Sponsoring a child

[ShuddaBeenMe]

I'd like to sponsor a child to get an education and out of poverty. Are the charities who do this legit, and can anyone recommend one please?

Thank you

I sponsor a child with Compassion and another thorough a project I worked with for a few years in Kenya. Both around £30pm and I’ve visited both.

www.actionaid.org.uk

I also sponsor with Compassion and have been to visit my children, three of them in three different countries. I met their families and saw their files detailing every penny of extra gifts like birthdays etc. down to the 10p spent on sweets when the rest of a gift bought a table and chair for her to do her homework on

@BrownOwlknowsbest

I also sponsor with Compassion and have been to visit my children, three of them in three different countries. I met their families and saw their files detailing every penny of extra gifts like birthdays etc. down to the 10p spent on sweets when the rest of a gift bought a table and chair for her to do her homework on

Sorry but the term 'my children' is so inappropriate.

You've done something good don't get me wrong but that term doesn't sit right with me.

@blueberrysugar Sorry if it offends you but since all three have told me they think of me as a extra parent they do feel like family Perhaps I should have said 'I sponsor with Compassion and have visited each of the children I sponsor'

I sponsor through Plan international

I agree Blueberry sugar.

Also as someone who works in a sector dealing with poverty, sponsoring a child can make individual change without changing communities, and often increases inequality in villages and can cause resentment and destroy communities (and trust me these communities need all the social cohesion they can muster). Most communities I visit, everyone is desperately poor then a few (not always the poorest, and definitely not all poor) are selected for sponsorship leaving others wondering; what about us? In some cases the selected are actually the middling ones (although a westerner might not recognise that) because they can write to their sponsors, are presentable, have time to attend meetings etc. Am not saying don't sponsor. It's not an easy choice. But sometimes, supporting something communal like water or educational materials, teacher training or supplies, safe birthing kits, etc benefits more people without isolating individuals and increasing inequalities within communities.

I'm very surprised to find it's possible to sponsor a child and the money does actually go to one child - I thought in reality it went to a big pot in the charity, and the charity helped a group of children.

What if you stop sponsoring the child? Do they suddenly wonder why they're not getting this extra money, or do you have to keep paying until the child is an adult? I'm also really curious about those who have actually visited - who do the children view their sponsor? As some magic rich person from a far away land?

My understanding is the money goes towards projects in their village rather than to individual children. I think the idea of sponsoring an individual child that you can correspond with is to keep you invested.

I have sponsored several children through Action Aid and the money benefits the whole community, it's definitely not spent on the one child.

I sponsored a child with ActionAid and initially thought I was sponsoring an individual child. They sent me cards she had drawn. However when you dig deeper, you find this is just an illusion to make the donor feel more involved. The money goes to support the whole village.

I was initially slightly disappointed as I liked the idea of having a connection with one child. However thinking about it, they can’t possibly only help certain children and ignore others plus the extended family.

Thank you, I did think it might be better if it went into a pot and was shared

I watched the Simon Reeves Equator programme and saw some 6yos in Bangladesh working in a glass factory for 30p a day, with awful burns and it's haunted me.

I sponsor a child through a small local charity.
The children are living in a children's home and you can send cards and gifts. Also people locally go out to volunteer for a while and also the trustees go, and will take larger gifts.
You give a set amount per month and a little extra on their birthday/Christmas.

There are people who generally donate which covers if someone has to stop sponsoring and for general use.

I'm fb friends with the first young lady we sponsored. She has grown from being a tiny terrified abandoned child into a very intelligent happy young lady who is now helping others through the job she does. I am immensely proud of her. She has achieved more than most people twice her age.

I remember my favourite picture of her when she was early teens.
There'd been a disaster in the area and international aid had been called in. The orphanage was being used as a refuge as one of the better local buildings.
Problem they found was the international doctors/aid workers spoke English. The locals didn't.
So she was called in to translate. She's standing tall and you can see her confidence growing in the photos as she realises that no longer is she the little one needing help, she's one who is helping. Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.
A special moment.

@MargaretThursday that's bringing a tear to my eye as well now.

@LynetteScavo

I'm very surprised to find it's possible to sponsor a child and the money does actually go to one child - I thought in reality it went to a big pot in the charity, and the charity helped a group of children.

What if you stop sponsoring the child? Do they suddenly wonder why they're not getting this extra money, or do you have to keep paying until the child is an adult? I'm also really curious about those who have actually visited - who do the children view their sponsor? As some magic rich person from a far away land?

It depends on programmes. Many big NGOs they go to a pot for communities or a pot then a few special things that go to a particular sponsored child. Then there others that it goes more or less to one family (minus admin costs etc that the NGO takes off). So its always good to check what is happening with your sponsorship. Some funds give a family money card and they get money each month like a salary. Not everyone in the community gets it and selection is full of local politics no matter how much NGOs think they have given criteria to make it fair. Some go to individual girls to keep them in school so as long as they are maintaining attendance, they get the cash each month. In my country I have seen benefits as well as disastrous consequences e.g. girls that were going to school before the sponsorship, they then get sponsorship and when project closes - often after 3 years - refuse to go until they are paid. Rarely do these projects continue in same community for longer than 3 to 6 years. Or no longer listening to parents and teachers because what they receive per month is more than what the parents or teachers earn per month. A girl I personally know was being paid in cash every month. Someone - a local relative - took her from the village where schools are not well resourced to a better resourced school in the city, paying for everything. She became resentful and the relationship was so difficult and she opted to return to her village. We later asked her and she said its because she would loose sponsorship if she stayed in the city. But what's the point of temporary sponsorship or even permanent one if the school you go to hardly has teachers, no books and closes often due to various challenges. A year after she returned to the village, the programme came to an end and she refused to go back to school unless she was paid. Less than a year later, another cousin forcibly rescued her from a brothel. She was 14 but I guess had been used to a monthly payment so she needed to keep having money. Before all that, she went to school with no serious absenteeism. Almost no NGO will admit such things happen. So check what the scheme is actually doing which I guess is the gist of the OP's post in a way

@ShuddaBeenMe

I'd like to sponsor a child to get an education and out of poverty. Are the charities who do this legit, and can anyone recommend one please?

Thank you

I've sponsored with Compassion, Antares, and United with Hope.

Pros and cons with all of them - Compassion is a big org with limited photos (1 a year or so) whereas United with Hope is a little org (but with some very long term sponsors) and you get weekly photos. They also have an online shop & you get to see photos of your sponsored child with whatever you buy. More letters with Compassion - less with United with Hope. Monthly cost of United with Hope is around a third of Compassion. United with Hope also has a widows sponsorship program.

Thanks for all of these. I went with United with hope, their Facebook group is small and I hope a little extra will help.

@ShuddaBeenMe

Thanks for all of these. I went with United with hope, their Facebook group is small and I hope a little extra will help.

Well done and thank you. Am sure it will help a lot. Enjoy the journey

So the charities that single out individual children to match up with foreign adults - what safeguarding do they have for those children? Or is it open to people with less positive intentions than the op to buy access to vulnerable children?

@ftw163532

So the charities that single out individual children to match up with foreign adults - what safeguarding do they have for those children? Or is it open to people with less positive intentions than the op to buy access to vulnerable children?

All communication is checked - no personal details are allowed

www.sos-childrensvillages.org/

I sponsored many children through Plan International for nearly 30 years. You can be as involved as you want. My first sponsorship was a very active one with lots of letters and learning about each other. Plan use your money to benefit the whole community and never the individual child. You aren't allowed to send gifts of value or money direct to the child. The following sponorships were ones that I didn't get involved with at all, but you can choose this as an option when you are assigned a child (you actually get to choose between 2 or 3).

@ShuddaBeenMe

Thanks for all of these. I went with United with hope, their Facebook group is small and I hope a little extra will help.

Oh yay! It's an amazing sponsor organisation!

@UKhomemaker it seems it, the lady is really nice, thanks for recommending.