Overview
“I and the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in paradise like this” (Putting his index and middle fingers together)
THE PROPHET (PEACE AND BLESSINGS BE UPON HIM)
Around the world, millions of children are suffering the consequences of disease, poverty, and conflict. Losing one or both parents has a devastating effect, causing a spiral of poverty, abuse, and insecurity.
But the children we meet continue to show incredible strength (and brilliant smiles) in the face of adversity. We’re inspired every day to build a better future for them, and we invite you to become part of this.
Our aims
We want to improve the lives and prospects for children in vulnerable communities. You can help us to:
- Fight for every orphan’s right to family care
- Give poor children access to a good education
- Build and refurbish schools
- Empower children to become more self-sufficient so they can thrive, flourish, and help to build stronger communities.
Stats
- There are approximately 153 million orphaned children in the world.
- … and 168 million child labourers (almost 11% of all children).
- 263 million children and youth are out of school.
- 69 million children worldwide suffer from malnutrition.
- 250 million children live in countries affected by conflict.
Previous Work
Our Family and Orphan Sponsorship programmes continue to grow. We provide funding directly to families or guardians, covering the costs of essentials such as healthcare, utilities, food and education.
On deployment trips to countries including Lebanon, Bangladesh, Uganda and Pakistan, our volunteers meet families and orphans and provide them with immediate, and long-term, support.
Case Study
Emergency Aid – Lebanon, 2023.
Two-year-old Jawad was born with a kidney cyst. If left untreated, it would threaten his life, so his parents had been desperately searching for help. When our team met Jawad, they were horrified by his family’s living conditions. The family was staying in a Lebanese refugee camp with none of the basics like healthcare, electricity, or clean water. Our deployment team launched a campaign and our supporters responded, raising more than double the price of Jawad’s surgery and care. Jawad’s recovered from his operation and is already bouncing around. We provided his dad with a tuktuk to earn a living, and we continue to check up on the family regularly, and support them to thrive.
Sponsoring a child gives them security, improves their health, and builds their prospects. Sponsoring an orphan costs £55 per month – this will go towards the cost of their living expenses (such as food), healthcare costs, and transport or supplies for education. Sponsorship funding is given to a trusted guardian and our local teams stay in touch to ensure that they get the support they need.
It’s far more than paying a few bills – a sponsorship is the gift of security. For a family whose carers struggle to afford nutrition or healthcare costs, funding removes the daily stress and worry. A sponsorship varies by family but sponsoring a family for £160 a month typically covers educational costs, shelter, food, and healthcare. Our team gives them the money to manage and stays in touch to be sure that they are supported.
This initiative has been so well-received that we’ve expanded it to more countries. Children need food, safety, and education – but we know that they need mental nourishment, too. So, we developed Happiness Kits for only £20. Each one is packed with activities, pencils, and craft supplies to encourage children to develop their creativity and cognitive skills – enhancing mental health and wellbeing.
On our deployment trips, we often arrange an Orphan Fun Day – an excuse to treat the orphans in the local community. This is a fun, vibrant day of activities, music, face painting, inflatables, clowns, balloons and gifts. It’s run by our local teams as well as volunteers and attended by up to 50 orphans each day.
