septiembre 14, 2019
en respuesta a
chelaka
I sponsor students through CI, Save the Children, and Unbound. There have been some distinct pros and cons to each. I have also shared some of my thoughts on the three with some of my more advanced kids. CI is 'best in class' in many areas - however if I was told that I could only contribute to one.....
But my conclusion is based on very personal priorities and expectations in trying to help the kids.
This is all still very much a work in progress for me. But there are a number of lessons to be learned from each organization - including basic differences in their categories. I'll try to elaborate, in stages:
From a sponsor (and child relationship) point of view, the first big distinction on the comparison chart is 'community' vs 'child'. Community means whatever we contribute goes to 'everyone', with no EG's or individual educational support. For those on a budget who can't get into the kind of EG's we see here, that could be a good thing. For those who want help their kid, it means we have to be either more generous or more creative. I got my StC child in Nepal English lessons that she felt she needed by instead setting up an after-school class for all of the kids in her school who wanted to take them, including her. It turned out to be very efficient, actually, but it is a fair bit of commitment. It really is an interesting way to do it, however, if we were trying to think of this as providing the most benefit for as many of our kids here, collectively. For all the disadvantages of of this collective approach, these organizational restrictions do at least make us think about how we can leverage our contributions to help more kids.
In another case I wanted to incentivize 14/15 year olds in Bolivia - engage and reward them without the use of EG's. I made contributions in the kids 'names' (first name and id number) to a highly regarded local shelter for abused children, with the idea that they would be actual donors as well as possible mentors. When I set this donation up with the shelter's founder she said she was 'in tears'. It's early to tell - but this was just an example of the way to skirt the 'support' rules and still give something to the kids, in a way. Again, this isn't for everyone. But I wouldn't mind seeing more of this kind of 'community benefit' thing going on here - it often only comes from necessity, as with StC and other 'community' sponsorships.
The next thing I would look for might be 'graduation date'. Many people here have commented on the age 19 limit relative to college needs, for students who are continuing on. This is where Unbound has some advantages over CI. Students are eligible for sponsorship as long as they are enrolled in school, including college. They also have a 'future college fund' option, which I have recently started using - so my sponsored children can plan ahead, long-term in confidence (this fund is transferable to my other sponsored students if not used by the first one). I've told the kids that they are covered through med, law, whatever, if they choose. Anyway, the pre-set vs open-ended program 'graduation' is something to consider - whether that's a plus or minus depends on our particular circumstances.
EG philosophies differ - another topic for another post. CI's EG's are generally consumption-oriented, where with others there can be focus on other priorities (income-producing activities - or - greater emphasis on add'l lessons or training).
Letter-writing, and communications generally, differ dramatically among organizations - even when ages, countries, and grade levels are the same. I'll typically get four pages of closely spaced writing from one group of students - these clearly weren't just done in an hour or so at the center - vs the letter-with-picture-on-back. It's not just the length, of course, but the effort put into writing. In my small sample, one organization's exception is another's rule. Personally, I rank 'writing' high in emphasis because (for those like me who can't visit) this is our entire communication with each other. Plus I happen to be a big believer in writing as a skill, for the kids. Of course, there are exceptional writers in each organization, but the greater emphasis in some organizations really does show.
The comparison chart notes religion - in my experience so far, the religious spectrum is fairly similar for each organization - it seems to be the kids' country, not the sponsoring organization, that's the biggest factor. (Is it just me and my tiny sample group, or are families in the Philippines really special in this regard?) Generally, I have always been surprised at how religious sponsored families - and kids - in disadvantaged areas around the world are, compared to what I'm accustomed to here on the east coast. Plus India, for example, has been quick to toss out organizations they perceive as religious 'influencers', so remaining organizations there have to be careful not to be seen as promoting any particular faith.
There are a couple of other areas that I am still testing - we'll see. But the thing is that, so far, CI is the best in many things (especially sponsor community & sponsor support). Other organizations really can be frustrating, organizationally. But there is still plenty of opportunity for every one of these organizations to get even better, including even CI. Each organization I've seen seems to do at least some things very well.
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