The top 5 reasons why you should sponsor a child

Most people are familiar with child sponsorship, and when they see adverts on TV or in magazines they may even feel that sponsoring a child would be something they would like to do. But sometimes doubts about how effective it is can creep in and stop people making that final commitment.

Child sponsorship has enormous and tangible benefits for disadvantaged children and their communities. Here are the top five reasons why you should sponsor a child.

1. Providing Essentials For The Disadvantaged. We sometimes take it for granted that we can turn on a tap and get fresh water, or nip down to the supermarket to top up the bread and milk. Millions and millions of people around the world have no access to safe, clean water and the food they have is of poor quality and its supply precarious. Without these essentials life is difficult to maintain and the effects of malnutrition and dirty water can be life threatening. When you sponsor a child you’re helping fund projects to build and maintain wells and water sources for villages. You’re helping supply food and also train and educate people to be able to grow and produce their own food, helping them become independent from charity.
2. Helping Deliver Education To All. A good education is one sure fire way to break the cycle of poverty. In many developing nations access to education is limited, especially for girls. Research has revealed that if a girl completes an extra year of secondary school education her eventual earnings are boosted by up to 25%. Importantly children who are well educated go on to prize and encourage education in their own children, thus lifting generations out of poverty; a great benefit that you help make a reality when you sponsor a child.
3. Saving Lives. In the developing world child mortality is higher and life expectancy is lower. There are many factors that contribute to this, but limited medical facilities are a major part of it. By choosing to sponsor a child you’ll be helping to build medical centres, train staff and provide vital medicines. Preventive measures are also important, such as raising awareness of proper sanitation, sexual health and practices that can limit preventable illnesses. Your sponsorship helps fund such educational initiatives.
4. Helping More Than One Child. Child sponsorship programmes aren’t direct one to one sponsorships. When you sponsor a child the money you generously donate every month is pooled together with that of others to fund projects in your sponsored child’s community. This means that when you sponsor one child you are in effect sponsoring many more. In fact on average for every child sponsored an additional 55 benefit.
5. Making A Connection. Child sponsorship is definitely about helping disadvantaged children, but sponsors also see a wonderful benefit. By choosing to sponsor a child you’re doing more than handing out cash, you’re stepping into a meaningful relationship. You’ll get to exchange letters and photos with your sponsored child, watching them grow and develop and see the incredible impact you’re having on their future. For some this develops into a lifelong friendship, and some sponsors even visit their sponsored child in person several times.

If you want to change someone’s life, sponsor a child. The benefits for them are many and almost immeasurable, and you can feel like you’re making a real impact on the world.

Find out more about how to sponsor a child.

Photo Credit: United Nations Photo via Compfight cc

This post is in association with Plan UK.