1.0World Vision Advocacyhttps://www.worldvisionadvocacy.orgHayley Struzikhttps://www.worldvisionadvocacy.org/author/hastruzik/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="O6JxHfTgQn"><a href="https://www.worldvisionadvocacy.org/hub/wvus-2018-christmas-resource-9/">WVUS 2018 Christmas Resource</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.worldvisionadvocacy.org/hub/wvus-2018-christmas-resource-9/embed/#?secret=O6JxHfTgQn" width="600" height="338" title="“WVUS 2018 Christmas Resource” — World Vision Advocacy" data-secret="O6JxHfTgQn" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> https://www.worldvisionadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/D485-1042-346jpg_1002757-scaled.jpg25601670Children pose with their party balloons and and the backpacks they received at World Vision's community birthday party. Summary: Matthew Sakala runs World Vision’s sponsorship program in Moyo, Zambia. On this day, he has just told hundreds of eager children at a World Vision birthday party how much God loves them and how the day they were born was a special day indeed. Matthew is a former sponsored child. He was sponsored by World Vision when he was 8. “I used to go to birthday parties,” he says. “It brings back great memories.” The parties made child sponsorship real for Matthew. “I knew there were other people outside of where I live who were thinking about people in my community. That really touched me.” Birthday parties are funded by sponsors through a special birthday fund. The fund ensures that children in the community know that they are loved by God and their sponsors. “In a typical home, you would never find them celebrating their birthday,” Matthew says. Celebrating birthdays is not part of the culture in many countries around the world. That’s why this day is so special. “They would give us new clothes,” he says. “It was a wonderful feeling to have new clothes.” The parties were always festive, he says. “We would dance as the music was playing.” In Moyo, the party starts in the morning and lasts into the afternoon with singing, dancing, skits, and prayers for the children. Children eat a hot lunch of their favorite foods, followed by birthday cake. Then they receive brand new backpacks filled with school and hygiene supplies.