Hi, I'm Irene

Irene lives with her maternal grandmother following her parents' separation. Her mother remarried, but the new husband refused to stay with her, and her father moved far away. Neither of her parents supports her, leaving all responsibilities to her grandmother, who has a meager income from peasant farming and mat-making. Despite this, her grandmother is in good health. Irene is the eldest of two children. She lacks most basic necessities because her mother cannot provide for her at all. At school, she is often absent due to insufficient resources, and when she gets sick, accessing appropriate services is not easy, highlighting the need for support.

Become Irene's Sponsor

How sponsorship helps this child

Sponsorship FAQ

Sponsor Letters

Support a child for $43 per month

When you become a sponsor, your sponsored child will be matched — one to one — with an advocate who regularly meets with the child and their family or caregivers to create a long-term plan for stability and ensure their needs are met. Through Holt’s rigorous, holistic and child-centered approach to sponsorship, you will help create a lasting, meaningful difference in your sponsored child’s life.

Economic Empowerment

Your sponsorship gifts help your sponsored child’s whole family by providing job skills training, microloans to start small businesses, livestock and other resources to generate income.

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Education

When kids are in school, they are protected from trafficking and exploitation, and they’re learning skills to escape poverty forever!

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Family Reunification

As a sponsor, you can help reunite a child living in institutional care with his or her family — and provide the support and resources they need to grow strong, stable and self-reliant.

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Nutrition

When children have regular, healthy meals, their bodies and minds grow strong enough to reach their dreams!

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Healthcare

The cost of a doctor visit or the distance of a hospital should never prevent a child from getting the care they need!

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Kinship & Foster Care

If your sponsored child is homeless or orphaned, you will help provide nurturing care in a foster home or other safe living environment.

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FAQs About Sponsoring a Child

How long are children in Holt’s sponsorship program?

Children remain in our programs for however long it takes for them to have a safe, stable home environment and for their basic needs to be met. This can be anywhere from weeks to years. Depending on the country and program, children remain in sponsorship through varying ages, often depending on their specific needs. We work with every child and family in our programs to create a sustainable, long-term plan for the future.

How long is my sponsorship commitment?

While we hope that you are able to continue to support your sponsored child as long as he or she is in our program, sponsoring a child is voluntary and you may choose to end your sponsorship commitment at any time. When your sponsored child leaves our care, we will introduce you to another child from a similar program who needs your help. To cancel or change your sponsorship commitment, call 1-800-451-0732 or email us at sponsorship@holtinternational.org.

Can I adopt my sponsored child?

Very few of the children in our sponsorship program are on track for adoption. Most of the children we serve have one or both parents — or extended family — to care for them, but are at risk of separation due to poverty, illness or other hardships. We only seek adoptive families for children who have been relinquished for adoption and cannot be reunited with their family. Sponsorship is not a pathway to adoption, but if you are interested in international adoption, we are happy to send you free information.

Request Free Adoption Information

How often will I receive updates about my sponsored child?

Every child and family in our program works with an advocate — a teacher, social worker or Holt staff member — to prepare an update 2-3 times per year. This update may be a letter, photo or drawing from your child, or a note from their advocate. Additionally, you will have opportunities to send special cards throughout the year, and you are welcome to write to your sponsored child through your personalized sponsorship account. Click here to read more about corresponding with your sponsored child.

Are my contributions tax-deductible?

How much of my contribution goes to my sponsored child?

Does my donation go directly to my sponsored child?

Directly giving the cash amount of your sponsorship donation to your child’s family may seem like a fast and easy way to help, and on occasion we do give cash to help families meet immediate identified needs. But in our more than 65-year history, we have found that the key to helping families achieve lasting stability and self-reliance is through tools and resources that empower them over the long term.

In addition to providing food, clothing and school supplies for your sponsored child, we put your sponsorship donation toward programs such as job skills or small business training as well as education in positive parenting, health and nutrition, and saving for the future. We then guide and support parents as they learn, grow and create a more stable life for their children.

If your sponsored child lives in a care center or foster family, your sponsorship donation provides supplies such as formula and food to help meet your sponsored child’s needs. Whether your sponsored child lives with their family or in care, our on-the-ground staff closely tracks their progress — ensuring they have everything they need to grow and thrive. To read more about this, click here.

Why do children have more than one sponsor?

Because of the unique needs of the children in our programs, the cost to care for each child is often higher than $43 per month. Children often have special medical or physical needs, are orphaned or displaced, and/or live in extreme poverty and difficult-to-reach rural areas. For this reason, most children in our programs receive support from more than one sponsor. We pool all sponsorship gifts, which allows us to serve even more children each year in the most cost-effective ways.

Dear Sponsor

When you sponsor a child through Holt, your monthly gifts help provide everything a child needs to reach their potential in life — from food, shelter and education to the nurturing care of a devoted family or caregiver.

Over time, you may also build a relationship with your sponsored child by corresponding through our Holt Sponsor Center. Children may send letters or artwork to share about their lives and express their gratitude. Here are letters two children wrote for their sponsors in the U.S.