Sponsor A Child | World Vision...Created Date: 1/9/2015 8:04:47 AM
Child Sponsor Handbook - World Vision
Transcript of Child Sponsor Handbook - World Vision
Child Sponsor Handbook
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian
organisation working to create lasting
change in the lives of children, families and
communities living in poverty. We serve all
people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity
or gender.
As followers of Jesus, we are dedicated to
working with the world’s most vulnerable
people.
World Vision was established by Dr. Bob Pierce, an American journalist, in 1950.
Currently, we are working in nearly 100 countries. World Vision focuses on
children because when they are well fed, sheltered, schooled, protected, valued,
and loved, a community thrives.
Our VisionOur vision for every child,
life in all its fullness;
Our prayer for every heart,
the will to make it so.
Our Core ValuesWe are Christian
We value people
We are partners
We are committed to the poor
We are stewards
We are responsive
About World Vision
Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, cares for needy children around the world.
1-2 Learn about Child Sponsorship • What is Child Sponsorship?
• How does Child Sponsorship help children?
3-5 Build a relationship with your sponsored child • Sponsorship information you will receive
• Writing to your sponsored child
• Sending gifts to your sponsored child
• Sending greeting cards to your sponsored child
6 Activities for child sponsors • New sponsor orientation
• Sponsor gathering
• Visiting your sponsored child
7-8 FAQs
Contents
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What is Child Sponsorship?World Vision Child Sponsorship is a child-focused and community-based
programme which aims at improving the long-term livelihood of a sponsored
child, his/her family and the entire community.
How does Child Sponsorship help children?World Vision pools together the monthly donations from sponsors to
implement Area Development Programmes (ADP) in sponsored children’s
communities. Typically, an ADP will last for 15 years, covering a wide range
of development projects including water, agriculture, healthcare, education
and economic development. Community participation is strongly encouraged
and valued because it is through this process that community members are
empowered to establish a self-reliant and sustainable community where your
sponsored child will grow and blossom.
Phases of an ADP
Trust building Years 1-3
Gradual transformation Years 4-14
Sustainable development Year 15 to project close
• Build partnership
• Joint planning and
decision-making
• Momentum builds on
initial project success
• Increase community
ownership
• Establish capacity
and confidence
• Community-led
development
Learn about Child Sponsorship
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A thriving community enriches children’s lives
Implemented by World Vision in 2006, Birampur ADP in Bangladesh has worked with the villagers to improve nutrition, education and economic development in their communities for the benefit of their children. Islam, a sponsored child, is one of the beneficiaries.
Through the nutrition project, women have learnt to prepare nutritious meals from local produce. They have also become more aware of proper personal hygiene, which helps improve children’s health.
Farming households have received training in agriculture and livestock rearing, which enables them to increase their family income and become more food secure.
As part of the women’s group, Islam’s mother learned to sew. She has since been able to bring in extra income while taking care of her family at the same time. She has also enjoyed a higher status in the family. Islam has witnessed gradual improvement of his
living environment. He is delighted to have a caring and encouraging sponsor who gives him support as he grows.
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Sponsorship information you will receive
At the startA picture folder — It contains your child’s
photo and personal details, as well as
his/her country’s profile. Through these
you can better understand your child’s
background and the needs of the family and community.
Child’s introductory letter — Excited to have you as his/her sponsor, your child
will write you the first letter1 with the assistance of World Vision field staff. The
letter marks the beginning of a unique relationship between you and your child.
One year onAnnual Progress Report — After a year of
sponsorship, you will start receiving your child’s
annual progress report2 which provides updates on
your child’s growth and the progress of the ADP.
You will also find a recent photo of your child.
Child Sponsorship Annual Report — In mid-year, you
will receive this report which summarises
World Vision’s global programme achievements in the
previous financial year.
Remarks: 1 For young children who can’t write yet, their letters will be written by relatives, friends or World Vision field staff on their behalf. 2 Please contact us if you have not received your child’s Annual Progress Report by the end of the year.
Build a relationship with your sponsored child
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Writing to your sponsored childYour sponsored child loves to hear from you. A nice and simple letter would
warm his/her heart. Please be patient while waiting for your child’s reply as it
takes time for delivery. If you do not receive a reply 4 months after you have
sent your letter, please contact us for follow-up.
MailingLetters should be sent directly to the World Vision office in your child’s country.
If translation into English is required, please send it to World Vision Hong Kong.
Writing eLettersYou may also write your sponsored child an eLetter at
www.worldvision.org.hk/en/child-sponsorship/eletter
which will be directed to the World Vision office in your sponsored child’s country.
Tips: Due to different cultural and living environment, avoid sensitive topics such as wealth, religion and politics.
To protect your privacy, do NOT disclose your contact details such as address, email or phone number in the letters.
Letters from all sponsors will be screened before they are sent to your sponsored child. Any sensitive or culturally inappropriate content and sponsors’ contact details will be removed.
XXX ABC-123456-0000
Dear...,
How are you?
Name of World Vision OfficeOffice Address
AIR MAIL
XXX 654321
Child’s name and ID number
The address of the World Vision office in your child’s country is printed at bottom right corner of the picture folder.
Your name and your partner number
Sending gifts to your sponsored childWe usually encourage sponsors to write more frequently to sponsored
children. Your love and support to your sponsored child are already the best
gift of all! However, if you would like to send gifts, please note the following:
• Your gift should fit into an A4 envelope
• Do not send bulky or expensive gifts because this may stir jealousy amongst
the children, and will increase our administrative and handling costs
• Avoid gifts with religious messages as sponsored children are from culturally
different backgrounds. E.g. pigs are regarded as unclean by Muslims, so any
gifts with pig images or graphics to Muslim sponsored children are strongly
discouraged.
Sending greeting cards to your sponsored childEvery year, World Vision will design a
festive greeting card for you to send your
love and blessings to your sponsored child.
A sponsored child in Bangladesh smiles cheerfully as she receives the greeting card from her sponsor in Hong Kong.
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Recommended gifts
✔ Postcards
✔ Birthday cards
✔ Photographs
✔ Stickers
✔ Bookmarks
✔ Stationery
* Some countries have import restrictions and impose high taxes on these goods
Gifts to avoid
✗ Clothes*
✗ Food*
✗ Jewellery*
✗ Cash*
✗ Second-hand items*
✗ Watches or other electronic products*
✗ Fabric products (applied to DR Congo only)
Gigi had an unforgettable experience meeting her sponsored child, Nada, in India.
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* The gathering will be conducted in Cantonese
New sponsor orientation* (Monthly)This is specially designed for new child sponsors. You can learn more about our
Child Sponsorship and how to communicate with your sponsored child.
Sponsor gathering* (Annual)You will gain a better understanding of how your contributions can help your
sponsored child and his/her community. You are also welcome to share about
your sponsorship journey.
Visiting your sponsored child
Supporter tourSponsors are welcome to join our
supporter tours, which are organised on
a regular basis. Participants may see in
person the lives and needs of local people,
and understand the development works of
World Vision. If your sponsored child lives
in the area, we will try our best to arrange
for you to meet your child in person.
Self-guided visitA self-guided visit to your sponsored child can be arranged through World
Vision’s offices worldwide. Please notify us at least three months prior to your
departure to allow for the necessary arrangements with field offices. Since
sponsored children usually live in remote areas with limited communication
network, it takes time for us to coordinate with the field staff to ensure your
safety during the visit.
Activities for child sponsors
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How much of my monthly donation actually goes to my sponsored child?Your monthly donation will be pooled with that of the other sponsors to
implement an ADP in your sponsored child’s community — cash will not be
given directly to your child or the child’s family.
To free a child from poverty, it is more effective to help his/her community
achieve sustainable development than to just meet the child’s individual needs.
For example, instead of using donations to buy water for sponsored children,
we will help the community dig wells and train villagers to maintain the water
supply system, so that the whole community can have access to clean water,
with future generations also benefiting from this lasting change.
How long does a sponsorship usually last?The duration of sponsorship varies according to the progress of the
community’s development. When the community has achieved self-reliance and
the ADP is closing, your sponsorship will also come to an end.
However, changes in a child’s circumstances may also affect the duration. Your
sponsorship will end when your sponsored child finishes school, gets married,
moves out of the community,* or when his or her family has achieved a better
living. In these cases, we will give you a written notification, and transfer your
sponsorship to another child in need. If you prefer other arrangements, please
contact our Donor Services Department.
* Some sponsored children may leave the community temporarily for specific reasons. To avoid losing their sponsorship, World Vision’s field staff will monitor their situations for six months. Once we confirm that a child has permanently moved out of the community, we will notify the child sponsor. Donations received during the period will be used to support the ongoing development projects in the child’s community.
FAQs
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Can I share my sponsored child’s information through social media or other channels? You are welcome to share the joy of sponsorship with your friends and
relatives and invite them to become child sponsors, helping more needy
children. However, please take note of the following to ensure your sponsored
child’s safety and privacy:
• The child must be adequately clothed in the shared photos.
• Family name, sponsorship ID and location/address of the child should NOT
be disclosed.
• Uploaded child photos should NOT be geo-tagged to the precise locations
of sponsored child.
• Storage and transmission of the child’s personal information using internet,
mobile devices, or other electronic means should be password-protected.
When will I get the donation receipt?At the beginning of each fiscal year, you will receive an annual receipt detailing
all your donations made in the previous financial year. If you require receipts
for individual payments, please contact our Donor Services Department.
How can I donate?Direct debit is the most effective donation method in reducing our
administrative costs. Besides, you can use credit card, PPS (Payment by Phone
Service), crossed cheques, our online donation service, or you can visit our
office in person to make your donations.
World Vision Hong Kong
2/F Mayfair Centre, 4 Anchor Street
Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Hotline: (852) 2394 2394
Fax: (852) 2394 4844 (852) 2789 4744
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.worldvision.org.hk
World Vision of Macau Association
Rua de Abreu Nunes No. 6, Edf. lao Lun
1 Andar A, Macau
Hotline: (853) 2835 2740
Fax: (853) 2835 2737
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.worldvision.org.hk/macau
World Vision Hong Kong, incorporated with limited liability, is a Christian humanitarian organisation working to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty.
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