Africa versus Asia: Where can you sponsor a child and make a real impact? - Children of the Mekong
Go to main content

Africa versus Asia: Where can you sponsor a child and make a real impact?

SPONSORSHIP: WHY DO WE TEND TO THINK OF AFRICA FIRST?

When we want to sponsor a child, we often ask ourselves the question ‘from where?’. And yet our choice is not always based on a particular geographical area. 

Behind this question there is above all a sincere desire to act in a practical and tangible way, and in doing so, change a child’s life. A sponsor accompanies a child on his or her long journey, giving the child the chance of an education. If we immediately think of Africa, it is because there are many NGOs (non-governmental organisations) there who have made the public aware of the need for sponsorship.  These needs are real. At the same time, there is a tremendous need in other parts of the world as well, such as in Southeast Asia, where poverty is very real, albeit not as visible.

SPONSOR A CHILD IN ASIA

Thanks to our sponsorship programme, we are able to help Burmese refugee children in Thailand continue their education.
Thanks to our sponsorship programme, we are able to help Burmese refugee children in Thailand continue their education.

IN ASIA, POVERTY IS LESS VISIBLE YET IT IS VERY MUCH PRESENT

The challenges related to education in Asia are not well known; however, the obstacles facing the poorest children are very real. 

  • Isolation and a rural setting: The nearest school can be located 2 miles walking distance away, through the jungle or the mountains.
  • Ethnic minorities can have difficulties integrating.
  • Many parents earn very little for their hard work, and what they do earn is rarely on a regular basis.
  • Large, fragmented families, in which parents are no longer living, or away working in neighbouring countries, struggle hard.
  • There is no support system for children with disabilities. 

School is free for the majority of the countries we work in, but many parents can not afford to pay the fees associated with school, such as uniforms, school supplies, and the like. 

SPONSOR A CHILD IN ASIA

The Boeung Trabaek slum south of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city, consists of shelters put together with corrugated iron and planks. The ground is covered in garbage and seashells.
The Boeung Trabaek slum south of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city, consists of shelters put together with corrugated iron and planks. The ground is covered in garbage and seashells.

Without the support that sponsorship provides, many of our sponsored children would have left school at an early age to work in the streets or in the fields. 

SPONSORSHIP: HOW DOES IT WORK?

EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO CHANGING A CHILD’S LIFE. 

We have been monitoring the impact of our sponsorship programmes since 1958. With a few dozen euros a month, our sponsored children are able to attend school.  The results speak for themselves. 

  • 60% of parents are illiterate. 100% of our sponsored children learn to read and write.
  • Our sponsored children earn between two and four times more than their parents in their first job.
  • More than 2,000 formerly sponsored children are involved with Children of the Mekong today.

SPONSOR A CHILD

help change your sponsored young person/child's life

SPONSOR A CHILD THROUGH CHILDREN OF THE MEKONG

Our sponsorship programme gives a specific child access to an education in Southeast Asia. Depending on each region and need, sponsorship funds the following: 

  • School supplies, uniforms, and transportation
  • Supplementary classes
  • Hygiene or food kits
  • Sponsorship serves as a source of moral support too, as the sponsor and the child write letters to each other.  We work with local community representatives who know each family and what their most urgent needs are.

I want to sponsor a child

Are you ready to support a child in South-East Asia?