Africa is a huge continent with such a diversity of countries, peoples and experiences. Here in South Africa, we saw an opportunity to increase access to education and opportunity for children who have grown up in townships, to end the cycle of poverty and help them achieve their potential. That’s why we launched the charity SOS Africa – to empower South African township children through access to education and opportunity.
Have you considered sponsoring a child in Africa?
There are so many worthy avenues where your support will be appreciated, across many countries of this continent. To sponsor an African child through SOS Africa allows us to provide life-changing support which shapes those you sponsor for the years to come – and potentially, in the generations to come, too. The sponsored child will receive holistic education and care through SOS Africa.
If you decide to sponsor a child through our charity, we can provide life-changing support for South African children in need. In return, you will know that a child from a South African township is receiving opportunities they would not have had access to, and the keys to a future which would likely have remained behind locked doors without this support. Your sponsorship of their education could change the course of their life forever, and potentially impact their families across generations to come.
We will also send you regular sponsorship updates, photos and reports to fill you in on the type of educational opportunities the children are enjoying. All UK and worldwide SOS Africa child sponsors can follow the progress of the South African child they sponsor, every step of the way.
What is holistic education and care?
We provide holistic education programmes to disadvantaged South African children which extend far beyond academic support. That is why we use the term ‘holistic education and care’.
We value the whole person; their unique talents, abilities, and personalities go hand in hand with their emotional, social, and ethical development. We see these children as the whole people that they are and are here to help them every step along the way as they grow. Our holistic approach also recognises the connection between physical, mental and emotional well-being and the detrimental impact that poor physical, emotional and mental health can have on the development of children as they grow.
We believe in the importance of a well-nourished, healthy body, so we provide a nutritious meal every day; we believe in the positive power of physical activity on both learning and health, so we bring activity into the school day; we know that feeling cared for, safe, and loved, is foundational before we even begin to learn. SOS Africa staff provide a safe and loving environment including access to child psychologists and social workers, to help children who face serious challenges and trauma to access their potential.
In January 2003, the family of SOS Africa Founder Matt Crowcombe decided to sponsor a child in Africa, to give him a better chance in life. Twenty years on, the SOS Africa Charity now sponsors the education and care of hundreds of South African children in townships, providing them with everything they need to thrive.
Our UK-based child sponsorship organisation believes that, by empowering these children through holistic education and care, we can help them to fulfil their potential and break out of the cycle of poverty into which they have been born.
Learn more about our holistic approach here.
Why sponsor a child in Africa?
But why sponsor a child in Africa, in these disadvantaged township communities?
Living conditions in townships are tough. They are typically economically poor spaces, overcrowded with make-shift dwellings. These areas are not adequately funded, and little funding is put into infrastructure and resources. Under Apartheid, these urban residential areas were exclusively areas for housing ‘non-whites’, and a 2021 census found that 24.35% of the South African population are still living in townships.
If you decide to sponsor the holistic education of a disadvantaged South African township child, you are choosing to empower them, giving them the tools they need to learn, develop and grow. Providing a child with a well-rounded education can have so many life-changing benefits:
- Providing access to equal opportunities – providing holistic learning, mentoring and personal development ultimately promotes equality of opportunity.
- Making informed decisions and life choices – from the careers they pursue, the food they eat, the friends they make, to the way in which they plan their futures, we can keep doors open to them, and expand their expectations.
- Broadening their horizons and interests – helping children and young adults dream big and pursue a diverse and broad range of interests and ambitions gives them self-confidence and the tools for future financial stability.
- Giving them confidence and self-belief – essential for growth, development, self-dependency and the pursuit of dreams and aspirations.
- Integration within the wider society – helping them develop social skills, cultural knowledge and the ability to adapt to other communities, enriching their own communities and reaching out to communities further afield too.
Ultimately, a well-balanced holistic education ensures that these disadvantaged children are not limited by the circumstances into which they are born; instead, it gives them choices, and the opportunity to pursue their passions and achieve their dreams.
Without the help of our sponsors, the children supported by our charity would have little hope of securing a substantial education. The only schools available to these children often have large class sizes, limited resources and teachers working under high levels of stress. For children from more prosperous societies, education is something that can be taken for granted, but for many African children it is a lifelong dream; by sponsoring a child through SOS Africa, you can make these dreams a reality.
Unlike larger African education charities, SOS Africa is a UK-based, family-run, grassroots organisation.
This personal approach enables us to tailor our sponsorship programme to meet the needs of both the sponsor and, more importantly, the child they are supporting. Whether you are an individual, a group of friends, a business or a school looking to sponsor a child in Africa, SOS Africa provides the following:
- A personal approach – the charity is run by an experienced group of family and friends.
- A holistic education programme – including school tuition, after school care, transport, clothing and stationery.
- Regular progress reports – maintaining strong lines of communication between child, organisation and sponsor.
- Minimal charity expenses – 100% of your donation will be invested in the education and care of the SOS Africa children. All UK Expenses are covered by Gift Aid.
How to Sponsor a child with SOS Africa
Option 1: Sponsor a Child’s Education & Care
Sponsoring the Education and Care of a child in South Africa for £50 per month provides a disadvantaged child with a holistic education package including school tuition, after-school care, stationery, transport and additional support when required. In return, the sponsor will receive regular feedback including school reports, photo albums and updates. Sponsors can also write emails to the child and visit them at a later stage in the sponsorship.
Option 2: Sponsor a Child’s School Tuition
Sponsoring the School Tuition of an SOS Africa Child for £20 per month will enable them to receive a good education at a school partnered with the SOS Africa Charity. In return, the sponsor will receive regular feedback including school reports, photos, blogs and social media updates. All other aspects of the holistic education provided to the child by the SOS Africa Education Programme will be funded by an additional sponsor.
SOS Africa’s Child Sponsorship Programme is currently celebrating its 21st birthday. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, many of the first children sponsored have now graduated and gone on to further education or full-time employment! You can read all about their achievements by visiting SOS Africa’s Alumni Page.
When you have chosen your preferred sponsorship option, please complete the below contact form:
