Sponsor a Child Today

Rochelle makes her home with her father and her mother. Carrying water, caring for children and caring for animals are her household duties. Her father is sometimes employed as a laborer and her mother maintains the home. There are 4 children in the family.

Rochelle is not presently attending school. Singing, art and walking are her favorite activities. She also attends church activities and Bible class regularly.

Rochelle especially needs your love and care because she is developmentally disabled and is receiving regular medical treatment. Because of your sponsorship, however, she is better able to lead a well-adjusted life. Please pray for her.

Rochelle lives in Butuan City, home to approximately 442,900 residents. Typical houses are constructed of dirt floors, wood walls and thatch roofs. The primary ethnic group is Manobo and the most commonly spoken languages are Bisayan and Cebuano.

The regional diet consists of fish and rice. Common health problems in this area include coughs, colds and flu. Most adults in Butuan City work are unemployed but some work as day laborers and earn the equivalent of $80 per month. This community has electricity and water but needs recreational facilities, employment opportunities and tuition assistance.

Your sponsorship allows the staff of Sunbeam Student Center to provide Rochelle with Bible teaching, camps, prayer retreats, medical and dental checkups, health education, proper nutrition and tutoring. The center staff will also provide child development training, camps and gardening courses for the parents or guardians of Rochelle.

North to south, 7,107 islands spread over 1,150 miles in the western Pacific Ocean to make up the country of the Philippines. About 95 percent of the population lives on the 11 largest islands. In the tropical lowlands, the climate is usually hot, humid and rainy.

The Philippines was once the most developed country in Asia following World War II but has lagged behind other countries because of poor economic growth and corruption. Spain and the United States, both colonizers of the country, have been the biggest influences on Philippine culture; a unique blend of Asia and the West. The country has two official languages: Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English. Eighty-three percent of the country is Catholic.

For centuries, the Philippine islands have been the crossroads of many cultures, including the Middle East, India and China, which all came to trade. In 1521, Spaniard Ferdinand Magellan reached the islands and Spain ruled them until 1898. The Philippines were ceded by Spain to the United States in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. They attained independence in 1946 after Japanese occupation in World War II. In 1965, the country came under the rule of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Widespread corruption and political mismanagement marred the Marcos regime. In 1986, a bloodless revolution forced Marcos into exile. In 1992, the U.S. closed its last military bases on the islands. In 2010, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III became the 15th president of the Philippines. He is the son of the former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. and former president Corazon Aquino, who was the 11th president of the country. The government continues to struggle with Muslim insurgencies in the south.