Children International helps
needy children around the world overcome the obstacles of poverty through child sponsorship. About Children International
Children International is a
nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to bettering the lives of impoverished children, their families and communities.
We achieve our goals primarily through
child sponsorship, which unites children in need with individual sponsors who wish to address the children's immediate and basic needs. Sponsorship gives poor children the tools and opportunities necessary for success by providing benefits and supporting programs for each child - primarily in the areas of education and health.
Our sponsorship program currently benefits more than 320,000 impoverished children and their
families in 11 countries throughout the world. You can sponsor a child in Chile,
Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States and Zambia. Our goal is to have 400,000 sponsored children – or more – by 2011.
To sponsors a child from a specific country, click one of the links below: Sponsor a child in Chile Sponsor a child in Colombia Sponsor a child in the Dominican Republic Sponsor a child in Ecuador Sponsor a child in Guatemala Sponsor a child in Honduras Sponsor a child in India Sponsor a child in Mexico Sponsor a child in the Philippines Sponsor a child in Zambia
About Sponsorship
Sponsoring a child is a great way to fight poverty. Children International unites
sponsors with children around the world, helping bring different cultures together in a way that benefits both, improving the lives of the children while giving sponsors a way to
make a difference.
Learn More About SponsorshipSponsorship is a very personal way to improve a needy child's life. It gives you a chance to share a unique relationship with one special child.
Through regular contributions, sponsors help provide
impoverished children with basic necessities, such as medical and dental care, educational assistance, durable clothing and shoes, improved living conditions and much more.
As a sponsor, you'll be making a real difference in a needy child's life...and helping
make the world a better place. Benefits of Sponsorship With your help, sponsorship gives impoverished children the critical support they need to grow up healthy and educated. And our programs and services are designed to meet the changing needs of children as they develop into young adults. Younger Children Children are typically enrolled in sponsorship when they are between the ages of 2 and 9. They receive their first
medical checkup and malnutrition screeningas part of the enrollment process. Medical Care: Easy access to medical care and treatment is vital during the first years of sponsorship. It is equally important to monitor the height and weight of each child to ensure they are growing properly. Children 11 and under receive an annual medical checkup. Those with medical conditions are treated promptly, given any necessary tests and medication, and even referred to specialists as needed. Ongoing care is provided at the sponsorship center medical clinics, which treat everything from common respiratory infections to chickenpox. Educational Assistance: In many cases, we provide books,
educational resources, school improvements, libraries and other assistance to schools to enhance the educational experience and opportunities in a community. Children eligible to enter school are provided with benefits intended to help their parents overcome the financial restrictions that might prevent their children from enrolling in school – items such as school uniforms and shoes, school fees, backpacks and other supplies. Clothing and Other Material Benefits: Young children quickly outgrow clothing and shoes, so these items are important benefits children treasure. Clothing generally benefits several family members too. When items provided to sponsored children become too small, they are often passed on to siblings. Older Children
Once a child reaches age 12, they become part of our
youth program. The needs of teenage children are much different than those of their younger counterparts, so our youth program is tailored to support their changing lives. Medical Care: Sponsored youth have easy access to medical care, tests, treatment and medication, but they are not always required to receive an annual checkup. However, through participation in the youth program, they have opportunities to learn about preventive health measures and overall wellness. Education Assistance: Although school attendance is not mandatory for all children, it is strongly encouraged. When circumstances prevent some from obtaining a traditional education, our project volunteers and staff will work with those children to find suitable alternatives such as home study, vocational training, life skills training and other meaningful initiatives to help them become self-reliant adults. Clothing: Teenagers particularly welcome new clothing. Growing up in
extreme poverty is hard enough without the added difficulty of maintaining a basic wardrobe. Clothing items such as jeans, shirts and blouses, jackets, socks and shoes are tangible benefits that help support their self-esteem. Youth Program: Our youth program gives older sponsored children the chance to realize their potential. By focusing on leadership, life skills,
community service, civic involvement and other social values, the program involves youth in positive activities that boost their self-esteem and social competence, while creating visible change among their communities and peers. Other Programs We also provide family assistance, empower women through by training them to be volunteer mothers, micro-business owners,
civic leaders, and we help families break the cycle of poverty through sustainable development. Benefits to the Sponsor Building a relationship between you and your sponsored child is important, so we provide you with a number of meaningful benefits:
- When you first become a sponsor, you will receive a special letter from the project director of your child’s area, acquainting you with the area and the conditions there
A handwritten welcome letter from your sponsored child (or a volunteer if your child is unable to write)
A new letter from your child about every six months and an annual photo so you can see your child change and grow
A yearly progress report with updated information about your child
An annual newsletter, Field Notes, from the project director in your child’s area
Opportunities to send your child letters and help provide gifts for birthdays and other special occasions
Issues of our informative newsletter, Journeys, filled with stories about the impact sponsorship has on children, families and communities throughout the world
Access to the “My Account” section of our website, where you can view your giving history, make donations, review information about your child and see current and past photos of your child
You can sponsor a child online anytime
- And, the satisfaction of opening your heart to a special child who will remember your generosity and compassion for a lifetime!
Sponsorship Programs In isolated rural communities and cramped urban shantytowns around the world, children are beginning to believe. They are replacing the desperation of poverty with something more positive. They are opening their hearts and minds, and the possibilities within them are beginning to blossom.
They are sponsored children. And they have been united with sponsors who help address their most basic needs – medical and dental care, nutritional assistance,
educational support and youth programs – through monthly contributions.
Through our
housing program and community projects, families, too, are experiencing a renewal, living with more dignity, finding new ways to support themselves and getting more involved.
Children International programs lift children and families up, filling them with
hope and making change possible. We hope you'll join us for the journey.
Education To a poor child, education is the doorway to a world teeming with possibility. This is why Children International supports the efforts of sponsored children around the world, giving them an opportunity to learn…and dream. We aid in this effort by providing:
- New clothing, shoes and school uniforms
- Backpacks and school supplies such as calculators, notebooks, pencils and pens
- Libraries furnished with reference materials, study aids, textbooks, and computer and study areas
- Tutoring assistance, educational workshops and special youth programs
- School repairs and classroom improvements
Health Care
In poverty-stricken communities, children face a host of dangers. Contaminated water and poor sanitation expose them to parasites and potentially deadly diseases. Congestion, pollution and insufficient hygiene contribute to the spread of respiratory illnesses, skin infections and stomach problems. And narrow, rocky streets, low-strung electrical lines, exposed trash and treacherous hillsides threaten children daily. Because healthy children have a better chance of overcoming poverty and succeeding in life, our sponsorship program focuses on children’s overall health by providing:
- Routine checkups
- Follow-up care for illnesses and injuries
- Medications
- Dental checkups and curative and preventive treatments
- Anti-parasite treatments
- Malnutrition screening and treatment
Nutritional Support
Good nutrition is a building block for proper development,
a healthier life and strong immunity. Many children around the world, however, don't get enough to eat, and the meals they do have are often deficient of
essential nutrients. Not only does malnutrition slow their development and make them vulnerable to a number of illnesses, they have a far more difficult time learning.
Children International addresses the nutritional needs of sponsored children through regular screening. Those diagnosed with malnutrition are provided with vitamins and placed in a
feeding program, while their parents are assisted with meal preparation training and information about purchasing inexpensive, nutritionally whole foods.
Family Assistance
For families struggling to meet basic needs, important household items and materials for home maintenance are frequently not affordable. Many times, helping children means helping their families and improving their surroundings. In an effort to provide more comfortable, safe and sanitary conditions, Children International provides family assistance consisting of:
- Bedding, dishes, eating utensils and cleaning supplies
- Home repairs and furnishings
- Emergency aid after natural disasters
- Community improvement projects
Youth Program
Adolescents everywhere face many difficult and confusing choices. And while dead ends are often more prevalent than opportunities in underdeveloped countries, Children International's youth program addresses
sponsored teens' evolving needs.
Participants attend leadership training, get involved in community improvement programs, participate in
educational seminars, and learn the value of teamwork. Through their involvement, these youth are serving as
agents of change for their peers, younger children, their families and communities.
Every other year,
youth leaders are also democratically elected to attend the
International Youth Conference, or the IYC. They come to Kansas City to work together to develop skills essential in overcoming poverty in their communities.
Housing Program
Perhaps nothing can shape a family like a safe, stable home. Too often though, poor families are just scraping by. Lacking even minimal resources, many end up building feeble, broken-down shacks made of scavenged materials they find or buy for pennies. These homes offer little in the way of protection or comfort and, in fact, many at times contribute to the deterioration of families.
Children International's housing program has helped families find refuge by providing building supplies and repair materials,
build new homes and equipping them with basic furnishings. We have also assisted in
rebuilding homes after natural disasters damaged or destroyed sponsored families' homes.
These efforts have transformed thousands of lives in a way that brings about lasting change. For impoverished families, having a secure and comfortable place to raise a family is one of the best ways to
bridge the gap from poverty to possibility.
Community Projects: One project, many lives changed
Community projects bring surprisingly dramatic improvements to the communities where sponsored children live. Special donations to Children International make it possible to
- Provide clean water sources, so families have a dependable, safe way to meet their daily needs
- Build medical and dental clinics, so families have a way to provide their children with much-needed care
- Establish micro-enterprise loan programs to develop businesses
- Develop community centers and programs that bring people together and provide them with learning opportunities
- Create playgrounds filled with equipment children can enjoy
Ways to Give
A variety of tax-deductible giving opportunities are available to help impoverished children and their families overcome the obstacles they face. However you choose to give, you will make a direct impact in the lives of poor children and their communities.
Corporate Giving Programs
Whether you become a sponsor, support an ongoing campaign, or make a special donation, your support will truly make a difference. Many companies even offer
matching gifts, whereby they match your donations dollar for dollar.
Product Donations
Your company's excess inventory or discontinued items can make a significant impact as
gifts in kind to thousands of needy children who lack essential
material items.
Major And Planned Gifts
By naming Children International as a beneficiary, investing in a
gift annuity, or donating securities, you can provide critical assistance to needy children and reap rewards of your own.
Become An Advocate
A great way to help us bring real hope and real help to hundreds of thousands of needy children is to help us spread the word about Children International. By starting your own
SponsorThon campaign, you will help us recruit new sponsors so that we may continue to provide
life-changing support to children in need. Children International
Ayuda verdadera. Esperanza verdadera
Children International ayuda a que los niños necesitados alrededor del mundo superen los obstáculos de la pobreza a través del
apadrinamiento. (all links to homepage)
Sobre Children InternationalChildren International es una organización humanitaria sin fines de lucro dedicada a mejorar las vidas de los niños, familias y comunidades pobres.
Alcanzamos nuestras metas ante todo a través del
apadrinamiento, el cual une a los niños necesitados con padrinos individuales que desean satisfacer las necesidades básicas e inmediatas de los niños. El apadrinamiento proporciona a los niños pobres las herramientas y oportunidades necesarias para tener éxito al brindarles beneficios y programas de apoyo para cada niño – principalmente en las áreas de educación y salud.
Nuestro
programa de apadrinamiento beneficia a más de 320,000 niños pobres y sus familias en 11 países alrededor del mundo. Usted puede apadrinar un niño en Chile,
Colombia, Ecuador, Estados Unidos, Filipinas, Guatemala, Honduras, India, México, la República Dominicana y Zambia.
Nuestra meta es apadrinar a 400,000 niños – o más – para el año 2011.
Para apadrinar un niño de un país en particular, pulse uno de los enlaces de abajo Apadrine un niño en Chile Apadrine un niño en Colombia Apadrine un niño en Ecuador Apadrine un niño en las Filipinas Apadrine un niño en Guatemala Apadrine un niño en Honduras Apadrine un niño en India Apadrine un niño en México Apadrine un niño en la República Dominicana Apadrine un niño en Zambia
Sobre el apadrinamiento El apadrinar un niño es una buena manera de combatir la pobreza.
Children International une a padrinos con niños alrededor del mundo, ayuda a conectar culturas diferentes de manera que beneficie a ambas y mejora las vidas de los niños al mismo tiempo que les brinda a los padrinos una manera de
hacer la diferencia.
Aprenda más sobre el apadrinamiento El apadrinamiento es una manera muy personal de mejorar la vida de un niño necesitado. Le brinda a usted la oportunidad de compartir una relación singular con un solo niño excepcional. A través de contribuciones regulares, los padrinos ayudan a satisfacer las necesidades básicas de los niños pobres, tales como cuidado médico y dental, asistencia educacional, ropa y zapatos duraderos, mejores condiciones de vivienda y mucho más. Como padrino, usted hará una diferencia real en la vida de un niño necesitado...y ayudará
a hacer del mundo un lugar mejor.
Beneficios del apadrinamiento
Con su ayuda, el apadrinamiento proporciona a los niños pobres el apoyo crítico que ellos necesitan para crecer sanos y educados. Y nuestros programas y servicios están diseñados para satisfacer las necesidades cambiantes de los niños a medida que ellos se convierten en adultos.
Niños menores Típicamente, los niños ingresan al programa de apadrinamiento cuando tienen entre 2 y 9 años de edad. Ellos reciben su primer examen médico y evaluación nutricional como parte del proceso de ingreso. Cuidado médico:
El acceso a un cuidado y tratamiento médico es vital durante los primeros años de apadrinamiento. Igual de importante es el monitoreo de la estatura y el peso de cada niño para asegurar que ellos están creciendo adecuadamente.
Los niños de 11 años de edad y menores reciben un examen médico anual. Aquellos niños con condiciones médicas son tratados de inmediato; reciben cualquier examen y medicamento necesario y hasta son referidos a especialistas si se requiere. Un cuidado continuo se brinda en las clínicas médicas de nuestro centro comunitario, las cuales tratan de todo, desde infecciones respiratorias comunes hasta la varicela.
Asistencia educacional: En muchos casos, proporcionamos a las escuelas textos,
recursos educativos, mejoras escolares, bibliotecas y otros tipos de asistencia para mejorar la experiencia educacional y las oportunidades en una comunidad.
A los niños de edad escolar se les brindan beneficios diseñados para ayudar a que sus padres superen las restricciones económicas que pueden impedir que sus hijos ingresen a la escuela – artículos como uniformes y zapatos escolares, matrículas, mochilas y otros útiles.
Ropa y otros beneficios materiales: Los niños crecen con rapidez; por eso los artículos como ropa y zapatos son beneficios que los niños aprecian. Normalmente, la ropa también beneficia a varios familiares. Cuando las prendas que fueron proporcionados para los niños apadrinados se vuelven demasiado pequeños, éstas pasan a manos de los hermanos.
Jóvenes
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