Sponsoring a child: more than donating money, also a helping hand

Moral support

Sponsorship goes beyond financial assistance: it is also and above all, moral support. Through the months and years, a sponsor builds a special relationship with the child, for example by encouraging them to study and continue their education. Xavier Guignard, sponsorship manager for the Children of the Mekong explains: “Being a parent to a child is a real relationship which becomes established over time. When the child has doubts, their sponsor parent provides support. Sponsored children have told us that this support was vital for them to succeed in their studies.“ Therefore, you have a real role in the child’s education.

There is no need for long and laborious processes: the sponsorship process can be completed online in just a few clicks. Usually, it is simply a question of choosing an organisation, going onto their dedicated sponsorship page, creating an account, and choosing the amount you would like to give every month. The payment is made online by bank card or direct debit.

Sponsoring a girl or boy

In some NGOs, you have the choice between sponsoring a girl or a boy: it can be interesting to choose one or the other depending on your own child. You can also let the organisation choose for you and leave it to chance!
 

Sponsoring a child in Kenya, Peru, Cambodia… can I choose?

It is also possible to select a country in choosing a child to sponsor. There are NGOs working globally, and others who focus on a particular continent: you can choose to sponsor a child in varying countries. 

The donation, even if it seems insignificant to you, will enable a child to improve their daily life. It is mainly used to:

• buy school equipment
• pay transport costs 
• provide them with a uniform…

But this depends on the children’s needs. Xavier Guignard explains: “Not all children need to take a bus to get to school, for example.“ And that’s why sponsorship is so important – it is personalised support according to the needs of the children and their specific situations.

Part of the donation can also be used to pay the family, which is selected in terms of the motivation to send their child to school: they are reimbursed to compensate for the loss in wages because their child goes to school and cannot earn an income. Victoire Bureau, responsible for communication at the Children of the Mekong, explains: “Sponsorship is not only about providing a uniform or paying a child’s transport costs. We also pay attention to the sponsored child’s environment. This means we can provide aid on a case-by-case basis.“

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation was, therefore, able to adapt to the needs of the communities: “Schools were closed during the Covid crisis: sending uniforms for children would have been pointless. The priority was ensuring they had food. So we sent kilos of rice“, Xavier Guignard told us.

The list of NGOs enabling child sponsorship is long! Here are some criteria which may help you to make a choice: 

• prioritise non-profit organisations 
• find a registered charity
• check if they publish their annual report, for full financial transparency 
• have the option to contact representatives to ask questions 

The fact of being an NGO can be a reassuring factor. For example, Children of the Mekong functions through a system of local volunteers and volunteers who travel to the region. They ensure that donations are used appropriately. “Local volunteers, who are often school directors and know the families very well, notify us of any problems, if a child no longer goes to school or if a parent is ill.“ In these ways, there is thorough monitoring. 

There are many meaningful impacts of sponsoring a child to receive the education that they need. With £28 a month, you could be changing a child’s life in unimaginable ways.