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As well as being HOPE UK’s Child Sponsorship Coordinator, Yvette Lowery also sponsors three children in Kolkata through HOPE – two on the behalf of her children and one in her own name. Here Yvette shares how the sponsorship programme benefits both children in HOPE’s care and sponsors alike.
I learned about HOPE’s child sponsorship programme when I saw the vacancy advertised for the role of Child Sponsorship Coordinator on a charity recruitment website. I applied for the role and did a lot of research on HOPE.
The fact that 100% of child sponsorship donations goes directly to meeting the education, nutritional and medical needs of the child set HOPE apart from other charities. As there are no overheads deducted from the donations, sponsors can be assured that their donations are really making a difference.
We take it for granted, here in the UK, that our children are educated and receive free healthcare. It is so different in other parts of the world. HOPE’s child sponsorship programme means that the sponsored child can build a future for themselves through education and break the cycle of poverty, especially, as in many cases, the child is the first generation in their family to receive an education.
I was fortunate enough to be offered the role of Child Sponsorship Coordinator in September 2019. My role is to raise awareness of the sponsorship programme and promote HOPE’s ethos, mission, and values, namely that it should never hurt to be a child.
I am in regular communication with our valued sponsors and answer any queries from potential new sponsors. I enjoy communicating with our kind sponsors and building good relationships with them as each one is sincerely valued and it is important that they are happy with their sponsorship, every step of the way.
I sponsored two children for each of my two daughters, a boy and a girl, and sponsored another child in my name. It was important to me that my daughters were aware that there were children living in poverty for whom education was not an option. It helped them to realise how fortunate we are and the many things we take for granted.
My daughters love receiving the annual card and update report from their sponsored child and feel that they are making a positive contribution, enabling them to achieve their dreams and goals. I sponsored an older girl who was studying for her degree. She had come so far with her education, and I wanted to ensure that she completed her studies and fulfilled her dreams without being held back due to lack of finances.
When sponsors sign up for the programme they receive the sponsored child’s case history, which includes their photograph and details of their background and hobbies. In December of each year, they receive a handmade card, letter, or drawing (depending on age) from their sponsored child, together with the child’s annual progress report from school.
This report provides information on the different topics of study and how the child is progressing, as well as activities and hobbies the child is embarking upon. Sponsors are welcome to write to their sponsored child and can meet them if they ever visit Kolkata.
Sponsors report a sense of pride and are encouraged by seeing how their sponsored child is progressing. They feel they are making a huge difference to the life and future of the child and enabling them to consider future career options that otherwise would not be possible.
Many of our long-term sponsors enjoy seeing their sponsored child grow and progress through the years and are delighted when the child completes their education and goes into training or work, meaning they are able to provide for themselves and their families. It is a great sense of achievement, both for the sponsor and the child. Some sponsors, like myself, sponsor a child on behalf of their children or grandchildren and report that their children feel happy and proud to be helping a child in need.
Each year we learn of children who have completed their education and gone on to study further or to find employment. One of the children in the programme has gone on to study at medical school and is now a qualified doctor. Some children have found employment in government civil service jobs and employment within various industries, while others have embarked on further training.
Without the support of their kind sponsor, they would not have been in the position of realising their goals and dreams, which is why it is such an important aspect of the work we do.
If you are interested in sponsoring a child but wish to find out more, I would be happy to answer any questions and provide guidance. I want every sponsor’s journey to be pleasant and rewarding and I am always here to help with any queries you may have.
Reading quotes from our sponsors and some of the children will hopefully encourage you to realise how easy it is to hugely change a child’s life and provide them with the opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable for them. It would be great to have you experience the sponsor’s journey, which is rewarding and powerful. For the price of one coffee a week, the difference you will make to the sponsored child is priceless.
Get in touch with Yvette on yvette@thehopefoundation.org.uk.
