Program History
The Child Sponsorship Program began in 1995 when a team of short-term missionaries wanted to contribute to the cost of education for students in a school started by Javier and Rosario de la Cruz. *More about Mission Emanuel Schools*
Today, we now have more than 400 students age 3 to 20, with donating sponsors in 6 different schools, including university.
We are always in need of new sponsors, as students are regularly added to our Sponsorship Program waitlist.
Click here to sign up as a child sponsor
Answers to your questions
"How much does it cost and what does it cover?"
Our current cost per grade-school student is $40 (US) per month. This covers part of a child’s monthly tuition. We still want the parents to be invested in their child’s education, so they partner with a sponsor to provide this. In addition to tuition, the sponsorship program also allows access to our medical center and dental clinic at reduced cost.
"Where do I start?"
Once you look through the photos of children who need a sponsor and find one that you are interested in sponsoring, you can complete this enrollment form. From there we will contact you to set up payment. We will also mail you a photo of the child for you to keep. This begins your new relationship that will develop through additional contact from your sponsor child and from you to them (see “Can I contact my sponsor child?”). Sponsors should receive cards at Christmas, Easter, and the end of school the year, along with updated photos.
“Can I contact my sponsor child?”
While the best way to contact your child is to come on one of our trips and visit them in person, there are other ways to keep in contact with your child as well. Sponsors should receive cards at Christmas, Easter, and the end of school the year, along with updated photos. If you would like to send anything to your sponsor child, please email olivia@missionemanuel.org to see where the best place to send it is. If it’s in English, don’t worry! We have translators on hand to translate it to Spanish. Just please be sure to include the child’s full name as well as your name. Packages should be flat and no larger than an 11″x14″ manila envelope. Please, no shoe boxes. [Regarding social media: Please use caution when/if communicating with family members of your sponsor child as you may be solicited for requests beyond what you’re already giving. We leave such discretion to you in these instances.]
