Become a sponsor-parent for a needy child

Join Sahaya’s sponsorship program

To support an orphan in Kenya or Vietnam, please contact Sahaya founder Koen at koen@sahaya.org. You can learn more about the orphan programs in Kenya and Vietnam by visiting the websites of our partner organizations:

Help a needy child in Tamil Nadu, India!

Become a child sponsor

Thanks to many of you, currently 250 children are already being supported!

Who are these children?

Currently approximately 250 children are being helped via individual sponsorships.
These children are part of the programs of READ (Rural Education and Action Development) an organization in Tamil Nadu, India, that provides many programs for underprivileged children.
To understand the social situation and school system of these Indian children better, click here.

How did Sahaya’s Indian orphan sponsorship program start?

Click here to view the short documentary the story from Sahaya’s founder, Koen Van Rompay.

How does the foster-parent/sponsorship program work?

There are 3 main programs, depending on whether you like to make regular donations to a specific child, or if you like to make a one-time donation that can be used for whichever child is in most need. If you sponsor a specific child, you can expect to receive a letter or drawing every 6 months, and also at least one new close-up picture every year.

a). Standard orphan sponsorship program:

For only $30 or € 26per month….which is only $1 per day, you can make a big difference in the life of an orphan in our programs with the organization READ in Tamil Nadu, India.This amount covers tuition (up to 10th standard), school uniform, school supplies, and food for the child.

Due to additional tuition expenses, a child in 11th standard costs approx. $40 per month, and a child 12th standard is $50 per month. If you are sponsoring a child of that age and your financial situation allows this extra $10 or $20 per month, then you can consider making an extra donation that we will also forward to the child to help cover their education.

If your financial situation doesn’t allow you to sponsor by yourself, then talk to your friends, relatives or colleagues. Perhaps together you can raise $1 per day!

You can expect to receive an update (letter) every 6 months.

b). Higher education scholarships (also known as “The Vasanthi Fund”):

To understand the school system in India better, click here.

Many of the children in our programs do their very best, and after 12th standard, they hope to pursue higher education. A number of children are currenly already in college, in a variety of programs (engineering, nursing, computer science, etc.).. Depending on their marks in 12th standard and their finances, they can get admission to :

Technical schools for a 2 or 3-year diploma course. The additional expenses of this are usually ~$500 per year. As there are are many technical schools, many of the children can still go home each evening.
University for a 3- to 4-year graduation course. The additional expenses are on average $2000 per year. Because these universities are in the distant cities, the children generally have to stay in a hostel.

A number of children are in need for higher education scholarships, and we are happy to communicate with you to discuss their individual needs.

Please note: even if you started your sponsorship of a a child at a young age, you are under no obligation to also support the higher education once the child reaches that age, as we understand that not everyone has the financial means to do so. In such situation, we try to find a 2nd sponsor for the child who can provide such higher education scholarship.

You can also expect to receive an update (letter or drawing) every 6 months, and a photograph every year..

c). General donation to benefit orphans:

If you prefer to make a one-time donation, or you prefer that your donation is used for many children (instead of one specific child), then we always welcome your donation.

How is the money paid to them?

In the standard sponsorship program, each month, the children come to a meeting at READ and receive $20 directly. The rest of the money is set aside and used to pay for their tuition fees at the beginning and middle of the year, to give them supplies at the start of the school year (backpack, notebooks, pens, etc), for individual medical expenses etc.. Approx. $1 per child per month is used to pay the salary of the staff who maintains this program by visiting the children, translating letters and so on. Any money that is left at the end of the year is given to the child, which can be used for any other needs (extra tuition etc).

Older children who are studying at a distant technical school or university come to READ to collect their money every few months, or READ encourages them to open a bank account to deposit the money. READ generally also pays the tuition fees directly to the school/university.

Can I write or send small gifts to my child?

Yes, definitely! If you like to write your child or send a small gift, then please send it to the office of our collaborating organization READ (see below), and they will forward it to your child. Please add the name of the child and the identification number (since we have many children with the same names; if you don’t know the identification number of your child, contact Koen at koen@sahaya.org).

Don’t send large gifts that require much postage, as that postage could be spent better on the child, and may also make other children jealous; it is then better to make an extra donation and we will make sure the money is used for something the child likes to have or really needs. Children enjoy even simple things, such as receiving pictures, or stickers they can put on their notebooks! Our experience is that pictures of you and your family are usually framed and displayed at an important location in the hut, because of your importance in the life of the child.

You can even visit your child if you travel to India! There is a guesthouse where you can stay.

How can I find out which children are still available for sponsorship?

Email Sahaya founder Koen at koen@sahaya.org if you have any questions, or like to receive profiles of the children who are still looking for support.