The Famous Sponsor Dinner
One of all the trip goers’ favorite nights happens at the very beginning of the Sponsor Trip to Nepal. We call it the “Sponsor Dinner.” For sponsors who have never traveled to Nepal, this is the first opportunity they have to meet their sponsored child. For some, this moment is coming after years of exchanging letters and learning about one another across an ocean of distance. For those returning to Nepal, it is not their first meeting, but a moment of reunion and joyous reconnecting.
This year, three sponsored children had the opportunity to meet their sponsors in person for the first time.
Here is what the sponsors had to say about that moment:
“After being sponsors of Ichhaya for four years, we were excited and a bit nervous to finally meet her in person. We were so happy to see that she’s gone from looking solemn and perhaps sad (when we first decided to sponsor her) to being happy and lively, and we were also very happy to tell her how pleased we are that she’s been doing so well in school. We’re really looking forward to having dinner with her again tomorrow, and spending time with her at the Mitrata/BSF school graduation ceremony!”
“I was excited to meet the girl (Neha) I will be sponsoring through Mitrata. Here I am on that first night—we were fortunate to have some young Mitrata girls to help translate. Neha seemed shy as we began to get acquainted. I brought a map of the world so she could see where I had traveled from (Seattle) to Nepal. She seemed interested in all the distances involved. She also told me that her favorite activity is dancing. I am looking forward to getting better acquainted—and maybe even dancing together. I am glad there are several more opportunities to get together before I leave Nepal. I am grateful for the opportunity to support Neha as she becomes a teacher (what she told me she wants to be) or whatever other dream she has.”
“Meeting our student for the first time caught both of us off guard with the raw emotion of pride and happiness. We had not considered the impact our sponsorship had on this young woman and her gratitude. We have been communicating with her via letters for the past 12 years. Hard to express in words how proud we are of her.”
