A youngster’s friendship with her sponsored child inspires a new book.
By James Addis
When writer Barb Christing’s 6-year-old daughter picked out a young boy, Bornface Magalasi, to sponsor at a church sponsorship drive, Barb was less than enthusiastic. She couldn’t help thinking that photos of many of the other children on the sponsorship table looked more attractive.
But trying to change Katie’s mind proved futile. “There was something about this child that really touched my daughter,” Barb says, “and she refused to put the folder down. So Bornface came into our lives.”
Barb Christing, author of African Heartbeat (Jon Warren/WV)
What happened subsequently so inspired Barb, of La Mirada, Calif., that she joined forces with illustrator Phillip Cisneros to produce a children’s picture book. African Heartbeat, published by World Vision, explains sponsorship from a child’s perspective. The book is loosely based on Katie and Bornface’s blossoming friendship, developed through their exchange of cards, letters, and photos.
Despite her young age, Katie gained an insight into the challenges of growing up in rural Malawi and how child sponsors can make things better. Thanks to sponsorship, Bornface’s community has a new school, a new well, and a better diet through the use of improved farming techniques.
At the same time, Barb noted a deepening sense of compassion and generosity in her daughter. When the Christing family decided to buy Bornface a goat in addition to their regular sponsorship contribution, an overjoyed Katie danced around the house. “Children often wander around with this mirror in front of their face—all they see are their needs and their wants,” Barb says. “Child sponsorship allowed my daughter to take that mirror down and see past herself.”
Speak to Katie, and it becomes clear what she means: “Bornface taught me that no matter where you are in the world, you can still be loved by someone far away.”
Barb hopes that the book will open children’s eyes to the joy of giving and how they, too, can have a friend in a distant land. “Kids are looking for the opportunity to be taken seriously,” she says. “They like to help. Our job is to empower them to do so.”
>>To order African Heartbeat, visit worldvisionresources.com. Ideal for children ages 4 to 8 but will appeal to all.