Does it really change their life?
When you sponsor a child living in poverty, you help them receive food, clean water, education, and medical care. You also invest in a different future for them and their community. Sponsors are people who are inspired by how they can make a huge impact in the life of a child.
Click here to sponsor a child today.
Some people don’t sponsor a child simply because they don’t know of an organization they can trust. Others are hesitant to sign up because they have questions on whether it’s effective or if it actually works.
In 2013, researchers published an independent study to see if sponsorship programs make a positive impact. They found that child sponsorship programs actually work. Children who were sponsored were much more likely to go to school, stay in school, graduate, and get a higher paying job. The data also showed that sponsored children were more likely to become leaders in their communities.
This is the story of one girl who was sponsored. Her name is Mary.
Growing up in Uganda, Mary’s relatives were unable to pay her school fees which made her miss school for weeks at a time. When she had to stay at home, her grandmother, who took care of her, was often harsh and violent.
“As a child, I had very low self-esteem and no hopes or dreams for my future,” says Mary.
This all changed for her once she became a part of Children of the Nations.
When she found out she had a sponsor, she no longer had to worry about missing school because her school fees were paid on time.
Above all, she was shown the love, care, and support she never received at home. This is what changed her heart.
“I suddenly had people around me who wanted me to succeed, and it made me want to succeed too.”
Right now, Mary is at university studying for a degree in entrepreneurship and communication management.
Her life transformed because someone believed in her, prayed for her, and partnered with her on her life journey. There are thousands more like Mary who have come from some of the most hopeless life circumstances to now believing in themselves and beginning to dream of a different future.
Most people don’t realize the incredible power they have to change a child’s life. When you sponsor a child, it means they get access to clean drinking water and nutritious food every day. They go to school and learn rather than just waking up and doing chores or working in the market all day to make money for their family. Education is the key to breaking the generational cycle of poverty.
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When it comes to sponsoring a child, there are many options out there. The two most common types of programs are individual sponsorship and community sponsorship. This means your funds either go to one child or to a child and their community.
With the community approach, sponsors are caring for a child as well as those who don’t have sponsors yet. When more sponsors get involved, more children can be reached, and an entire community can change for the better. This approach has a ripple effect and extends a program’s reach even more.
Some people find it hard to choose just one child from a long list of available children to sponsor. But with community sponsorship, you can rest assured knowing that with any child you choose, others in that program are also being cared for. By sponsoring one child, you are actually making a difference to an entire community of children.
The areas your gift goes to can differ, depending on the program. Some help children pay for tuition and school uniforms. Some offer full-time living situations, or dorms, for children who don’t have a good home life. Other programs help younger children go to nursery school or even older students go to university or vocational school.
When choosing a program, make sure children are being cared for holistically. Not only are their basic needs being met, but also other areas of their life. Do children have access to counseling services so they can heal from past trauma? Are they learning how to deal with their emotions? Do they have extracurricular activities and other outlets to connect with their culture?
Growing up in a well-rounded environment helps children thrive so they can be healthy and passionate children ready to take on their future. Every part of a child’s life is important and once they are drinking clean water and eating enough food, they can have energy to work toward their goals and dream of a better future.
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When you sponsor a child, you join a team of people encouraging them to grow up with confidence and believe in themselves.
One way of doing that is by writing letters. Receiving a letter from their sponsor is incredibly encouraging for a child. Having someone halfway around the world who knows their name and is praying for them is so meaningful. Often, many children keep every letter in a special place with their other important belongings and look back over them.
“I feel happy when I receive a letter from [my sponsors],” says 16-year-old Misheilin who lives in the Dominican Republic. “I feel lucky that someone is paying attention to me and my studies.”
Writing letters with your own kids or spouse is a fun way for you to be creative and let your sponsored child know you are thinking about them. It’s not required but is a unique opportunity to connect with the child you sponsor—and can be a gift for both of you.
When you sponsor a child, you prepare them with the tools they need to succeed in life. You have the power to change the life of a child. And the more people that get involved, the more the world changes.
Children are growing up to be adults who are changing their own paths. They become role models who influence hundreds, even thousands, to work hard and achieve their dreams. Their stories wouldn’t have been possible if a sponsor hadn’t stepped in.
“Thanks to the support of my sponsors, I now have a new vision of what my future can be,” Mary says.
When you sponsor a child, you give them clean water, nutritious food, quality education, and medical care—the key components to breaking the cycle of poverty. You can set them free into a new future so they can grow to become the next generation of leaders.
If you would like to join the global movement of child sponsorship, click here to sponsor a child today.
Still have questions? Click here to learn more.