More Information on Child Sponsorship

With more than 1200 young people benefiting from Effective Aid International’s education and development projects, we are urgently seeking caring people who will be champions to the future of tomorrow’s generation.

The United Nations has recognized educating the poor as the single most important means of overcoming world poverty. The Second Millennium Goal presented by the United Nations at the turn of the Century, was “to have all children completing a full program of primary school by the year 2015”.

Effective Aid International is targeting this Goal by bringing education to the children of some of our world’s poorest families. Our schooling program not only covers primary education, but beyond this to high school and relevant vocational training.

Effective Aid International brings new hope for a future free from poverty to the younger generation of refugees and migrants living on the Thai-Burma border.

These people are among the world’s poorest, having fled from the human rights abuse and civil unrest in Burma. 150,000 live in refugee camps in Thailand, many more as illegal migrants in Thailand, as well as an estimated half a million living as internally displaced people in the mountainous jungles of Eastern Burma. Statistics tell us that 30% of these people are of school age, with many having been denied the right of education while living within Burma. Schools in the refugee camps are filled to overflowing with young people hungry to learn, seeking the opportunity in life than can only come through completing a program of formal education.

Effective Aid International also provides refuge, total care and education to children in North Thailand who are orphans, or abandoned by their family.

The young person you sponsor will receive:

Quality education at one of Effective Aid International’s schools. Our programs deliver education at all levels from Grade 1 to Grade 12 and beyond that, Vocational Training opportunities for those who have graduated from High School.
All of their educational needs including books, writing materials and resources.
School uniforms.
Access to Effective Aid International’s dental education and treatment program.
Full accommodation for orphans or students whose families still live in regions of Burma where there is no access to education.
Meals when needed – this depends on the child’s family situation and living conditions. Basic food is supplied to the refugees by the United Nations.
Access to health assessment and education.
Use of sporting equipment and participation in team sports.
Access for them and their family to associated community relief and development projects facilitated by Effective Aid International.

Sponsorship is sought for young people of all ages and at all levels of education.

As a sponsor you will receive:

A Sponsor’s Welcome Pack
A photograph and personal details of the young person you sponsor.
Feedback on progress in education.
Communication from the child you sponsor (the form of this communication will depend on age and ability).
The opportunity to communicate with the child you sponsor.
Positive reports of the effect your support is having.
Regular general reports from Effective Aid International about our aid and development initiatives.

Effective Aid International has a Child Protection Policy and a Privacy Policy to protect both our sponsors and the sponsored children. To view our Privacy Policy click here.

Effective Aid International continues to develop its projects that focus on the many disadvantaged children living on the Thai-Burma border. As funds become available, we will be opening further schools and increasing the training and resourcing of our teaching staff, all of whom are refugees.

Effective Aid International employs approximately 150 refugees as teachers and associated workers in the refugee communities. By doing this we are changing these people’s lives, developing their skills and continuing to influence the future of these displaced people. All participate in regular personal development and training programs.

Our Child Sponsorship Program will enable us to continue the expansion of this vital work within the refugee and migrant communities.

Detailed Information

The cost of supporting a child who is a student in one of our refugee or migrant schools is $30 per month. This can be paid monthly, quarterly or yearly. This sponsorship cost is subject to change. All sponsors will be notified before we make any change to this amount.
Your sponsorship will continue until you contact Effective Aid International by either email or phone informing us of your intention to cease sponsorship.
We ask you to assist us to minimise our administrative costs and maximise the impact of your sponsorship by ensuring that you set up a suitable method of regular payment. Contacting sponsors regarding overdue payments is both costly and time consuming.
Tax benefits are available for both Australian and US taxpayers. If you require a tax receipt for your donations, these will be sent annually by mail soon after the end of the tax year. The receipt will include the total of your donations for the previous year (1st July to 30th June for Australians and 1st January to 31st December for US citizens).
It is the sponsor’s responsibility to provide us with up to date mailing details should you move. Your receipt will be sent to the last recorded address we have on our database.
You will be the sole supporter of any child sponsored who is a student in one of our refugee or migrant schools.
There are a small percentage of supported children who are orphaned or abandoned and being provided with full care and education in dedicated high quality and safe children’s homes in North Thailand. The cost of running these homes, staffing them and providing education within Thailand is many times higher than in the border regions. These children will be offered as “multiple sponsored”. You will be advised if you are sponsoring one of these children.
The refugees and migrants living in the border regions are a transient society. While many are long-term refugees, others may be in the camps for a shorter time, although less than one year is most unusual. The UN has an on-going relocation program for refugees, in which they are sent as refugee migrants to selected countries such as Australia, Canada and the USA. Should the child you sponsor be one whose family moves for whatever reason, Effective Aid International will transfer your sponsorship to another unsponsored child. You will be notified of the change and if possible, informed where the previously sponsored child has moved.
In addition to the supported child receiving education, including all necessary supplies and equipment, supported children will receive access to other development and aid projects run by Effective Aid International. These benefits could include accommodation, food, health care, dental care, and safe drinking water, but not limited to these. These and other areas of aid and development will be provided as they are needed and according to each child’s circumstances and the availability of particular aid and development in the region in which the child is living.
As a sponsor, you will receive information about the progress of the child you sponsor. You will also receive communication from the child and we encourage you to write or email in return. We ask that you limit your communication to no more than two letters/emails per year to minimise our administrative costs.
Australian law clearly states that the support money you donate cannot be given directly to the individual child or their family. This is the case with all approved child sponsorship programs being run by Australian organisations. The money must be used to fund approved aid and development projects through which the child receives benefit. In the case of Effective Aid International sponsored children, they are all full time students at schools totally run by and funded through this organisation, or full time residents of children’s homes, with all of our projects approved according to Australian Government regulations. Our projects are subject to annual audit for compliance.
Our education program in the border area also extends to vocational training. While we call it “Child Sponsorship” the young adults participating in our vocational training program and senior years of high school are just as important as a young child in Grade One. If you are supporting one of our young adults, we will transfer your support to another needy person when they move on to enter adult life and do our best to inform you of their outcome.
The Thai-Burma border is an extremely sensitive and sometimes dangerous area. Access to the refugee camps is restricted, with special passes needed. These passes are only given to foreigners if they are registered aid workers. We regret that it is therefore not possible to provide sponsors the opportunity to visit the child they sponsor.
Effective Aid International will never personally contact you with the sole purpose of seeking additional donations when you are already sponsoring a child. Sponsors will however receive regular email newsletters to keep you informed about all aspects of our work. These newsletters can include requests for general support and donations, as well as seeking others to sponsor children. There is always the option to unsubscribe from these newsletters.
Effective Aid International has a Child Protection Policy in place that aligns with both Australian and Thai law. This is strictly enforced and can place restrictions on the release of certain information to donors. Please understand that most of our children live in a region where child trafficking is a real danger and this policy is necessary for the protection of these children.
Effective Aid International also has a Privacy Policy. You can view our Privacy Policy by clicking here.
Governance - Effective Aid International is proud to be a partner of Global Development Group (ABN 57 102 400 993), an Australian Non Government Organisation carrying out humanitarian projects with approved partners and providing aid to relieve poverty and provide long term solutions through the provision of quality aid and development projects. Global Development Group takes responsibility for our projects according to AusAID rules, providing a governance role and assisting in the areas of planning, monitoring, evaluating and auditing to ensure that the projects delivered by Effective Aid International are carried out to Australian requirements. For more information about Global Development Group, visit www.globaldevelopment.org.au