Child Sponsorship

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Click here to sponsor a child in Kisii, Kenya.

Remember the Poor is staffed and run entirely by volunteers.

Submit a sponsorship form online–If possible, we encourage you to submit your sponsorship form online.  Optionally, you may also download, print and mail, e-mail or fax a sponsorship form.

Download a Child_Sponsorship_Form here.

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E-mail your sponsored child!

We’ve continued to experience difficulty with mail arriving in a timely manner or arriving at all!  You may e-mail your letter directly to Cara Murray, who will distribute them to the children.

  • Subject Line: To <your child’s name>
  • Please plan to e-mail your child no more than 3 to 6 times per year (up to twice per school term)
  • School terms are approximately Feb-April; June-August; October-November
  • Cara will add stickers & gum to your note, tuck it in an envelope and give it to your child.

Address to write to your child:

Remember the Poor
PO Box 1013
Lynden, WA 98264

You may wish to include any of the following items in your letters to your sponsored children:

  • Stick of gum
  • Photos of yourself, your family or scenery
  • Stickers
  • Balloons
  • Bookmarks
  • Inexpensive small chains/necklaces (with crosses) 

FAQ’s

What is the cost to sponsor a child?$42/month or $504/yr
 

How do I make a donation?

Please visit our donation page to read about donation options and to view the mailing address.

How is the money used?

The child sponsorship money received by Remember the Poor goes to Kisii to care for the needs of the orphans. Sponsorship includes room and board in Cyrus and Eucabeth’s, a school uniform and shoes, medical care and education.

How am I matched with a child?

To sponsor a child, simply let us know, and you’ll be matched with the first child waiting, or if you have a specific request regarding age or gender, please note that on the sponsorship request form. You will then receive an e-mail confirmation of the child with whom you have been matched as well as a bookmark with the child’s photo, birth-date (if available) and details about their life.

Who is an orphan?

UNICEF and global partners define an orphan as a child who has lost one or both parents. By this definition there were over 132 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean in 2005.  Although the loss of one parent in western countries may not be financially devastating, it can be, and usually is, financially devastating in developing and two-thirds world countries like Kenya.

Can the cycle of poverty & death that creates orphans be ended?

YES! These children in Kisii are living in a Christian home. They are taught what the Bible teaches-about celibacy before marriage, monogamy within marriage, and Christian responsibility in caring for families. AIDS (and therefore children who are orphaned by AIDS) will be significantly reduced as celibacy and monogamy are practiced. As young men and women are trained to be productive workers who care for their families, children will not be abandoned or orphaned.

What type of communication is possible?

You are welcome to write your child as often as you would like! Your child will write back once or twice per year.

May I send packages or gifts to my sponsored child?

We have found that packages have, at best, a 50% chance of making it to their intended destination in Kenya.  Because poverty is high, theft is also high, and packages with nice things are often just stolen during the delivery process.

Additionally, the money spent on shipping packages to Kenya is so much, that the Kisii leadership has discouraged doing this.  With the money we would spend on shipping, they could buy a whole set of clothes and/or a pair of shoes for your child.

We recognize many sponsors’ desire to give a tangible gift, but with the distance between here and Kenya, we haven’t found a great way to do that yet.

And finally, we agree with the leadership in Kisii, that they are the ones best able to distribute (evenly and fairly) gifts to the children.  We do not wish children who don’t get gifts to feel sad or neglected.

How do I participate?

Click here to submit a child sponsorship form online.

How may I contact Ashley Brooks (US child sponsorship coordinator) or Remember the Poor?

Ashley Brooks: Ashley Brooks for child sponsorship questions

Jenell Te Velde : Jenell Te Velde for donation questions