Why Sponsor
Sponsor a child with ChildFund, and you will build a personal, one-to-one relationship with that child.
Children need loving caregivers, health care, nutrition, clean water and sanitation, education, opportunity and safety. ChildFund works to help communities fill those gaps for children, and your monthly contributions make that work possible. When we combine your donations with support from other sponsors of children in the same community, all the children there benefit, because their whole environment is being transformed.
"I know she thinks about me all the time."
We hear again and again from currently sponsored children and alumni how the knowledge that someone far away believed in them helped them persevere and go further than they’d hoped. “I have a beautiful relationship with my sponsor,” says Raquel, 19, in Bolivia. “I know she thinks about me all the time.” Sponsors have the ability to visit their child so they may see firsthand the incredible difference sponsorship makes. Sponsoring a child means have a relationship with that child, but it also means being a part of something bigger.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME
“Until you go and see what their life is like, it’s hard to wrap your head around what your sponsorship means. These are real people with real lives, not numbers coming out of your bank account." Chris, from Kentucky, sponsors Henry in Uganda and visited him last year.
“It was very emotional for me to meet the person who actually contributed to my future by sponsoring my education…I couldn't help my tears when I gave my dear Debbie a hug and had the opportunity to thank her for all of her support.” Momodou, from The Gambia, visited his former sponsor in Boston, Massachussetts.
“It has enabled me to learn about other cultures, to impact lives in those cultures and to develop friendships with children and their families. I have benefited from the experience as much as my sponsored children.” Marion, from Pennsylvania, has sponsored three children since the 1980s.
“Today, I know that the support I received — school material, financial help and medication — was of great importance in my life…The affection of the sponsors, shown by way of the letters or visits, spreads joy without end, making us feel special. This is very important.” Thiago, from Fortaleza, Brazil, is a ChildFund alumni who is now a 3rd year medical student at university.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME
“Until you go and see what their life is like, it’s hard to wrap your head around what your sponsorship means. These are real people with real lives, not numbers coming out of your bank account.” Chris, from Kentucky, sponsors Henry in Uganda and visited him last year.
“It was very emotional for me to meet the person who actually contributed to my future by sponsoring my education…I couldn't help my tears when I gave my dear Debbie a hug and had the opportunity to thank her for all of her support.” Momodou, from The Gambia, visited his former sponsor in Boston, Massachussetts.
“It has enabled me to learn about other cultures, to impact lives in those cultures and to develop friendships with children and their families. I have benefited from the experience as much as my sponsored children.” Marion, from Pennsylvania, has sponsored three children since the 1980s.
“Today, I know that the support I received — school material, financial help and medication — was of great importance in my life…The affection of the sponsors, shown by way of the letters or visits, spreads joy without end, making us feel special. This is very important.” Thiago, from Fortaleza, Brazil, is a ChildFund alumni who is now a 3rd year medical student at university.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Through Sponsorship
Sponsorship creates a lasting change for the child -- and sponsor. Watch ChildFund sponsorship advocate Jeremy Willet meet his sponsored child, Alice, for the first time in Kenya.
So, Why Sponsor a Child
- Many friendships start through the exchange of letters, both with children and their caregivers, who often lend a hand if a sponsored child is too young to write. Through the mail and email, you'll gain knowledge of another culture through the eyes of a child. Sponsoring a child means joining that child on a journey toward becoming the person he or she can be, providing inspiration along the way. Becoming a part of that journey will inspire you too.
- There are many reasons to sponsor a child today – the most basic is that many children will miss out on crucial opportunities to break free from generational poverty and lead fulfilling lives without sponsors’ support. To give a child a brighter future, consider child sponsorship for about a $1 a day.
- Your support can change the world, one child at a time, by providing hope and the chance for that child to thrive. Make a tangible difference and sponsor a child today.
How Sponsorship Works:
Worldwide, millions of children of all ages, nationalities, religions and cultures suffer violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse. Poverty often makes the problem worse because children may not have the resources and adult supervision they need to be safe. Abusive environments, whether home, school, workplace or neighborhood, keep children and youth from exercising their rights to food, shelter, health care, education and more. Children are then unable to reach their potential, and the cycle of poverty continues.
ChildFund's work in child protection is focused on the distinct needs of each age group and shaped by community values, traditions and challenges. We aim to raise public awareness of violence that affects children directly and indirectly, and work with children and their families to break free from harmful practices like corporal punishment, forced labor and early marriage that perpetuate violence.
ChildFund could not accomplish all that it does without local partner organizations in the communities where we work. Since the 1960s, we have formed partnerships with child-focused grassroots organizations for a simple reason: Local participation and ownership produce sustainable and lasting change.
Our local partners’ staff members and volunteers live in the areas they serve and understand local concerns. Children and families trust these hardworking individuals, who inspire confidence in ChildFund’s work. Through these partnerships, ChildFund reaches children directly and involves parents, educators, local government officials and other community members to help protect children’s rights to education, nutrition, clean water, sanitation, health care and other necessities.
In the end, by sharing knowledge and resources, we leave families and communities stronger and more autonomous, able to provide their children with what they need to reach their potential and live independent, fulfilling lives.
ChildFund tailors its programs to fit the needs of infants, children and youth, which change as they grow. The youngest children require safe homes, good nutrition, loving care and physical, intellectual and emotional stimulation. School-aged children and youth have different needs as they learn to cope with the outside world and ultimately become productive, happy adults.
For children ages 5 and under, much of ChildFund’s work focuses on their early development, including working with parents and other caregivers to help them provide their infants and toddlers with the nutrition, health, safety and learning experiences they need. These early foundational years are the basis for all future development, and we work through local partner organizations to engage families and provide them with training and resources to help their children succeed.
As children grow and reach school age, ChildFund’s work shifts to help keep them enrolled in school (and protected from early marriage and child labor). Our aim is to encourage full educations, positive relationships with peers and adults, healthy problem-solving and civic and family participation. We also help children and young teens feel comfortable expressing themselves and advocating for their rights.
Finally, older teens and young adults in developing countries often face challenges in finding fulfilling, decently paid jobs, even if they have college degrees. Much of our work with youth is helping them prepare for their local job markets, either by gaining skills needed in the workplace or by starting their own businesses. ChildFund and its local partners also help young adults navigate relationships with friends, romantic partners and others so they can lead happy, healthy and independent lives.