Our Sponsor Sites
Sponsorship FAQ's
You may choose a child from our website or you may wish to contact our office via e-mail, phone or mail. Or, you may mail your request to Chalice.
Children usually stay in a program until they have completed school. Sometimes, however, circumstances arise that a child may leave the program beforehand. When this happens you will be notified and, if you wish, a new child will be offered to you.
The sponsorship cost is $33 per month for a total of $396 annually. You may make your contributions via cheque, post dated cheques or preauthorized payments from your bank account or credit card.* automatic withdrawal is only available from Canadian bank accounts – sponsor now -
The care a sponsored child or aged receives depends upon the circumstances and the nature of the sponsor sites.
Some projects care for homeless children or children not able to remain at home. In these cases your sponsorship will provide a home, a chance to go to school, nourishment, clothing and medical care, including visits to doctors or dentists.
For the children under the care of parents or a guardian, help is given to the child and family. This may include education, nutrition, clothing and/or medical care.
Elderly are provided with shelter, nutrition and clothing; and for those with illnesses, medication and treatment.
Many of our sponsor sites are not equipped with regular internet access.
If you wish to e-mail a letter to your child, please direct it to your Sponsor Representative, who will forward it on for you.
If you wish to mail cards, letters, photos, postcards, etc., please put your Child ID and/or Sponsor ID number clearly on your correspondence and mail to the Chalice office in Springhill. Please note that we are not able to forward anything larger than a regular card-size envelope.
There are many laws in our country and that of your sponsored child that govern all international procedures. Many agencies are involved that have their own guidelines. Finally, the child's legal guardians must be considered.
For these reasons, Chalice does not encourage sponsors to attempt to formally adopt their sponsored child. It is our desire that the children we help become happy, productive citizens of their own country. Our goal is that the children use their talents and training to help themselves, their families and their communities.
Each year you will receive a letter from your child, a status report and updated photo, a Christmas card and a sponsor site update. If your sponsored friend is unable to write, a relative or field worker may write your letter.
You may send a monetary gift to your sponsored friend for special occasions. To avoid jealousy we recommend a maximum amount of $25 Cdn., which will be used specifically for the child or aged.
Due to the fact that all Christmas contributions are pooled and distributed equally to all sponsored friends in all sites, there is no limit on Christmas donations. Please do not send your contributions in foreign currency.
You are welcome to visit your child. Please contact your Sponsor Representative to make the arrangements. Together with the sponsor site, they will provide you with any information you need for a very rewarding experience. Please remember that your child may live in conditions that you may find difficult. Some useful information concerning what to wear, eat, drink, etc., is very helpful before visiting.
| Mikinduri |
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| Mikinduri |
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The Mikinduri sponsor site is located in Eastern Kenya in the Mikunduri-Tigania District. It was established in 2008 in partnership with the Mikinduri Hope Community Development Organization. The site is under the direction of Miss Dorcynthia Muthoni, with approximately 200 children sponsored. Due to the HIV/Aids pandemic and other deadly diseases, many of the parents of these children are deceased, leaving the very old to care for the very young. Crop farming was the mainstay of the economy but has declined due to low soil fertility, erratic rainfall, environmental degradations and weak support systems. With the decrease in farming the funds available for families has decreased dramatically. Most Kenyan families regard the ownership of even the smallest plot of land as being vital to their security. The rising population and the vast decrease in farm productivity has led to lack of income for the average citizen living in rural areas. When family incomes are dismally low, education, health and nutrition standards plummet. Children are required to earn income, so education becomes a luxury few can rationalize. The culture of this area also contributes to the anguish of the children; when parents separate, the children belong to the father so the mother must leave them behind when she goes. Lack of educationleads to poor health, poor housing and malnutrition of the very young. On the occasions when children were attending school, they were unable to capture and retain the information they were learning, as they were attending classes on such an irregular basis. Children could miss school due to lack of funds for school fees, uniforms, and supplies or due to hunger. Fr. Bernard and his staff work diligently to bring forth change in the lives of the children of Mikinduri and their families. In the community they now have two nutrition centers where children are able to receive a cooked meal, to help them regain their strength and stamina. Through the sponsorship program the children are able to remain in school until they have completed the secondary level. Students are provided with school uniforms and nutritional lunches. Children that are not yet old enough to attend school receive their immunizations. All children are given quarterly medical checkups. During this exercise children are tested for the deadly diseases of malaria, HIV/Aids, typhoid and cholera and given medications when required. Vision and hearing tests are also preformed through the program. Monthly meetings are held to determine the requirements and plans of action for the site. Parents are given training on health, hygiene and early childhood stimulation recognizing the individual's physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions. Since Chalice and the Mikinduri Hope Community Development Organization began the sponsorship program, the people of Mikunduri feel that God has showered them with His blessings. Education lifts the limitations brought on by ignorance and poverty. Lives are being changed as the people are taught to be self-reliant and productive, and hope shines through the eyes of every child who is now receiving food for the body, mind and spirit. |
