FAQ: How does my support reach my sponsored child?

Whether you’re a new child sponsor, have many years of sponsorship under your belt, or are just looking into sponsoring a child for the first time, you’re probably familiar with the type of essentials your support provides.

Nutritious meals. Clean water. Medical care. Educational opportunities.

Do those sound familiar? Probably so.

But how do those essentials reach my sponsored child? How is my support providing a brighter future for him or her? How does it all work? If you’ve asked yourself those types of questions, let Jimmy be the first to explain.

Jimmy receives the help his sponsor sends each month through the children’s home where he lives. But your support can reach your child in one of four ways — through a children’s home, a school, a community-based program, or through direct family assistance.

Children’s homes

As a single parent, Jimmy’s mother has always struggled to work and raise five children alone. They live in a remote village in Uganda, and job opportunities are few and far between. Many parents in their community never went to school. Instead, they spend their whole lives working for just a couple dollars a day.

That’s the reality Jimmy’s mother faces. She wakes up early every morning and digs holes for other families, whether they’re for crops, fences, or some other purpose. She spends hours under the blistering sun. Still, she can barely afford to feed Jimmy and his siblings … much less send them to school.

Thankfully, Jimmy was sponsored when he was 6 years old. He went to live at a children’s home run by World Help’s Ugandan partners, and his life changed forever.

“Thank you for sponsoring me and taking care of me,” Jimmy said. “Now I know how to speak English and how to relate to other people.”

Because of his generous sponsors, Jimmy was able to live in a safe environment at the children’s home where he received necessities like food, medical care, and an education. It’s been years since Jimmy was first sponsored. Now, he’s in college and on his way to fulfilling his dream of becoming a chef.

“I am studying catering and hospitality management at university,” Jimmy said. “I have reached here because of your support.”

What a transformation! Plucked from an impoverished village in Uganda … and now training to become a chef. None of this would have been possible without Jimmy’s sponsor supporting him all those years ago.

Schools

Not every sponsored child lives in a boarding home, though. Many kids stay with their families but attend a sponsorship-supported school since they would have few educational opportunities otherwise.

Not only are they taught by well-trained teachers, but students like Isis also receive a nutritious meal and are able to build lifelong friendships with their classmates.

Our partners first met Isis when she was just a toddler. They were shocked to find this little girl leaning over a filthy toilet bowl and playing in the dirty water. Her mother was off at the local dump, scavenging for recyclables to sell. She thought it would be too dangerous to bring Isis along, but leaving her alone at home definitely wasn’t the safest either.

Isis was quickly matched with a sponsor and started attending the preschool run by our partners in Honduras. Once she grew older, she moved up to the Christian elementary school.

Now, Isis is never left alone at home. She goes to school every day to receive a quality education, nutritious meals, and to learn about God’s love.

By supporting Isis each month, her sponsor is paving the way for her to have a bright future. She won’t have to rummage through the garbage heaps like her mother because she’ll have an education. And with that education, she can find a well-paying job.

Community centers

Some kids are already enrolled in school, but they need a safe place to go after classes while their parents work. Community center programs fill this gap, giving sponsored children like Daniel the opportunity to receive help with their homework, take extracurricular lessons, eat a healthy meal, and participate in fun activities that keep them off the streets.

Daniel is a teenager living in a poor suburb in Brazil. The area is filled with drugs and violence, and all too often, kids around Daniel’s neighborhood find themselves surrounded by these negative influences.

Thankfully, Daniel’s sponsor makes sure he is surrounded by love.

Every day after school, Daniel attends the community center run by our partners in Brazil. He receives tutoring on the subjects he struggles with in school. He even has the chance to take music lessons and attend weekly Bibles studies. Of course, Daniel never leaves the center with an empty stomach either. The staff always make sure there is plenty of food!

But this wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of sponsors. Kids like Daniel could be out on the streets, mixing with dangerous people, and getting into trouble. Instead, children in these community centers are furthering their education and learning about God’s love.

Family support programs

Family support sponsorship programs are similar to community-based programs, but they are usually located in remote, rural communities where the children may not be able to meet together as often.

Instead, our partners often go to them, making sure kids like Beverly and their families have everything they need to survive.

Beverly’s father is a hardworking farmer. Like many parents in their Guatemalan village, he stays in the field all day digging, planting, and harvesting crops. But recent droughts in the country have left the soil dry and crumbly. Despite hours of manual labor, the heat continues to destroy the crops.

That means Beverly’s father has little to sell … and even less to feed his family.

Thanks to Beverly’s sponsor, though, her family doesn’t have to starve. They receive essentials like nutritious food, clean water, and durable clothing through sponsorship. Beverly’s family even has access to medical care! This allows them to see a doctor for regular checkups, get medicine, and more.

“The government estimates malnutrition has grown 300% in the last few weeks due to not being able to get access to food,” one of our Guatemala partners said. This is the result of drought, recent lockdowns, and skyrocketing food prices.

But Beverly’s monthly support protects her from malnutrition. As a result of sponsorship, she and her family are stronger and healthier than they’ve ever been!

During the pandemic this year, many of the programs have switched to more of a family support model. Since the kids can’t meet at community centers because of social distancing regulations, the staff is coming to them to check on how they’re doing and deliver the food and other aid provided by their sponsors.

Many of the kids living in children’s home are still sheltering in place on campus, but some went home to be with their families and are now receiving help there until the pandemic ends.

Regardless of which kind of program your child is a part of, you can rest assured your monthly support is transforming his or her life. Not only are you providing for your sponsored child’s physical needs each month … but your gifts are also demonstrating the love of Christ.

Unfortunately, not every child has a sponsor looking out for them. And the current crisis has pushed many kids in developing countries into even deeper poverty. They need help now more than ever. But since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of new sponsors has been down 94 percent!

Will you consider covering just three months of critical sponsorship for a child without a sponsor?

Your gift will provide lifesaving help like healthy meals and medical care plus educational opportunities to help them stay on track while schools are out. As a special thank you, we’ll even text you a photo of the child you are helping.

Most importantly, you’ll let that child know that he or she isn’t alone during this scary time.

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