Sponsoring a child? 1 May 2012 at 10:36AM in Charities 29 replies 4.1K views

WolfSong2000

Sponsoring a particular child is popular because sponsors see what they get out of it, but in reality it's much better for the money to go to community development - e.g. the school, rather than a particular pupil. Can you imagine if your sibling got sponsored, but you didn't, and the potential resentment that could engender?

My mother's charity, which operates in a particular area in West Africa has expanded to include a local school, and they operate a successful school sponsorship scheme. Sponsoring a child/school can make a very real difference, so I recommend it, but given the choice I personally would rather sponsor a school than a child, as the benefit would be wider-reaching.

As for the malaria issue - Ska lover, I can completely understand why you're upset, but in reality there is very little the charity could have done to prevent the death, I suspect. Malaria is one of the - if not the - biggest killers in the world. You cannot successfully vaccinate against it. Even the anti-malarians don't prevent it, they just (hopefully) make the symptoms less severe. The issue is there are different kinds of malaria - some will ewuate to having a really baf case of the flu, whilst others, like cerebral malaria, which cracklepop had can be lifethreatening, even with first-rate medical care. My mother's repeatedly contracted malaria (just had a blood test as she's showing symptoms again), I had malaria as a child and my grandmother died of malaria after a UK doctor didn't recognise symptoms. It's a disease which can easily kill.

purple.sarah

ska_lover wrote: »

Oh please stop turning this thread into a 'lets prove ska lover wrong' thread. Ok, you have proved me wrong with your research, I still feel they should have provided some help - they didn't - they took my money and little good came of it.

I was heart broken over it. But I am glad that complete strangers can get some kind of satisfaction by repeatedly telling me I am wrong, and I shouldn't feel how I feel.

You attacked a charity so people defended them. 3 people, so hardly "turning this thread into a 'lets prove ska lover wrong' thread". If you're going to post something online like "I was furious with the charity and rang them more than once.
Even typing this out is making me shake with anger tbh
All that sponser money and they didn't do such a basic thing as get her immunised from Malaria!!" People might question it. I don't think anyone said you shouldn't feel a sense of loss, I said I was sorry for your loss.

cracklepop

ska_lover wrote: »

I was heart broken over it. But I am glad that complete strangers can get some kind of satisfaction by repeatedly telling me I am wrong, and I shouldn't feel how I feel.

My response wasn't meant to come across that way. Sorry if it did.

Ch1ckenlady

Thank you to you all for your advice.

I am pleased to have asked but I am sorry to have brought back bad memories for one person.

Having considered all the points made, I think I may sponser a community, rather than an individual.

Wolfsong2000, if you can, could you advise which charity your mother sponsers in West Africa?

Thank you.

rosalie-lavender

I think the shaking with anger bit was part of a quote from your original post?

I do understand how upset you were/are because I would be very upset if my sponsored child died. I am sure, though that you did enrich her life with your help and interest.

ska_lover

rosalie-lavender wrote: »

I think the shaking with anger bit was part of a quote from your original post?

I do understand how upset you were/are because I would be very upset if my sponsored child died. I am sure, though that you did enrich her life with your help and interest.

thanks for that, i think im getting a lot wrong lately, ive deleted my post cos i realise i had got it wrong and was talking a load of bollards..ahh well

faerie~spangles

purple.sarah wrote: »

Isn't that in effect what people are doing when they pay the taxes that help pay for their free schooling, free medical care and any benefits their parents receive? In some other countries they don't have that support so child sponsorship could be the only chance they have of going to school, for example.

There are great children's charities to donate to in this country but that is not mutually exclusive to donating to children's charities in other countries. They are all children who need help. Are their lives less important if they are of a different nationality?

You would be as well p!!£!*& in the wind and patting yourself on the back.

There is real child poverty here in the UK.

purple.sarah

faerie~spangles wrote: »

You would be as well p!!£!*& in the wind and patting yourself on the back.

There is real child poverty here in the UK.

I never said there wasn't real child poverty in the UK but it is equally real in other countries that don't even have some of the support we do in this country. I didn't say don't help UK children, I questioned why only UK children?

faerie~spangles

purple.sarah wrote: »

I never said there wasn't real child poverty in the UK but it is equally real in other countries that don't even have some of the support we do in this country. I didn't say don't help UK children, I questioned why only UK children?

You have to ask?

Lip_Stick

cracklepop wrote: »

My response wasn't meant to come across that way. Sorry if it did.

I don't think you came across that way at all.