Child Sponsorship

Amidu, 19, and his siblings lost their father to a mysterious, unknown illness in 2020. 

“Our father’s death broke our hearts. Sometimes I feel sorry for our mom. She now must carry this extra burden on her shoulders,” he says. Amidu’s family had to cope with life’s struggles without a dad, but also of lacking the basic amenities. ‘’Some days it became difficult for us to feed.” 

Amidu’s mother, Feremusu, is a fishmonger and trader. Sometimes she gets lucky with selling some fish, sometimes she doesn’t. “Fish mongering is one of the most difficult jobs to do. There are times I wake up very early at 4:00 a.m. to stand in the queue,’ says Feremusu. The frustrating part is when you come to the marketplace to sell. Some days we are unlucky.”

Amidu started his child sponsorship journey with ChildFund in 2007. By 2012, his sponsor, Jennifer Brown, started sending him money through ChildFund. Brown has been helping him journey toward a bright future with her support, friendship, and encouragement, especially through the funds she sends. Daindemben Federation, one of ChildFund’s local partners in Koinadugu district, advised Amidu to open a bank account to save his money. “Things started to change for my family when I started receiving funds from my friend.” What he does with his funds is phenomenal!

“As the eldest of my siblings, I advised my mom on starting a cattle rearing business in addition to her fish mongering with the savings from the sponsorship funds so we can attend to critical needs like paying for my siblings’ school fees, medical bills, and for ensuring there is food at home.” he says. Amidu’s family is a typical example of a very industrious family who harnessed the sponsorship opportunity and transformed it into a serious business venture for sustainable development.

Cattle rearing is big business in Koinadugu District, the hub for cattle rearing in the country. Every day, hundreds of cows are moved from Koinadugu to other parts of the country for meat consumers, birthdays, funerals, weddings, and other events. As the demand for cows grows, so does the price, too. All Amidu’s siblings; Alpha, 15, a Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS 3) pupil, Hannah, 11, primary 6, and Fatu, 7, primary 3, have their fees paid through the savings from the sponsorship funds. Hannah will soon transition to JSS 1. She needs all the support she can get.

Education is free in primary and secondary school in Sierra Leone, but other school charges often stress parents. Luckily, Hannah does not have to worry. Savings from his brother’s sponsorship funds have her covered. “I always get what I need for school. I have never been to school hungry, and, when I return home, I have food in abundance.” Alpha went through surgery for hernia. Guess what money was used to pay his hospital bills? Amidu’s savings from the bank! “People die while undergoing surgery, but I had my bills paid and I did not die. My brother’s sponsorship is really helping this family. We don’t know what we would have done without it,’’ Alpha says. 

To his siblings, Amidu is a role model and a father figure. “We all look up to him as our father now. He is making good use of the money sent to him,” Alpha continues. Amidu used his DFC savings of NLE 9,000 ($ 450) to purchase 3 cows at 3,000 ($ 150 each).

One fully grown cow is sold for between $400 to $500. “Cattle rearing is a business we intend to retain. It will solve the family’s problems in the long run,” says Amidu. One of his cows is already pregnant! Soon, Amidu will decide on whether to start selling the calves or wait until they are fully mature. While he bought his at $150, a calf currently sells at $253. ChildFund’s sponsorship program has become Amidu’s door of opportunities. “Opportunities, they say, come but once. I am making good use of these opportunities, so my family does not have to struggle in the future,’’ Amidu concludes.