"Let the little children come to me"

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

There is no greater source of joy and wonder than what you find in a child discovering the world. Adults question, struggle and resist, but children love, trust and believe. When we listen to children and give them the tools they need to thrive, they will change the world. Celebrated on November 20, Universal Children's Day was established in 1954 to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare.

Nineteen-year-old Manuel from Chiclayo, Peru is a young scholar. He is supportive, creative and determined. The oldest of three brothers, he joined the sponsorship program when he was four years old. He grew up in a simple, supportive and hard-working family, striving every day in the face of poverty and inequality.

His father is a factory worker and his mother works caring for children and older adults. In addition to working and taking care of her family, she's always willing to learn the benefits that the program has available to her.

"I will always be grateful towards my sponsors, Peter and Jane, whom I respect a lot and wish them well," said Manuel. "From them I learned the value of friendship and solidarity, and I thank the entire Chalice team for choosing and trusting me with this opportunity."

Manual has blossomed over the years, growing his personal, social and communication skills. He participated with great joy in the child and adolescent development programs, including practicing and learning through play method which accompanied him during his first years of life. As he grew up, he enjoyed artistic and recreational workshops such as reading-writing, swimming, music, soccer, chess, computing, drawing and painting. During his adolescence, he strengthened his self-confidence, values, leadership, and citizenship and teamwork with his other sponsored friends. One of their favorite activities was promoting a tree planting campaign in their neighborhood.

Manuel successfully completed high school and decided to study Advertising Graphic Design at the Institute of High Technology. He is currently studying in his fourth semester and continues to be sponsored.

He's very happy with all the opportunities he has been given. "I dream of finishing my technical studies," he says. "I want to work and continue with higher university studies to specialize within my career. This will give me more job opportunities to help my younger siblings, my parents, sponsored friends and others who need me."

Thank you for giving a needy child a hand up through sponsorship. Please share your experience with sponsorship with those you know to help more children reach their full potential. God Bless.