In Reply to: Can someone please explain? Thanks posted by struth on Sunday, 15. March 2009 at 06:20 Bali Time:
Gary D's explanation makes sense to me.
I know some sponsors call the child they sponsor their 'Bali child'.
Not Bali but, I sponsor three Cambodian children's education and although i was taken aback at all three girls addressing me as 'Godmother' the sponsorship org explained that in line with Cambodian custom "the child, has to express her respect to you as somebody with high status, in a very formal way."
I think it is the closest translation from Khmer into English there is to describe my sponsor relationship with them.
Do i call myself their godparent because it has been translated that way? Absolutely not. Sponsor is all i can ever be.