Can anyone recommend an agency for sponsoring a child?

[BosworthBear]

We have seen alot of pamphlets recently about sponsoring a child in "a third world" country, has anyone done this or knows of any organisations to avoid or ones that they would recommend?

Compassion UK

We've been sponsoring a little girl for 2 1/2yrs now and they've been fabulous.

here

I do one through the Arobanum (sp?) Children's fund, an orphanage in Sri Lanka. A small organisation, they have an annual party in London so you can catch up and find out what is going on, their orphanage got washed away in the tsunami and half the children killed so they are re-building

bump - anyone?

Action aid

We were sponsoringa child in Siera Leone, but that has now become general aid money after the problems in that country

Plan International. Sponsored a Peruvian child for my DH about six years ago (still sponsoring) for a Xmas pressie. Sponsor a Kenyan girl myself and sponsor a Tanzanian boy for inlaws (another Xmas pressie from a few years ago). It's about £15 a month for each child. The money goes to their community, but you get info and photos on your 'child' to give you a connection.

I have been thinking about doing this too. Will look at some of these links.

With Compassion you recieve several letters a year from your child, as well as a photo and yearly update. You're also welcome to send any 'flat' (ie easy to post) gifts out to them too and if you can afford it yourself even visit them if you want to! (some of them don't like you to do the latter 2 things).

With Action aid you get a picture and also get letters from the child (or teacher if they can't yet write)

We now get a regional uptade from the local organiser

Here is the link for Arobanam

Have also done action aid for last few years. Lots of contact from child (boy in India) & workers out there

ooo - just thought of another 'plus' point for Compassion UK - if (like me) you're not very good at the "letter writing" bit - but are great at sending emails - no problem, you can send your letter to them online, and it saves them money too

Plan International, who I've recommended, was founded in 1937. Here's some blurb from their site :

"Plan is an international, child-centred development organisation with no religious, political or governmental affiliations. We work with 1.3 million children, their families and communities in developing countries all over the world, implementing projects at the grassroots level in health, education, water and sanitation, income-generation and cross-cultural communication."

Looking at the Compassion site, they seem to have a strong Christian slant. In fact, this is what they say:

"Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, releasing them from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enabling them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults."

Maybe I am misconstruing the Compassion website's message, but to me it seems dangerously close to the old colonial missionary approach of freeing the natives (sic) from their heathen beliefs.

We sponsor a little girl through World Vision.

Not all - many of the children are NOT Christians (nor are their families)

"Does Compassion Help Just Christian Children???

No. Children who attend Compassion Projects come from a vareity of ethnic and religious backgrounds. We help the most needy children in a community regardless of their faith. The parents of the children are aware that Compassion is a Christian organisation"

And World Vision is Christian based too

We sponsor two kids through World Vision. DH is nerdy finance type and wanted to research different groups to see who was fiscally responsible with how the money was spent- that was part reason we went with World Vision, seem to manage the money and project very well.

(our kids are sooooo cute too!)

We sponsor a couple of Tibetan girls through a very small charity called khamaid
www.khamaid.org
There is no religious slant, the charity only does girls (who would otherwise not get an education in the very mountainous regions, as you have to go and live in the school for several months when all the roads are blocked by snows) and they only have about 60 girls (I think)
We get very charming letters from the two girls we sponsor. Very honest and proud and I am pretty sure that almost all the money that we donate goes to the girls.
Anyway, have a look at the website if you would like. "Our" eldest girl is going on to a local medical school this year to do basic medical training (kind of like a barefoot doctor) and we feel very proud of her (even though we have never met her directly)

I have no doubts that many Christian organisations do their work well, but why not just do the work without having to mention the religion. Also, the families dealt with may know that the organisation is Christian-based, but they are hardly going to say 'no, I don't want your help'. The Compassion website certainly gives the impression (reading between the lines) that conversion to Christianity might be encouraged. After all, they will have provided a great deal of support to these children in their formative years. I know it is a sceptical position to take but I just think it is better not to overtly involve religion in 'charity'. Surely it is truely Christian not to need to shout about your Christianity.

By the way, despite my 'aversion' to religious-based organisations, World Vision do very good alternative gifts, such as paying for vaccinations for a needy child. These make good and original 'new baby' gifts.