One of the core foundations of our ministry will be with our donors through sponsorship. Our sponsorship program looks a little different than the traditional one. Instead of a donor being assigned one particular child, the monthly (or annual lump sum) sponsorship donation will benefit all the families in our sponsorship program as a whole. We'd love to share with you some reasons why.
1. Empowerment will always be our goal.
Because our hope will always be to empower the family to self-sufficiency, families will be graduating out of the sponsorship program fairly often. Each family will have an individualized plan of empowerment to best suit their giftings, skills, and dreams. This means that the timing of program completion will vary with each family. A gift of sponsorship is an investment in all the families in the program--and ultimately the village, and, we pray, even the whole country of Uganda. It doesn't just help a child; it helps a mother be able to help her own children!
2. Ethical storytelling is our heart.
Yes, these are families with needs, but first and foremost, they are our children of God who are our neighbors and friends. Can you imagine the hardest moments of your life being broadcast to others? Can you imagine being a mom who desperately loves her children and is trying so hard for them, only to have them grow up and read about their hardships on the internet? These families don't need our pity, they just need us to reach out as sisters & brothers in Christ and give them a little boost--a loving hand-up. For these reasons, some of the more personal details will remain private, while some situations, prayer requests, and impact will be shared exclusively with our sponsorship partners.
3. Every family will receive holistic care.
Each of the families in our program is made up differently. Somes families are large, and some of the sponsorships will be for a teen who has been completely on his own for several years. Some families have large gardens and are not as food insecure as others. Some moms will already possess a skill that they can market, but they only lack capital. Others have had no training and have a desire to learn a skill at a vocational school. Some will have medical needs that need to be taken care of prior to returning to school. With all the variables in holistically caring for each family, the monetary needs will vary. Monthly donors will see the families and vulnerable children who they have helped empower in the newsletter as we highlight different people whom have been impacted by sponsorship.
We understand that this is a different way of thinking. We hope that you see how it is good for the families we serve in Naminya. Those of you who partner with us in sponsorship will still have a personal connection to the families you are helping empower by the newsletter which will include family highlights, staff reports, specific prayer requests, and stories of impact that your sponsorships have made possible!
If you'd like to join us by empowering a family, please check out our sponsorship page!