Feeling good about being human: My sponsorship journey

It was during the 2020 pandemic when I first decided to sponsor a child.

I remember it as a time of deep self-reflection. I felt that if my family was going through hard times, I could not even imagine the struggles of families in different parts of the world – people who were already experiencing extreme poverty or hardship. I knew I wanted to do something to support a child on an ongoing basis. That’s what brought me to ChildFund.

A little bit about me: My name is Maria Linda Mabry. I’m from Texas, born and raised. My family is originally from Mexico, with Spanish and Native American roots. I’m a mom of three – I have two sons and a daughter – and I’ve been happily married for 15 years.

I love to write and sing, and I’m currently in college, studying humanities at the University of Texas. My dream is to go to law school one day and become an advocate helping people fight for their human rights. I’ve had such an amazing life so far, full of opportunities to learn and grow, and I’ve always wanted to give back to others what has been given to me.

When I learned about ChildFund, it felt like the perfect place to start. I did some research and found out that they had such a reputable history. I loved how easy it was to find a child to sponsor. The website offered options to search for children to support by country, gender and age. Ultimately, I decided to sponsor a little girl because I think that as women, it’s important for us to support young women who want to educate themselves. That’s how I met Esther.

The journey to sponsor a child in Mexico

Esther and I connected right away. Our shared Mexican heritage gives us so much to talk about, and since I’m bilingual, we write letters back and forth in Spanish. Esther calls me madrina, which means “godmother” in English. I always tell her everything that’s going on here in San Antonio, any festivities or activities we’re participating in. And she lets me know what’s going on in her life as well – any cultural festivities in her community, what’s happening at her school, or even what she had for dinner. It’s so nice to share these simple things that make me feel connected to what life is like for her.

In Esther’s letters, she always mentions her mom, her grandma and her sister. They’re so strong as women, trying to survive in the world. I was raised by strong women too, and that’s something I relate to so much. Now, I also get to be part of that support system of women who are cheering Esther on. I always encourage her every time I write her a letter, telling her to stay in school and follow her dreams.

One of my favorite things is how ChildFund gives me the option to send Esther a monetary gift for her birthday or Christmas. It’s incredible to know that I can send a gift and the family will get 100% of it to use on what they need. I love actually getting to see pictures of what they buy with the money that I contribute, whether it’s food or even a new dress. I know Esther and her family will carry these memories with them forever, just like I will.

But my sponsorship is about more than just helping Esther financially. ChildFund also has a lot of resources and programs that help children with their physical, mental and emotional health.

One moment I’ll never forget is when Esther wrote me a letter and talked about how much she loves to go to school. She loves science, and she loves to learn. She’s so motivated.

She also told me she loves that ChildFund teaches her so much about herself – about her rights, about what she can offer the world. That’s going to be so impactful for her – and it’s so impactful for me, too. Not only am I supporting her as her sponsor, but by making this connection with ChildFund, it’s like I have a partner in mentoring and encouraging Esther as she grows.

Paying it forward through child sponsorship

All of this has a way of making me reflect on why things are the way they are in our world. Why do some people have more and others have less? I think it really boils down to chance and luck. We need to be grateful for what we have, because we could have easily been born somewhere else. I’ve always believed that with great wealth or great opportunity comes great responsibility. Not only do I have the responsibility to help myself, but I also have a responsibility to help others.

We’re all here because somebody contributed to our lives when we were children. If somebody had not made sacrifices for us years ago, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We’re all standing on the shoulders of somebody else, of another generation. I feel that we owe it to our ancestors and to the people who came before us to continue to help others succeed. That’s how we can contribute to a world that’s more equitable.

So often, you hear people say, “Well, what do someone else’s problems have to do with me? It’s not my fault that people are going through that.” But if you really analyze it, it is your problem. We all live on the earth. We are all using its resources. We are not better than other people because we are financially better off. We need to do our part to build a better world with our children. It’s what makes us all feel good about being human.

I would tell someone who’s considering becoming a sponsor to really just go for it. Give it a chance. You won’t regret it. You’re going to get so much more out of it than you can imagine. I learn so much from Esther all the time. I think I learn more from her than she can learn from me.

My greatest hope and dream for Esther is that she realizes the value that she has as a person, as a woman, and that she knows that people out there will need the things she has to give. I hope she knows she’s loved and that she matters, and that her voice and her point of view are valid. She can make a difference in somebody’s life, just like I have, and she can do anything she wants if she sets her mind to it.