THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ORPHAN SPONSORSHIP

 

How does orphan sponsorship work?

Our One-to-One Orphan Sponsorship programme allows individual donors to sponsor an orphan child and their family, ensuring to meet the needs of each orphan by providing basic necessities to improve their health and nutrition, while also supporting them through their education and social development. This one-to-one relationship provides children with a message of hope and a message that they matter, that they are valuable and that someone outside their family cares about them and their future.

How much does sponsorship cost?

Sponsorship costs £30 per month or £360 per year. This pays for school fees, clothing, footwear and providing basic necessities to improve health and nutrition for the orphan, money for the orphan’s family. Our partner organisations on the ground monitor the orphan’s progress. In addition, a small portion of the sponsorship goes towards our Orphan Fund which enables us to continue the sponsorship of orphans for at least 6 months in cases where their sponsor terminates or cancels the monthly sponsorship.

How do we choose orphans?

Orphans and vulnerable children are chosen by Muslim Charity’s partners on ground on the basis of need. Family income, family size and living conditions are looked at to assess the needs of the child and family.

When and what information will I receive of my sponsored orphan?

At the beginning of your sponsorship, we will send you a profile of the child you are supporting, with a photograph and some key information about them. If you are paying by direct debit, this usually takes around four to six weeks after we have received the first direct debit payment. If you have made payment for the whole year of £360 in one go (via credit/debit card, cheque or bank transfer), then you should receive this within four to six weeks of us receiving the funds. If you decide to pay via a bank transfer then you must call us to inform us once the funds have transferred into our account so we can allocate the funds to your orphan sponsorship.

We will send you an annual report of your sponsored orphan which includes the child’s school progress and overall wellbeing report.

How do we ensure the orphan’s well being and progress?

Our ground partners ensure that the children remain in school, monitor their progress and have a multitude of ways to ensure their general wellbeing, safety and protection.

Can I contact my sponsored orphan?

Yes, you can send letters to your orphan by sending them to us. We will ensure that the contents are suitable and aligned with our safeguarding policies and then forward it to the relevant country partner to be given to the orphan and his/her family. Any replies or responses from the orphan are dependent on the sponsored child and his/her guardians. In some cases, guardians tend to respond and, in some cases, they do not respond at all.

Can I visit my sponsored orphan?

On certain occasions, supervised visits can be arranged, provided that the child and guardian are in agreement for such a meeting. Furthermore, please note that visits cannot be made directly to the orphan’s home in line with our Child Protection Policy, so the meeting will be held at our partner offices.

Any UK-based individual requesting a visit will have to submit Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) evidence. Your travel arrangements and DBS check will be fully your own responsibility financially and in terms of any associated risks.

If you are living outside the UK, then as per your relevant country law we require your Police Background check before any such arranged visit.

Is there a minimum period for sponsorship?

There is no minimum period, but we encourage you to continue the sponsorship for at least three years and if you wish you can sponsor a child until the age of 16 and even beyond, we do ask you to consider your sponsorship as a serious commitment.

Sponsorship develops a hope for a brighter future, if you cancel your sponsorship then we need to find another sponsor to continue giving hope to the child, which sometimes takes a long time. We encourage our donors to give at least three months’ notice before cancelling so we can find another sponsor for the child, as we are certain you will agree that it is important that the orphan child does not suffer in any way or go without support.

Can I give more than the required amount, or send gifts to my sponsored child?

We do not have such a provision unfortunately, as we found that when some orphans receive extra money or gifts, other children in the area feel left out. We believe all sponsored children should be treated equally and fairly.

If you would like to donate a little extra, we would rather encourage you to support out-of- sponsorship children by donating towards our Orphan Fund, which will help continue a child’s dream of learning and studying in the unfortunate case that their sponsorship is terminated and until we are able to find a dedicated sponsor for them.

Who should I contact if I have queries regarding my sponsorship?

If you have any queries regarding your sponsorship, please call Muslim Charity on 03000 111 786, or email us on info@muslimcharity.org.uk