South Africa Q & A Faq
Q. How does the sponsorship program affect the life of a needy child and their family?
A. Your sponsorship commitment provides a Christian relationship outside their immediate environment. You can provide a prayer covering and be their encouragement while the child lives in uncertainty and instability. As these relationships grow and deepen, we have seen children, youth, and entire families change for the better. With the increased mortality rate due to aids, more and more of the children we care for will be orphaned. With your consistent love a child is able to experience a sense of belonging to a family through sponsorship that otherwise they may never know.
Q. Who decides what child goes on sponsorship?
A. Our site pastors (staff members or volunteer workers from our partnering churches) decide which children should be sponsored. They are the ones who personally make the weekly home visits the children and their families. Our responsibility to the sponsor is to have the child under Biblical teaching, only those children who faithfully come to Sunday School are put on sponsorship.
Q. How long does the sponsorship relationship last?
A. The age of sponsored children ranges from 4 years old to 13, but sometimes the child will continue to attend Sunday School until the age of 15, as many of them become Sunday School volunteers.
Q. Can I write and send gifts to my child?
A. You are more than welcome to write to your child. We encourage you to be in contact with your child as much as your time and resources allow. We find this to be a powerful tool of acceptance into the family that helps open doors that would otherwise be closed to us. You can send them your picture and tell them about yourself. This will help them better understand that someone loves them and is praying for them.
DO NOT SEND GIFTS As we cannot guarantee packages arriving –they can easily get lost in transit, or become held up at customs. Please know you can send an extra amount, designated towards a specific list of items you would like for your sponsored child to receive. Or you can let the Metro staff person make the decision, as they are the ones who know the immediate needs of your child. In return, you will receive a picture of your child with the items purchased. We feel this would be the most efficient way for your child to receive a gift.
Q. Can I write directly to my child?
A. Our policy is to protect you and your sponsor child. Therefore all communication is handled with the site pastor as the liaison. In order to maintain this order of protection, we ask you do not give them your personal email, phone number or address. Please do not send any correspondence directly to South Africa.
Q. Does everything I send my child go directly to them?
A. Yes. The site pastor has specific instructions to hand deliver to the sponsored child what was sent to him/her. There may be rare exceptions when a parent is entrusted to pass along the correspondence to the child.
Q. Why do my child’s letters seem short, poorly written and sometimes are not in the handwriting of my child?
A. Most of these children are unable to attend school consistently due to the circumstance in their lives. In many cases, the site pastor will assist & write the thank you letters for the child until the child learns how to write. The note is then translated into English by our office.
Q. How long will my wait be to receive a response from correspondence that I’ve sent?
A. Please expect several weeks before receiving a response from the child. All the correspondence goes first to Metro New York and is then sent to the office in South Africa at the end of each month. Once it is received in South Africa, it is logged and then processed for the site pastor to deliver to the child. At the end of the 2nd month all correspondence is then sent from South Africa to New York. If you have any questions about certain correspondence, feel free to contact the International Won-by-One office in New York.
Q. How much is the monthly commitment and should I send it at a specific time?
A. Your monthly commitment is $23.00. There is no set time of the month to send it. In fact, some sponsors like to pay in half-year or entire-year increments. There are others who use their charge cards on a one-time basis or monthly. Every time you make a donation you’ll receive a receipt for that specific amount.
Q. How is my support invested?
A. Your support is invested in three major ways: 1. Visitation 2. Sunday School 3. School Tuition.
1. Weekly visitation helps the Metro Africa team to keep current with the children and their situation. Often needs arise, and we help when we can, or bring in another agency that is more suited to deal with the problem.
2. Sidewalk Sunday School brings the child under the sound of the Gospel.
3. School tuition fees are paid for the child for the entire year.
Q. Can I send extra financial donations?
A. Yes, extra donations would be most welcome as it helps to fund the entire work, therefore furthering the spread of the Gospel in Africa.
Q. What happens when a sponsor misses their monthly support commitment?
A. We understand that sometimes circumstances arise that may make it difficult to keep a monthly commitment. Please realize that your involvement with sponsorship means a very vital commitment to the children. If you miss a commitment, you will not be billed. After several months however, we will send you a letter so that we can have a clear understanding of your situation.
Q. What happens when a sponsored child stops attending Sunday School?
A. This does occur. The living conditions are poor and unstable and many families move from place to place in search of a better life. We will notify you and give you the opportunity to sponsor another child. The need is always great and never-ending.
Q. What are some other ways I can help support my child?
A. Many of these children do not know what it is to have a special personal gift, adequate school supplies, or nutritious complete meals. You can help us to provide these things to them by sending extra for your child. It’s the little things many take for granted here in the West that can make a huge difference in their life.
Note: In South Africa, school begins in January and ends the end of November. There summer break is December.
Q. What is the best way to contact the International Won-by-One program?
A. Email: africakids@metroministries.org
Phone: 718.453.3352
Fax: 718.453.7177
To send letters, pictures, cards to your child or the ministry:
Metro Ministries Africa
PO Box 409
Brooklyn, NY 11237