This year, Simon signed up to run the Manchester Marathon. This was to be his first marathon and double the distance he had ever run in his life. Simon sponsors a child with Stand by Me and knew that the money he raised was going to help those that needed it most through funding teachers' salaries. 

This year we are proud that 20 of our children from the children’s village started their academic year at private school. The children are attending school daily, working hard and learning to pass their national exams. When they reach the end of their education, we are confident they will achieve well.

Sadly tragedy and unexpected loss are all too common for children in Bekoji. The Stand by Me Bekoji Children’s Village was built to care for children just like Samrawit, orphaned, abandoned and in need of a loving family. We welcomed her into our girls’ home after the death of her father and she immediately fitted in.

The Yangon family gathered outside around tables in the shade. A tasty selection of food was prepared, including rice which is a Burmese staple. It was a great time eating and celebrating together and it was a good opportunity for the family to bond around a dinner table.

Our Nepal Manager Fay coordinates our work in Nepal from our UK office. This year she took a group of supporters to visit our Hetauda project to meet their sponsored children. She shares with us a summary of her trip and just a few highlights of her time with our kids:

There are no hospitals in Guacamayal, Colombia where we care for over 180 kids at our care centre. Stand by Me invites doctors and dentists to visit the care centre and run clinics for our children and often their relatives too. Recently a team of nine doctors and two dentists visited the care centre.

Our Bethany School in the mountains of Khairang, Nepal continues to thrive. We have been providing breakfast as most children come to school with empty stomachs and some have walked for up to 90 minutes to reach the school. 

Have you ever wondered what child sponsorship is? Child sponsorship is incredibly important part of how we rescue and care for kids at Stand by Me. It’s so much more than a monthly donation providing for a child’s food, clothes, medical care and education; it means a child feels loved, cared for and part of a family.