Eight-year-old Maria Natalia is from a remote village in Guatemala, where more than half of the population lives in poverty.
In similar communities around the world, families can’t afford to feed their children, give them education or provide them with the healthcare they need.
But child sponsorship is already changing Maria Natalia’s life, and the lives of many other children all over the world.
Their sponsors are helping them to go to school, eat nutritious food and drink clean water, and provide them with opportunities to get medical check-ups so they can grow up healthy and strong.
Your sponsorship will make a huge difference to a girl or boy in need – ensuring they have hope for the future.
You’ll be able to send letters all the way to your sponsored child’s community, and you’ll receive photos as he or she grows up.
So at every step of the journey, you’ll see the difference you’re making.
Sponsor a child with ActionAid for just 65p a day and you could make a huge difference to a child in need. Together, we can make sure no child gets left behind.
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.
Read our most frequently asked questions and answers about sponsoring a child.
Messages, photos and drawings from sponsored children
What will my child sponsorship pay for?
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Food
Nutritious meals for children and seeds and livestock for families to grow their own food
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Education
Schoolbooks, fees, equipment and even a whole new school building in the sponsored child’s community
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Clean water
Building wells, purifying water sources, and better sanitation facilities
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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 (whilst 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.
