CTV Calgary's Karen Owen went with a team from World Vision to Sri Lanka to meet some of the people who have benefitted from its programs and even more who need our help.
In part six of her series, Karen talks to a boy and his family who have been getting a hand up from World Vision.
Dinesh is 11-years-old and has been sponsored by World Vision for two years.
His sponsor family looked at his picture and sent him some school supplies and a little something from Canada.
The Broadfoot family reaches out to the boy they will likely never meet in person and their sponsorship ensures that Dinesh goes to school.
The help doesn't stop there as World Vision is able to help Dinesh's entire family, his parents, and three siblings.
The aid organization has given the family chickens and seeds for a home garden.
The idea is to help people become self-sufficient.
"They have dignity. They have a life and they are making the best of that life. They are not sitting around waiting for our charity to show up. They just really need a leg up," said Jacquie Broadfoot.
The Broadfoot family was shown a DVD of Dinesh as he received his gifts and say they are happy to contribute.
"Seeing the satisfaction from such a small token, I think, you know that he's happy and that makes you feel good that you were able to give him such joy but it also makes you reflect upon yourself," said Mark Broadfoot.
"I just think it's really nice for us and probably for other people to see that they're really is somebody there that is benefitting that its more than just a statistic, it's more than something on paper, that they're just real people," said Jacquie.
To make a donation and for more information, visit the World Vision website.
