World Vision child sponsor Maddie Grange travelled to Myanmar to meet her sponsored child Mi Mi*. We thought you might like to hear about her trip as you also sponsor in Myanmar.
I had such a wonderful time meeting Mi Mi and her mother, it was absolutely fantastic! It has been so incredible to be able to visit Mi Mi in Myanmar, and also visit a young girl that my family sponsors in Thailand, a few years ago. I love that each visit is unique and special in its own way.
What I especially liked about my day with Mi Mi was that the focus was really on her. I was thrilled that she had the opportunity to travel to Yangon, and stay in a hotel and see the main city in her country, which she may not have had the opportunity to do otherwise. And it was fantastic to go to the Aung San museum and learn about her country's history, which she knew very little about. We also visited the zoo, which she absolutely loved.
Giving her these opportunities made me feel that sponsorship isn't just about assisting a child, or a family, or a community. But I really am investing in the future of an entire country. It makes so much sense that if I love the country and the people and the culture, to sponsor a child and contribute to its future.
I actually asked Mi Mi what she wanted to be when she grew up. I don't think that the concept of a profession was quite understood, perhaps because of the translation or perhaps because in her community so few people go on to have a career in the typical jobs that we might quote when we were her age, like a teacher or a doctor, etc. Anyhow, she answered that she wanted to help people. Her heartfelt response left me pretty emotional actually, because we had just been learning about the history of her country (which has been riddled with human rights breaches and instability).
I felt like Mi Mi was representative of the young people who we met all over Myanmar, who are refusing to be compliant about these injustices, and really taking a stand. I was really inspired by the young eight-year-old's words to imagine a future for Myanmar that serves the interests of the marginalised and the poor.
*Child’s name has been changed to protect her identity