Help a needy Indian orphan! Become a foster-parent.

How did Sahaya and READ's orphan sponsorship program start?

Click here to read the story from Sahaya's founder, Koen Van Rompay.

How does the foster-parent/sponsorship program work?

There are 2 main programs:

a). Standard orphan sponsorship program:

For only $30 or € 26per month....which is only $1 per day, you can make a big difference in the life of an orphan.This amount covers tuition (up to 10th standard), school uniform, school supplies, and food for the child.

Due to additional tuition expenses, a child in 11th standard costs approx. $40 per month, and a child 12th standard is $50 per month. If you are sponsoring a child of that age and your financial situation allows this extra $10 or $20 per month, then you can consider making an extra donation that we will also forward to the child to help cover their education.

If your financial situation doesn’t allow you to sponsor by yourself, then talk to your friends, relatives or colleagues. Perhaps together you can raise $1 per day!

You can expect to receive an update (letter) every 6 months.

b). Higher education scholarships ("the Vasanthi funds"):

To understand the school system in India better, click here.

Many of the children in our programs do their very best, and after 12th standard, they hope to pursue higher education. A number of children are currenly already in college, in a variety of programs (engineering, nursing, computer science, etc.).. Depending on their marks in 12th standard and their finances, they can get admission to :

• Technical schools for a 2 or 3-year diploma course. The additional expenses of this are usually ~$500 per year. As there are are many technical schools, many of the children can still go home each evening.
• University for a 3- to 4-year graduation course. The additional expenses are on average $2000 per year. Because these universities are in the distant cities, the children generally have to stay in a hostel.

A number of children are in need for higher education scholarships, and we are happy to communicate with you to discuss their individual needs. Click here to see some of their pictures.

Please note: even if you started your sponsorship of a a child at a young age, you are under no obligation to also support the higher education once the child reaches that age, as we understand that not everyone has the financial means to do so. In such situation, we try to find a 2nd sponsor for the child who can provide such higher education scholarship.

This fund is named after Vasanthi, a young lady who thanks to our support was able to become a registered nurse (click here).

c). General donation to benefit orphans:

If you prefer to make a one-time donation, or you prefer that your donation is used for many children (instead of one specific child), then we always welcome your donation.

Who are these children?

These children are part of the programs of READ (Rural Education and Action Development), an organization in Tamil Nadu, India, that provides many programs for underprivileged children.

If you want to understand better how many of these children currently live, please take a few minutes to look at:

• a background section on the environment of these children.
• click here to read letters that were recently written by some of these children.
• the very touching audiovisual presentation by Francine Orr (click here to see the slide-show)
• the article (click here to see the article) by Francine Orr, staff photographer of the Los Angeles Times, who visited our programs in July 2006. Most of these photographs were taken in our villages and feature children, some of whom are still looking for sponsorship.

Which children are still available?

We currently have many profiles of children who are in need of your support. Please contact us (e-mail Koen at kkvanrompay@ucdavis.edu), and we can e-mail you a list of available children. Alternatively, if you prefer, we can select a needy child for you. We will e-mail you also the identification number of your child, which will also help you if you like to write your child.

How is the money paid to them?

Each month, the children come to a meeting at READ and receive $20 directly. The rest of the money is set aside and used to pay for their tuition fees at the beginning and middle of the year, to give them supplies at the start of the school year (backpack, notebooks, pens, etc), for individual medical expenses etc.. Approx. $1 per child per month is used to pay the salary of the staff who maintains this program by visiting the children, translating letters and so on. Any money that is left at the end of the year is given to the child, which can be used for any other needs (extra tuition etc).

How do I pay?

a). Standard orphan sponsorship program:

• If you are living in Europe, you can pay of €26 per month, or to reduce our bookkeeping, several months up to one year (€312). Please go to our donation page to learn more on the different ways to pay.
• If you like to donate any extra money for them (e.g., for extra school expenses), you can also send it via the same way.
• If you are in the USA, you can send “Sahaya International” a monthly check of $30 , or to reduce our bookkeeping, a check that covers several months up to one year ($360). You can also set up automatic payment with your online banking. Go to our donation page for further information.

b). Higher education scholarships:

• Depending on the annual expenses of your child (technical school versus university), you can also pay a monthly amount or, to reduce the bookkeeping, a check that covers several months up to one year. You can also set up automatic payment with your online banking. Go to our donation page for further information.
• In you are living in the USA, click here.

c). General donation.

• Please go to our donation page to learn about the different ways you can help.

Can I write or send small gifts to my child?

• Yes, definitely! If you like to write your child or send a small gift, then please send it to the office of our collaborating organization READ (see below), and they will forward it to your child. Please add the name of the child and the identification number (since we have many children with the same names; if you don't know the identification number of your child, contact Koen at kkvanrompay@ucdavis.edu).
• Don’t send large gifts that require much postage, as that postage could be spent better on the child, and may also make other children jealous; it is then better to make an extra donation and we will make sure the money is used for something the child likes to have or really needs (such as extra tuition, or books, or a bicycle, ...). Children enjoy even simple things, such as receiving pictures, or stickers they can put on their notebooks! Our experience is that pictures of you and your family are usually framed and displayed at an important location in the hut, because of your importance in the life of the child.
• You can even visit your child if you travel to India! There is a guesthouse where you can stay.

D. Selvam – Rural Education and Action Development (READ)
1926 Sakthi Vinayagar Street
Vilandai, Andimadam 621-801
Ariyalur District
Tamil Nadu
INDIA

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Don't hesitate......

you too can make an enormous difference in the life of one of these children!

Currently nearly 200 children have found a foster-parent through Sahaya and READ, including our Hope Walks Davis events. Thank you for making such a big difference in their lives.

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