We think our child sponsorship programme is great – and we’ve seen how impactful it is, both for the sponsors and for the children. If it wasn’t for people like you making that life-changing decision to commit to sponsoring a child, we would never have witnessed the transformations in children, and the joy expressed by those who have committed to forming a relationship with them – a relationship that can span a lifetime. So, we decided to make a list of reasons why you should sponsor a child through Ecologia, to show you just how valuable it is.

1.  It’s affordable

While we recommend £20 a month, less than the price of just 2 coffees a week, you can choose to contribute however much you wish. What is important is the relationship you develop that goes beyond purely financial support.

2. Child sponsorship addresses more than just physical needs

It gives hope, it helps children practice English, it builds friendships that can last a lifetime. Knowing that someone on another continent cares enough about them to write regularly and show interest in their lives really helps to increase children’s sense of self-worth, which is vital to their mental well-being and especially likely to be helpful to children who have been neglected or abused.

3. Your contribution goes a long way

You would be amazed to know how far your contribution goes. Your contribution goes to the Children’s Fund of your sponsored child’s organisation. This means that all children are equally benefitted – there isn’t one who has more than another. We believe this is ethical child sponsorship, and this is important for us, as our vision is a world where all young people can thrive within their communities. The Children’s Fund is then used for what is needed most: school supplies, clothes, health care, presents for Christmas and birthdays, education and vacations to list a few. Making the commitment to sponsor a child means making a commitment to secure their long-term future as well as that of their community.

4. Child sponsorship helps communities become self-sustaining

Because your contribution goes to the Children’s Fund of your sponsored child’s organisation, you are also ultimately committing to secure the long-term future of their community. This is because all the projects we support aim to empower disadvantaged children and young people to work towards becoming leaders in supporting their communities, to move to more sustainable ways of living (find out more about our approach). This in turn leads to young people who are happier, healthier and who feel they have more meaningful lives.

5. It is incredibly rewarding

When you choose to sponsor a child you are developing a relationship with a child that can last a lifetime. Through the exchange of letters and cards you are educating each other on your respective cultures, and giving a child a chance to feel a part of your own family. The children like to think of their sponsors as ‘godparents’ because this allows them to feel that there is someone special in the world who cares about them. It is also rewarding to watch a child’s English improving over time as they write more letters. Most importantly, the best reward is knowing that you’ve made a big difference to the life of a child as well as their communities.

When I heard of Ecologia’s connection to a school and home in Kenya, I volunteered  and am now in touch with Susie aged 8, whose mother is dead and whose father cannot care for her. Whilst there are other, well known organisations putting donors in touch with children all over the world, I like the fact that Ecologia is small by comparison, that most of the money I can donate goes directly to support my ‘godchild’, and that the organisation is based within the Findhorn community which has been a powerful spiritual inspiration to me for over thirty years. – Clare Cooper-Marcus

We hope that this encourages you to want to make a difference – what may seem like a small cost to you can have a great impact on a child and their community, and become life changing for everyone involved.

Want to find out more? Drop us a line at info@ecologia.org.uk, call us on 01309 690 995 (we’d be more than happy to help!), or browse our child sponsorship pages for more info.