A GLOBAL COMMUNITY REMAINS RESILIENT AND DETERMINED
It would be easy to lose hope in a year with so much suffering and loss caused by the pandemic. In the Unbound community, we’ve been inspired in our work by caring supporters who continue to provide critical resources for the vulnerable, by our teams in the field who carry out programs amid lockdowns and social distancing, and most of all by the families who find ways to overcome poverty.
Here are seven moments that inspired us in 2020 →

1. 1st child sponsored in Rwanda
In January 2020, 5-year-old Kevin became the first child sponsored in Unbound’s newest program country, Rwanda. Kevin’s sponsorship by Trevor in Kansas provides his family with resources for school fees, health care and expanding their small farm, among other benefits.

2. Families show resiliency in crisis
Widowed mother of three Shanti (second from right) spends time at home in Hyderabad, India, with her children. Since her snack vending business closed due to the pandemic, she has struggled to find steady work. She stays afloat financially through informal jobs, along with sponsorship of her daughter and emergency assistance from Unbound.

3. Students tackle remote learning
High school student Jensen in the Philippines opens a laptop computer he was able to buy with funds saved from his sponsorship. Jensen studies online because of the pandemic. Online classes are new for him, but he doesn’t worry anymore about having the right tools to succeed.

4. Elders stay connected to faith
Holding one of her granddaughters, Cecilia looks on as another granddaughter holds a rosary and prayer book. Cecilia used to attend church services in her town in Guatemala twice a week. Now she focuses on praying monthly devotions at home with her family.

5. Teams learn new ways to work
Purity Wanja, a staff member in Unbound’s Meru program in Kenya, records a parent’s responses for an evaluation gauging families’ awareness of child protection policies. Staff members have used technology such as the calling and messaging platform WhatsApp to stay in touch with families and provide services during the pandemic.

6. Supporters offer lifeline to the vulnerable
Students at a school in Nairobi, Kenya, take turns washing up at a handwashing station provided by an Agents of Change grant. Unbound will provide an estimated $113 million in funding to our programs around the world in 2020, including support for sponsored children and elders, scholarships, disaster assistance and community-led initiatives such as the handwashing station.

7. 500th child sponsored in Rwanda
In November, 3-year-old Faustin became the 500th child sponsored in Rwanda. His sponsorship by George in Ohio gives him resources for school and provides his family with opportunities to chart their path out of poverty.

“They [families] have taught us that although the world is filled with injustice, it is also filled with joy and possibility,” Dan Pearson, director of international programs at Unbound, said.