When Fynn Sor, an educator and mother of three, first learnt about World Vision’s Child Sponsorship Programme, its focus on children resonated deeply with her.
“My heart is really in children and education” she shares. Reading about children from vulnerable communities, one thing stood out to her: “some don’t have access to even basic things like food, clean water and education, it broke my heart”.
She then began her Child Sponsorship journey through Chosen®, World Vision’s unique approach that empowers children to choose their sponsors. “It’s such a powerful way for them to learn that they have the ability to transform their own lives.” All three of her children also joined her in this journey without hesitation.
Raising Children Who Cares for Others
Today, Fynn sponsors six children across Cambodia and Mongolia, with her family actively involved in each sponsored child’s journey. Her two older children, Riley and Zachary, each set aside $10 from their pocket money every month. They also write letters to the sponsored children and help pack educational items for Fynn to bring along when she joins World Vision trips to visit them.
“I want to raise my children to notice others, to care, to be willing to share what they have and understand that not every child grows up the way they do. I’ve watched my own children grow more compassionate and aware of the world beyond their own bubble.” Fynn shares.
Hope Begins with Love in Action
During one of her trips she made to Sambour, Cambodia to visit her sponsored children. Fynn learned that one of her sponsored children, Bun, had to walk six kilometres each day, barefoot on dirt paths to school and back, and was often too tired to stay awake in class. "It broke my heart hearing that," she says. She got him a bicycle and a pair of shoes right away. She then found out that he wasn't the only child making that journey. This prompted her to start a fundraiser. With support from her friends and network over social media, she gifted bicycles to 152 children in the village.
"That's love in motion," Fynn reflects. "It moved from a conversation with a mother in a small village in Cambodia, to my heart, to my community back home in Singapore, and then all the way to 152 children who now ride to school instead of walking."
One of Fynn’s sponsored children, Reaksa, shared with her that knowing she had a sponsor who believed in her motivated her to work hard and do well in school. Her words surprised Fynn and helped her realise that sponsorship offers more than practical support.
“Sometimes, simply knowing that someone believes in them and is cheering them on can give children the confidence to keep trying and work towards a brighter future,” Fynn shares.
Another encounter during her visit of her sponsored children was when the grandmother of her sponsored child Lin, came up to her with tears in her eyes, and gave her a hug, thanking her for sponsoring her grandchild. “That moment stayed with me till today because it reminded me just how far that impact really goes. It touches a whole family and even the wider community.”
To anyone thinking about sponsoring a child, her advice is simple: "Just take the first step. We receive so much more in return than we ever give. When I first started, I saw it purely as something I was doing to help. I didn’t expect how much joy, perspective and even love I’d receive in return through the letters, photos and visits. You get to witness just how much love and positivity can change the world. Sponsorship isn’t one-directional. It changes you just as much as it changes them.”
"Love moves because a small act, from far away, can bring someone hope."
