Celebrating Life

Child moving out of sponsorship – Celebration or Concern?

Sponsorship is a joyous, enriching journey, where you as a sponsor, partner with us in reaching out to vulnerable children in difficult circumstances.

We always strive to provide the best to our children so their lives are improved. Sometimes however, in certain unforeseen cases, the sponsored child happens to drop out of our Child Sponsorship programme.

As a sponsor, it is always difficult for you when your sponsored child drops out of the sponsorship programme. Having built an emotional bonding for many months or years together, it is hard to let the child go.

From being prepared to handle natural disasters to being courageous to face life’s situation, we are helping communities deal and make it through any unfavourable circumstance.

In spite of all our efforts, there are times when a child drops out suddenly and unexpectedly from the sponsorship programme.

While some are reasons for concern, others are moments of pride.

We have listed the most frequent ones here (starting with the challenges), and we hope this will help you know more about the ground realities.

MIGRATION

Migration

One of the main reasons children unexpectedly leave the programme is because their families move out of the community to an area where World Vision India Child Sponsorship is not available. People in villages move to cities in search of better job opportunities. In rural areas, most people work as daily-wage agricultural labourers. During off seasons, due to lack of opportunities for work, they find it hard to run the family. So, most people move to nearby cities in search of jobs.

To address the issue of migration, we provide livelihood assistance to the families, based on their skills and opportunities available in their communities.

In 2017-2018, 685 most vulnerable families were given income generating opportunities.

CHANGE OF SCHOOL

School-Change

Your sponsored child may go to another school in a different locality and the family may move out of the community that they are currently residing at. When the child moves out of World Vision India’s target area, he or she is dropped out of sponsorship.

World Vision India strengthens the quality of schools in the communities we serve by improving school infrastructure and standard of education, so that children need not move to other schools.

To improve learning outcomes in children, in 2017-2018, we were able to achieve the following:

  • 40,156 children received remedial coaching.
  • 460 reading camps (or clubs) were established to promote reading and comprehension skills.
  • 655 teachers were training on applying child-centered learning methodologies.
  • 149 schools have minimum quality standards like classrooms, teaching/learning materials and toilets for children as a result of advocacy efforts.

MARRIAGE

Marriage

While child marriage may seem like a distant problem, it is a reality that girls in the communities we serve face. World Vision India is waging war against this social evil in many fronts. But this isn’t an easy battle.

Unfortunately, sometimes, even our sponsored children fall into this trap due to family pressure, despite all our efforts to stop it. This means, the child has to drop out of the sponsorship programme.

In certain cases, the child gets married after the age of 18. While we encourage the children to pursue their higher studies, in unlikely cases, the family may choose to get him or her married. And the child drops out of sponsorship programme.

CHILD LABOUR

Child-Labour

World Vision India has been addressing the issue of child labour for many years now and we have rescued thousands of child labourers across the country and thousands more children have been prevented from getting into the grip of child labour through our interventions. Of course, this has been made possible only through Child Sponsorship.

Although the excuse of poverty has been trotted out as a reason for the continued existence of child labour, ignorance, illiteracy, lack of access to credit and educational facilities and poor law enforcement are other significant challenges in eliminating child labour.

While we are doing our best to curb child labour in all the communities we work, it is a significant challenge.

Due to inevitable circumstances, sometimes, a child quits school and begins to work. Sometimes, a child finds a job soon after completing the 12th standard. We would have wished that the child continues higher education, but unfortunately the child prefers to work.

FAMILY NOT INTERESTED

Non-Cooperating

At times, the family of the sponsored child does not co-operate with World Vision India. Parents refuse to listen to our counsel or even send their child to our programmes despite persistent efforts. In such a case, we would not be able to reach out to the child and the family with the benefits of Child Sponsorship and thereby we are forced to drop the child out of the programme.

Despite all our best efforts, sometimes a sponsored child does leave the programme. However, we hope that all our investment made in the life of the child will continue to bear fruits in his/her life.

In contrast, in certain occasions, a child dropping out of sponsorship programme is a reason for celebration.

CHILD COMPLETES HIGHER EDUCATION

Higher-studies

This is a reason for celebration. You’ve sponsored a child for years and finally you see the fruit of your efforts.

Your sponsored child completes schooling and higher education as well. The child is equipped to take care of himself/herself and we’re glad he/she can move forward in life without sponsorship support.

FAMILY BECOMES SELF-RELIANT

Self-Reliance

Yet another reason to celebrate.

As you are aware, sponsorship is not just about your child. It is about your child’s family and community.

Depending on a family’s or a community’s needs, we provide things like clean water, school fees, educational supplies, improved school infrastructure, awareness and training programmes for parents, improved nutrition, livelihood assistance and agricultural training.

Owing to our various interventions, the family of your sponsored child may become self-reliant.  They are now empowered to take care of their children without a helping hand.

PROJECT CLOSURE

Project-Closure

Project closure is the final phase in an Area Development programme.

This is the phase wherein we begin the process of ending our involvement in the community. The project goals are achieved and the community is well equipped for the future.

Over the years, we assist communities in a way that empowers them to sustain the programmes even after our assistance has ended. Capacity building of SHGs, children clubs, youth clubs and community-based organisations equips the communities to be self-reliant.

Since we have the end in our mind, right from the beginning, the transition is carried out in a well-planned fashion, ensuring that the good work that we were carrying out in the communities is continued into the future, even after we have withdrawn.

Child drop is thus sometimes a concern and, at other times, a reason to rejoice and celebrate. 

But we are sure that our model of sustainable development and our high level of stewardship coupled with your ongoing commitment will continue to impact children and communities, building a nation fit for children.

To sponsor a child in need, log on to www.worldvision.in

 

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