Child sponsorship

[stupidgirl]

I know this has been covered before and I've just re-read the original thread. Does anyone spnsor a child with Plan international?

Yes, have done for a number of years and my parents have for 20 odd years. I find them easy to deal with and the projects they undertake seem worthwhile (clean water, training health workers, medical centres, schools etc.). I haven't looked at their website but their literature is good.

There is also World Vision who are a very reputable charity for sponsoring children. Costs about £18 per month

World Vision is a bit godly though - I think Plan isn't. The letters etc we get always mention god. But they work in the same way as Plan.

I just looked at their website, Epigirl, I'm very impressed with the gift catalogue (didn't open it because my PC gets overexcited and then falls over when it opens a PDF thing) - what a good idea to be able to send the child a gift like that! With WV you can only send them something dead flat that fits in an envelope.

anais, have you looked at taskbrasil ?

(change your name back! )

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Twiglett, I can recommend Plan; you can set up a direct debit and then not have to worry about it, just await your letters and send letters/the occasional gift/photo. In fact, one of their pieces of advice is not to mention religion in your letters.

As a SAHM I do it all in dh's name so that they can get the tax back.

I like Plan's idea of working on community projects which will benefit the child as well as the wider community.

DH and I sponsor through both Plan and World Vision.
Although the World Vision literature is more "Christian", they do make a point that they choose their projects based on need rather than beliefs. Having said that I suspect they work quite closely with the church in the region that our sponsoree lives in, the letters make a lot of reference to the church. But I quite liked the world Vision idea that we could buy a present "for" each other, which would actually benefit someone who needed it, e.g. I have "bought DH" a goat for a family in Africa, so I put aside my secular/humanist concern.

Either way - good on yer!

Have just started sponsoring a boy through Plan, so far have received photos and a letter from the boys mum and a report on the area from Plan.

Am happy with the litreature, it makes it clear what you shouldn't do and makes loads of suggestions on how to write etc....

Its something that I have always wanted to do, which reminds it must be time for me to send another letter. So far very happy with Plan.

Gumdrop,

I'm agnostic but have not been unduly peturbed by the odd reference to christianity in World Vision's literature and communications.I haven't found it particularly "in yer face" - I think you sort of feel similar don't you? Basically, it shouldn't be a reason to discount World Vision if considering child sponsorship....

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Thanks for all the details everyone, and nice to know I've motivated you twiglett!

I think I'm probably going to go with Plan.

Spacemonkey, you're not allowed to call me anais anymore! I like my new name, it fits me much better than anais ever did

Was it Plan who used to have the slogan "changing the world, one child at a time"? Always thought that was a lovely idea.

Oh - just googled - it was adopt-a-child - another church-based one I think. Still nice though.

MOst of the really good aid organisations (Oxfam etc) are totally against child sponsorship. They would far rather that your money was given into a 'general' fund that they could use as the need arose.
I'm afraid that having spent time (year out) in the developing world I would never sponsor a child. I have seen instances where World Vision withdrew sponsorship if a child or its family failed to attend church often enough, and seen entire communities divided by the sponsorship of a child or a family (this is in Central America).
If you geniuinely want to help then giving to an organisation to use as and when the need arisis is far, far more positive! I know it isn't as personally satisfying or as easy to explain to your children, but if the money you give can change a whole community rather than one family, then the difference is incredible.
Just MHO, but having seen it first hand on the groundm this is the way in which me (and dh, who spent a year out in India and Nepal) have chosen to give money to overseas work.
We are Christians with the same 'values' as World Vision and TearFund (who also sponsor children) but would never give via sponsorship due to the ferrible results we have seen from it.

Susanmt

Perhaps World Vision has changed and improved since your experience? It's just that my literature tells me that the money I give each month goes both to my sponsored child and his local community (i.e. local community projects benefit too)....

The children in World Vision's schemes are in "projects" and the money goes to the project, not to the child or the family, though they benefit from the project, obviously (school equipment, clean water, immunisation etc).

Our current one is called Dangme, which always makes me laugh (the project, not the child. He's called Francis.)

Same here - Plan gives money to the local community, you write to your child and can give them small unflashy presents. I sent mine some colouring pencils and some paper.