From a fridge photo to a family reunion: How sponsorship changed two lives

Momodou Bah sits with his former sponsor, Deb Bourque, at the school he attended as a child in The Gambia. After he grew up, Momodou sought to reconnect with Deb to thank her for her support – and in January 2025, she traveled to The Gambia to visit him.

Outwardly, Deb Bourque and Momodou Bah seem to have little in common.

The former, a New Englander with two grown kids, works in senior care and spends her free time dancing and traveling. The latter, a community leader from the small West African country of The Gambia, is raising four children while heading up a grassroots nonprofit that supports environmental conservation, youth empowerment and public health.

Yet in spite of their differences, Deb and Momodou share a special bond that spans decades, continents and generations. And it all started with a photo on the fridge.

Starting small

When Deb first decided to sponsor a child, she was a young woman in her 20s living on her own for the first time. She remembers going to visit an aunt who had photos of sponsored children on her refrigerator. Almost immediately, Deb knew she wanted to do something like that, too.

“Life was easy for me then,” she says. “I thought, ‘I can do this. I can help one child.’

“I didn’t care where they were from. I just wanted to help.” A few weeks later, a photo of a young boy from The Gambia arrived in her mailbox.

For 10 years, Deb faithfully sent in her monthly sponsorship donations to support Momodou, plus extra monetary gifts for each birthday and New Year’s—small gestures that, unbeknownst to her, were lifelines for Momodou and his family.

“I didn’t realize what an impact it made for him,” Deb says.

Momodou, however, remembers those years vividly.

“If I didn’t have a sponsor, I wouldn’t have gone to school,” he says. “I wouldn’t be here talking about the impact I’m making in my community.”

The sponsorship provided for more than just education, however—it also brought food, clothing, school supplies and healthcare.

“We had school feeding programs,” Momodou says. “When a child was sick, ChildFund paid the bill. It wasn’t just me; it helped the whole community.”

Momodou a few years into his sponsorship at Sintet Primary School.

Years passed. Momodou graduated from the program, and Deb grew busy raising her own children. Then, in 2015, long after the sponsorship had ended, she received an unexpected phone call.

“I was having a rough day,” Deb remembers. “Then I got a call from ChildFund. They said, ‘Did you sponsor this young man? He just walked through our front door!’”

That young man was Momodou, now grown up and determined to reconnect with the woman who had helped shape his life. It turned out that he was visiting the U.S. to take some college courses in civic leadership and government.

After visiting the ChildFund office in Richmond, Virginia, Momodou made a trip north to say hello to Deb at her home.

From that moment, their bond deepened. They stayed in touch, and Momodou often encouraged Deb to visit The Gambia. “He always said, ‘You have to come. You’re going to love it,’” Deb recalls. “This year, it finally felt like the right time.”

The journey of a lifetime

In January 2025, Deb finally boarded a plane destined for the coast of West Africa. The journey was no small feat—three flights, including connections through Brussels and Senegal, before finally arriving in Banjul. But from the moment she landed, Momodou’s family embraced her as one of their own.

“His brother met me at the airport and paid the entry fee,” Deb says. “We went straight to his house. It was like a party waiting for me. It was overwhelming and exciting.”

Deb got to meet Momodou’s children—two teenagers and two younger ones—as well as his mother and father. She attended a baby-naming ceremony at his sister’s house, where she met extended family and neighbors. “There were about 40 people coming in and out,” she says. “The women cooked rice, goat, chicken, vegetables. They made sure I had a special meal and taught me how to eat with my hands.”

Deb was delighted to meet Momodou’s father, Alhagie Jayeh Bah, and his mother, Marang Jallow.

Momodou with two of his children.

Over the 10 days she spent with Momodou, Deb danced with grandmothers, participated in green tea ceremonies, and explored the vibrant community that had shaped his life.

“They have such a strong sense of community,” she says. “They’re some of the happiest people I’ve ever met. I feel like I have another family now.”

But one of the most emotional moments of the trip was visiting the school Momodou had attended as a child. Her eyes welled with tears when she walked through the classrooms where he used to study. She even met the original social worker who had written letters on Momodou’s behalf before he could write.

“He remembered me,” she says. “He told me how the money helped buy rice, school supplies, even shoes.

“I didn’t realize how much those birthday and New Year’s gifts meant. It was just $10 or $20, but it was a lifesaver.”

The power of sponsorship

Today, Momodou is a changemaker in his community. He’s a former elected ward councilor, a Mandela Fellowship Award recipient, and the founder of the Community Action Platform on Environment and Development.

“We’ve planted over 3 million mangrove trees,” Momodou says of his organization. “We’ve brought clean water to over 20,000 schoolchildren, supported 50 rural schools, and provided materials for women’s horticulture projects. We’re educating communities about environmental protection and building community forests.

“We’re getting grants from around the world. People even want me to run for president—but I think I can help more from where I am,” he smiles.

Deb is in awe of his accomplishments. “He’s improved the country because of this,” she says. “He’s helping others get their start. He’s built homes, created jobs, and inspired a generation.”

It has been a life-affirming, full-circle experience for Deb and Momodou alike. They both love to share their story and encourage people they meet to sponsor a child in The Gambia – or anywhere they feel led to.

Deb and Momodou appeared on Gambian television to tell their sponsorship story and talk about Momodou’s nonprofit.

“It’s so rewarding,” Deb says. “In this kind of volatile, crazy world, it’s nice to do something humanitarian. You never know. You might change someone’s life, and they might come back 20 years later to find you.”

Momodou agrees. “You may not know the impact of the job you are doing,” he says. “You are not only helping children, but also their families and communities.”

“It’s a small sacrifice for us,” Deb says, “but it can make a huge impact. And I saw it firsthand.”