Sponsor a Child

Sponsoring a child at Mercy and Caring Home in Kenya is a delightful experience that will change your life and the life of your sponsor child. The children highly value their sponsor. They talk about them and pray for them daily. We encourage you to pray for your sponsor child regularly.

We will send you clear instructions with helpful tips on how to write or email your sponsor child. You will receive a letter from the child at least 2 times a year. We hope you will also write twice a year but you may write more often if you like.

FAQ's

Q-Will I get an official tax receipt for my sponsorship?

A-Yes, Mercy and Caring Children’s Homes is a registered Canadian

Charity and issues income tax receipts annually in January.

Q-May I send a gift to the child?

A-You may send something small that fits in with your letter like stickers, a postcard, photos, newspaper clipping or bookmark.

Q-What about Christmas and

Birthdays?

A-We ask that the sponsor send an extra twenty dollars once a year to cover a Christmas gift and a Birthday gift. Many of the children do not know their actual Birthday, but some are choosing a day! We have been celebrating everybody’s birthday in one big party once a year usually in October.

Q-How do I pay?

A-You can use post-dated cheques or your credit card, and pay yearly, quarterly, or each month.

Q-How long will I be committed to this child?

A-Hopefully, you will develop a lifetime friendship, and maybe even visit the child someday.

Financially, M&CH hopes sponsors will continue as long as they are able to see the child through elementary school, and either secondary school or a trades training. Beyond this level there is college education. It is our hope and vision that each child reaches their full potential, and we have been exploring ways to make this possible.

Q-How do I know my money actually gets to the African child?

A-Your sponsorship funds all go into one big pot to support the children in the Children’s Home. Thirty Christian Kenyans staff the home and school for a small monthly salary. The children attend elem. School on site. A monthly report detailing how funds are spent is sent to the Canadian Charity. Cahills or other members of the Canadian Board visit yearly to work with the manager and staff. Frequent communication happens by email and phone calls.

Please fill out the information on the reverse of this sheet, and give it to Edwin or Nancy Cahill, or mail it to: MCCH 285 Glassford Rd., Gibsons, BC V0N 1V8

If you prefer to give your credit card # by phone please call Donna at 604-886-7736 THANK YOU!

How do I know the money gets to the children?

Many of our sponsors chose our relatively small organization (87 children) because Cahills and sometimes other board members spend from three to six months each year on site in Kenya and they trust us to see the money gets used for the children, not for our travel, not for administration, not for glossy brochures or other advertisement. Go to Accountability to read about our board in Canada and in Kenya, and the method Edwin Cahill has designed to ensure the money is tracked to be used as directed, for the care of the children.

Since the Dec. 2007 election in Kenya, the food costs have risen so that we now need to ask for $50 per month sponsorship instead of $35. However, a couple of donors paying $25 also works, so please don't bow out if $50 seems too much for your budget.

Our goal is to have 2 sponsors connected to one child to cover that child's costs. We need 35 more such sponsors as of Oct. 1, 2008. Each child lives in the 2 big homes on the ten acres with caring matron/patrons, in a family like environment. The child's food, housing, education, medical care and Christian nurturing come through a staff of 27 Kenyans who are grateful for a job in an economy where jobs are scarce.

What would be required of me if I sponsor?

a. Send in your monthly payment. You can use post-dated cheques, arrange with our treasurer to have your payment deducted monthly or say quarterly if you'd prefer from Visa, Mastercard or American Express. If you wish to use CanadaHelps.org, we are registered with them and you can make your payments easily over the internet that way, or with paypal. We do not have automatic bank withdrawal set up as we would be required to have an account in too many banks!

You can have some choice of the child's gender and age, or if you'd prefer, we can just choose a child for you.

b. Write to your child.We provide instructions on how to write to your sponsorchild telling what is best to say, and what to avoid saying and why. If you really don't like the responsibility of writing, just be a monthly donor without connecting to one particular child.

Each Christmas, we ask for an extra $10 which is used by the social worker to provide a Christmas party and gift for each child. This works better than each sponsor sending something because it is kept fair, and no one is left out. We follow the same guidelines for Birthdays. We ask sponsors to send in an extra $10 to cover birthdays. In October or November each year, when the Canadians are there, we have one big Birthday Bash, and each child receives an equal gift and a day of fun with Birthday cake and games. A slice of bread with butter and a little jam is considered party food! Many children born in the slum do not know when their birthdate is.

Are all the children orphans?
The children at Mercy and Caring Children's Homes are mostly rescued from the poverty of the Kipsongo slum. See a picture by reading our What's New page or Beginnings.

Many of the children have lost one or both parents to AIDS, but some have become orphans because of road accidents, malaria or other treatable diseases. Parents' poverty often prevents medical access, and people die for lack of $20!

Please go to our Contact Us page to let us know you want to sponsor, or type this email address into your internet MandCCH@yahoo.com to send us an email. Thank you! We welcome you to the happy team of sponsors of precious rescued children in Kenya.