How much does it cost?
We ask for a minimum donation of £15 a month, which
is
approximately 50 pence a day although we would, of
course, be very happy to receive a monthly donation in
excess of this amount.
How are my donations spent?
We believe that education is the main route out of the
cycle of poverty. We therefore support chlidren by
preparing them to enter mainstream school and supporting them to remain
there so they can reach their full potential. For this
reason, the money you donate to Mango Tree Goa does not
go directly to the child you sponsor. It is pooled with
the contributions of other donors. In this way your
donations are spent in such a way as to make the most
difference to a greater number of children and will help
to ensure that projects continue for all the children
they support.
What do I receive when I sponsor a child?
Within a month of making your first donation you will
receive a profile and a photo of the child you are going
to sponsor. In order that you can follow your sponsored
child's development we will send you an update every
four months. You will also receive a copy of our
electronic newsletter from which you can easily follow
what has been happening at the Mango Tree House project.
Can I correspond with my sponsored child?
We don't wish children to be under pressure to
correspond or to be let down if a sponsor does not keep
up correspondence for whatever reason. We have therefore
decided to keep our sponsorship programme very simple.
We hope that sponsors will be happy to know that through
their sponsorship they are making a real difference to
children's lives and that they will enjoy watching their
sponsored child develop over the years. If you are
visiting Goa and would like to visit your sponsored
child then this can be arranged. Read more below in the
section "Can I visit my sponsored child?".
Who are the children in the sponsorship programme?
All the children in the Child Sponsorship Programme
are supported by Mango Tree House. The majority are from families from outside Goa
who live in local slums or other poor quality
accommodation.
Their parents come to Goa hoping to improve their lives
from the wealth that tourism brings but unfortunately
their dreams are seldom realised and child poverty and
illiteracy are widespread amongst these migrant
communities.
How does Mango Tree select which children will be
sponsored?
All the children enrolled at Mango Tree House are
from disadvantaged backgrounds, so we aim to look for as many sponsors as possible.
The Mango Tree staff, who work with the children on a
daily basis, will enrol children into the sponsorship
programme. All parents have consented to their children taking part
in the sponsorship scheme.
Can I choose the child I sponsor?
You can choose whether you would like to sponsor a
girl or a boy. We support children of a wide range of
ages. However, if you would like to sponsor a child of a
particular age do let us know and we will see if it can
be arranged.
Is it possible that more than one person is
sponsoring the same child?
Absolutely not.
Why don’t you show photos of the children in the
programme on your website?
In the interests of child safety we do not
provide any information about individual children on our
website. Of course we will provide details and photos on
sponsorship but we do not give sponsors permission to
subsequently publish photos of children and their names
on the internet via social media etc.
How does my sponsored child benefit from
sponsorship?
Your sponsored child will benefit from the continuing
programme of education, health and nutrition provided by
Mango Tree. Children under six are able to attend a
pre-primary school based at the Mango Tree House and
then assisted to enrol in mainstream school. Once the
children are in mainstream school they are invited to
enrol in an after-schoool tuition programme, also based
at Mango Tree House.
What does sponsorship mean to Mango Tree Goa?
Receiving regular amounts means that we can plan
ahead and continue our work to improve the lives of disadvantaged children
in Goa.
How long do I have to sponsor?
We hope that you will enjoy following the progress of
your sponsored child over a number of years but you can,
of course, stop at any time. We ask donors to set up
their own standing orders so that they can amend or stop
them as and when they wish.
Aside from completion of education are there any
circumstances in which the sponsorship will come to an
end?
Regrettably on occasion children do leave our projects
– usually because their families relocate but very
occasionally because they do not wish to continue to
attend school. In addition the situation may arise where a
child does not wish to continue to be sponsored. If for
any reason your sponsored child leaves the project we
will inform you and ask whether you wish
to sponsor another child.
Can I give a gift to my sponsored child?
We believe it is essential that all children are
treated equally. As not all children are sponsored it
would cause some difficulty if some children receive
gifts and others do not or some receive more expensive
gifts and others do not get anything. We therefore do
not accept gifts for children. However if you would like
to help celebrate a birthday or other occation you could
consider providing a treat for your sponsored child's
class at Mango Tree House e.g. a birthday cake,
biscuits, small treat for everyone or a contribution
towards an outing for them.
No one should feel it is necessary to donate anything
in additon to their regular contributions. All the
children in the Mango Tree House programme receive a
gift from Mango Tree House for their birthday and other
celebrations such as Eid, Diwali or Christmas.
Can I visit my sponsored child?
Some sponsors may never get the opportunity to visit
Goa but we encourage those that do to visit Mango Tree
House and meet their sponsored child should they wish to
do so. It can be a very rewarding experience for
both sponsors and children however our first priority is
to ensure that the children remain safe at all times.
Whilest the vast majority of individuals have good
intentions we must safeguard against those who do not.
We therefore only permit organised visits under the
supervision and control of Mango Tree House staff and
require a minimum of fourteen days' notice. It is quite
common for families to return to their native village
for a few weeks during school holiday/festival times, so
please bear this in mind when arranging your visit.
In keeping with our commitment to child safety all
meeting will take place during normal working hours on
Mango Tree premises. They will be supervised throughout
by Mango Tree staff. Visiting sponsors should be willing
to undergo a background check. Please note that the
invitation to visit is only available to the named
sponsor and not to any friends or family who may be
visiting in the area. The protection of children is
paramount and consequently we take any breach of our
policies very seriously. In the unfortunate event that
such a breach occurs we will end the sponsorship
immediately.
I have more questions. What should I do?
If you would like any further information about our
Sponsorship Scheme please contact us at
info@mangotreegoa.org
I would like to sponsor – what do I need to do?
We would be delighted if you would like to sponsor a
child. Please let us know by email to
info@mangotreegoa.org and also let us know if you
have a preference to support a girl or a boy. We will send
you a copy of our Child Safety Policy in relation to the
Sponsorship Scheme which we will ask you to read
and agree. After that we will ask you to set up your
donation and within a month we will provide you with details of
your sponsored child. |