Yiseth and Sonia seem to be so opposite but they have many things in common, which are things that I did not plan when I decided to sponsor them 6 years ago. I did know that both girls were living in single parent families and at that time, Sonia was living with her mom who was separated from her dad and Yiseth was living with her mom. Her dad was deceased. Both were the same age and both had brothers who were the same age. I did not plan this! Now both girls live with their grandmothers with moms out of their home. The worker said that Sonia has possibly been neglected or abused.

In front of her aunt's home

Sonia with her aunt


Sonia and me

Sonia was able to get her Pooh Bear since she did not get to do any rides

Sonia and me at her aunt's home

Sonia's aunt, me, Sonia, and a CI volunteer

Sonia and me in front of her aunt's home

Sonia today at age eleven

Sonia with very first gift, 2006

Sonia Lucia Julio

I saw Sonia about six months later on the CI site and immediately was drawn to her because she had the saddest look on her face and the prettiest brown eyes. She seemed to be unhappy and I wanted to bring a smile. I learned from her bio that she liked art and that she also liked dolls and dancing. At that time, Sonia lived with relatives and her parents were not together. She lived in a home with three rooms that was made of wood and had a dirt floor. The roof was made out of corrugated metal. Fortunately there was a latrine and electricitry was available.

Over the years , Sonia has moved around a bit from relatives, to mother, to dad, and most recently back to relatives. She has an older brother and at least two older siblings. Steve was able to visit her last year and I saw that she had a strong support system and that she was a very shy and reserved child. This reminded me of myself. I hope that sponsorship has been a stable force in her life. Sonia likes sports, music, and social studies.