For her birthday, Kaylane’s sponsor also sent a photo of a cake she had made in Kaylane’s honor, saying that she’d love to make her one to eat, but she couldn’t send it by mail.
“My family does not have money to give me a party or a special cake, so I felt happy to see the cake my sponsor made for me,” Kaylane says. “I didn’t eat it literally, but I enjoyed it in my heart.”
Kaylane and her family live in a land settlement that doesn't have basic public services, like sanitation. Her house is made of adobe and wood. The floor is just barely covered with cement. On rainy days, the holes in the roof let water inside and make the whole house wet. The only individual room in the home is separated from the rest of the space by a blanket.
Despite this, Kaylane loves to spend time there, where she reads books and pretends to teach. Her mother, Helena, proudly shares how her daughter likes to study. “When she receives a letter from her sponsor, she comes home happy and reads her sponsor’s words for all of us,” Helena says. “I think she is going to be a teacher when she grows up.”
Words from her sponsor have held great importance in every moment of Kaylane’s life. When her father was murdered, the love from her sponsor was essential in processing her grief.
“I miss him so much,” Kaylane says, tears coming to her eyes.