“Kids these days.” If you haven’t said it yourself, then you’ve definitely overheard someone say it in your presence. It’s usually said in a cranky tone and followed by the phrase “when I was a kid.” Sure, the world has changed a lot in the past several decades, but the reality is that kids these days have a whole lot going for them too. They have resources, a clean slate, and the opportunity for global connectedness.
But the truth is that kids these days need adults like you to be part of their growing-up process. This is true in America, and it’s also true in Kenya. At Canopy Life, we’ve designed our sponsorship program around the reciprocal relationship between kids and adults.
Here are five reasons kids these days need you:
1. Kids need all the encouragement we can give. Close your eyes for a moment and try to remember what it felt like to be in 4th grade. Maybe your knees were scraped from a nasty fall while rounding the bases during a kickball game. Maybe you were feeling the discomfort of looking around and realizing you were the only girl in your class still playing with dolls. Canopy Life’s students are at a key time in life when they need a squad to surround them and say things like, “You can do it!” “You have what it takes!” and “Keep trying!”
2. Kids are so funny. Kids love making people laugh. Their jokes don’t always make sense, and adults are a safe place to try out new, ridiculous material. Take, for example, this conversation between class 4 student Grace and Teacher Pip:
Teacher Pip: Grace, happy birthday! Are you 9 or 25 today?
Grace: 9! I’m a 9-year-old with huge muscles! The next time you go to the US, you won’t need an airplane because I will throw you, and you will land at home.
We don’t know where kids come up with this stuff. But they do… all the time. If you follow us on Facebook and Instagram, you’ve probably noticed the big smiles, crinkly noses, and giggle-inducing humor our students bring to everyday life. If you’ve never received a handwritten letter from a kid that contains his or her current favorite joke, you’re missing out.
3. Kids are unboundedly curious. Did you know the average 9-year-old boy asks approximately 150 questions a day? That’s 1 question every 10 minutes. Factor in the amount of time they are sleeping or alone on any given day, and it’s more like 1 question every 5 minutes. There’s so much out there to learn and know, and kids need adults to be a part of filling in the blanks and providing necessary information. When students ask their sponsors what kind of foods they like, what they do for hobbies, and if they have pets, they’re not just being polite. They seriously want to know!
4. Kids have the potential to grow as much spiritually as they do physically. Childhood provides a foundation for faith that will continue through adulthood. The earlier our students internalize Scripture and practice a faith of their own, the more likely it will be that they will continue to follow Jesus when they are adults. Our students need sponsors who will give them the opportunity to share Scripture, tell their own faith stories, and practice praying for one another.
5. Kids think you are amazing. As a 30-something adult, who is rapidly discovering more and more grey hairs on my head and has lost track of who is the cutest boy band, there are days when I feel in desperate need for someone to think I’m cool. At Canopy Life, our students and their teachers think the individuals in our sponsor families are heroes! Rock stars! The bee’s knees! All of us need mentors and friends who are a step-ahead, who we can look up to, who will pray for us, and will make us feel like a million bucks just by reaching out and saying hello.
Are you ready to step into the lives of kids these days and invest in Kenya’s future through child sponsorship? You can learn more about Canopy Life’s child sponsorship program by clicking HERE.