when a child is no longer eligible for sponsorship

A few of our Buyamba volunteers have been calling sponsors who have a child who did not return recently from school break in Uganda and are now ineligible for sponsorship. As you know, life in Uganda for our students looks quite different than life of a student in the US. Many children at God Cares School are orphans, and others may have only one parent or have to live with a friend or relative who is their guardian. Because life is difficult, many families move to try and find a better life in another village.

Laurie Reiten - Communications Volunteer

There are three educational breaks in the school year and the boarding children, by law, have to leave the school and return home to their village. Sometimes some of the children do not return once break is over. This can be due to a variety of reasons... an older child may start working to help his family, the family has moved, or there may have been a death in the family....the reasons are endless and often, heart wrenching. 

Please know if your child has become ineligible for sponsorship for whatever reason we are terribly sorry... it is our hope that each child would graduate from high school, but that is not always the reality in Africa. We want you to know you have made a tremendous difference in the life of the child you have sponsored. You have shown unconditional love by caring for his/her residential or educational needs, and we are confident your love and kindness was well received.
 
These are the hardest phone calls for our Buyamba volunteers to make and we understand that it is hard to just "switch" kids, but because the need is so great with so many children, we will ask if you would consider sponsoring another child. Some kids are with us just for a season, but many do graduate from God Cares High School and continue on to a university or trade school.