My VIMA Experience

Hello! My name is Ellie, I am 18 years-old and have visited the V.I.M.A. Orphanage in Ghana twice!

My first trip was in the spring of 2019; as soon as I arrived, the kids swarmed the other volunteers and me. The rush of excitement and shower of love I was welcomed with had immediately made feel at home. It was not just the kids, though, the staff is absolutely wonderful! They truly do everything to give the children an education and (more importantly) a family.

I had such an amazing experience at VIMA, I knew I wanted to stay involved! I chose to become a sponsor. The child I sponsor is Adam and everything I donate goes towards his education, medical bills, and a savings account for when he’s an adult. I was the first volunteer group to meet him during my first trip. He was three-years-old at the time which meant he didn’t speak much - if at all, had never seen someone who looked like me, and had no clue what was going on once we all got there. So, of course, he was very skittish and shy.

During our goodbye ceremony, I had Adam sitting with me and we were just goofing around. I kept trying to get him to speak and he finally did, he had said my name. Then, I had to say the saddest goodbye to all of them. At the time I wasn’t sure how long it’d be until the next time I’d be able to visit again and it was heartbreaking. I finally made a break through with Adam but now that I was leaving, I wasn’t sure he’d remember me.

Fast forward into COVID, my second trip was planned for 2021. I arrived back to the orphanage and was reuniting with everyone. Then, I caught a glimpse of Adam and he came running into my arms shouting, “Ellie! Ellie! Ellie!”

I have never felt so much love in my life and that feeling stays with me everyday. That’s the thing, it’s not only about what you can give to them. By traveling all the way overseas, I was impacted in a way that is incomparable to any other experience. Being there with them and getting to know the children and staff personally, that gave me relationships that I will forever cherish. That is why I will always support and give my sponsorship V.I.M.A.; there, I’m able to change the life of a child in need while they’re changing my life.

Every sponsorship gives another child a chance to live a good, healthy life… who wouldn’t want to be apart of that?