Utsab’s Life in Bangladesh
Utsab watched the children in his neighbourhood leave for school with their backpacks on their shoulders. As a little boy—not yet old enough to start school—he loved learning. Waving to the children who passed by, Utsab wished he could go to school, too, and hoped that, one day, his father could buy him a backpack.
Utsab’s family lives in Kaligram, Bangladesh, where his father works as a farm labourer. Growing food on other people’s land, Utsab’s father only gets paid if the harvest is good. If the crop fails, the landowner cannot afford to compensate their workers. Utsab’s mother does her best to manage the household on their small income, but most days, they cannot afford three nutritious meals for each of their children.
Once Utsab came of age, his father worked hard to send his bright and happy son to school. Since education is free in Bangladesh, they only had to pay for Utsab’s uniform, books and school materials. Still, the cost was high for this family, and they sacrificed much to send him.
When heavy rainfall and flooding ruined Utsab’s father’s crops, the family was suddenly devastated. If it hadn’t been for the ChildCARE Plus program in Bangladesh, run by the local church, Utsab would have left school for good. The local church connected with ERDO’s (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas) head office and Utsab found a Canadian donor to sponsor his education and more. Now, Utsab is eight years old, and the family is supported with extra food, clean water, and church and community programs designed to empower parents and break families out of poverty.
If you follow ERDO, you know Utsab’s story is not unique. For the past 40 years, ERDO child sponsorship programs all over the world have helped lift families who are facing unimaginable burdens. And the journey can be just as meaningful for Canadian sponsors as it is for the children we serve!
Margaret’s Legacy of Sponsorship
Margaret Schultz was a woman of quiet faith. She was born in Spruce Lake, Sask., and moved to Victoria, B.C., at 19, where she trained as an elementary teacher. She taught in several small communities in northern British Columbia, including Quesnel, Fort Nelson, Charlie Lake and Fort St. John, where she worked with First Nations children. Her niece Lauren says, “It must have been a real change from Victoria. It would have been the early 60s, and life in the North must have been quite a challenge. She saw need directly.”
Margaret raised her family in the small northern community of Fort St. John, teaching for 45 years before retiring and moving to Victoria. Throughout her life, she took summer courses at the University of Victoria, trekking back and forth until she earned a degree in education.
As a lifelong learner who saw real need in the communities where she worked, Margaret took on a sponsored child from ERDO. Over time, she added more children, and by 2019, she was simultaneously supporting 10 girls. When one graduated, she sponsored another. Margaret watched many girls from ERDO’s ChildCARE Plus program receive an education, in part, because of her financial sacrifice. Lauren says, “She saw how important it was that girls receive an education and be able to be independent and support themselves. She enjoyed receiving letters and pictures from the sponsored girls and would always write back while she could. It gave her so much satisfaction to be able to quietly support this ministry and make a difference in their lives.”
Margaret passed away last year after a lifetime of advocating for education and service to her Heavenly Father. However, her mission work did not end there. Margaret left a gift in her will to her remaining sponsored children. She wanted to ensure that every child she watched begin their education would be able to graduate.
At ERDO, we are so thankful for sponsors like Margaret who dedicate their lives to furthering the kingdom of God and helping the next generation be lifted out of poverty.
To learn more about child sponsorship and how it impacts families around the world, visit erdo.ca/sponsor-now. To find out more about estate planning, visit erdo.ca/ways-to-give or call 1-800-779-7262 to request a free brochure.
Alicia Kolenda is the marketing and communications manager at ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas).
This article appeared in the October/November/December 2025 issue of testimony/Enrich, a quarterly publication of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. © 2025 The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
Pictured: Utsab at school and children at Schools of Hope – Honduras in the discipleship after-school program. Photos © ERDO.