Making Your Support Reach Further
Sponsoring a school gives you the chance to be part of something big in more ways than one. It gives you the chance to see how your support and our work are changing your school, and the lives of its children, for the better. It also gives you the chance to be part of a wider change for good. That’s because Link’s approach acknowledges that no school operates in isolation. To make lasting improvements in the quality of education in individual schools, change must involve the headteachers, teachers, parents, local community, district education offices and ultimately the national policy makers that surround and support each school.
So, by becoming a sponsor, you won’t just be investing in the development of your school alone. You will also be investing in Link’s work with the local communities and district education authorities that monitor and support schools. This work strengthening and supporting district authorities enables us to influence the quality of education provided by every school in a district.
This means that each year your contribution is not just helping one child, or even just one school, but instead is improving the chances of all the children and schools in all the districts that we work in. Sponsoring a school gives you a chance to be part of changing hundreds of young lives for the better each year – and that is something really big.
- What is School Sponsorship?
- How much does it cost?
- How is my money used?
- How does Link help my school?
- How does my sponsorship impact the local community and district?
- What do I get as a sponsor?
- Would I be the only one sponsoring my school?
- Can I sponsor a child?
- What kind of school can I sponsor?
- Who can sponsor a school?
- Can I write to my school?
- Can I visit my school?
- Can I send my school extra money or a gift?
- How do I sign-up?
What is School Sponsorship?
School sponsorship is a great way of supporting the long-term development of a school in rural Africa. In return for your support, we will keep you updated on our work and the progress of your sponsored school.
By making a regular monthly donation, you provide a steady and predictable flow of resources that allows us to plan our work effectively in support of your sponsored school and make the most of your gift. We use your donation to make schools a better place for children to learn and grow, through strengthening the skills of teachers, principals/headteachers, communities and district education officials. This method is effective and leads to lasting change, but it takes time. That is why the regular support provided by school sponsors makes a real difference.
How much does it cost?
Sponsoring a school costs £21, €25, or $32 per month. This regular stream of support is particularly valuable to us because it is predictable and long term. This means that we can plan the support to your school more effectively, and make your money go further.
How is my money used?
80% of your money goes directly to Africa and is spent within your school’s district, on work that benefits your school and its community. 20% is used in your country of residence to build support for education in Africa through establishing and supporting Links between schools in your country and schools in Africa, and to find other sponsors and raise more funds for our work in Africa.
How does Link help my school?
By sponsoring a school you will help Link to:
- Train teachers so that children learn more in the classroom
- Train and support principals/headteachers to be better managers, make best use of their resources and plan effectively.
- Provide district education authorities with the tools, training and support to assess the performance of each school and to guide their long term plans for improvement.
- Support districts to work directly with schools to tackle health challenges such as HIV/AIDS.
- Help communities to understand how their school should be performing, and support them to work to make the school better.Influence national policy by sharing experience and good practice at the district level with the national government and other African countries.
This is long term work - which is why your regular support as a school sponsor is so valuable.
How does my sponsorship impact the local community and district?
Yes, it does. Sponsoring a school gives you the chance to be part of a wider change for good. That’s because Link’s approach acknowledges that no school operates in isolation. To make lasting improvements in the quality of education in individual schools, change must involve the principals/headteachers, teachers, parents, local community, district education offices and ultimately the national policy makers that surround and support each school.
So, by becoming a sponsor, you won’t just be investing in the development of your school alone. You will also be investing in Link’s work with the local communities and district education authorities that monitor and support schools, which enables us to influence the quality of education provided by every school in a district.
What do I get as a sponsor?
As a sponsor you will receive a welcome pack with a profile of your school, as well as information on your school’s district and our work in that country. You will also receive regular communications from Link about your school throughout the year- at least twice per year. This will tell you about how your school is improving, the work Link is doing in your school’s district and country, as well across Africa.
Would I be the only one sponsoring my school?
We aim to allocate one sponsor per school, however it is possible that a sponsor from another country may also be supporting the same school as you. This helps us keep administration costs down so that more of your money reaches the places it is needed most.
Your school might also be linked with a school in the UK, Ireland or USA as part of our Link Schools Programme. This provides children and teachers at both schools with the opportunity to expand their horizons through the sharing of knowledge and professional skills across cultures.
Whatever the case, the school you sponsor will know who you are and what your support has enabled.
Can I sponsor a child?
Link works with schools and their districts rather than individual children. We believe that this approach ensures a more sustainable contribution to the progress of the individual children within each school and to the schools themselves, as well as the parents, community members, teachers, and administrators that support education throughout the district. Sponsoring a school rather than an individual also keeps administration costs down so that more of your money gets to where it is needed most.
What kind of school can I sponsor?
Link works with government run schools in rural districts of Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, South Africa and Uganda. Some are primary schools and others secondary, some are close to large settlements, and others more remote. Key statistics are provided next to each school listed on our website to give you an idea of what each school is like. With your help we aim to raise the standards of all to match that of the best schools in their districts so that they can make a real difference to the life chances of their pupils. View profiles of the schools here.
Who can sponsor a school?
If you can commit to giving from £21, €25, or $32 per month, and want to be part of positive change in Africa, you can be a sponsor. Individuals, companies, schools, community groups, and faith groups are all welcome to participate.
Can I write to my school?
Yes, of course. Should you wish to write to the principal/headteacher, teachers or pupils at your school, Link will make sure that your letter gets there. In most cases, your school will reply to you, but it is important to remember that the staff at your school are very busy with the day-to-day running of the school and working to make improvements, so replies will often take some time and aren’t guaranteed.
Can I visit my school?
While we encourage sponsors to engage with their schools, we do not currently have the formal capacity to support visits to sponsored schools. However, if you have a strong desire to visit your school we can put you in contact with the Link office in the local country to provide assistance. Depending on their work commitments, they will be able to provide some assistance. Please keep in mind that some of the schools we support are in extremely remote, and sometimes conflict-affected areas.
Can I send my school extra money or a gift?
Yes, but we would recommend doing so via one of our tailored School Development Projects, which include Solar Connect, Water Purification and Literacy. Cash donations and other unsolicited gifts, while well intentioned, can be expensive for us to administer and can complicate the relationship between school and supporter. Instead, we would be happy to provide you with information on our School Development Projects. This way, you will have the confidence that it is something that the school really needs, as well as that Link will monitor the project and ensure that the money is spent as intended. To find out more about our School Development Projects, please contact your local Link office directly. Contact us.
How do I sign up?
You can register online or call the Link office in your country.
To learn more about Link Community Development and our work across Africa, click here.
