These are just a few of the many orphans currently awaiting sponsorship:
Nagis A.
9 years old
Synthia A. 6 years old
Steven O.
12 years old
- Sponsor now!
- $500 a year sustains sponsorship of a child.
- 40+ children are in immediate need of sponsors.
- 231 children are currently being sponsored by SHARE donors.
- Hear about SOS in 1 minute
How much it costs and what it covers
For $500 per year (just $1.37 per day), a sponsor is able to pay for education, school fees, books, school supplies, school uniforms, basic social services, and an annual physical evaluation. Emergency food bags of maize are provided where necessary.
Why sponsorship is needed
The AIDS epidemic has produced 100,000s of orphans in Kenya, and the numbers are rising rapidly. It is estimated that nearly 30% of the population in Kenya’s Nyanza province is infected with HIV. SOS is a SHARE Program established in order to provide schooling, boarding, basic medical and health care, books, uniforms, and social service to abandoned Kenyan children who are orphaned because their parents have died of AIDS.
Can groups sponsor a child?
Yes. Our sponsors include:
- Individuals sponsors who support one or more children.
- Groups of friends, clubs, churches, businesses, and organizations who together sponsor one or more orphans. We only ask that one person is designated as the primary contact.
With your donation, you will sponsor a specific child
A commitment for a minimum of one year of sponsorship is required. We hope that each sponsor will re-new their commitment at the end of the year, or even better, commit to more than one year at a time.
Group of SHARE sponsored orphans at St. Peter’s boarding school, Kenya. With the children are SHARE social workers, the school principal, and SHARE board members on their visit to Kenya.
You will get updates about your sponsored child
Sponsors are able to monitor the progress of their orphan(s) through annual school and health reports that are prepared by our SHARE social workers in Kenya. Our social workers are highly trained professionals who personally oversee the well-being of every SOS orphan.
Sponsors are encouraged to correspond with their orphan(s)
Interested sponsors can exchange letters and photos with their child. All SHARE sponsored orphans’ education includes the study of the English language and this allows for ease of communication between orphans and sponsors. Some sponsors also send gifts (such as books or clothing) to their child.
Group of SHARE sponsored orphans at Our Lady of Orore boarding school, Kenya.
Read some of the letters sent to their sponsors by Evance Otteno Ochola, and Everlyne Anyango Kamarian – p1, p2.
Sending gifts
Our sponsored children highly appreciate receiving books, clothes, shoes, and toys. Read more.
What does a typical school year in Kenya look like?
In Kenya, the school year starts in mid January and ends in early December. The school year is divided into three terms separated by breaks or holidays. The first term starts in January and ends around April followed by a few weeks of break. The second term starts in late April and ends in August followed by another few weeks of break. The third term starts in late August and ends in early December followed by a long break. Our sponsored children attend Primary School that includes grades 1 to 8 (the children refer to Grades as Standards or Class 1st to 8th in their letters to you) and High School for 4 years (grades 9-12, referred to as Form 1 through Form 4).
Read about one of the schools where SHARE orphans are placed.
Who raises the sponsored children?
The children are raised by guardians. In most cases, a guardian is the child’s relative, such as a grandparent, aunt, or uncle. When there is no guardian, the children are placed in a boarding school.
How to donate
If you would like to sponsor a child, please contact us in order to initiate the sponsorship process.
SHARE sponsored orphans at M.A. Mbita Academy, Kenya.
Is donation tax-deductible?
All donations toward orphan sponsorship are 100% tax-deductible. Further details of SHARE’s non-profit registration are available.
Background
In the early 1990s, SHARE began its first efforts at helping by building an orphanage. This worked out well; Double Joy Farm is functioning and has about one hundred orphans. But as the numbers of orphans grew astronomically, it became evident that maintaining them in their home villages would enable us to support many more orphans and at the same time ensure that their ties with relatives and friends would be preserved. To this end, we started the SHARE Orphan Sponsorship (SOS), an adopt-an-orphan program, in 1993.
Dec. 24, 2007 letter from Dr. MacGuffie to sponsors and friends of SHARE.
An article with more details on the SOS program is available.