The model of child sponsorship has been practiced for many years and it is a way to support children and families in developing nations. An individual in a developed country will be matched up with a child in a developing country, sending donations toward programs to help the child. These financial donations support the health, security and education of the child, as well as often supporting developments in the community such as agriculture or clean water initiatives. The donations can also help to build schools, dig wells and provide vaccinations.
The sponsoring individual is often sent information about the child, so that they can see how their donations are helping the child. When you sponsor a child, you will be the only sponsor for that child and you will be able to see their life changing and improving through the letters, photos and notes that you receive.
Long Term Development for the Future
Most of the time, the money is not given directly to the child or the family. Simply giving the family money will not guarantee that the community will be able to sustain itself in the future. Instead, the money is invested in initiatives that will help to release the people in the community from long-term poverty.
When healthcare, agriculture, income generation and education projects are founded and the community takes ownership of these projects for the long term, this is when they will be able to lift themselves out of poverty. Sometimes the money that you donate to your child will even go to building schools and training teachers, or lobbying at a national level for free primary school education.
Reasons to Sponsor a Child
What are some of the reasons to sponsor a child?
- It is very cheap. Most of the time the sponsorship costs less than the cost of a coffee per day.
- However, even though you are only donating a small amount it will make a big difference in the community.
- Although you are only receiving letters from one child, there are benefits for the wider community as well. For example, when a well is drilled with fresh water, the entire village will be able to use it.
- You are not just donating money; you are also giving the child hope because there is someone out there who cares about them.
- If you have children, reading them the letters from your sponsored child will give them a chance to learn more about the conditions of people in other countries. They will be more tolerant, compassionate and understanding and will be more likely to want to help others when they grow up.
- It’s hard to understand poverty when it is presented in statistics and numbers. When you sponsor a specific child or a family, you will put a face to the situation so that you can better empathize with what they are going through.
To learn more about child sponsorship, visit the Plan UK sponsor a child page.
