After her father died in 2000 and then her mother in 2002, Cidalia spent most of her childhood being insulted by her step-grandmother and then taking care of her three young siblings, even in extreme poverty. The young girl was under 18 and to earn some money and be able to provide for her family and continue her education, she had to do housework in other people’s houses in the community.
Her misfortune only ended when she became a sponsored child by World Vision in 2003, when she was provided with support, particularly school material. Today, Cidalia is one of the most influential teachers in Morrumbala district, central Mozambique. When she is not at school, she spends most time at a local community radio station broadcasting educational programmes to her community.
“My name is Cidália José Castilho White. I’m from Zambezia province, Morrumbala district, Muandia locality, in Mozambique. I’m a [World Vision] former sponsored child. I was born and grew up in this locality of Muandia, in Morrumbala district.
My childhood was quite complicated. First, I was born and grew up at Muandia, but then my parents died and so I moved to town, the district headquarters.
I went to live with my maternal grandparents. My grandfather was my mother’s biological father, while his wife was my mother’s stepmother. The grandmother didn’t like to stay with a non-blood granddaughter.
So there I suffered. The situation got worse for me at home. So my uncle, my mother’s brother, decided to let a small house in Morrumbala town. I started living there, but also facing many difficulties, because I couldn’t afford to provide for the house as I was still a young girl.
The worst part of this is that after two years, my two stepmothers sent their children to live with me. My stepmothers thought that because I was already living in town I could have some source of income.
I faced many needs and I had to take care of my three siblings. So, I began to do housework in other people's houses. I used to get water and wash clothes just to get some money and provide for my siblings.
My siblings were very young and I wasn't even 18 years old at that time, I was also very young. I had to go from house to house washing clothes and fetching water to be paid some money in the end.
In some houses, when the meal time came, they used to give me some food, but I would not eat because I knew that my siblings were hungry at home.
Instead of eating there, I would ask for a break to go home and eat the food with my siblings. Usually my ‘bosses’ accepted my request, so I would share that little food with my siblings.”
Becoming a World Vision sponsored child
"A little bit later, I became a sponsored child. From that time, World Vision began taking care of me. I was provided with school materials and uniforms. So, I continued going to school until I finished lower secondary school.
Then I benefitted from a scholarship to attend a teacher training course in Macuse locality. I attended the course for two years and half. When I finished it, I went back to Morrumbala to work.
After finishing that course, I stopped being a sponsored child. It was not easy, because I had already gotten a new family [World Vision], but I also knew that World Vision's goal was to make me a graduate for me to also teach other sponsored children in the future.
So, from that time I stopped being a sponsored child and I went on with life. I was also able to continue supporting my little siblings’ education. One of them is now a graduate. The other one is self-employed and my sister got married. So, life went on.
After stopping being a sponsored child, I worked for four years, then I attended History course at Catholic University of Mozambique. Now I’m a History teacher in Morrumbala Secondary School.
I have two children and I’m happy. With my work, I provide for my family, my siblings and children, as a result of my education and work I’m doing, I defeated poverty.
From my work, I’m now able to provide for my siblings and my children. So, I’m happy for that and life goes on.
But I still have a dream to fulfil. I want to build a condominium to host other sponsored children. There are many children who come from distant areas to attend school here in the town. But the training institute here has no capacity to provide accommodation for all those students.
So, my dream is to build a condominium to give them accommodation. This is my big dream that I will fulfil in the future, if God allows it.
Finally, I want to thank God for life and health I have. Then, I want to thank my friends, my colleagues who have also helped me morally.
I’m very grateful to World Vision for making my success possible. If today I’m a professional it was thanks to World Vision. Today I have a profession and university degree.
In addition to being a History teacher, I also work for a local radio station [Morrumbala Community Radio]. I’m a journalist, I like working for the radio station. There I do local and Portuguese language broadcasts.
So I will be eternally grateful to my sponsors who made my success possible until today. I have this profession thanks to my sponsors. Thank you very much and I’m very happy for everything you have done for me. Thank you very much!"
Cidalia is living proof that investing in one child benefits a whole community