CHILD SPONSORSHIP IN UGANDA

Child sponsorship – the only way to unlock a child’s potential in Uganda

Looking for child sponsorship ways in Uganda? Look no further! Children are gifts from God irrespective of who gives birth to them and in which situation they are born. It is therefore important to acknowledge the fact that supporting them go through the huddles of life especially those that hit them at a tender age is everybody’s responsibility. Love Uganda Foundation took the initiative of establishing child sponsorship programs that will enable you to get a platform for exercising charity. Child sponsorship is one of the ways of portraying a big heart not only to the child being sponsored but to their families, friends, and the entire communities around them.

In this article, we took our time in answering the majority of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding child sponsorship, particularly in Uganda.  From our past experiences with child sponsors, most people struggle with getting the organization through which they can make the sponsorships. There are a lot of fraudulent acts in Uganda and across the world which is why there is a need for being extra careful before extending your donations in the name of child sponsorship. As always, Love Uganda Foundation guarantees the safety and proper usage of child sponsorship fees. This is why we endeavor to keep our dear sponsors with up-to-date information. It is a gesture of honesty and accountability.

Proverbs 19:17 “Those who are gracious to the poor lend to the Lord, and the Lord will fully repay them.”

What does the sponsorship fee do?

Child Sponsorship in Uganda

1. Survival

In many Ugandan communities quite a number of children are dying from illnesses that are entirely preventable, most of them in the first years of life. According to Save the Children, every year, 5,000,000 children under the age of five die from preventable causes. These deaths are brought about by factors like lack of access to quality healthcare, such as vaccines, medicines, or nutrients – all of which save lives. These cases are common in slum areas and other poverty-stricken areas, or in areas that have been hit by disasters such as floods, famine, severe drought, and landslides. In such areas, the challenge of keeping children alive is heavy as parents are poor and do not have enough money and food to sustain their families.

Our daily efforts

On a daily basis, we make efforts to rescue children from poverty-stricken and hard-to-reach areas including both remote and urban areas.  With our professional partner health workers, we go on the frontline to take care of these children. The most common challenges are diseases and childhood illnesses such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, and newborn sepsis. It is usually a challenge to raise enough funds that can empower these people so that they receive free medical services, the numbers are always overwhelming. However, with the sponsorship fees, Love Uganda Foundation has registered tremendous success in providing services that are proven to reduce child deaths.

With your sponsorship fees, we ensure that the most vulnerable families have the funds to give their children the right kind of food and care needed to stay healthy.  This helps children get what to eat when they are both at home and at school. We have realized in the past that, even when children get free education, other daily needs overshadow them and it distorts their education life. For instance, girls’ failure to get sanitary pads to use during their menstruation periods becomes a stumbling block in their education lives.  In response to this, your sponsorship fees go directly to the sanitary pads program or project.

2. Learning

Uganda’s legal framework calls for education for all children irrespective of age, gender, religion, name it. The laws provide that; – the State shall promote free and compulsory basic education. The State shall take appropriate measures to afford every citizen equal opportunity to attain the highest educational standard possible. Individuals, religious bodies and other nongovernmental organizations shall be free to found and operate educational institutions. If they comply with the general educational policy of the country and maintain national standards. Additionally, the 1995 Uganda’s constitution article 30 to be specific provides the Right to education. (All persons have a right to education).

Defying the laws

However much the laws say so, quite a number of children within Ugandan communities are being robbed of an education simply because of who they are or where they live. These children are deprived of learning because they are caught up in emergencies, face extreme poverty, or are discriminated against because of their gender, disability or ethnicity. It is true that the world’s most vulnerable and excluded children are missing out on education. There are registered cases of children that do not have access to preprimary education while the majority of them can neither read nor write.

In addition to these, global statistics reveal that about 10,000,000 refugee children risk having their learning interrupted after being forced to flee their homes. The worst part of this is that the majority of the children that do not have access to education, majority of them are girls. When children do have not access to education, it implies that they will remain in the vicious cycle of poverty something that puts the future generation at high risk of failure.

our intervention

Additionally, Love Uganda Foundation works with communities to create safe and stimulating preschool environments. To keep children well-fed and healthy. And to take teaching materials into homes so the whole family can support a child’s education. All this is made possible using child sponsorship fees in addition to other donations that come through. We entirely believe that the child’s education is not molded by the child alone but by the communities around them. With your sponsorship fees, we have managed to impact many lives in the previous years and we hope to double or even triple the numbers in the coming years.

3. Protection

In Uganda, there are thousands of children who experience violence. Violence takes many forms, including physical and emotional abuse, sexual abuse and exploitation, and neglect or deliberate deprivation. Growing up with violence, and the threat of violence can lead to life-long physical, emotional, and mental health problems. Even when children have gotten a chance of going to school, the effects of domestic violence keep following them. At Love Uganda Foundation Orphanage, we have got children who are domestic violence survivors. The violence was either directly inflicted on the child or they witnessed violence happening to others such as mothers or siblings. These children have suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) as a result of domestic violence.

With your sponsorship fees,

we have been able to protect children from such violations of their rights and placed them in schools and communities that every child deserves to live in. More protection is required by the majority of children who live in conflict or emergency situations, such as natural disasters or major pandemics. Such children are even more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and violence. It is not safe for children to live in slums alone since they become targets for being killed or maimed, falling victim to sexual violence, and being recruited as child soldiers. At some point, these children have fallen victim to human trafficking.

Part of the funds we collect from child sponsorship is directed toward protecting children moving across borders, living on the streets, or slums. We focus on children at heightened risk. These include girls who are forced into child marriages. We take these children to schools we save them from being forced into dangerous working or recruited as child soldiers. All these are threats facing children both girls and boys. Even those that we rescue when they have fallen victim to such, we use part of the sponsorship funds to rehabilitate them. We try to turn them into useful citizens by providing them with relevant psychosocial support. We rejoin them with their families and ensure a state of harmony so that the child receives the best life any other child in the world deserves.

4. Emergencies

During times of crisis, children are the most vulnerable. Love Uganda Foundation has been intervening in the lives of children during such times.  For instance, during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, Love Uganda Foundation made a number of donations to neighboring communities. Where possible, we partner with other organizations to ensure our responses are locally driven. This allows us to build trust and gain access to hard-to-reach communities. All this is made possible using donations and child sponsorship funds. Love Uganda Foundation stands side by side with children in the world’s toughest places.

5. Advocacy and Campaigns

In Uganda, efforts advocating for children’s rights have been made by individuals, the government, and non-governmental organizations. However, the message has not been digested in all parts of the country. This is why we have taken the initiative of raising the voices concerning girl child education. The need for a gender-based violence-free society. The  end  of domestic violence, and stopping sexual harassment. All this is made possible using the funds collected from child sponsorship programs and other forms of donations. The funds are used to launch and run campaigns with children. This removes the barriers that prevent children from surviving, learning, and being protected. With this every child can reach their full potential.

6. Solving hunger crises

Lastly, child sponsorship funds and other forms of donations are used to tackle hunger-related crises within the communities. It does not make sense for children to have food at school, sleep on empty stomachs at home.  To tackle this, Love Uganda Foundation usually runs projects that are agricultural-centered. Effort is directed towards the production of food in these communities. These act as a source of food and income for the households. All this success has been registered because of the donations from people with small things but big hearts in the world. We cannot thank you enough. 

How do I become a child sponsor in Uganda? How can I be part of a child sponsorship project in Uganda?

Becoming a child sponsor in Uganda is not something difficult. However, once done carelessly, it may not serve its initial purpose. From our perspective, we believe that all you need is to;

• Find an organization that offers child sponsorship programs for example Love Uganda Foundation
• Get in touch with the organization
• Get the profile of the child you wish to sponsor if possible have a virtual meeting with him or her
• Learn about the methods of payment and the amount of sponsorship fees
• Pay the fees as required and always make follow-ups
• Hold the organization accountable
• If you can, spare some time and visit the organization in addition to exchanging sponsorship letters.

Can I join someone who is already sponsoring a child in Uganda?

Joint sponsorships are accepted in many organizations depending on who is running the sponsorship program. It is always a question of the sponsor’s convenience are the agreed methods of payment of the fees.

For more information about Love Uganda Foundation child sponsorship methods, click here

What happens after I have become a child sponsor in Uganda?

After enrolling as a sponsor, you will be expected to pay the agreed monthly fees.  You will as well exchange letters with the sponsored child periodically. We do not allow children to visit their sponsors for purposes of security. But you can get to Uganda and visit the children’s home for better interactions.

What will the sponsored child achieve?

There are a lot of achievements that sponsored children achieve ranging from education, emotional well-being, love, care, support, and a good lifestyle.

What will I achieve after sponsoring a child?

There is always a feeling that comes with being at the forefront of helping those in need. This is usually called God’s blessings but a lot of rewards come along with sponsoring children.

Matthew 25: 35 – 46

Sponsor children

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Can my Church and I sponsor a child in Uganda?

It is possible for a church to offer collective sponsorship. Do not hesitate to reach out to us whether as an individual or a group. You can sponsor one or more children as a church.

Take away points

• You can sponsor a child as a group or as an individual
• Your sponsorship is used to do more than just education in the life of the sponsored child
• There is a good feeling you get knowing that you sponsor a child in Uganda
• There is a need for more sponsors in Uganda

At this stage you must be ready to sponsor a child in Uganda, Click here. Choose a child to sponsor.