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Sponsor a Child and Transform a Life

When you sponsor a child through Wide Horizons For Children, you make a profound difference in the life of that child in crisis and their family. You transform their life by helping them overcome the many factors that might have put them at such risk. Factors such as lack of food, poor health, lack of education or training, family trauma, poverty, and being orphaned or abandoned.

We have Child Sponsorship programs in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Burundi and India.

To renew your current sponsorship, click here.

How to Sponsor a Child

1

Pick a Child to Sponsor

You can choose the child you want to sponsor – and you have options that allow you to search by country, gender, and age. Or if you like, we can select one for you.

2

Select a Payment Option

You can pay $38 each month or $456 once a year. It’s your choice! Either way, you’ll be transforming a child’s future!

3

Time to Connect!

We will send you a welcome packet, containing your sponsored child’s photo, personal story and some tips to help you start getting to know your sponsored child and their culture. You can exchange letters, photos and cards with them… deepening your connection every time something is shared.

Ready to sponsor a child?

Meet the Children

When You Sponsor a Child, You Make Their Future Brighter

Our Child Sponsorship programs are truly impactful. We know this because we have seen — and measured — how deeply the lives of sponsored children and their families have been transformed.

Children who were struggling to survive have graduated from University and found great jobs. Families who were struggling to stay together have not only been kept intact, but have also become stable and secure as a result of running their own small business. Mothers have survived childbirth.

We focus on keeping each child’s family intact — our almost 50 years of experience in helping children in crisis have proven time and again that this produces the best possible outcome for such a child.

Then, we tailor the services we offer to match the needs of each child — we have found that one solution doesn’t fit all children. A tailored approach meets each child where they are and gives them the best chance at a brighter future.

And finally, keeping each child in school at the same time as helping their parents set up a stable small business accelerates the family’s path to self-sufficiency.

All of this is possible because of our amazing child sponsors. Are you ready to become one?

Testimonials

In their words…

The Community Development program gave me self-confidence and taught me how to save. I was able to contribute towards our family expenses. This made me feel good and strong. —Priya Mother of Sponsored Child, India
My husband and I never finished our education and I was worried that if Eduardo didn’t understand something there would be no one to help explain things to him. I am excited for his future now that he has the support of the teachers from the program. —Eduardo Mother of Sponsored Child, Guatemala
Thank you for being with me in my most difficult times and helping me develop the capacity of helping myself and my family. I am very happy to see another family get my precious chance. —Aberash Mother of Sponsored Child, Ethiopia
I am thankful for the ration as it was very useful and helpful for me and my family. Thank you for it. —Dasya Sponsored Child, India
I’m very thankful to you, dear sponsor. You are supporting me in my education and I promise I will not let you down any time. I’ll keep my words, and I’ll be a very bright person in future. Thank you for your helpful, I’m very thankful towards you, dear sponsor. Thank you so much. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. —Dipta Sponsored Child, India
I am so lucky to get this emergency food support. Now, I can see happiness and joy on the face of my children and strength and stability in their emotion. It changed our worry and sadness into joy and hope. —Genet Mother of Sponsored Child, Ethiopia
I got rations in March months. And it was helpful for my family. Thank you for giving me rations! —Lopa Sponsored Child, India
We received 20 bars of soap, one quintal flour, and 61 kg of Teff as emergency support. It was a great chance for us to manage our lives successfully! And if Wide Horizons for Children had not provided us with support, it would have been difficult to save the lives of our family members. —Messeret Mother of Sponsored Child, Ethiopia
Due to COVID-19 we were living under difficult condition because my mother was not able to do her daily work. But your help and support through WHFC enable us to safe at this hard time. With your support we are provided different food items such as flour, macaroni, oil, hand sanitizer and face masks. We are very happy for your support. —Natnael Sponsored Child, Ethiopia
I used to cry at night because it was almost time to enrol my daughter in middle school, and I did not know how I would be able to afford to send her. After meeting with the social worker, I felt a great relief knowing that my daughter could continue studying and would receive school supplies. —Juanita Mother of Sponsored Child, Guatemala
My mother lost job and in my house there was lot of problem of food and really thank you that you came for support and gave ration. Very happy and thank you for your help. —Pavani Sponsored Child, India
I am thankful for the ration as it was very useful and helpful for me and my family. Thank you for it. —Suhani Sponsored Child, India
First of all I would like to give thanks to you all. Because in the coronavirus pandemic, you all were standing with us as helpers. And really you all helped us a lot. You are not just giving us money, but you give us the confidence to reach our goals. So thank you! —Vidya Sponsored Child, India
My parents had a meeting with the Social Worker who mentioned that [the program] would help us with our education. It was then that I decided to continue, one of my dreams is to be a nurse and to have my own clinic to help my parents, I want to be a successful woman, to help my parents with what I can. —Roberta Sponsored Child, Guatemala

The Three Stages of Child Sponsorship Programming

survival stability security

Stage 1 — Survival: A child who enters our Child Sponsorship program is in crisis. They — and their family — are in survival mode, barely able to get one meal a day. Those countries where we run Child Sponsorship programs are among the poorest of the poor. Some 97% of the children are in survival mode when we first meet them. 

At this stage, we provide food rations or cash stipends to help each child and their family stay alive and start to move beyond this crisis.

Stage 2 — Stability: Once a sponsored child is no longer in crisis, we shift our focus to another aspect of changing their future. Ensuring the child has access to an education, and takes advantage of it. For each sponsored child, being in school is compulsory — such is it’s importance to change a child’s outcome, it’s a condition of remaining in the Child Sponsorship program. 

At this stage, we make sure each child has clothing and supplies for school, and that the family has at least two meals a day.

Stage 3 — Security: Recognizing that education takes years to transform the a child’s life, we help their family create and develop a sustainable livelihood while the children are at school. The ability to be self-sustaining, even through a small crisis, delivers security to a family. 

At this stage, we help provide all a family needs to set up and run a small business: stipends and grants, and business and financial training.

But don’t take our word for it

Hear their stories

Laxmi and Mayuri

Laxmi and Mayuri.

Child sponsorship gave this mother and daughter the help they needed to secure their family's future.

Sneha

Sneha.

How education, made possible by sponsorship, changes a child's future.

Sofia

Sofia.

How her child sponsor took Sofia from living in fear of gang violence to dreaming of becoming a nurse.

Nigist and Meseret

Nigist and Meseret.

A child sponsor changed the future for these two sisters.

Ashenafi

Ashenafi.

Ashenafi's life — and that of his family — has been transformed by his child sponsor.

Saloni

Saloni.

How a child sponsor helped Saloni overcome loss and illness, and pursue a graduate degree.

Dawit

Dawit.

All Dawit needed was a helping hand. And his child sponsor made sure he got one.

Sponsorship FAQs

Q: How often will I hear from my sponsored child?

A: You will hear from your sponsored child two times per year. Your child’s social worker will help prepare an update about your child and their family. Your child will also write a letter and send photos.

Q: Can I send something to my sponsored child?

A: You are welcome to send cards, letters, or photos to your sponsored child at any time. Due to shipping limitations, we are unable to send packages.

Q: Can I visit my sponsored child?

A: If you’re planning a trip to the area where your sponsored child lives, we will do our best to arrange for you to visit them. We cannot guarantee that you’ll be able to meet them in person, as there are many external factors — particularly ones that could impact their and/or your safety — that might prevent this from happening.

Q: How long are children in the child sponsorship program? 

A: A child remains in the program until their family is able to provide a safe, stable home environment, become self-sufficient, or the child completes their educational track. We work with every family in our program to create a sustainable, long-term plan for the future. Some children graduate within three to five years, while others take longer.

Q: How long is my child sponsorship commitment?

A: While we hope you’re able to continue to support your sponsored child for as long as they are in our program, sponsoring a child is voluntary and you may choose to end your sponsorship commitment at any time. When your child and the family graduates from the sponsorship program, we will introduce you to another child who needs your help. To cancel or change your sponsorship commitment, email us at sponsorship@whfc.org or call (781) 894-5330.

Q: Does my donation go directly to my sponsored child?

A: Yes, your donation pays directly for the personalized care your sponsored child receives. After a trained social worker has assessed this child, they receive a customized, intensive set of resources and services that help them achieve success as soon as possible.

Q: Are my donations tax-deductible?

A: Yes! Wide Horizons For Children is a tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. We will send you a receipt acknowledging your tax-deductible contributions. For more information or specific questions, email us at sponsorship@whfc.org or call (781) 894-5330.