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Hello everyone! My sponsor child, Khansha, does not have a bed and I was wondering what the take is on possibly buying an air mattress on Amazon and sending it to India.  Is this a bad idea?
Otherwise I would like to buy something that is good for her and her family as well. Any suggestions? Towels, sheets, dishes?

Thanks

I think sending $100 or more as an SNG and simply asking that it be used for family needs is the best option. I'm quite certain that the buying ​a bed or other items and shipping costs would be far more expensive than buying the same things within the country. The other problem is that many families live in one room and may not have space for something sponsors might choose. If the family is allowed to decide what to purchase,  they have the opportunity to prioritize their specific needs.

That is very helpful! Thank you!

I encourage you to call CI office.  They will find out from the field rep's what are most pressing needs.  Also, most areas have connections as to where to purchase items etc.  Good Luck. 

I agree, an SNG is the way to go. The children I've visited in India all have ONE room and a small porch area. Maybe an outdoor covered cooking area. That's it. They share one bed. Eventually my oldest boy moved to sleep on the porch in better weather for privacy. With an SNG they can decide on items that they need and have room for. 

I just recently started sponsoring, and also wanted to buy my family a bed.  I called CI and was told the same about most of the houses being too small, but she suggested that in the section where you can request specifics items bought with an SNG to request photo's of your kiddo with what they bought!  Like I said, I'm new to sponsoring so I'm not sure if you automatically receive photo's when buying an SNG or not though. 

Sounds like you talked to a new rep. If you send more than $100 you automatically get photos

Wow, it looks like a LOT of info was shared when you spoke with Jan yesterday, and I know it was a lot to take in :-) Just to clarify, anytime you provide a special needs gift (SNG) of $100+ you will ALWAYS get photos from your child with the items that are purchased. If you want ask if a specific item can be purchased, or have specific instructions then you would use the section to add your instructions.  Hope this helps!

I often ask for photos of the whole family, if they are willing.

That's wonderful, thank you for clarifying! I ended up sending an SNG for my kiddos birthday last month, I put a special request in for him to receive a small party and a birthday gift after they buy household items.Cant wait to see the photos!

Thanks again for the info Debbie!