sponsoring a child

[sara3]

I want to sponsor a child in a 3rd world country. has anyone done this? can you recommend a site?

any opinions?

[Picky]

Hi Sara

We sponsor a child through World Vision in Niger and they've been really good. We asked for donations for this instead of Christening presents for baby Picky so I wanted to make sure we had a good one! We get letters and updates and photos and the oppourtunity to send the same back and they matched us with another little boy of a similar age, so although at 2 1/2 Baby Picky is too young to really understand, hopefully there will be a connection when he gets older as we've decided to continue the sponsorship.

Hope this helped

Px

[sara3]

thank you, Picky, that sounds like the kind of thing I'm looking for. I have looked at their site, but there were so many others that I got overwhelmed!

I'll probably go with them as it looks genuine and well organised :o)

[Ice.Maiden]

I've been told that this is a good one as well.

http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/sponsor -a-child/africa-child-sponsorship/tanzania.htm

[MWB]

Sara, I don't sponsor a child, but I have a friend who does.

She applied & asked to sponsor a child from an African country. But it turned out she never had a choice & was automatically given a child in South America - Uruguay, I think.

She was a little disappointed at first, thinking a child from Africa would be more deserving, but the agency said
people can forget, or perhaps don't know, that there are children in other less obvious countries that are just as much in need.

She is very happy with her little girl.

[sara3]

thanks ladies. I went ahead with the World Vision sponsorship and chose a little girl in Ethiopia.

my only concern is that they've emailed me to say thanks for my donation, but there is no mention or link to said child and I'd have to search the site to even find a photo again.

I'm hoping they will be in contact with further info!

[Rosetta]

good on you Sara xx

[sara3]

thanks Rosie, I've been thinking about it for ages.. but obviously that doesn't achieve anything so I took the plunge!

[tamborine]

The onlycharity I support with an annual donation is to Bishop of Sardhana Cathedral, Meerut, UP India who has orphanages in his diocese (prior Mother Theresa's).

I've been there, seen the poverty; I also know my donation wont be used to buy armoury nor be swallowed by the RC faith solely. It is used for the purpose I intend it for.

[karenmac60]

My parents have sponsored a few children through ActionAid. When I was young they sponsored a boy from Burundi for a few years and my sister and I used to write to him regularly and he would write back about how he was going to school now and how much he was enjoying it. At the time it was called adopting rather than sponsoring and I genuinely thought he would eventually come to live with us and be our brother - I often wonder what happened to him and if my financial situation was better I wouldn't hesitate to do it myself.

[tamborine]

karenmac60.......did you ever meet the boy or hear from him once an adult?

[karenmac60]

Unfortunately not - my parents were in the process of trying to track him down when all the trouble broke out in Burundi so we don't know what happened to him.

[tamborine]

I receive an annual newsletter from the Bishop.....unfortunately they dont have websites as all monies goes for orphanage care & education. Visits are encouraged.

[jackthehat]

I looked into this but could only find agencies where there was no specific child involved.

Because of the fears of paedophile grooming, individual photographs would not be possible, nor would any correspondence with the child be allowed. Instead, the charities concerned would let me know how the 'school/children' were getting on.

It left me feeling that I may as well give my money to Comic Relief..............and all I wanted was some sort of 'connection' with a child.

(I've just read that back and the last bit sounds a little iffy, but I assure you it isn't) :o)