Peter I’Anson, one of the sponsors of Virlanie, first visited the foundation in June 2013 to see the children under our care and at that moment, he started sponsoring two children.
“For me sponsoring a child was just the start, recruiting more sponsors is something we can all do from our circles of friends and colleagues. As sponsors, we are the voices of street children in our communities, making people aware of how they can help,” shared Peter.
His visit was only the start of his journey as a sponsor as he wanted to do more than just sponsoring. He chose the Drop-In Center, one of the Virlanie homes that need additional support and helped in improving the condition of the house, which includes replenishing the kitchen and toilets, changing the internal walls, and replacing the roof, fans, as well as the cabinets/lockers of the children.
“For me, being able to visit Virlanie often from my home in the United Arab Emirates has given me the ability to be more hands on. The kids in the Drop-in Center have inspired me to do more to help them and tell people about the stories of these amazing young people who truly inspire me.”
He was very close to the children and he admired them despite their past experiences.
“Many people expect former street kids to be badly behaved and troubled but the charity works to support them to be the best they can; if only they could do the same with some of the kids I see in the malls here in the United Arab Emirates! The kids have the same aspirations most young kids have like being a football player, singer, or pilot. The older ones want to be social workers, nurses, charity workers, and journalist.” Not only that, he really loves the dedication of the house parents who guide these children and treat them like their own children.
“The work of the ‘parents’ is amazing in instilling good behaviors and a sense of being part of a ‘family’ and not just being an isolated person.” He added.
“In the future, I hope to donate more of my time to the children as seeing in person the work Virlanie does is life-changing for so many young people who need to be given a fair start in life.”
Now, he plans to visit very often but not only to touch the lives of our children but to touch his friends’ lives to get involved and act more in giving back more smiles to street children.
“I would urge all sponsors to see what extra ways they can support the children more”. He said.
Just like Peter, you can do more and inspire our children to have a brighter future! Start your journey today and be a Virlanie sponsor! For more information on child sponsorship, contact our Sponsorship Team at [email protected] or at 895-3460.
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