Kageno Orphan Assistance & Sponsorship
Information:
After completing your sponsorship forms, you’ll receive a welcome kit with photos of your sponsored child and information about his or her family, community, and country. Kageno will send you quarterly progress reports and an updated photo of your child as well as an annual update from the project coordinator. You’ll also receive regular receipts for your tax-deductible gifts. We anticipate that there will be opportunities to visit with your sponsored child on-line and receive updates via a bulletin board through the Kageno website in the near future.
What your sponsorship does:
Your sponsorship will transform the life of a child and his or her community; it’s not about short-term handouts. Your sponsored child’s needs will be addressed through Kageno’s multifaceted community development initiatives such as: safe water and sanitation, agricultural development, access to education and medical care, and income generating opportunities for caregivers.
How children are selected for sponsorship:
Most sponsored children live with family members in the village. Children of poor families in the Kageno project community are selected to be included in the child sponsorship program by our teachers and field staff.
Kageno fully explains the concept of child sponsorship to the teachers in our Nursery School. These teachers then act as representatives for the community and provide a list of needy children, which is verified by our staff. The caregivers are then asked if they want to be part of the sponsorship program. They are informed that their children will not benefit exclusively, but that all the children and families in the community will share benefits.
Sponsorship duration and goals:
Your sponsorship may last several years, depending on the needs of your sponsored child. Ideally, your child will be sponsored through completion of secondary school. The goal of the Kageno sponsorship program is to help your sponsored child and his or her community break the cycle of inhumane poverty and have a future full of hope and opportunity. Through sponsorship, we address a child's needs, both immediate and long-term. We believe that the most effective way to create lasting change is to strengthen the entire community in which they live. Your gifts are combined with gifts from other sponsors to provide the assistance the community needs most — access to clean water and sanitation, improved nutrition, health care, education and vocational training. Ultimately, it is our goal to see these families and the communities reach a point where they no longer need outside assistance.
Personal interaction with your child:
We encourage you to get to know your sponsored child more personally by exchanging letters. When writing your letter, it's important to consider your sponsored child's environment and culture. For example, it’s best not to write about the things you own since your child has very few possessions. Feel free to share information about your family, friends, and interests. You can always include a colorful postcard or photo, which your sponsored child will treasure.
Please do not enclose your sponsorship gift or any cash with your correspondence. Kageno requests that monetary gifts not be sent directly to your sponsored child. There are several reasons for this. Our field staff are not equipped to handle funds sent to them directly from sponsors, or to issue receipts. The postal system in Kenya unreliable and there is no guarantee that monetary gifts will reach the Kageno community center. It is often difficult for other families in the community to understand why a child or the family received money from the sponsor. This can cause jealousy and divisiveness in the community. You may send a monetary gift to your sponsored child, via the Kageno Worldwide office in New York. If you want to do something more personal for Christmas, a birthday or on other special occasions, you can send a card with something small and flat tucked inside of it — such as a picture, bookmarker, stickers, or postcards — directly to Kageno Worldwide. In addition to the gifts of opportunity and hope, which you are already providing, your sponsored child will be delighted to receive these small gifts from you.
Visits to Kageno:
A visit to see your sponsored child can be a rewarding, life-changing opportunity. However, it is a trip that requires considerable planning and forethought to ensure that it is a gratifying and enriching experience for all involved. Although we encourage all sponsors and donors to visit the Kageno project and to meet their sponsored children, there are some guidelines that we would be happy to discuss with you should you choose to explore this possibility.