One day he came on a 5 hour hike with us and out ran almost all of the racers. When he wasn’t sprinting up the trail he would just talk, and he reminded me of my little brother at home. It didn’t matter if you responded, he just wanted to talk about anything and everything.
Jeremy is one of the most intelligent children that I have ever met. One day he told me all about WWII and how important it is to know your history. He loves history and is always wanting to know more. Sadly I couldn’t offer much more than he already knew. He said that his dream was to one day be an airplane pilot. Its awesome to think that Jeremy’s dream could quite possibly come true – not because he dreamed it, but because someone is giving him a chance to be all that he can be. I am so thankful for the family in America that has chosen to sponsor him so that he can go to school. Not only will my friend Jeremy learn to read and write, but he will also continue learning about history from a Christian perspective. This education will equip him to one day live out his dream of becoming a pilot (unless being a pilot is his “veterinarian”.) Its amazing to think that by one person’s sacrifice of $43 a month, one little boy has the chance to be all that he can be.
If you would like to help other children live out their dream please visit bftw.org
