Child Sponsorship
“Thanks to CoLaborers, I finally have a daughter! Sponsoring a child has been such a blessing, I love getting letters from her & seeing pictures of her & watching her grow… She’s already grown so much this year! It’s such a blessing to be part of such a life changing organization” – Katie, child sponsor Child sponsorship is one of the most effective ways to change a child’s life for the better. Read Christianity Today’s article here.
In this one-to-one relationship, you will receive your child’s profile, picture, letters (frequency of letter exchange varies by location), and prayer requests. Your sponsorship will help see your child through school and launch them into a better life through the power of education. You can sponsor a child from elementary school through university in this fulfilling, life-changing commitment. As children are sponsored, they are removed from the page.
Nanyemba with sponsored children
ZAMBIA
We re-launched our child sponsorship program in Zambia to focus on poor families in rural villages. We personally know the value of child sponsors to change lives. There are 3 terms in the Zambian school calendar. Letter exchanges are 3 times a year.
While these children are often from single-parent homes, living in poverty situations, or struggling with special education needs – we are inspired by their tenacity, their future dreams, and their hunger for education.
WHAT SPONSORSHIP PROVIDES
For each of the 3 school terms, one of our Zambian staff goes to meet with the teachers, the parents, and check to see how the children are doing. Because it is a rural sponsorship program, we are going into tribal areas which are not always easy to get to (one term we were delayed due to flooded roads!). In physically going to do these checks, not only do we exchange the letters from the sponsors and see report cards, but we want to see how they are as people and pray with them. In the past, Kelvin has given motivational talks to groups of students, Nanyemba has met with parents and we’ve sent extra food where homes were in need. We have helped some students to change schools and others find boarding school situations when walking to school was too far. We’ve also set up tutoring when students don’t do well on examinations. We also provide monthly mentoring phone calls to provide emotional support.
The cost of these sponsorship trips is roughly $15 per student per term. There are 3 terms a year. The costs for the educational supplies, clothing, shoes, books, and school fees for grades 9 and below are $50 a term and for grades 10 and above are $70 a term. Therefore, sponsoring a student in grade 9 or below is $65/term and for grades 10 and above is $85/term.
SPONSOR A CHILD TODAY!
These children live in a small village in the Copperbelt Province. Most of the people in this small village are subsistence farmers. They grow soya beans and maize. Maize is used to make corn meal for nshima (a staple food in the Zambian diet). Their village faces water challenges in the dry season. People walk long distances to access the commodity. There is only one government school to cater for all grades (1-12).
PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER! ALL CHILDREN HAVE BEEN SPONSORED!
Quick Q&A
CLICK ON EACH TOPIC BELOW TO EXPAND THE CONTENTS.
STUDENT.PROTECTION.CLAUSE
Student Dignity
The students we assist are not to be objectified or de-humanized. The lives of all people, regardless of status, should be portrayed with accuracy and dignity. We believe that the students we assist are partners with us in the process of bringing holistic (spiritual, physical, psychological and social) positive change to their communities. Student scholarship is not only an investment in their education, but also in the future leaders of Zambia and India.
Student Protection
Privacy demands that students, and communities be protected from any potential inappropriate contact from sponsors or others. The students we assist must feel safe, knowing that CoLaborers International protects the integrity of how their personal information – including photographs – is shared for the purpose of obtaining student sponsors.
We take even the potential abuse of student photographs on the web very seriously and it will not be tolerated. If we feel that a student’s protection, security and dignity have been violated in anyway by a sponsor – we have the right to immediately terminate communications and scholarship.
Student Security
Students have the right to be completely secure from the fear or reality of any potential abuse (either physical or emotional) resulting from an inappropriate contact by a sponsor or any other person.
HOW.TO.GIVE.
OPTION 1(Preferred): Automated Giving- Give online through PayPal’s secure server. Select your child’s profile. After we have received your first sponsorship payment, your child’s profile will no longer be on the website to be available for sponsorship.
OPTION 2: Mail a check with the ID number of your student to:
CoLaborers International c/o Child Sponsorship
PO Box 959 Chestertown MD 21620
LETTERS.PICTURES.GIFTS.
WRITING LETTERS
Scholarship Letters & Mailings:
email SarahATCoLaborersInternational.com
SENDING PICTURES
Please email pictures.
Please only send pictures where people are fully clothed (i.e. – no bathing suit pictures, shirt less pictures, etc…). Please take care to cover shoulders, cleavage, mid sections, your bottom and thighs in all pictures.
Please send pictures that are sensitive to their financial situation – taking care not to have expensive electronics, laptops, tvs, large quantities of food, etc… in the photo with you.
Be aware that ALL pictures are screened for appropriate content before being sent.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR MY STUDENT TO REPLY TO MY LETTERS?
It’s common for a reply to take three to four months. Long distances, remote locations, and inadequate postal services can make for slow communication. Also, consider that because the student’s first language is usually Nyanja or Bemba, or Telegu so it may take time for some students to write in English, which is learned in school, or to have letters translated by leaders. So please be patient and feel free to write again, even if you’ve yet to receive a reply. We usually do letter exchange 3 times a year.
FISCAL.RESPONSIBILITY.&.TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.CONTRIBUTIONS
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
CoLaborers International is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. We make annual reports each year to the IRS on use of funds. Reaching Forward Together is a registered nonprofit in India. CoLaborers Zambia is a registered society with the Ministry of Community Development of Zambia.
WHAT DOES MY MONEY GO TO PAY FOR?
Education/tuition and meals
HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF MY CONTRIBUTIONS?
- We will send you statements by request as well as at the end of the tax year (January 31st). These are sent to the address provided by your checks or the physical address or email address associated with your PayPal account.
- Contributions to CoLaborers International are tax deductible. Be sure to keep your statement; this is your only legal receipt for income tax purposes.
PRAYER
Your prayers are so very important to the success of this work; building a brighter future for children of Zambia and India. As you find out more about your sponsored student, you’ll discover specific needs for which you can pray.
