I met Raymond Ducholke at a Vancouver coffee shop I have frequented to write on my laptop on occasion. After getting to know that he is also an author and a humanitarian, I wanted to capture his wonderful story of mentorship and sponsorship. So here is an excerpt of my interview of him in July:
Raymond, what was your experience of going to the Philippine to attend the graduation of the young woman you had sponsored into nursing school?
This was a really heartwarming experience, seeing Jenny and knowing she had graduated at the top her class. I was amazed that people there have very little material wealth yet so much warmth and hospitality. Jenny was so very grateful that I had helped her to reach her dream of becoming a nurse. While she was studying I often encouraged her and told her many times that I believed in her and her ability to succeed in her future nursing career. Thinking back on the feeling of being there, at the graduation ceremony, and how much she glowed when I told her I was so proud of her… it does not get better than that!
How did you first get involved in this kind of generosity in action?
It was about 18 years ago, while I was in midlife, I met an inspiring woman who was telling me about how fulfilling it was to sponsor young people into education. She had a meager income and at that time I was working and earning good money so I told myself if she can do it, I certainly can. Since then, I’ve also sought to understand what prevents some people from being generous in this way. I have come to see that if we want to embrace empathy, we must first gently dismantle the inner blocks that prevent us from feeling and acting on true compassion. What’s more, I realize that one can only connect with others to the degree that they are connected with themselves.
Aside from having helped Jenny, what other memorable experience of giving back did you have in the past 18 years?
One of the most memorable cases I got involved with resulted in watching Miriam’s life’s being transformed. In Paraguay in 2005 I got involved with this family that was living in a grass hut with 7 children. The hut had a dirt floor, a sleeping platform and no running water or bathroom. I sponsored the construction of a basic home with bedrooms and a bathroom. The organization is called Christian Chidren’s Funds. They are one of the best in terms of having a very low admin cost and they provide reports on how the kids are doing and many other details. I have been sharing letters on a frequent basis with the children I have helped.
It is also amazing to see how far our Canadian money can go in a developing country like Paraguay. One time I remember in particular, I sent a $15.00 extra for the family. The parents replied back with a letter letting me know that this enabled them to buy 20kg. of rice, some lentils and beans and put a little away for a rainy day.
