Sponsoring a child
The majority of children that attend our school are sponsored by individuals through our charity.
We always have a number of children waiting for your help.
How much does it cost?
It costs around £15 a month to sponsor an individual child. This covers their school fees, uniform, school bag, books and is used towards rent and teachers wages at Seedlings School. It also provides a meal in the day for them. Alternatively, you can sponsor the school for any amount you can afford!
How do I pay?
Sponsorship is payable by a monthly standing order. This can be set up via your internet banking or we can send you a standing order form to complete and give to your bank.
How much of my donation reaches my sponsor child?
Every penny you donate through sponsorship goes directly into the running of the school. This includes, teachers wages, building rent, exercise books, text books, uniform, shoes, school bag and lunch. Seedlings School is a non-profit making organisation and all trustees and members are volunteers. All members of groups visiting The Gambia pay their own way and cover the complete cost of flights and accommodation etc. We do incur some administration costs but this is kept to an absolute minimum.
Can I correspond with my child?
Yes. We have found that our children love to hear from their sponsors.
Can I send presents?
As a charity, we aim to visit School and villages twice a year. There may be other visits from individuals from the team throughout the year and you are encouraged to send any small, light-weight presents out with them. You are not advised to send parcels out via the post as it is not very safe and things will often go missing before they reach their destination.
You might find it easier to send a small financial gift with the group to your child's family instead of a present. This is easier for the group to take and will really benefit the child's and their family. Please contact us for more info and ideas if required.
Will I hear back from my child?
Yes. Letters are written in school time as a class activity so you will receive something. It is very rare that a child does not want to write to their sponsor but as they write in English it can sometimes be a very daunting and a hard task. If they are too young to write to you then they will often draw you a picture. The school also sends out progress reports which will be forwarded onto you so that you can read about how well they are doing. Letters you receive will be sent to you via Seedlings School as it is quite normal for the school to give a bulk of them all at once on visits. We encourage you to communicate regularly.
How long will my sponsorship last?
Sponsorship should be seen as an ongoing commitment. Although there is nothing stating how long you should sponsor for, we encourage you to commit to the amount of time your child attends our school. If you start sponsoring your child from a young age then there is the potential to sponsor that child for around 6 years. Once the children finish grade 6 they move onto an Upper Basic school which is free so they will no longer need your sponsorship.
What happens to my child if I can not continue to sponsor?
Do not worry if for some reason you cannot continue with your commitment. Simply advise us as soon as possible. We can then cancel your sponsorship with immediate effect. Seedlings will try to find a new sponsor to prevent your child loosing their school place.
If you would like more information on sponsorship or if you are interested in sponsoring please contact seedlings on our contact page.