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Frequently asked questions
How does sponsorship work?
ActionAid will send you a photo of a child who urgently needs your help and you will be their only sponsor. Your donation will go to help your sponsored child and the people who matter to them most – their family, friends and neighbours. We've learnt over 35 years that the best way to bring about lasting change is to help the whole community.
The projects we work on might include wells to provide clean water and stop fatal diseases that can destroy communities. Child sponsorship could help a community to build a school or pay a teachers' wages, so that children can learn the skills they need to free themselves from poverty. Or perhaps your donation might buy a child's parents seeds, and irrigation, so they can feed their family.
Your one-to-one relationship with your sponsored child means that you have a unique insight into their life, and the effect your donation is having. Through the special messages from your sponsored child and reports direct from our staff on the ground, you'll be able to see the transformation first-hand.
And with the opportunity to write to your sponsored child, you have the chance to build an incredible relationship.
Can I decide on the gender, nationality and age of my child?
Yes. If you have a link to a particular country, have set your heart on sponsoring a boy or a girl, or would prefer to sponsor a child of a particular age just give us a call on 01460 238 080 and we'll do our best to help.
Back to topHow long does sponsorship last?
It depends. Sponsorship varies in length and can come to an end for a variety of reasons: a child grows up and finishes school, or – best of all – your sponsored child and their family no longer needs help. The aim of child sponsorship is to free people from dependency, and there's no better reward for a child sponsor than knowing that your child and their community are ready to support themselves.
Typically, child sponsorship lasts for a minimum of five years, but if you want to stop, you can do so at any time.
Can I send gifts?
Whether it's a birthday or Christmas, you can share your celebrations with the child you are sponsoring.
We have set up a special Gift Fund you can donate to, which will fund presents for all the children in the community where your sponsored child lives. Please do not send gifts and use the Gift Fund instead. By giving a gift to the Gift Fund you could help equip a playground, buy sports equipment or enable the whole community to join in a celebration of their own.
We set up the Gift Fund so that one child isn't singled out unfairly by receiving a gift (and so that the community avoids having to pay import fees) and we ask that you use the Gift Fund instead of sending gifts through the post.
Does the money go straight to my sponsored child?
Sponsorship costs a minimum of £15 a month. 80p of each pound you give goes straight to the country where your sponsored child lives. There it will help change the life of your sponsored child and all the children in their community. We've learnt that it's counter productive to help one child and not others, so our focus is on strengthening the community. By giving people the right skills, tools and knowledge we can end people's poverty for good. We've also learnt that to be truly effective, we need to fight the root causes of poverty, so that's why we work nationally and internationally, as well as in your sponsored child's community, to bring about long lasting change.
20p is used on priority activities, such as responding to emergencies, campaigning internationally and in the UK to change the systems and policies that keep people poor, and finding new sponsors.
What will I receive?
You will receive two messages from your sponsored child a year. Your sponsored child may never have held a pencil before, and may send you something quite simple. Others might send a drawing or even a letter. It all depends on the age and ability of the child you sponsor, meaning that each message is unique. Each message comes with a short update from the field worker, letting you know how your sponsored child is doing.
You'll get two reports from the community each year. These let you know how your money is being spent and how you are helping to change lives. Once every two years, you'll also get a new photo of your sponsored child.
You'll also receive Action magazine three times a year, so you can find out about ActionAid's work around the world.
What happens if I can't continue as a sponsor?
We hope you'll be able to continue, but please get in touch if for any reason you're having difficulty. There are other ways you can help that don't involve the same commitment. If your circumstances change and you do want to stop, you can do so with a simple phone call. We will either find a new sponsor for your child, or arrange to make up any funding shortfall in other ways.
Back to topCan I write to my sponsored child?
Please, please write to your sponsored child. We know just how much it means for children who are sponsored to get a letter from far away overseas. Receiving special letters from their sponsor really brings sponsorship alive for the children involved.
Children are interested in finding out more about their sponsor, such as where you live, what pets you have, what sports you like. A simple message is fine, or you can even send pictures if you like.
What happens to messages I send?
When your message reaches your sponsored child's community we take care to share it with all the children in the community so that none are singled out.
If your child attends school, the messages may be translated and shared in class and then displayed for a little while before being given to your sponsored child for them to keep. If your sponsored child doesn't yet attend school then the messages will be shared in a special meeting.
Children love to get messages from their sponsors and we know that many children keep their messages for many years.
Why is ActionAid different from other child sponsorship charities?
ActionAid's approach to working with communities and changing lives means you can be sure that your donation really is making a lasting difference to as many people as possible. We don't believe in sticking plaster solutions, but understand that the best way to help a child is to tackle the root causes of poverty, at a local, national and international level. Our work has led to some significant changes to the way that governments and international bodies deal with poverty, which has transformed the lives of millions of children around the world.
And we are rooted in communities. Most of our staff are local to your sponsored child so know the problems they face first hand. They work closely with communities to identify the things they need most and then help your sponsored child's friends and family to work their own way out of poverty. This brings real change that lasts, meaning we achieve as much as possible with every pound you give us.
ActionAid child sponsorship is incredibly personal. We put every sponsor in touch with an individual child, so you can be sure that you are forming a real relationship with a child, and that you are their only sponsor.
Most of your donation goes to projects in your sponsored child's community, rather than being put into a 'general fund' and spent all over the world.
Sponsored children play an active role in sponsorship and their community. We make sure children understand the role they're playing in their community's development and make sure to involve all children so that none are left out.
Will my sponsored child be singled out in the community?
No. We're very careful to make sure that sponsorship is fair for all children in the community.
Sponsored children don't get any special treatment. Any messages you send are shared with the community before being given to your sponsored child to keep. And when your sponsored child writes their message to you, we make sure that all the children in the community can get involved.
We also ask you to not send gifts to your sponsored child as these can single out children, so we've set up a special Gift Fund which will buy presents for all the children in the community.
I'm a teacher - can I sponsor a child with my school?
Yes, you can. In fact, hundreds of UK schools already enjoy ActionAid child sponsorship.
Back to topI have more questions
If you have more questions we'd be delighted to answer them. Please call Jan Ball and her team in Somerset on 01460 23 8080 or email janball@actionaid.org.uk
Back to topGet started
Sponsor a child in Burma
34 children are waiting for sponsorship
For decades, the suffering of the children of Burma (Myanmar) has been out of sight. ActionAid has been working quietly in some of Burma's poorest communities. But now as the country opens up, you have a unique opportunity to become one of Burma's first sponsors and transform a child's life.
Sponsor a child in Nicaragua
ActionAid works in the remote Kukra Hill area in the east. Over 60% of teachers aren't trained and only 40% of children go to school. As well as renovating schools and providing equipment, we are training teachers so that children can receive quality education.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Nigeria
11 children are waiting for sponsorship
ActionAid is mainly working in the north of Nigeria where, after years of government neglect, health services, schools and roads are in ruins. Working with communities and the local government , we are helping to improve education - especially adult literacy - healthcare and supplies of clean water.
Sponsor a child in Pakistan
526 children are waiting for sponsorship
Over 12 million people's lives were destroyed by the floods in Pakistan. Overnight, they were left without food, shelter and clean water. By sponsoring a child today, you could help their whole community get the essentials they so desperately need to survive.
Sponsor a child in Peru
In the Caraveli province, near the south coast of Peru, basic essentials like water and education are scarce. Fishing is important to the area but without money to buy equipment fishermen struggle to make a living. ActionAid is working to help them improve their catch and their income.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Rwanda
155 children are waiting for sponsorship
Almost two thirds of Rwandans live on less than a dollar a day. As well as peace building work following the genocide of 1994, ActionAid are helping to rebuild the destroyed school systems by training teachers and getting communities more involved in education - with particular focus on education girls.
Sponsor a child in Senegal
16 children are waiting for sponsorship
Senegal has the fastest growing population in Africa which has created pressure on the education system. Only half of children are able to enrol in a primary school. ActionAid are working with poor communities to get more affordable schooling, especially in rural areas, and to improve healthcare and water supplies.
Sponsor a child in Sierra Leone
As one of the world's poorest countries Sierra Leone has extremely poor infrastructure. Healthcare is particularly problematic as there are few health centres and medicines are in short supply. ActionAid are helping to establish health centres, as well as running immunisation programmes for children.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Somaliland
28 children are waiting for sponsorship
Somaliland is one of the poorest countries in the world with three quarters of people living in poverty and one in ten children dying before their fifth birthday. ActionAid has been working in Somaliland for over 15 years. Our focus is on providing safe, clean water, improving livelihoods and education.
Sponsor a child in Tanzania
33 children are waiting for sponsorship
Many children in rural areas of Tanzania are unable to attend school because they can't afford the uniform or because they are needed to stay at home for chores. ActionAid are establishing local schools for these communities with timetables that fit their routines. We also work to improve livelihood.
Sponsor a child in Uganda
Health facilities are very limited in rural Uganda. ActionAid trains village health workers who teach the wider community about sanitation and immunisation - and our immunisation programme has already helped thousands of children. We also work to improve education supplies of clean water and farming methods.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Vietnam
Trafficking is an increasingly serious problem in Vietnam. Families desperate to give their children a better chance send them off to work, but children often find themselves forced into prostitution or child labour. ActionAid is working to tackle the root causes of trafficking. We also work to improve health, education and clean water.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Zambia
Many poor families in rural Zambia are dependent on subsistence farming to survive, but droughts and floods are common. ActionAid provides immediate help during floods with food and shelter but we also work long-term with families - helping build new homes and provide seeds and tools so they can farm again.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Zimbabwe
9 children are waiting for sponsorship
With the fourth highest rate of HIV and AIDS in the world, thousands of children in Zimbabwe have lost one of both parents and are now struggling to look after themselves and their siblings. ActionAid works to ensure these children can go to school and are cared for in the community.
Sponsor a child in Nepal
ActionAid works with the most vulnerable people of the lower castes, mainly Dalit communities. Normally, Dalit families own the least fertile plots of land, so ActionAid is working together we communities to improve the amount of food they can grow, as well as setting up credit groups so that people can start businesses.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Mozambique
20 children are waiting for sponsorship
ActionAid's sponsorship programme is mainly in the Tres de Fevereiro south of Mozambique. Here there is just one school with eight teachers responsible for 600 children. Teachers often run two classes at the same time. ActionAid are working to improve education by establishing non-formal education centres.
Sponsor a child in Malawi
389 children are waiting for sponsorship
Weakened by malnutrition, many children in Malawi fall victim to preventable diseases. They can't get healthcare because families are too poor to pay, or the services are too far away. ActionAid works with local traditional healers and government health authorities to provide good healthcare within communities.
Sponsor a child in Bangladesh
20 children are waiting for sponsorship
Our work in Bangladesh focuses around the slums of Dhaka and the lowlands of Netrakona, which is particularly vulnerable to cyclones and flooding. Safe, clean water is especially a problem and ActionAid are working with communities to build tube wells and teach communities how to maintain them.
Sponsor a child in Brazil
In Brazil we work in the favelas (slums) outside of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, as well as rural areas in the north. In the favelas gangs, violence and intimidation flourish. Children are especially at risk because they only go to school for half a day. We are establishing centres to keep children away from gangs and teach them new skills.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Burundi
89 children are waiting for sponsorship
Burundi's child mortality rate is one of the highest in the world, with 1 in 5 dying before their fifth birthday. Amongst our work here ActionAid are focussing on improving healthcare, especially ante and post-natal care. Education and livelihood training are also priorities for the country.
Sponsor a child in Cambodia
Three decades of civil war has made Cambodia one of the poorest countries in Asia. With no formal property ownership system, powerful people are taking land and leaving poor people landless. ActionAid are working with families to teach them their rights, helping them reclaim land and improve farming techniques.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Ethiopia
In some rural areas of Ethiopia up to 85% of people are illiterate. Although primary schools exist they are badly equipped and poor families cannot afford the fees or equipment. ActionAid works with local people and government teachers to set up learning centres which offer lessons at flexible times to fit around essential farm work.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Gambia
425 children are waiting for sponsorship
The majority of the population in Gambia relies on agriculture to survive, yet only 17% of land is suitable for farming. Unpredictable weather has caused severe poverty for rural people. ActionAid is working with farmers to improve the supply of water as well as farming techniques
Sponsor a child in Ghana
Like many African countries, poor children in Ghana have little chance of getting an education because they're needed to work - this is particularly an issue for girls. ActionAid is teaching the community the importance of education and working to establish informal education centres with lessons timed to fit around chores. We also work to improve healthcare and supplies of clean water.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Guatemala
Poor diet seriously affects the health of people in Guatemala, especially mothers and children. Many communities are very remote so people can't reach their nearest health centre. ActionAid are helping communities set up health centres which will bring health care into remote areas. We also work to improve education and livelihood.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Haiti
ActionAid works predominantly in the far west and Thiotte regions of Haiti - isolated areas where basic services are virtually non-existent and women and children have to walk miles to fetch water. ActionAid is helping to build both family and community water cisterns.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in India
Our work in India is predominantly with the Dalit communities - a group of people at the bottom of the caste system. As the poorest people, Dalits are expected to do the most degrading jobs and are excluded from society. ActionAid is working to help improve access to essentials - clean water, healthcare, education and livelihoods.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Kenya
89 children are waiting for sponsorship
Dinah breaks stones for construction work every day from 6am until nightfall, often without lunch or breakfast. The money she makes will buy about 500g of maize after 2 days work, which is not enough to feed her family. Someone like Dinah urgently needs your help. Through child sponsorship, you can change a life.
Sponsor a child in Lesotho
180 children are waiting for sponsorship
Around a quarter of people in Lesotho go to bed hungry because there is so little land available for farming. ActionAid are working with families to grow better crops so that they not only have enough to eat, but they have surplus to sell. We also work to improve education and healthcare.
Sponsor a child in Liberia
Liberia is a country scarred by 14 years of civil war. Poverty is most acute in rural areas like Tchein and Konobo, where farming is the only source of food and income. ActionAid is working with the communities to ensure children gain a quality education, parents are able to make a living and all families have access to safe, clean water.
Sorry, there are currently no children awaiting sponsorship. Please select a different country or sponsor where the need is greatest.
Sponsor a child in Afghanistan
1,670 children are waiting for sponsorship
Access to water is extremely difficult in Aghanistan. Drought is common and waterborne diseases are rife. ActionAid works with communities to build wells and pipe water to villages, as well as training communities to maintain the system. Education and rehabilitation of ex-child soldiers are also priorities.