For Laurent Banda, 14, this week has been a week of many firsts: Leaving his village in Malawi for the first time, traveling in an airplane, coming to Taiwan and yesterday, having the opportunity to meet his Taiwanese sponsor.
Hung Chen-hao (
Yesterday, Banda and the Hungs met for the first time. Hung's family sponsors three children in all -- Banda, a child in Indonesia and one in a remote area of Taiwan -- through World Vision's sponsor program.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Hung once asked his mother why he had to use his Lunar New Year hongbao money to give NT$700 (US$22) a month to a child overseas. His mother said she wanted him to understand that while he spent NT$700 on a toy, the same amount of money was enough to help Banda live for one month.
Banda was chosen by the World Vision branch in Malawi to come to Taiwan to participate in a World Children's Sports Games event to be held this weekend.
More than 300 children from 12 countries -- Bosnia, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Dominica, Mozambique, Honduras, Congo Republic, South Africa, Haiti, Mongolia, the Philippines and Taiwan -- are participating in the games which include sports such as track and field, soccer and basketball.
Banda was reportedly one of the best goalkeepers ever in his elementary school in Malawi, and kicked around balls made from paper since he was five years old.
He accepted a soccer ball as a gift from Hung yesterday and said that he was very thankful to his sponsor family.
"I did not expect that I would have a chance to meet my sponsor family," Banda said. "I love the gift and I hope to become a player like Luis Ronaldo, the Brazilian soccer champion."
Another sponsor parent, Wen Mei-ju (溫美茹), also met her sponsor child, Fiel Faria, 13, from Mozambique yesterday.
"I was touched to see him," Wen said. "For me, NT$700 per month is a small sum, but it has made a difference in his life."
World Vision is involved in community development projects such as the building of infrastructure in these countries.
The organization's sponsorship program helps 27 countries and more than 100,000 children.
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