How can I help Africa, when I am only a teenager?

Question

I mean I don't have that much money myself, but I know I could spare a few dollars.

I would love to do something interactive, like send money to a family and they write letters back to me, and where I can learn about them, and know that I am helping them.

I would want it to 1000000% secure. Does anyone know a website or something like it?

Any other idea would be amazing.

I want to make a difference in someones life. I want to make a change.

Answer 1

The other replies are good. Try SOS Children's Villages. I've just started sponsoring a child through them and so far it looks really good. You can write back and forth with your sponsor child, etc.

What about starting an Amnesty International club at your school. Check out their website - there are lots of ideas for school clubs, how to start up, etc. Also, check out the Invisible Child website. They do a tour to schools across the US and you can book them to go to your school. The school watches the Invisible Children documentary (amazing!!) during an assembly, and then there's discussion, etc. (If you don't know, the documentary is about the war in Uganda and how it's affected the Ugandan children.)

Good luck! Great plan.

Answer 2

there are various sponsor-a-child agencies, large and small.  my favorite is www.galileeschools.org      all $ you donate goes to the kids/families as its all volunteer run.  you can sponsor a child monthly or just donate $ for food, books, school supplies.  They have a good sponsor message board too.

Answer 3

I applaud your concern and desire to help -

In terms of donations a few dollars actually translates as quite a lot in the third world, especially if you are giving regularly.  I don't want to dissuade you from finding a direct route in terms of helping a family in Africa directly without intermediaries if that's what you want.  However, I wouldn't know how to go about it.  There are several organisations that offer Sponsor a Child programmes although the difficulty with this is that some children receive help and others don't.  UNICEF offer a Global Parents programme where they try to spread donations across as many children as possible.  

If donating is not within your reach yet (and as a teenager there is no reason why this should be the case), most charities helping 3rd world countries have volunteer programmes where you can help with fundraising and other activities.

Answer 4

Start talking to your schoolmates about it and get a collective group together who are interested in doing the same thing.  This is one of Oprah's favourite charities so you could send money to her (that's secure).  There are lots of starving and needy children around the world though - maybe you just know of the African ones.  I contribute to an orphanage in Tibet.  If you want to look, go to the website below and click on the orphanage page.