We have no overseas staff - we rely wholly on the ministry of our local partners; we have been working with some of them for over 50 years. One is a Christian school, another is a church planting and community development ministry, yet another is an orphanage and so on.
Our distinctives
There are many, many organisations, secular and Christian which operate child sponsorship programmes throughout the world. The fact that we encourage and support what local Christian organisations are already doing in their own communities, is what makes WorldShare ChildAid programme so different: we do not impose a "one-size-fits-all" model or strategy for working with children.
Why should I sponsor a child?
Dr Virgil Zapata, founder of one of our Guatemalan ministry partners, described to us the value of education in developing countries.
"Education to Grade 6 means poverty. Education to Grade 9, means that you can lift yourself out of the poverty cycle. Education to Grade 12, i.e., completion of high school, means that as well as lifting youself out of poverty, you can lift others too - family, friends, neighbours".
ChildAid gives children in developing countries an education designed to equip them to support themselves. Perhaps most importantly, they hear the gospel and have an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour.
Sponsorship is open to all children, regardless of faith or gender, race or ability. It never depends on a profession of Christian faith by either the child or parents. Families applying for sponsorship for their children are carefully selected, ensuring that financial support goes to the neediest.
