What is a Family?
When we welcome the children into our care at the Sisters of Mary schools the children join “Family” groups. Each Family has a unique name which is special to the children and gives them a sense of community. The Family group is usually a cohort of children in the same year group and at the same age.
They live together, make friends, attend classes together and play together. They take up hobbies and share their lives with one another, forming friendship bonds that last them a lifetime.
Each Family is cared for by a Sister who watches over their day-to-day practical and emotional needs. She is as a source of comfort, stability and guidance for children who often come from difficult and complex family backgrounds.
Why a “Family”?
Being part of a Family at the schools gives the children a community of peers, people to grow and learn with, as well as a dedicated Sister to nurture their development through guidance in and out of school.
The children form friendships within their Family that last throughout their schooling and beyond. As the schools are live in, many children can face homesickness away from their homes and families. Having a close-knit group around them gives them the support, community and sense of belonging they need to flourish at school.
Why Sponsor a Family of children?
Every day, 1 in every 6 children around the world starts another day in extreme poverty, without food, shelter, education and hope. At World Villages for Children we are providing care and education for these poorest children. They have the chance to escape poverty permanently and create a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
In school places at the Sisters of Mary schools worldwide, we give the poorest children an opportunity to thrive. Children who face neglect, malnutrition and abuse from some of the most deprived communities in Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Tanzania, and the Philippines are welcomed into our schools. They receive full time care, a quality accredited education, technical training, and balanced nutrition helping them into an independent adult life and a productive future.
Can you help us give more of these vulnerable boys and girls a brighter future by funding one of our school families?
Your regular gift can help us to cover the essential costs of raising a child in a family at our schools including food, education and healthcare. Will you ensure these children have a proper childhood and a brighter future?
How can I Sponsor a Family?
There are on average 40 children in each of our school Families. By signing up to Sponsor a Family you can provide lifesaving care and education for members of a family group on a monthly basis or with a single gift.
You can specify the country in which you would like to Sponsor a Family, or allow us to allocate your donation wherever the need is greatest. Your donation will provide vital support for the costs of keeping each child fed, healthy and educated and help us welcome new children into our care.
- £9 – Helps provide all the clothing, care, health and hygiene essentials for a child for a month
- £21 – Helps provide all the reference books, textbooks, notebooks and pens for a child’s education for one month
- £26 -Helps provide all the food needed by one child for a month
It costs £3,380 to cover all the everyday needs for a whole family for one month, that’s £84 per child.*
However you choose to help, by joining the Sponsor a Family programme, you can make a lasting difference for the poorest children in the world.
*These costs are based on the average across all of our schools
Your donations provide
- Education for students that leads to careers or college
- Physical, emotional and social care
- Protection from abuse, neglect and exploitation
- A safe place to live and learn
- Three nutritious meals a day
- Clothing, health and hygiene supplies
- Clean water
- Medical care including dental care
- Vocational training tailored to local industries
- Opportunities to participate in sports, music and art
- Help to break the cycle of poverty
- Hope
Keeping you updated
As a Family sponsor, you will receive special reports on the progress of the children including:
- A thank you and welcome pack
- Yearly updates from the Families on their development and events, and news on the graduating Students.
- Personal messages from the Family and opportunities to communicate directly with them.
- Opportunity to visit the schools and meet the Families you support.
In the event that we receive a surplus of funding for one country’s needs, we will allocate the additional funds to the schools and children most in need.
Donation Impact Calculator
Your donations help us to provide education for the world’s poorest children. They help us to fund school places and the everyday care needed for boys and girls who are without hope. See the difference your monthly or single gift can make to the lives of the children in our care: