What do you think of our redesigned CFCA blog?

CFCA sponsor and awareness trip traveler, Tom Weir, right, shows photos on his smartphone to his sponsored child, Purity, and her mother, Monica, in Kenya.

By Shanxi Omoniyi, CFCA online content manager

Welcome, friends! If you’re a longtime blog reader, you may have noticed our new look and redesign. We’re excited to give you a quick tour and then open the conversation up to you.

‘Moving on up,’ part 2: Colombian mother sends update about first home

After a lot of hard work to reach her dream, Celina invites you to see her new home!

We recently met Celina, mother of two sponsored children in the Hope for a Family sponsorship program in Colombia. Through CFCA, Celina was able to purchase the required materials she needed to start her own homemade empanada business and make the dream of owning her first home a reality.

Harry Garcia, our communications liaison in Colombia, visited Celina in her new home and sent us an update of what she’s doing now and how the Hope for a Family program is still making a difference in her and her family’s life.

A view of the hallway in Celina’s new home: new floors and fresh paint!

I feel glad and so blessed! This is the new life that I wanted to bring to my children. We are happy here. I continued my studies, and I am now learning at the fourth-and fifth-grade level.

CFCA scholar: ‘Poverty is not a hindrance to success’

Grace’s hometown of Legazpi, Philippines.

The CFCA project in Legazpi, Philippines, recently sent us success stories from young adults who were sponsored through CFCA.

Here’s one from Grace, who just graduated with her teaching degree after many challenges along the way. Congratulations, Grace!

“Poverty is not a hindrance to success” is an old saying, which I can attest to be true.

I was born to a poor family, the third of six children. Before my father passed away, he was a laborer, and my mother is a seamstress. Six mouths to feed is no joke, and we did not leave the burden to our parents alone. Instead we helped them ease the burden.

During my college education, the harsh realities of life were instilled in me when my dear father soon came to terms with God and left us.

How to cook Dumbok’ (Indian rice balls) — recipe

CFCA serves about 31,000 sponsored children and elderly in India. Vincent Murmu, Bhagalpur-Dumka project coordinator, sends us this recipe for Dumbok’, (pronounced “DOOM-bok”) a traditional dish of the Santal indigenous community in India!

CFCA caption contest: Fun times with Bob in Guatemala

CFCA President Bob Hentzen, a microphone and smiles from thousands of sponsored children can only mean one thing.

A CFCA caption contest!

How would you describe what’s going on in this picture, taken by Erin Gaffaney, on a CFCA awareness trip to Guatemala? Share with us your clever caption by adding a comment below.

(Here’s a refresher on our guidelines: We don’t, of course, accept offensive or inappropriate comments, profane or abusive language.)

Please submit your captions to us by noon CST on Wednesday, April 24.

A team of qualified panelists (a.k.a. CFCA employees) will then select and announce the winning caption in early May. The winner will receive a prize of a CFCA coffee mug as well as recognition from the general CFCA community.

Enjoy!

How do I make a special donation for my sponsored friend?

Q. I learned through my sponsored friend’s family profile that she sleeps on a straw mat, and I would like to buy her a bed. Is there a way to make an extra contribution for my sponsored friend beyond the $30 monthly sponsorship contribution?

A. CFCA has several funds designed to address special circumstances of sponsored friends and their families. If your friend tells you of a special circumstance through their letters and you want to make a special contribution, contact Sponsor Services for assistance.

CFCA and our field staff will work with your sponsored friend and family to use your contribution effectively. Once your friend’s needs have been addressed, any unused portion of the funds may be used to help another member of your sponsored friend’s family or another person in the CFCA community.

Special needs funds allow you to help address critical needs identified by your sponsored friend or family that go beyond what regular monthly sponsorship can cover. Needs may include medical emergencies, home furnishing items, housing repairs or assistance in times of financial crisis.

Please note that donations for special needs must be handled through Sponsor Services.

For more information, please email mail@cfcausa.org or call Sponsor Services at (800) 875-6564 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.

New year celebration in India features food, emotions

Ingredients used for ugadi pachhadi, a traditional dish for the Telugu new year.

By Sreekanth Gundoji, CFCA communications liaison in India

People in south central India spent today marking a new beginning as we celebrated the festival of Ugadi. Ugadi is a new year for the Telugu people.

Telugu is the local language in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Children, families and aging friends in CFCA’s Hyderabad project speak Telugu.

The name of this new year is Vijaya, which means success. Our new calendar will start from this day onward.

We prepare a special dish to start the new year. It’s called ugadi pachhadi (pachhadi means pickle).

Sreekanth Gundoji, CFCA communications liaison for India, displays unripe mangos from a mango tree. Mangos are a key ingredient for the ugadi pachhadi recipe.

Ugadi pachhadi has a traditional value. It’s a mixture of six varieties of tastes symbolizing six feelings, good and bad, that everyone experiences in life.

In the spirit of the Telugu new year, we’d like to offer this ugadi pachhadi recipe. Note the special meaning of each ingredient.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar, signifying happiness (the traditional sugar used is jaggery, made from sugar cane, date palms or coconut)
• 3 cups of tamarind juice, signifying disgust because of the sour taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of neem flower petals, signifying sadness
• 1/4 tablespoon of salt, signifying fear
• 1/2 tablespoon of pepper, signifying anger
• 3 tablespoons of unripe, green mango pieces, signifying surprise

Directions:

1. Mix all the above listed items in a bowl. (This signifies that everyone has to accept all life experiences equally.)

2. Serve in cups.

Happy Ugadi, Telugu new year!