Child sponsorship programs offer organisations like Vision Africa the potential for regular funding which contributes to the education or welfare of children. It sounds like such an obvious statement but doesn’t quite express the vital work that these contributions make to projects and to children and their families.

At Vision Africa, we have sponsorship programs for a variety of different projects. Those of you who read our recent update “Baby Talk” might recall that in our abandoned baby unit we have a “sponsor a cot” program. This is because we hope that some of the babies will be adopted by caring families in the local community rather than stay in long term care. When fully subscribed, this sponsorship program will provide half the funding required to run the unit. With nappies (diapers), milk, food, salaries, medical care and other costs involved, sponsorship income is a lifeline.

Another project which shows just what sponsorship income can do is the Lutheran school in Kibera. Vision Africa helped to refurbish this school after it was burnt down and looted in the post-election violence. Since then, we have continued to support the school thanks to our sponsors. The school currently takes in children from 3yrs – 10yrs, many of whom are orphaned, from single parent families or their family is living in extreme poverty. The school is an informal (non-government) one so teachers are paid through the local church when funds are available. They also charge a small fee for children to attend the school but this is done on the basis that if parents can afford, they pay; if they can’t, their child will still be educated at the school. By running a sponsorship program, we have been able to identify the children whose parents/guardians are unable to pay school fees. We can then find the child a sponsor and pay their fees as well as provide a school uniform, bag and shoes. This was the case with Josephine and her twin brothers who, along with their mother, were displaced during the post election violence. They were left with only the clothes they stood in but are now attending school every day in their uniforms and their school fees are paid every term.

The sponsorship income also allows us to provide lunch for EVERY child in the school. As my colleague, Vincent, was explaining to visitors this week, the informal schools in Kibera that are able to provide feeding programs are the ones that parents are choosing to send their children to. With the drastic increase in food prices since January 2008, many families are struggling to survive and in Kibera lunch is becoming a thing of the past. Most people are surviving on breakfast (sometimes just a cup of tea) and supper. Schools like the Lutheran School can help parents by ensuring the children get one decent meal every day. Vision Africa supporters can assist by sponsoring a child at just £7 ($12/850ksh) a month. We currently have around 30 children sponsored at this school which has a role of over 100 and a list of 20 waiting to be sponsored.

Sponsorship income is also vital to the Seed of Hope program which assists destitute teenage girls. At our 4 centres throughout Kenya, girls are given the opportunity to undertake a 2 year training program which incorporates Business Skills, Life Skills and a Vocational Skill such as dressmaking. Graduates are then supported to start up their own small business and lead an independent life full of hope, dignity and opportunity. One of the graduates, Naomi, hosted some visitors at her business last weekend. She told them that she now operates a successful dressmaking business and has 2 students who are paying her for their training. Naomi has a number of regular clients and is able to support herself and her family who live upcountry. This is because she had a sponsor who supported her through her training at Seed of Hope. You can help give other girls that opportunity in life.

These are just some examples of projects where Vision Africa provides funding through child sponsorship. Over the past few months, we have lost more than 35 sponsors due to the economic climate. Some of these are people who have sponsored since 2001 but have been made redundant and simply can’t afford to continue their support. We believe that for every 1 of those 35 sponsors, there are many others out there who could spare a small amount every month to make a difference to a child’s life. If YOU are one of them, please get in touch with us at sponsor@vision-africa.org.

If you need to be convinced, check out our video about sponsorship on YouTube http://bit.ly/46eqex