School Sponsorship is a unique way for individuals, companies and schools to make a difference to schools in Africa, through regular donations.
Many children have hopes and dreams, some want to be teachers or nurses or engineers. But how many will actually get that chance?
You can help make their dreams come true if you become a school sponsor.
You can help make their dreams come true if you become a school sponsor.
What is School Sponsorship?
School sponsorship helps schools deliver a quality education in the kind of safe and nurturing environment where children can thrive. Learning well at school gives children a feeling of self worth; and for many this is the first step to building a way out of poverty. By sponsoring a school in a Link Community Development project you will be helping many children receive a better education each year. As the project develops so too will your school, and other schools in the area. Through our project updates you will be able to see for yourself the difference your contributions are making.
Why is it needed?
Education is a human right and in an ideal world all children would have the opportunity to succeed at school. Unfortunately, in many parts of Africa the reality is very different. Schools in rural areas face many challenges: chronic poverty, rural isolation, and the impact of HIV and AIDS. Children travel long distances to attend poorly equipped schools, with few books, huge class sizes and few trained teachers. Without education it is incredibly hard for any community to escape the cycle of poverty or to fight the scourge of HIV and AIDS.
What your support provides
As a school sponsor you give a regular monthly or annual gift. So that your money is used as effectively as possible Link Community Development use it to help fund a school improvement programme in the region where your school is located. Your donation enables LCD to arrange training and a wide range of support for your sponsored school as well as other schools in the area. This means that school leaders are equipped with the skills they need to drive their school’s development – and the continued support to ensure that this development benefits the school long into the future.
LCD helps schools to involve their community in school life, decision making and even in fundraising for the school. This means everyone has a say, and everyone can take pride in the school’s development. But the most important benefit is to the children – we all know that when parents get involved in the school the children do better.
As a school sponsor with Link Community Development you will receive a profile of your sponsored school and progress updates from the LCD programme in which your school is involved. We will also email you LCD’s supporter newsletter or send it by post if you would prefer.
How much does it cost?
Sponsoring a school in Africa is £21 per month, or £250 per year (that’s just 70p per day). The easiest way to make these regular donations is to set up a standing order, or you can pay directly by card over the phone or post us a cheque.
How long is sponsorship for?
We aim to fund long term school improvement programmes in Africa as we believe this is the only way to create the lasting improvement that is needed. So school sponsorships are annual donations designed to be for as long as you are able to support our work.
If our programme in the region where your school is located comes to close, we will write to ask if you would like to sponsor a different school in an area where we are currently working.
Can I send additional gifts to my sponsored school?
We ask that school sponsors do not send physical gifts to the school as they often incur customs charges that the school cannot afford. However we may from time to time inform you of our special projects that will involve your school. If you wish to make an additional donation we will gladly allocate the funds to that particular project.
What our sponsors say...
“Being a School Sponsor with LCD has given me a real insight into the struggles and achievements of an African Primary School. The relatively small amount I give each month goes SUCH a long way – I feel that I really make a difference.” J Hallett, School Sponsor
