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Sponsor a child: how does it work?
Concretely, the sponsor pays each month a fixed sum (often around 30 euros) which will improve the life of a child – the godson – and of his village, through the action of a humanitarian organization present on the spot.
Gradually, you will create a real relationship with this child: you write to him, send him small gifts. In return, he sends you photos, letters, drawings to tell about his daily life, to introduce you to his family… Of course, the letters go through an NGO translator if you do not speak the same language.
The body responsible for projet also gives you news of your godson, tells you about his progress at school, village life … Some organizations even organize trips (at your expense) to meet the godchildren and their families.
To know: you benefit from a tax deduction 66% on the amount you pay. A donation of 25 euros per month therefore really costs you 8,50 euros.
What is sponsorship for?
The money you donate is not paid directly to your godchild, but to the whole village. Otherwise it would be too unfair: some children would be sponsored, therefore helped, and others not. Often these are development aid very concrete: purchase of agricultural equipment, installation of a drinking water network. Or the construction of a school, purchase of school equipment … Some organizations are more “specialized” in aid to education, others in health, equipment for disabled children, others still in education. home improvement. This concerns almost all areas.
Most organizations send about one quantified assessment of their action. And on their site, you will be able to attend the construction of the school, the harvest of the village… You can thus see concretely what the money you give is used for.
Can I choose the child I will sponsor?
It depends on the organizations. Some offer it to you, others choose themselves, according to the priorities they have defined. Often you can, if you have a preference, choose the continent your godson, as well as his gender. This can be a good idea to help you choose: for example, if you speak Spanish well, it will be easier to correspond with a South American child.
Some organizations openly favor the sponsorship of little girls : in many parts of the world, they are the ones sent to school the least often.
How long does a sponsorship last?
Most of the time you will be prompted to sponsor a child for several years: to be effective, a project must be sustainable. Sometimes it is very precise: for example, the time of primary schooling, the construction of a dispensary. However, you can almost always end your sponsorship whenever you want. Inquire.
The testimony of Emmanuèle, mother of Jeanne (8 years old), Adèle (2 and a half years) and Lola (9 months)
“Since the birth of our daughter Jeanne, we have sponsored a little Vietnamese girl. Tran is now 10 years old. We hear from him regularly, and I, for my part, send him small gifts: a doll for his birthday, colored pencils, school supplies … I know that the amount we give each month helps his village to doing work that is useful to everyone, maintaining the school… It’s less anonymous than a simple donation, and we know where the money goes.
What is really nice is that Jeanne and Tran have forged a real relationship: they write to each other, send each other drawings, photos. It also opens up to another culture, it’s great for Jeanne. When Adèle, my youngest, was born, we decided to launch another sponsorship, so that she too would have a “friend from the other side of the world”: it is Aïssa, a little Malian. With Lola, we haven’t started yet. She will certainly be a little South American. Three continents, three cultures, and I hope, three times more chances for these little girls to build a better future. “
Some sponsorship associations
>>: operates in Africa, Asia, South America. Development assistance sponsorships (constructions for the village, access to drinking water, health campaigns, etc.).
>>: more focused on help with schooling.
>>: an association which offers sponsorship of little girls from the Miao and Dong minorities in southern China. Their parents, too poor, only send boys to school. With 50 euros per year, we can provide them with a year of primary school.