A CARING Nailsea woman is appealing for more people to sponsor poor children in India after she travelled to the country to see what a difference her support has made.

North Somerset Times: Saranya and her family with Margaret Bowen from Nailsea.Saranya and her family with Margaret Bowen from Nailsea. (Image: Archant)

Margaret Bowen has just returned from India where she met the young woman she has been sponsoring through Compassion for the past 14 years.

Margaret began supporting Saranya, now aged 21, financially and through letters of encouragement when she was seven years old.

She said: “Poverty is so often faceless, but meeting Saranya was a reminder that behind the statistics are real children and families.

“It was so encouraging to see how my financial support and encouragement has improved not only Saranya’s life, but her family’s too.

“It was humbling to see how a small donation I make each month can totally transform a life.

“There was such a visible difference in the impact my support makes.”

Margaret travelled with her daughter Ceri from Bristol and was welcomed at Saranya’s house with a garland of flowers.

She said: “The only words her father could say to me was ‘thank you’.

“I visited her seven years ago and the difference in her was just amazing. She’s now a beautiful and confident young woman.”

Margaret saw how child development charity Compassion works with local churches to reach the most impoverished children to provide practical support and hope for the future. She also had an opportunity to visit the project Saranya attends on a regular basis and see how staff ensure children have access to health care, education, food, clothing and support.

More than 600 million people live in extreme poverty in India and of the country’s 400 million children an estimated 70 million are child labourers, 13 million are homeless and two million are street children.

For more information about Compassion visit www.compassionuk.org