Amy Johnson

Why I Sponsor

Ever since I was a child I have seen television commercials beseeching viewers to pay just a small amount of money to sponsor a child. Like many other kids, I collected change from neighbors to help organizations like UNICEF.  As an adult, I still felt the pull to support children who desperately needed help, but wanted to have an impact beyond making monetary contributions to a large organization.

In 2006, Paula shared her Friends of Ngong Road story with my husband and me and we were eager to sponsor through an organization that could provide a closer connection with a child.  Paula chose Martin for us, a young boy close to our son’s age – we hoped to create a relationship between the boys over time and raise our son’s awareness of another and very different part of the world.

In 2008, we all travelled to Nairobi for the first time and spent a week engaged in the annual summer camp and spending time with Martin.  The visit was inspiring as we got to know more of the children and their families and understand what a difference sponsorship makes.  We had the additional benefit of exposing our son to a very different culture where he realized that kids are kids.  By the time we left Africa, he felt like he had a brother.

We now sponsor Rehema as well and were able to meet her in 2011.  She’s a very bright girl who performs near the top of her class and we hope we can help her achieve great things as she grows up.