Children's welfare
Child sponsorship
Monthly support for one child's schooling, health and meals, with updates.
Illustrative photo: Annie Spratt / Unsplash
Objective for the 2026 funding round
Give 300 children a year of steady support, covering schooling, health checks and nutrition, with a named caseworker tracking their progress.
Who it reaches: Children from the poorest households, chosen with schools and community leaders.
Target$133,616
Funding for this cause closes in
From $78: two months of sponsorship.
The need
One-off help rarely lasts through a childhood. Steady monthly support lets a family plan, keeps a child in school for years, and gives caseworkers the time to follow them closely.
Why give to this cause
- Long-term support lets a family plan for the future instead of lurching from crisis to crisis.
- You receive regular updates on the child's progress, so you can see what your support achieves.
- Caseworkers follow each child closely for years, which only reliable monthly funding makes possible.
What your gift does
- $78two months of sponsorship
- $117one term of sponsorship
- $468a full year of sponsorship
Where your donation goes
The planned budget for this cause. Every quarter, the field report shows what was actually spent against each line.
- EducationFees, uniform, books and tutoring where needed.35%$41 of $117
- Health and nutritionTwice-yearly health checks, deworming, treatment and food support.25%$29 of $117
- CaseworkersRegular home and school visits for every child.20%$23 of $117
- Family livelihoodsSmall grants so parents can earn more.12%$14 of $117
- Monitoring and reportingProgress records for every sponsored child.8%$9 of $117
How we do it
- 1
Children are enrolled on need, assessed with their school and community.
- 2
Support covers school costs, a health check each year and nutrition where needed.
- 3
Sponsors get two updates a year, with the family's consent and without exact locations.
- 4
Money is pooled for the child's community, so siblings and classmates benefit too.
The impact your gift will have
- One child gets steady, year-after-year support for schooling, health and meals, which one-off help cannot give.
- Annual health checks catch problems early, before they cost a child their schooling.
- The child's family and community benefit too, because support is planned with them, not around them.
What we measure and report
Targets for the 2026 funding round. Results against each one are published in the quarterly field report sent to every donor to this cause.
| Measure | Target |
|---|---|
| Children sponsored | 300 |
| Annual health checks completed | 100% |
| Children progressing a grade each year | 90% |
| Sponsor updates sent on time | 100% |
Join in the cause today
Make an impactful change in Africa.
Donate to child sponsorshipFund child sponsorship
Your gift goes to this programme. You'll get an email receipt now and the field report every quarter.
Funding for this cause closes in
Choose an amount
Donate to child sponsorshipGifts start at $50. Choose your own amount on the next page.
More children's welfare causes
Children's welfareOrphan care
Keep orphaned children with family, fed, in school and looked after.
$70 two months of food for one child living with a relative.
Target$60,246
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Children's welfareKeep children in school
Fees, uniforms and supplies for children about to drop out.
$50 exercise books, pens and school bags for two pupils.
Target$45,203
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Children's welfareSchool meals
A hot lunch that brings children to class and helps them learn.
$75 a term of school lunches for one child.
Target$73,551
DonateQuestions donors ask
How can I sponsor a child in Africa from the United States?
Choose Child sponsorship and give online in US dollars. Your support covers one child's schooling, health checks and meals, and you receive regular updates on their progress. Choose a cause, enter your amount in US dollars and pay securely by Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and 100+ coins). You get an email receipt straight away and a field report every quarter.
What is the best way to help orphans in Africa?
Supporting orphaned children within their own families, rather than in orphanages, is what child-welfare experts recommend. Our orphan care programme gives guardians food and school support and sends caseworkers to visit every household monthly.
How much does it cost to feed a child at school in Africa?
School meals cost very little per child. The School meals cause shows exactly what each gift buys, such as a term of hot lunches for a pupil, and we report the number of meals served.