Manna 4 Lempira Backpacks 2020

Sponsoring a child with Manna 4 Lempira means not only sending letters and financial support to be a tangible reminder of the love of God in a child's life, but also getting the chance to send a backpack filled with school supplies and gifts every year to encourage their God-given potential through education and the simple joys of childhood.  I hope this overview of the backpacks I packed for my sponsored children will help you as you pack!  Click on the photos to enlarge.

For starters, here is a guideline from Manna 4 Lempira showing the school supplies every backpack should have.  Your monthly sponsorship fees cover these items, so you don't have to send them.  Some sponsors like to pick out their own supplies for their sponsored children, but anything you don't send will be provided to them by the ministry.  If you choose not to send the supplies, you can still send fun gifts to be added to your child's backpack!  Just make sure the gifts are grouped together in a large Ziplock bag and clearly labeled.  All bags, whether Ziplocks or full backpacks, must be labeled with your child's full name and ID number.  The required school supplies are: 8 notebooks, 20 pencils, 2 large erasers, a pencil sharpener, 2 boxes of 24 crayons (younger children) or 2 boxes of 12 colored pencils (older children), pens (2 red/2 blue/6 black), a ruler, scissors, and glue or glue sticks.

I also included some extra school supplies based on things my sponsored children told me their schools required in the past.  These items are: a pencil bag, a grid notebook for math, construction paper, a plastic folder, a miniature dry erase board with markers, red/blue correction pencils, and a Spanish dictionary.  If you choose to send a dictionary, make sure it's one with Spanish definitions, not just an English dictionary that tells you the word in Spanish.  I am sending this one.  

1 child's school supplies

In addition to school supplies, every backpack needs to include 4 toothbrushes, 2 tubes of toothpaste, a bar of soap, a wash cloth, 3 pairs of socks, a comb, and hair ties (girls) or a baseball cap (boys).  I also chose to add dental floss, a toothbrush case, hand sanitizer, a face mask (may be required for school attendance next year), and a solar lantern to each of my bags.  Even some of the families who normally have electricity in their homes haven't been able to afford it during the pandemic, so I am sending lanterns to all of them.  They are also each getting at least one outfit and a white t-shirt to wear under their school uniform, but I haven't purchased them all yet.

1 child's hygiene items and other essentials

The ministry also makes sure every backpack has at least one fun item.  They recommend dolls for girls and soccer balls with matchbox cars for boys; but you can choose to substitute these items.  My younger girls are getting various dolls including American Girl, Wellie Wishers, and Adora's Be Bright dolls.  The colorful hair on the Adora dolls reminded me of the time one of my girls tried to color her hair with sidewalk chalk at the pool during our visit.  While American Girl dolls are more expensive of a gift than what I'd typically send in a backpack, one of my girls who I'm very close to wrote that she wanted the same doll I had as a child.  Since she is 14 and likely about to outgrow dolls, I knew I wanted to encourage that child-like side of her for as long as possible.  For this reason, I thought it was a worthy investment.  I chose to send it in her backpack instead of waiting for a visit so she can enjoy it for as long as possible.   If you do choose to invest in one of these dolls, they are excellent quality and literally last for decades.  If you are looking for something similar for a more reasonable price, Target has beautiful 18" dolls called Our Generation, which are usually around $25.

My older girls and my boy are getting deflated soccer balls with air pumps.  My boy is also getting a matchbox Jeep, because Jeeps are my favorite car.  In addition to their big dolls, a few of my girls will also be getting some little Disney princess figurines (based on their favorite princesses) and smaller LOL surprise figurines, if they've mentioned liking either of those things.  The only other big gift is a pair of roller skates, which is going to one of my 13 year olds who told me she dreams of owning them.

All the dolls.  I didn't end up sending the smaller one in the front center.

After the required items, you can fill the remaining space in your child’s bag with just about anything!  The recent pandemic and quarantine inspired me to pack various activities that can keep them busy, encouraged, and educated while at home.  Each child is getting a few items from my stash of various books (including bibles), coloring books, paint sets, bead kits, sidewalk chalk, hair chalk, hair braiding supplies, dance ribbons, card games, Lego sets, educational workbooks, and educational flashcards.  I specifically chose sidewalk chalk because it was something that kept my family busy during quarantine this year.  Click on this photo to enlarge for detail.  

All extras combined

Last, I'll probably be adding in some handwritten letters, stickers, and other small items I haven't been able to send over the past several months due to border closures.  Most importantly, pray over your items and how they will bless your sponsored child!