Child labor prevention through sponsorship that changes futures

WILLS POINT, TX – Discover how child labor prevention through sponsorship provides education, care, and support that help vulnerable children stay in school.

As one of six children, 8-year-old Gailya was familiar with poverty. Her father, Rainald, worked hard, providing for Gailya and her siblings as best he could. But his meager earnings could not meet every need. Hunger and destitution followed Gailya, slowly blotting out her hopes and dreams for the future.

A Wish for Something Better

Many women in Gailya’s village had dropped out of school when their family’s funds could no longer support their education. They became laborers, working hard to earn what little money they could to feed themselves and their families. Would that be Gailya’s fate too?

Gailya’s father, Rainald, worked as a driver. Gailya’s mother was blind, typhoid having claimed her sight and left her unable to work since Gailya was 8. Rainald was left to shoulder the burden of providing for the family.

With limited funds, Gailya was the only one from her family who went to school. Her school supplies were old, and Gailya had worn the same clothes and shoes for years. She didn’t even have a backpack; she carried her books in a small plastic bag.

READ THE REST OF THE REPORT ON GFA-NEWSLETTER.ORG

Child sponsorship through GFA World helps families move beyond poverty and keeps children learning, safe, and at home. Learn how the Child Sponsorship Program supports education, nutrition, and care, and how local staff walk with families over time. You can also sponsor a child or pray for this work, knowing support is used with care and respect and honors dignity, choice, and long-term community wellbeing for children and parents alike.