Sponsor a Child

1. Camnete — Age 7 (1st Grade)

Who he is

Camnete is a gentle and hardworking 7-year-old boy in first grade.

Family situation

He lives with his father and an uncle. His father has a mild cognitive disability and survives on small, irregular jobs. The uncle works but already supports other children and cannot take on the cost of Camnete education.

Why your support matters

Without help, Camnete could easily be taken out of school. Your sponsorship means he stays in class, learns to read and write, and has the chance to build a different future than the one poverty offers him today.

2. Herculano — Primary School

Who he is

Herculano is a quiet, thoughtful boy who arrived at the Mission after a deep personal tragedy.

Family situation

The man who cared for him was killed in a fight with a neighbor. Herculano witnessed everything and was left completely alone, with no family to support him. When he came to Casa Wilma, he was extremely thin, sad, and without anyone to help.

Because the classes were already full, he was initially placed in a classroom as an “assistant” so he could at least be in a safe space and receive one meal per day.

Why your support matters

Sponsorship allows Herculano to be properly enrolled, receive an education, and begin healing from what he has lived through. Your help replaces loss and isolation with stability and care.

3. Aua — Primary School

Who she is

Aua is a bright, determined girl who first arrived at Casa Wilma in very fragile health.

Family situation

She came with her aunt to ask for help, suffering from serious and repeated infections in her leg. Because of her physical condition and delayed development, she was first enrolled in preschool so she could be closely monitored.

After one year of regular meals and medical care, Aua recovered, no longer had infections, and was able to move into primary school like other children her age.

Why your support matters

Your sponsorship ensures that Aua can stay in school, continue to learn, and never return to the fragile state in which she first arrived.

4. Carlos — Age 2 (Preschool, Twin)

Who he is

Carlos is a lively two-year-old boy, one of a pair of twins.

Family situation

Their mother abandoned the family to enter another marriage. His father, unable to care for both twins alone and without close relatives nearby, asked an elderly aunt to take them in. That aunt already cares for a child with disabilities and has very limited resources.

Why your support matters

By sponsoring Carlos and Constança, you help provide early education, nutrition, and safety to children who could easily be left behind simply because their caregivers have nothing more to give. Your help gives Carlos and Constança the right to education, emotional security, and a loving school community during the most important years of their development.

5. Constança — Age 2 (Preschool, Twin)

Who she is

Constança is Carlos’s twin sister—curious, observant, and full of potential.

Family situation

Their mother abandoned the family to enter another marriage. His father, unable to care for both twins alone and without close relatives nearby, asked an elderly aunt to take them in. That aunt already cares for a child with disabilities and has very limited resources.

Why your support matters

By sponsoring Carlos and Constança, you help provide early education, nutrition, and safety to children who could easily be left behind simply because their caregivers have nothing more to give. Your help gives Carlos and Constança the right to education, emotional security, and a loving school community during the most important years of their development.

6. Leony — Age 5 (Preschool)

Who he is

Leone is the son of a nurse who dedicated years of service to building Casa Wilma’s health unit.

Family situation

His father is in Portugal completing a master’s degree so he can better support the family and the mission. Despite having worked many years at the public hospital, he never received permanent status and often went unpaid. Leone’s mother has only recently completed her studies and is searching for work. With more than one child at home, the family is under strong financial pressure.

Why your support matters

Your sponsorship recognizes a family that has served others and now needs help. It allows Leone to continue in school while his parents fight to rebuild their economic stability.

7. Adelina— Age 3 (Preschool)

Who he is

Adelina is the youngest daughter of a couple facing significant challenges.

Family situation

Her father works as a school gatekeeper, but his income is very limited due to unstable employment conditions. Her mother suffers from a serious eye condition that has partially impaired her vision, preventing her from engaging in additional work that could help support the household.

Why your support matters

Your sponsorship recognizes a family that has served others and now needs help. It allows Leone to continue in school while his parents fight to rebuild their economic stability.

8. Rowam — Early Primary Age

Who he is

Rowam is a sensitive and intelligent child who loves to observe everything around him.

Family situation

His mother is still a student and receives no help from the child’s father. To survive, she prepares small food items to sell. They live with his grandparents, who are small-scale farmers with very low income. The family does not have the means to pay for Rowam’s schooling or his mother’s education.

Why your support matters

Your sponsorship keeps Rowam in school and helps break a cycle in which poverty is passed from one generation to the next. It also gives strength to a young mother who refuses to give up on her own studies.

9. Ivanilson — 5th Grade

Who he is

Ivanilson is a bright, motivated student who has been connected to Casa Wilma since preschool.

Family situation

He was abandoned by his family and lived in conditions of neglect—often dirty, poorly dressed, and sick. At one point, he even slept outside for a night. Concerned neighbors eventually brought him to the Mission. A new foster family now cares for him, while the school assumes responsibility for his educational costs.

Why your support matters

Sponsorship ensures that Ivanilson can continue his studies beyond the basic grades and move toward a future where he is protected, educated, and valued.

10. Elsa — 2nd Grade

Who she is

She lives with her mother and her mother’s stepmother in a situation of extreme poverty.

Family situation

Her situation was identified by a preschool educator, who has been providing some assistance. The mother is still a student in secondary school and carries out small activities to earn income, but this is not sufficient to enroll her daughter in school. The mother’s stepmother spends long periods working in the vegetable garden, doing agricultural labor. The father does not provide any support for the child’s upbringing.

Why your support matters

Sponsorship ensures that Elsa can continue her studies beyond the basic grades. It also gives strength to a young mother who is determined to continue her own studies.

11. Edmiriam — 2nd Grade

Family situation

Edmiriam was orphaned by her father, and her mother supports the household by selling dried fish at the market. There are other children living in the home, and the income generated from these sales is not sufficient to support the family.

Why your support matters

Sponsorship ensures that Edmiriam can continue her studies beyond the basic grades. It also gives strength to a mother who faces serious health problems.

12. Lussuila — Age 3 (Preschool)

Family situation

Lussuila’s parents have unstable employment. Her mother works with us at the preschool, but has not yet completed her studies and is employed only as an education assistant, earning a very low salary. Her father performs occasional jobs without stable employment. As they do not own a home and must pay rent, the family struggles to cover all basic expenses.

Why your support matters

Sponsorship ensures that Lussuila can continue her studies beyond the basic grades. It also gives strength to a her mother as she continues her studies.

13. Niclaudio — Age 5

Family situation

Niclaudio’s parents do not have stable employment. His father completed training as a primary school teacher but was unable to secure a teaching position and currently carries out occasional electrical work independently and for neighbors. His mother completed the 12th grade; she is very young, has no specific professional training, and sells prepared food products on a small scale. Niclaudio is usually cared for by his grandmother, who also looks after other children.

Why your support matters

Sponsorship ensures that Niclaudio can continue his studies beyond the basic grades.

14. Ismiralda — Primary School

Family situation

Ismiralda is under the care of her father, who works reselling mobile phone credit for a telecommunications agency. Her mother generally stays in the village, sourcing food products for resale. Neither parent completed their studies, which limits their ability to secure better-paying employment and provide access to a quality school for their daughter. Ismiralda has a younger sibling.

Why your support matters

Sponsorship ensures that Ismiralda can continue her studies beyond the basic grades.

15. Binate — Preschool

Family situation

Binate lost his father in an accident, and since then he and his mother have been taken in by a neighbor. This neighbor, who already has several children under her care, requested support to enroll Binate in preschool, as she faces financial difficulties in providing adequate support. Binate’s mother carries out occasional agricultural work and sells small products at the local market to help support the household.

Why your support matters

Sponsorship ensures that Binste can continue his studies beyond the basic grades.