A community's sponsorship journey

At the heart of World Vision's community development work are our Area Development Programmes (ADPs). These are a comprehensive way to tackle poverty across extensive areas, usually including several communities. Skilled national staff work with local people to plan and implement a programme that will last for up to 15 years. World Vision gives priority to helping communities work together to find ways to improve their futures, and especially focuses on the needs of children.

Let's look at one community's sponsorship journey - Kati in Uganda.

Kati, Uganda

"World Vision is greatly loved in Kati. When you ask, why, you get a long list in reply: new school buildings, clinics, the training of community health workers and traditional birth attendants, and so on. These are important achievements, but for me, the truly transformational work has been to teach people to develop their skills and knowledge. Community-based organisations improve the families’ income and make sure that the neediest, such as orphans and vulnerable children, are cared for. They are now ready to continue beyond our presence in Kati."
Celia Donald, Program Officer, World Vision UK

Then and now

Prior to World Vision’s involvement, there were frequent food shortages due to the droughts. Few people had no access to safe water, and most didn’t know how to prevent malaria or HIV and AIDS. Thanks to the opportunities made possible by Child Sponsorship, the families in Kati ADP now enjoy a better, more fulfilling life. Over the past eight years, the communities worked very hard together with World Vision to bring about lasting change. The children are going to enjoy the fruits of this work for generations to come.

Food for children

Before Kati Area Development Program was created, only 6% of families could endure droughts without experiencing severe food shortages. Today, over 85% keep savings for such emergencies. In 2001, 87% of families lived on less than 50p a day. Today, this has decreased to less than a third of the population. The percentage of children under five years old who were identified as malnourished and stunted in growth has declined from 47% to 23% - halving the number of malnourised babies and toddlers. Community-based organisations have been formed to increase agricultural production.

Education

Before World Vision arrived in Kati, only 37% of children aged 6-11 attended school. Today, 87% of them are enrolled. Similarly, in 2000, a mere 9% of girls went on to study at a secondary level. Today, 90% of girls aged 12-17 are getting an education. Today, 210 child protection committees educate parents about the importance of education for boys and girls equally. The committees also guard children against domestic abuse or neglect.

Healthy children

The percentage of young children immunised has risen from 28% to 72% in the past eight years. Children’s clubs use song and drama to learn about HIV and AIDS, and pass on the message to their wider communities. As a result, communities and church congregations now volunteer to care for orphans and the most vulnerable children in their midst.

Water

The lack of safe drinking water was one of the most serious problems in Kati when World Vision arrived in the area. Since then, the percentage of families using clean water from protected wells has increased from 25.8% to 56%. And this figure is expected to further improve with the eight recently dug boreholes!

A Sponsored Child's Story

“If I hadn’t got sponsorship I would not have gone to school because my father wasn’t interested in educating his children and my family were poor,” Benti Ariaka explained. The 24-year-old reflects on how his life has turned full circle – once a pupil at Katiyi primary school in Kati, Ugana, he is back – as the teacher!

A Sponsored Child's Story

Benti teaches maths, English and science to 319 children, 105 of whom are sponsored children, just like he was a few years ago. Through the project, Benti was one of 2,491 children who received books and school uniforms which meant he could stay in school. World Vision continued to support Benti through secondary and teacher training college. When Benti started teaching, he requested a post at his old school. “I studied in classrooms that World Vision built and now I teach in the same classrooms,” he said with a smile.

A Sponsored Child's Story

Benti reflected on the impact of the sponsorship programme: “I collect water from one of eight boreholes World Vision constructed. And I get medical treatment from St Luke dispensary.” The dispensary was built by World Vision after the first structure – built of mud and straw – collapsed. The community is more self-sufficient in food production: families like Benti’s have reaped many harvests from the groundnut, maize and soya seeds first supplied to them by the project many years ago. Although he is the youngest in his family, Benti is the breadwinner, supporting his aged parents and relatives on his teaching salary. He is a source of pride to them and to his whole village and of course, he is an inspiration and role model to the children he works with!

Make a difference by sponsoring a child for 75p a day

By sponsoring a child you will help to bring about long-term benefits to the child, their family and their community.

Sponsor Arnold Current

My name is Arnold Current I am 5 and live in Zimbabwe. I like playing with toys.

We do not currently have a child on our website that meets your request. If you are keen to sponsor a child in a particular country or situation, this may well be possible as we have many more children in need of sponsorship - please call 0800 50 10 10 or click here to send us an e-mail with your contact details and we will come back to you shortly.

If you would like to sponsor more than three children please call World Vision now on:

0800 50 10 10

You can sponsor a child by phone:

0800 012 1202

World Vision UK is a Registered Charity no. 285908, regulated by the Charities Commission.

83.1% of donations goes to direct charitable activities. The rest goes toward raising more funds and governance.

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