1-2-1 Child and Orphan sponsorship program

We have obtained sponsorship for the following children:

Inong,Lam Assam Village, Banda Aceh Region, Indonesia

We first met Inong then aged 4 in April 2007, sitting alone and way from the other children and people. We were then told that she could not speak or hear properly. Her father was in Jakarta looking for work and her mother was in Sigli on the East Coast of Aceh, approx 10hrs away by car. They were too poor to keep her and her brother, so her uncle had taken over caring for them. We discussed the possibility of special schooling for her, but there was nothing available in the area and it would mean her being placed in boarding school.

In July 2008 we met her and her brother Fulgon again, she sat close to him. They were both painfully thin. She would not interact with the other children and would not make a sound. Her parents had had another child and were now living in the village. Fulgon went to school in broken shoes and a ripped uniform and Chance International provided a complete new set including shoes, bag and gym kit.

When Inong was not helping her mother in the brick factory, she would wander the village alone. When there was interaction with other children it was usually them taking any thing she had found to play with, to which she never resisted or objected. Natascha Barrymore developed a relationship slowly with her and the trust she built led to Inong starting to smile, interact and finally talk. Inong could talk all along, but did not like to. When offered security and attention, the transformation was startling and she now laughs, plays with the other children and speaks - sometimes even shouts.

Although officially too young for our Education Support Program, Inong is the first to arrive and always the last to leave. Chance International not only helps with her education, but provides a place of refuge where she can escape from everyday life and be a child.

We heard from the community that Inong's family planned to send her to the orphanage and we have offered to cover her and her brother's education, clothing, food and medical care to enable them to stay within the family unit.

Inong's transformation can only be described as amazing. However, for this to be sustained and developed, she needs extra support and care. We are committed to her development and to keeping her smile growing bigger.

Inong is a beneficiary of our 1-2-1 Sponsorship Program. If you would like to change the life of a child like Inong, please click here to learn more or contact us at 1-2-1@chanceinternational.net.

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Suri, Lam Assam Village, Banda Aceh Region, Indonesia

Suri, a 6 year old child and one of 7 children, is deaf and dumb, but has vocal chords. She is underweight, always in rags and spends her days working in the brick factory. The local school will not accept her because of her special needs and her family cannot afford the transportation or cost of sending her to a special needs school. Although her mother asked if we would accept her, it is still a struggle to get her out of the brick factory, where she works all day. When Suri came to our school, she was unable to hold a pen. She can now write ABC by herself. She is incredibly creative and loves drawing, and uses colour as no other child in the village can. She draws the most amazing flowers and butterflies.

Suri is very bright and learns fast but without our support, this little girl will remain in a world of silent frustration, growing up illiterate with a future consisting only of the brick factory as a means to support herself. There are very slim chances of her marrying and having a family.

We are in the process of visiting special needs schools to find a suitable one for her which will also teach her to lip read, as well searching for a specialist to asses the possibility of a hearing aid.

She is the sweetest of little girls, responding to the slightest attention. Suri is sponsored through our 1-2-1 Program. . If you would like to change the life of a child like Suri, please click here to learn more or contact us at 1-2-1@chanceinternational.net.