Schooling sponsored

Press, 17 July 1979, Page 19

Schooling sponsored

■ Growing numbers of children in Third World countries are needing the financial help with education provided through Save the Children Fund sponsorships. New Zealand sponsors nearly 3500 children in 30 areas, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Swaziland, Kenya, Korea, the West Indies and the Middle East.

In many of these countries educational opportunities are poor and thousands of children do not reach beyond primary school levels. Only half of the children in Africa ever go t.o school and only 7 per cent receive any form of secon-

dary education. In Latin America and Asia the situation is only marginally better.

Sponsorship is an individual long term form of aid whose aim is to give individual children a better chance in life. It is selffinancing and does not draw on other general funds.

A sponsor is asked to provide $lOO a year for at least three years, or until the sponsored child leaves school. This grant may be used for school fees .or books, for bus fares or school uniforms. It will also help to counteract the loss of a child’s working capacity within the family. Fifteen per cent of the

money is deducted for administration costs. Personal links are established between sponsor and child, and the sponsor has the satisfaction of knowing that the child is being provided with an education which will enable him or her to contribute knowledge and skills to the community.

SCF hopes the sponsor will maintain the subscription until the child reaches the school-leaving age applicable in that country. In a few cases, where further education or training is available, the sponsor may be asked to prolong the sponsorship. Variations in the sponsorship scheme occur

where a school or group sponsors one child, or where a larger subscription ($150) is paid to help a family improve its living standards. Very occasionally sponsorship may be used to help a tiny school purchase books or equipment.

When people apply to become sponsors they are asked to list the countries they prefer. They are then sent photographs, and case histories of the children, with in some cases, background notes.

At present sponsorships are needed for children in India, and in many countries in Africa, including Lesotho, Kenya, and Swaziland.