CHILD SPONSORSHIP
When you sponsor a child for $35 each month through A New Song International, you provide tangible solutions to these children’s most pressing needs such as clean water, food, shelter, care, and an education as well as an opportunity for these children to be discipled to be followers of Jesus Christ. Sponsorship through A New Song International restores hope in each sponsored child’s life as they come to understand the love of Christ and that someone not only sees them but loves them enough to provide for their most basic needs.
We have many children in need of sponsorship. Happy Times Childcare Initiative is known in the community as an organization who intentionally helps the poor. Many of the children in our program are orphans who are permanent residents of Happy Times children’s home, but we also have boarding and day students enrolled in A New Song International Sponsorship program who live in the surrounding community and whose parent(s) or guardian(s) are unable to financially support their children. Orphan status, each child’s story, and many other details can be found in the child profiles below.
Scroll through and click on the pictures to view each child’s profile.
HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SPONSORSHIP?
The following are just a few of the questions we’ve been asked about sponsorship through A New Song International.
How much does it cost to sponsor a child through A New Song International?
Sponsoring a child through A New Song International costs $35 per month.
Am I the only sponsor for my sponsored child?
Yes. Each child in our program has one sponsor which is why your support, prayers, and letters are so important.
How does A New Song International Sponsorship work?
Your monthly sponsorship gift is combined with the gifts of all the other sponsors in A New Song International Sponsorship program to improve the lives of every child at Happy Times and those sponsored in the surrounding community. Pairing you with a specific child gives you the opportunity to put a face and name to the ever pressing needs of the orphans and children living in poverty at Happy Times and its surrounding community.
What benefits will the child I sponsor receive?
When you sponsor a child through A New Song International, you provide tangible solutions to these children’s most pressing needs such as clean water, food, shelter, care, and an education, as well as educational materials such as books, uniforms, shoes, and school bags. Sponsorship through A New Song International restores hope in each sponsored child’s life as they come to understand that someone sees them and loves them enough to to provide for their needs.
Do sponsored children receive more support than unsponsored children at Happy Times?
No. Sponsorship funds are pooled together to benefit every child at Happy Times and those sponsored in the surrounding community.
How are the families of sponsored boarding students supported by A New Song International Sponsorship program?
Children who are sponsored boarding students at Happy Times Junior School receive the same level of care as the orphaned permanent residents of Happy Times children’s home. Boarding students return home to live with their mother and/or father or relatives three times a year when on “holiday” which is when school is out of session. Each holiday ranges between three to seven weeks. Happy Times purchases staple foods that are given to each family at the beginning of each holiday to provide for your sponsored child while at home.
How are the families of sponsored day students supported by A New Song International Sponsorship program?
Families of sponsored day students at Happy Times Junior School receive food provisions each month to ensure the sponsored child is able to maintain a healthy diet. This is in addition to the services the child receives at Happy Times.
Can I communicate with the child I sponsor?
Many of our children at Happy Times have prayed a long time for a sponsor. They see their sponsor as an answer to their prayers, and it is our hope that you form a relationship with your sponsored child. Letters and pictures may be sent through email by logging into your profile on our website at the following link: http://www.anewsongintl.org/sponsor-a-child/. Responses from the child your sponsor will be emailed to the email you provided to A New Song International. Please note that it may take a month or two to receive a response from the child you sponsor.
Will I receive updates about my sponsored child?
Yes. You will receive periodic updates about your sponsored child.
Can I send money directly to my sponsored child?
No. Sending money directly to a child does not fall in line with A New Song International’s principles or objectives. However, if you come to know of a specific need that your sponsored child has, and you would like to meet that need, we are certainly open to discussing how best this can be done. Feel free to contact us anytime with questions or concerns about your sponsored child’s needs.
How long will my sponsorship last?
Children are typically enrolled in A New Song International Sponsorship program until they complete their secondary education or have completed vocational school, which is typically around the age of eighteen. We would love for you to continue your sponsorship until your sponsored child has completed the program through secondary school, though some sponsors may continue to support their sponsored children through university if appropriate (whether or not this is appropriate will be assessed on an individual basis). We do realize, however, that circumstances may require you to end your sponsorship before your sponsored child finishes the program, and you are free to cancel your membership at any time.
On occasion, circumstances in a child’s life may disqualify him or her from receiving A New Song International Sponsorship services. He or she may be reunited with family. He or she may be domestically adopted. A family may move beyond the reach of our influence. Or an older child may choose to drop out of school despite our efforts to counsel him or her otherwise. If this happens, we will be sure to contact you right away and provide you the opportunity to sponsor a different child.
How do I cancel my sponsorship?
You can cancel your sponsorship at anytime. Simply contact laurie@anewsongintl.org.
What happens to my child if I cancel my sponsorship?
If you decide to cancel your sponsorship, we will try to find another sponsor for the child you supported.
How do I know my sponsorship funds are being used to impact my sponsored child?
A New Song International and Happy Times Childcare Initiative hold one another accountable through transparency and good records. We have put good financial and accounting practices in place to ensure to ensure every dollar is used for its intended purpose.
What percentage of my sponsorship fee goes directly to program activities that help my sponsored child?
A New Song International is committed to good financial stewardship. We believe we are financially accountable not only to our donors but to God. We are committed to making sure every dollar we are entrusted with is used well to make the greatest impact for our children in Uganda.
91.3% of all money that comes into A New Song International Sponsorship program goes directly to helping the children of Happy Times and the sponsored children in the surrounding community. 8.7% of each sponsorship donation goes toward program fees which include credit processing fees, software fees, a monthly wire transfer fee, and one Ugandan sponsorship staff member who administers the program abroad and mentors and disciples the children.*
*These figures are based on 100 child sponsorships. As our program grows, we hope to increase the percentage of funds put into program activities and decrease our program fees.
Be sure to contact us if you have any additional questions about A New Song International Sponsorship program.
“And He took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.’” – Mark 9:36-37