Francesca Young-Cvetkovich remembers the look on Ricardo’s face during their first visit. “He was 10-years-old at the time and I gave him a soccer ball as a present,” says Young-Cvetkovich, about meeting two of her sponsor children. “He was so happy, he was shaking all over and his expressions were unforgettable — like he received the most amazing and unthinkable gift in the world.”
This was three years ago. Currently, Young-Cvetkovich is a sponsor mother to seven children with Christian Children’s Fund Canada. On her Jamaica trip, she also spent time with a young girl, Taipon, who was 11-years-old at the time. She fondly remembers taking both children to a restaurant. “Our waiter kept yelling: ‘More jerk chicken for the young lady! More rice and peas for the young man!’ ” says Young-Cvetkovich. “The kids just grinned from ear-to-ear and kept eating, answering questions with a polite ‘no miss’ or ‘yes miss.’ ” Young-Cvetkovich became involved with Christian Children’s Fund Canada after immigrating from Malta in 1970, but admits it wasn’t an easy goal, at first. “I sponsored a child in the Philippines, but unfortunately could only do that for a year,” she says. She didn’t sponsor again until 1998 after her father died. Over the next decade she also lost her husband, mother and a close friend. Through her pain she kept reminding herself that many others out there have worse problems. “I am thankful everyday knowing that I have clean water, food, shelter and excellent medical help, should I need it,” she says. “It really is a matter of life and death for so many children.” Young-Cvetkovich used her own hardships as a new start, and to help other children. She says having a one-on-one relationship with them has been amazing. “Writing letters, receiving photos and school reports is an excellent way of knowing how your donation is being used,” says Young-Cvetkovich. “You can see the improvements in the child’s health and education. You hear in their own words how happy they are to learn at school.” However, being a pen pal wasn’t enough for her and she wanted to do more. After her parents passed away, she used the money from the sale of their home to fund a medical site in Ghana and six water harvesting tanks for six different villages. “I had the idea to do something special in memory of my parents,” says Young-Cvetkovich. “Christian Children’s Fund came up with an excellent proposal, since clean drinking water is one of the basic necessities of life.” The medical dispensary is expected to open in March, which also reminds her of another sadness: the death of one of her sponsor children, who died from a snakebite. “There was no way of getting him to nearby medical help in time,” she says with a sigh. Young-Cvetkovich is going to Ghana in about two months and is looking forward to seeing her dedication put in motion. “If these projects and my sponsorships inspire others to come together, I’ll be very happy, knowing the lives of many will be improved,” she says.
Your $35 a month donation is all it takes to make a difference in the life of a child.