IMPACTSPRING 2016

FEEDING DREAMS THROUGHENCOURAGEMENT

IN THIS EDITION:

Encouragement can come in many forms. But all stories of encouragement are, at their heart, about one person believing in another. In a world where too many people have no one to believe in them, we at Unbound want to celebrate that faith in human potential whenever we see it.

This edition of Impact presents two stories of encouragement from different parts of the Unbound world. Jacqueline’s story is a testament to the power of encouragement. Bolstered by the love and support expressed in letters she received over the years from her sponsor, Jacqueline completed her education and now works as a social worker in her native Bogota, Colombia.

We also meet Lenfrida, a young woman from Tanzania who, like many young people, struggled with conventional education. With the support of her mother and the local Unbound staff, Lenfrida trained to become a hairdresser and is now enjoying her new career.

We hope you enjoy these stories of encouragement, and we hope they encourage you in your own journey into deeper solidarity with the human family.

4 ‘The truth is there are no limits’

6 Finding a path to success

MORE STORIES AVAILABLE AT UNBOUND.ORG/OURWORK, INCLUDING:

HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT DISCRIMINATORY WORDSFat. Illiterate. Drunk. These are just a few of the words a mothers group in Guatemala called each other during a recent workshop. But there was no malice behind their words. Read their story about how this was an exercise created to open up discussion about how words like these can affect a person.

ON THE COVER:

Jose Fernando, a sponsored youth in El Salvador, writes to his sponsors Ron and Kathy in Illinois.

A group of sponsors visit a community in Guatemala where Unbound works. Each year, hundreds of travelers see Unbound’s programs firsthand by going on awareness trips.

THE POWER OFENCOURAGEMENT

THE POWER OFENCOURAGEMENT

In every Unbound community, people are brimming with potential. Sponsors and donors recognize that and continue to give opportunities to those who otherwise wouldn’t have them.Meet Cristian from Colombia, an Unbound scholarship holder. By contributing to Education, you can help fund his dream of becoming an accountant.

EDUCATION

Want to make a difference and be active at the same time? Become an Unbound Trailblazer and you can support a child’s education while running your first 5K, participating in a bowling tournament or competing in another athletic activity. To learn more, check out UnboundTrailblazers.org and get started today!

BECOME ATRAILBLAZER TODAY!

She remembers how she felt as a child

when that first letter from her sponsor arrived.

“The truth is that my sponsor Janice’s

letters filled me with joy,” said Jacqueline

Castiblanco Suarez, who was sponsored

through Unbound from the time she

was a young girl until she began a career

in social work. “The first time that I

received a letter, I felt that I was

important for someone.”

Jacqueline is a young

adult now, working at a

university in Bogota,

Colombia, in social

work. But she still holds

the letters from her

sponsor in Kansas close.

She saved every one of

them in a scrapbook.

Through their

correspondence and over

time, Jacqueline began to

regard her sponsor as part of

her family.

“She saw me grow up, taught me things,

and the best thing was that she was there

to celebrate my triumphs and, of course,

give me words of encouragement in those

times that I made mistakes,” Jacqueline

said. “… And her words were always a

motivation to keep going, seeking to be

the best, and proving that, despite the

economic difficulties, life could change.”

Jacqueline was raised by a single

mother, and she never knew her father

or his family. When her maternal

grandmother died when Jacqueline was

around 15, she was without grandparents

and wrote Janice about it. She began to

regard Janice like a grandmother, and their

bond grew stronger.

While Janice’s sponsorship and

a scholarship from Unbound

helped Jacqueline with

education and other needs,

the encouragement she

got can’t be quantified.

Jacqueline keeps that in

mind when working with

her students.

“I promote the fact that

studying is the best option,

which, in a way, is what Unbound

encouraged in me, and it really

allowed me to have a better

life,” Jacqueline said. “Believing

in ourselves is difficult. I know that from

experience. So I support my students … for

them to recognize their qualities, skills and

abilities.”

While she was still studying, Jacqueline

was a social worker on the Unbound staff

in Bogota. She encouraged the women in

mothers groups to believe in themselves.

“Because the truth is there are no limits.

We create limits on ourselves,” Jacqueline

‘THE TRUTH IS THERE ARE NO LIMITS’

4

Jacqueline (left), a former sponsored friend, and her

mother, Ana.

said. “I remember that for them it was

very curious that someone so young like

me, who came from the community, could

become a social worker.”

Jacqueline lives in the same

neighborhood, on the outskirts of Bogota,

where she grew up. She sees people she

grew up with working hard for little pay

to support their families. Others she knew

got involved in crime and went to prison.

“Those are the chains of poverty that

seemed eternal,” she said. “… I thank

God for allowing Unbound to enter my

life, that my sponsor Janice became my

grandmother, and that me being sponsored

was the best opportunity of my life.”

Though Jacqueline and Janice have

never met in person, Jacqueline did have

an opportunity to express her gratitude

through a special messenger, Unbound’s

coordinator in Bogota, Judith Bautista.

Judith was in Kansas last year for a board

meeting at Unbound headquarters and

arranged to meet Janice.

Judith also had her own message to

share with Janice.

“Looking at the miracle from my

heart, I had to tell Janice face to face the

power of her words to change that girl,”

Judith said.

People in Jacqueline’s neighborhood

must deal with poverty, gangs, drugs,

alcohol abuse and other social problems.

That reality, Judith said, made Janice’s

words of encouragement all the more

important in keeping Jacqueline from

damaging her life.

“It empowered her to be a better person

— to know that someone in another part of

the world was thinking of her,” Judith said.

Sponsors should know that their words

can have a positive impact despite the

odds against their sponsored friends.

“The world needs to know that miracles

exist,” Judith said.

For her part, Jacqueline encourages

sponsors to take that next step in forming

a relationship.

“I would say to the sponsors, continue

delivering that message of love to

your sponsored friends through the

sponsorship and letters,” she said. “Don’t

be afraid to write. Instead, allow yourself

… to find a friend.”

‘THE TRUTH IS THERE ARE NO LIMITS’

5

Jacqueline and her mother hold her degree.

Jacqueline keeps a binder with Janice’s letters.

Jacqueline and her mother on graduation day.

Sometimes the right decision can be

hard to make, especially when it has a

major impact on your future and goes

against expectations. And the pressure only

intensifies when you have to tell others about

a decision you think might be unpopular.

That was exactly the scenario that faced

18-year-old Lenfrida, a former sponsored

youth from Tanzania, when she decided to

leave traditional schooling and pursue a

career as a hairdresser.

“I was not performing well [in school],”

Lenfrida said. “The harder I tried to

improve on my performance, the more

frustrated I became. My grades were not

anything to be proud of. I felt I was letting

my sponsor and Unbound down.

According to Lenfrida, the decision to

drop out of school wasn’t an easy one.

“I decided to quit after I failed my form

two examinations. I felt so discouraged and

was not sure whether the decision I was

about to make would be wise. I was scared

that my mother would be disappointed in

me, as well as Unbound.”

Despite her fears, Lenfrida knew that

traditional schooling wasn’t the right fit

for her and she prepared herself for a

difficult conversation with her mother,

Eliwelu. Eliwelu is a single mother of four

and supports her children with the income

she makes from her small café. She wants

to see all of her children succeed in their

educations. Eliwelu is supportive of her

daughter’s decision, but admits it wasn’t

quite what she hoped for.

“I was a bit disappointed,” Eliwelu

said. “I wanted Lenfrida to continue with

her education. However, I knew she was

struggling at school and her performance

6

FINDING A PATH TOSUCCESS

Lenfrida, a former sponsored youth from Tanzania, found the courage to follow her passion in life.

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was below average. As a parent, I knew

she needed my approval and support in

the decision she had made.”

Though she had been nervous about

telling her mother, Lenfrida felt completely

supported after talking to Eliwelu.

“I have always loved hairdressing,”

Lenfrida said. “It comes naturally to me.

It is a talent I have. … My mother was

quite supportive. She understood that

I was having challenges at school and

encouraged me to pursue my passion

in hairdressing.”

It was that support that gave Lenfrida

the confidence she needed to enroll in

a certificate course so she could learn

additional hairdressing skills and gain

the certification needed to get a job

in the field. Her mother’s support also

helped her when it came time to tell the

Unbound staff about the change in her

education plans.

For younger sponsored members,

education is one of the main focuses of

the Unbound sponsorship program. For

most sponsored youth, this means going

on to secondary school and possibly

college. For some, like Lenfrida, other

educational options are better suited to

their talents and goals.

When Lenfrida discussed her decision

with Unbound staff members in

Tanzania, they were understanding and

supportive of her plan.

Unbound understands that individuals

have their own skill sets and dreams of

what they want to do with those skills.

“Each student’s goals are different,”

said Amanda Heter, a regional project

director for Unbound. “For example, some

students may choose to study at a formal

university or college, but for others they

may enroll in a vocational or technical

training course. What the Unbound

program strives to do is provide support,

resources and opportunities that will help

students enter the workforce prepared so

that they can become economically self-

sufficient in the long-run, regardless of

their choice of career path.”

Sometimes, when she sees her

friends going off to school, Lenfrida

has some regret over her choice, but

she’s committed to remaining positive

and focusing on what she’s passionate

about. Since leaving school, Lenfrida has

completed her hairdressing certificate

and found a job doing what she loves.

“I feel so happy doing hairdressing,”

she said. “It has been my passion for so

long, and having an opportunity to go

to school and learn more about it is an

opportunity that I don’t take for granted.

I thank Unbound for supporting me.

“Though I dropped out of [traditional]

school, I believe that a good education

can open up doors for success. I also

believe that God has given us different

talents. If one can exploit what they have

inside of them, they will excel in life.”

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