Every child deserves to go to school, drink clean water and eat nutritious food. And this Christmas, when you sponsor a child with ActionAid, you can help provide that bright future.
When you sign up to become a sponsor, you’ll be starting a new friendship with a boy or girl in one of the world’s poorest countries - a friendship you’ll treasure forever.
You’ll be making an amazing difference to the life of a child like Zeinab, from Tanzania.
Zeinab lives in a poor village in Tanzania, but thanks to her child sponsor, she is growing up happy and healthy, and getting the education that is her right. Her favourite subject at school is Swahili, and she wants to become a teacher when she grows up.
She also attends a local ActionAid girls' club, where she learns about her rights and the importance of education.
Will you sponsor a child like Zeinab for just 65p a day, and give a life-changing Christmas gift?
What happens when I sponsor a child?
As soon as you sign up to be a sponsor, we’ll send you a welcome pack with a photo of the child you’re sponsoring and their story so far. And that’s just the start of the journey you’ll go on together.
You’ll get two handwritten messages a year from your child telling you about them and their life – they might be letters, drawings, or postcards – plus detailed updates about how they’re getting on from our staff in their country.
You can write back to your sponsored child. Over time you’ll get a new photo at special milestones so you can see them grow and thrive.
What will my child sponsorship pay for?
Food
Nutritious meals for children and seeds and livestock for families to grow their own food
Education
Schoolbooks, fees, equipment and even a whole new school building in the sponsored child’s community
Clean water
Building wells, purifying water sources, and better sanitation facilities
Healthcare
Medical and dental clinics, basic medical supplies and health education
How is my sponsorship money spent?
80% of the donations we receive through child sponsorship goes overseas (while 20% is spent in the UK on raising awareness and finding more supporters).
Of the 80% overseas gift, 70% goes directly to your sponsored child’s community or, if there is an exceptional need such as a life-threatening emergency, another community within their country.
The remaining 30% is used to fund other vital work in developing countries, and running child sponsorship so that you can receive messages from your sponsored child, and hear how your gift is changing lives.
About ActionAid
ActionAid is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty.
Our dedicated local staff are changing the world with women and girls.
We are ending violence and fighting poverty so that all women and girls, everywhere, can create the future they want.
We understand the deep-rooted problems facing women and girls, and we work alongside whole communities to find solutions.
Top image: Zeinab, 10, a sponsored child from Tanzania. Rachel Palmer/ActionAid. Others: Sharron Lovell, Greg Funnell, Nicolas Axelrod, Caroline Thomas, Savann Oeurm, Des Willie, Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati, Celia Peterson/ActionAid.
Page updated 27 October 2021
