Hope for All Magazine 2020

from the child explaining
why they chose them.
Tim Pilkington, CEO
of World Vision UK, says:
‘Chosen turns child
sponsorship on its head.
It is a simple and powerful
switch which respects the
dignity and value of
children. It expresses our
belief that these children have
the power to change their lives
and their communities and to
touch the lives of their
sponsors.
‘Some children have waited
years to be chosen by a
sponsor. Now it’s their turn
to choose. Chosen gives
children the power to make
their own choices and lets
them know their choices are
valued and important. The
experience acknowledges
that we’ve all been chosen
by God.’
In December 2019,
Chosen was piloted with its
first UK church. Pictures of the
congregation from St Paul’s and
St George’s Church in Edinburgh
were sent to Pajule in Uganda
where children from the village
were able to choose their
sponsor.
Dave Richards, who leads
the Edinburgh church, then
travelled to Pajule to see the
first group of children choosing
their sponsors and to join the
party celebrating the new links with people in his
church. He says: ‘It was an incredible experience
witnessing these children being told they would get
to choose a sponsor. Their expressions immediately
changed and their faces lit up. It’s been one of the most
Dave Richards meeting
children in Pujale, Uganda
Families in Edinburgh have been chosen
as sponsors by children in Pujale
Alfred, age six,
chose Sarah
It was an incredible experience
witnessing these children
choose a sponsor
amazing, moving and humbling
days of my life.
‘Knowing that through being
chosen, we have been part of
empowering children to learn
that they are loved and valued,
has transformed our
congregation. We’re
so excited to see what
happens now.’
Ruth Tormey from
World Vision also visited
Pajule, Uganda, in December
and watched as the children
chose their sponsors. She
says, ‘When they picked
their photos, their faces just
lit up. And then throughout
the rest of the day, you
could see them all showing
the photos of the people that
they had chosen to sponsor
them to all of their friends.
It was something so new,
so unexpected and they
were just filled with joy.’
Ruth says the new
scheme has ‘transformed
the prayer life’ of her own
two children, both of
whom were chosen
through the pilot
programme.
‘We pray every night
before bed. And it’s been
really interesting listening
to them pray every
single night since that
choosing day…it’s
transformed my family
and the way that my children look at the world.’
After this successful initial pilot, other churches are
now signing up and, from the start of April, individuals
are able to sign up to be Chosen online by visiting
worldvision.org.uk/chosen.
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