Child Sponsor Handbook

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian

organisation working to create lasting

change in the lives of children, families and

communities living in poverty. We serve all

people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity

or gender.

As followers of Jesus, we are dedicated to

working with the world’s most vulnerable

people.

World Vision was established by Dr. Bob Pierce, an American journalist, in 1950.

Currently, we are working in nearly 100 countries. World Vision focuses on

children because when they are well fed, sheltered, schooled, protected, valued,

and loved, a community thrives.

Our VisionOur vision for every child,

life in all its fullness;

Our prayer for every heart,

the will to make it so.

Our Core ValuesWe are Christian

We value people

We are partners

We are committed to the poor

We are stewards

We are responsive

About World Vision

Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, cares for needy children around the world.

1-2 Learn about Child Sponsorship • What is Child Sponsorship?

• How does Child Sponsorship help children?

3-5 Build a relationship with your sponsored child • Sponsorship information you will receive

• Writing to your sponsored child

• Sending gifts to your sponsored child

• Sending greeting cards to your sponsored child

6 Activities for child sponsors • New sponsor orientation

• Sponsor gathering

• Visiting your sponsored child

7-8 FAQs

Contents

1

What is Child Sponsorship?World Vision Child Sponsorship is a child-focused and community-based

programme which aims at improving the long-term livelihood of a sponsored

child, his/her family and the entire community.

How does Child Sponsorship help children?World Vision pools together the monthly donations from sponsors to

implement Area Development Programmes (ADP) in sponsored children’s

communities. Typically, an ADP will last for 15 years, covering a wide range

of development projects including water, agriculture, healthcare, education

and economic development. Community participation is strongly encouraged

and valued because it is through this process that community members are

empowered to establish a self-reliant and sustainable community where your

sponsored child will grow and blossom.

Phases of an ADP

Trust building Years 1-3

Gradual transformation Years 4-14

Sustainable development Year 15 to project close

• Build partnership

• Joint planning and

decision-making

• Momentum builds on

initial project success

• Increase community

ownership

• Establish capacity

and confidence

• Community-led

development

Learn about Child Sponsorship

2

A thriving community enriches children’s lives

Implemented by World Vision in 2006, Birampur ADP in Bangladesh has worked with the villagers to improve nutrition, education and economic development in their communities for the benefit of their children. Islam, a sponsored child, is one of the beneficiaries.

Through the nutrition project, women have learnt to prepare nutritious meals from local produce. They have also become more aware of proper personal hygiene, which helps improve children’s health.

Farming households have received training in agriculture and livestock rearing, which enables them to increase their family income and become more food secure.

As part of the women’s group, Islam’s mother learned to sew. She has since been able to bring in extra income while taking care of her family at the same time. She has also enjoyed a higher status in the family. Islam has witnessed gradual improvement of his

living environment. He is delighted to have a caring and encouraging sponsor who gives him support as he grows.

3

Sponsorship information you will receive

At the startA picture folder — It contains your child’s

photo and personal details, as well as

his/her country’s profile. Through these

you can better understand your child’s

background and the needs of the family and community.

Child’s introductory letter — Excited to have you as his/her sponsor, your child

will write you the first letter1 with the assistance of World Vision field staff. The

letter marks the beginning of a unique relationship between you and your child.

One year onAnnual Progress Report — After a year of

sponsorship, you will start receiving your child’s

annual progress report2 which provides updates on

your child’s growth and the progress of the ADP.

You will also find a recent photo of your child.

Child Sponsorship Annual Report — In mid-year, you

will receive this report which summarises

World Vision’s global programme achievements in the

previous financial year.

Remarks: 1 For young children who can’t write yet, their letters will be written by relatives, friends or World Vision field staff on their behalf. 2 Please contact us if you have not received your child’s Annual Progress Report by the end of the year.

Build a relationship with your sponsored child

4

Writing to your sponsored childYour sponsored child loves to hear from you. A nice and simple letter would

warm his/her heart. Please be patient while waiting for your child’s reply as it

takes time for delivery. If you do not receive a reply 4 months after you have

sent your letter, please contact us for follow-up.

MailingLetters should be sent directly to the World Vision office in your child’s country.

If translation into English is required, please send it to World Vision Hong Kong.

Writing eLettersYou may also write your sponsored child an eLetter at

www.worldvision.org.hk/en/child-sponsorship/eletter

which will be directed to the World Vision office in your sponsored child’s country.

Tips: Due to different cultural and living environment, avoid sensitive topics such as wealth, religion and politics.

To protect your privacy, do NOT disclose your contact details such as address, email or phone number in the letters.

Letters from all sponsors will be screened before they are sent to your sponsored child. Any sensitive or culturally inappropriate content and sponsors’ contact details will be removed.

XXX ABC-123456-0000

Dear...,

How are you?

Name of World Vision OfficeOffice Address

AIR MAIL

XXX 654321

Child’s name and ID number

The address of the World Vision office in your child’s country is printed at bottom right corner of the picture folder.

Your name and your partner number

Sending gifts to your sponsored childWe usually encourage sponsors to write more frequently to sponsored

children. Your love and support to your sponsored child are already the best

gift of all! However, if you would like to send gifts, please note the following:

• Your gift should fit into an A4 envelope

• Do not send bulky or expensive gifts because this may stir jealousy amongst

the children, and will increase our administrative and handling costs

• Avoid gifts with religious messages as sponsored children are from culturally

different backgrounds. E.g. pigs are regarded as unclean by Muslims, so any

gifts with pig images or graphics to Muslim sponsored children are strongly

discouraged.

Sending greeting cards to your sponsored childEvery year, World Vision will design a

festive greeting card for you to send your

love and blessings to your sponsored child.

A sponsored child in Bangladesh smiles cheerfully as she receives the greeting card from her sponsor in Hong Kong.

5

Recommended gifts

✔ Postcards

✔ Birthday cards

✔ Photographs

✔ Stickers

✔ Bookmarks

✔ Stationery

* Some countries have import restrictions and impose high taxes on these goods

Gifts to avoid

✗ Clothes*

✗ Food*

✗ Jewellery*

✗ Cash*

✗ Second-hand items*

✗ Watches or other electronic products*

✗ Fabric products (applied to DR Congo only)

Gigi had an unforgettable experience meeting her sponsored child, Nada, in India.

6

* The gathering will be conducted in Cantonese

New sponsor orientation* (Monthly)This is specially designed for new child sponsors. You can learn more about our

Child Sponsorship and how to communicate with your sponsored child.

Sponsor gathering* (Annual)You will gain a better understanding of how your contributions can help your

sponsored child and his/her community. You are also welcome to share about

your sponsorship journey.

Visiting your sponsored child

Supporter tourSponsors are welcome to join our

supporter tours, which are organised on

a regular basis. Participants may see in

person the lives and needs of local people,

and understand the development works of

World Vision. If your sponsored child lives

in the area, we will try our best to arrange

for you to meet your child in person.

Self-guided visitA self-guided visit to your sponsored child can be arranged through World

Vision’s offices worldwide. Please notify us at least three months prior to your

departure to allow for the necessary arrangements with field offices. Since

sponsored children usually live in remote areas with limited communication

network, it takes time for us to coordinate with the field staff to ensure your

safety during the visit.

Activities for child sponsors

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How much of my monthly donation actually goes to my sponsored child?Your monthly donation will be pooled with that of the other sponsors to

implement an ADP in your sponsored child’s community — cash will not be

given directly to your child or the child’s family.

To free a child from poverty, it is more effective to help his/her community

achieve sustainable development than to just meet the child’s individual needs.

For example, instead of using donations to buy water for sponsored children,

we will help the community dig wells and train villagers to maintain the water

supply system, so that the whole community can have access to clean water,

with future generations also benefiting from this lasting change.

How long does a sponsorship usually last?The duration of sponsorship varies according to the progress of the

community’s development. When the community has achieved self-reliance and

the ADP is closing, your sponsorship will also come to an end.

However, changes in a child’s circumstances may also affect the duration. Your

sponsorship will end when your sponsored child finishes school, gets married,

moves out of the community,* or when his or her family has achieved a better

living. In these cases, we will give you a written notification, and transfer your

sponsorship to another child in need. If you prefer other arrangements, please

contact our Donor Services Department.

* Some sponsored children may leave the community temporarily for specific reasons. To avoid losing their sponsorship, World Vision’s field staff will monitor their situations for six months. Once we confirm that a child has permanently moved out of the community, we will notify the child sponsor. Donations received during the period will be used to support the ongoing development projects in the child’s community.

FAQs

8

Can I share my sponsored child’s information through social media or other channels? You are welcome to share the joy of sponsorship with your friends and

relatives and invite them to become child sponsors, helping more needy

children. However, please take note of the following to ensure your sponsored

child’s safety and privacy:

• The child must be adequately clothed in the shared photos.

• Family name, sponsorship ID and location/address of the child should NOT

be disclosed.

• Uploaded child photos should NOT be geo-tagged to the precise locations

of sponsored child.

• Storage and transmission of the child’s personal information using internet,

mobile devices, or other electronic means should be password-protected.

When will I get the donation receipt?At the beginning of each fiscal year, you will receive an annual receipt detailing

all your donations made in the previous financial year. If you require receipts

for individual payments, please contact our Donor Services Department.

How can I donate?Direct debit is the most effective donation method in reducing our

administrative costs. Besides, you can use credit card, PPS (Payment by Phone

Service), crossed cheques, our online donation service, or you can visit our

office in person to make your donations.

World Vision Hong Kong

2/F Mayfair Centre, 4 Anchor Street

Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Hotline: (852) 2394 2394

Fax: (852) 2394 4844 (852) 2789 4744

Email: hotline@worldvision.org.hk

Web: www.worldvision.org.hk

World Vision of Macau Association

Rua de Abreu Nunes No. 6, Edf. lao Lun

1 Andar A, Macau

Hotline: (853) 2835 2740

Fax: (853) 2835 2737

Email: macauservices@worldvision.org.hk

Web: www.worldvision.org.hk/macau

World Vision Hong Kong, incorporated with limited liability, is a Christian humanitarian organisation working to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty.

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