I want to sponsor a child....help?

Question

I want to sponsor a child but I want to sponsor

"that child" and not the orgainization. I know there are alot of places that you can donate money to and they divide out to diff communities but i want my money to go to a specific child. Does anyone know any good reputable companies who allow you to do that?

Answer 1

Consider being a Big Sister.  You will have one on one interaction, and you can give as much or little as you'd like.  I like the way i do it....I will pick up some games and toys, but I also intertwine some life lessons, advice, and mild lectures into the day.  They see me as "cool", so I take advantage of that.  I demand their respect, give them something positve to deal with, but yet also make sure they are listening to my direction.  Sometimes I buy lunch, sometimes I take them to an indoor football game.  It is all my choice, and not only do i get to know where my money goes, but I also get to enjoy the results.  I also give to Christian Children International, but am not 100% happy.

Answer 2

Unless you know the child personally, no. There are no orgs that do that for specific children....if you want, you could try Kiva.org....which will let you loan money to a specific person/family....they pay it back and you can reinvest it in another person or just keep it.....it is a good way to help and to invest in helping....and you get to hear about their progress.

Answer 3

All I can tell you is if I were to sponsor a child today this is where I would do it:

http://www.children-inc.org/

I read about this charity from the book "Don't sweat the small stuff". this organization will actually match you up with a child you can communicate with and send gifts. You will actually be able to develop a relationship with your child via this organization. you can also do some research and select a child from a particular region.  I wish you all the best my friend. Good luck with sponsoring a child.

Answer 4

Everyone else had great answers and I was going to say exactly what WorldLuv said, so I won't repeat that. (She's exactly right.)

But, other organizations to look into besides World Vision (which is an org I don't really like, to be honest) are Plan and SOS Children's Villages. I sponsor a child in Africa through SOS Children's Villages Canada (but they have them in the US all over the world if you live somewhere else). So far I really think it's an excellent program, and I can write to my sponsored child if I want to.

Answer 5

I used to think the same way as you until I went to developing countries and saw their projects.  Now I realize it's not fair to give to just one child so they have clothes and school supplies while the child next to them does not.  Also, when it goes to the community they can do things like build a school, or hire a teacher for a whole classroom, or sink a borehole to have fresh water for the village, etc.  They do, however, give to the child and his/her family if there is a need.  For example, one of my sponsored child's family received a cow because theirs had died and it was a source of income for them.

You still get to personally know your child and their family through letters and photos.

I have sponsored through World Vision for many years now because I've seen a lot of their projects "on the ground" and have been very impressed.  They really work hard for all people, regardless of religion, even though they are a Christian-based organization.  Their aim is to help the community become self-sufficient and to be able to then leave that community to help elsewhere.

Their websites are http://www.worldvision.org (USA); http://www.worldvision.ca (Canada); http://www.wvi.org (international site with links to other countries).