How a child becomes sponsored

How does a child become part of the World Vision child sponsorship program? It happens like this:

Choosing an area to work in

Tue, 10, and her family from Vietnam received agricultural training through World Vision.

World Vision first identifies an area where many families live in poverty, lacking even the basic essentials such as food, water, healthcare and education. Sometimes, a community might approach World Vision for assistance.

The community is involved in analysis and planning from the start. Working alongside local leaders, assessment is carried out, development objectives are set and a project plan is created. Other needs may also be addressed, such as HIV and AIDS awareness and disaster relief preparation.

Setting up the program

It is important to build relationships within the community and consult with local leaders before any child is sponsored. This groundwork usually takes up to two years before sponsorship takes place. During this time a strategy is developed to tackle the underlying causes of poverty within the community.

For the duration of the sponsorship project, trained World Vision staff with knowledge of the local culture work closely with the community. They may be health specialists, engineers, agriculturists, educators or other professionals.

Enrolling children

The community selects the children to be sponsored, usually from the poorest or most vulnerable families. World Vision then meets with the selected families and explains to them how sponsorship works.

The children are ready to be sponsored

The children’s photos are taken. Their age, hobbies, health and background details are recorded to create the picture folders that their sponsors will receive. This information is also used in the planning of activities that will most benefit the children.