For me, sponsorship works

Graham Knope is President of Eagle-Com Inc. He traveled to Malawi in March 2009 as part of an initiative to document and film Plan's work in the country.

We spent almost three days filming with Blessings and his family. On the third day in the afternoon, Blessings started to come around. At first it started by looking at a book together. I pointed to objects and gave him the English word for each. He repeated each word carefully. Then we threw a ball back and forth to each other – at this point I even saw him smile a little.

But . . . the big breakthrough came when I showed him how to play the sophisticated and intellectually stimulating game of thumb wars. Remember thumb wars? You lock hands with someone and then see who can pin down the other persons thumb first.

We must have played it for an hour. He was really very good and very strong. It was pure fun and joy for us both.

As the day ended, we had to say goodbyes. We shook hands with the family and thanked them all for graciously letting us come and film with them. And then as we were just about to walk away, Blessings ran to me and jumped into my arms and gave me the biggest, tightest hug ever. Without words, we said so much.

I thought, mistakenly, that I was going there to give to them . . . I had no idea how much they would give to me.

For me . . . sponsorship works.

1 2 3