What is SAC?

SAC is an acronym for Sewa International’s program Sponsor A Child.

What is your goal?

A world of equality where every child is educated, enjoys good health, and lives in harmony with nature.

Upto which level of education, the sponsorship works?

We sponsor a child from class 4 to class 10.

Can I sponsor children anywhere in the world?

No. As of now, we are present in India and Nepal. We can identify the beneficiaries in these two countries.

How do you identify children to be sponsored?

Our volunteers and sister NGO’s working with children in government run schools and underprivileged lower-income areas such as slums, identify talented children, and encourage the parents to apply for sponsorship on behalf of their children. A panel selects the beneficiaries after interviewing the children and their parents. Criteria for selection include the family economic background, number of dependants and size of the family.

What does the sponsorship amount cover?

Education: The sponsorship covers the costs of education such as school fees, books, uniform, tuition help, and preventive healthcare. Tuition classes are held at special neighborhood SAC Learning Centers run by paid teachers and SAC volunteers.
Healthcare: Children get basic hygiene, preventive general healthcare (immunization/vaccinations for polio, measles, tetanus, etc.), and, regular medical check-ups.
Holistic Development: Our volunteers provide cultural and physical activities for personality development.

What is the parents’ responsibility?

Parents commit to ensuring that the child’s education is not interrupted due to economic and family circumstances. Parents provide food, shelter, safety and all non-educational expenses for the child.

What is the cost of Sponsoring a Child?

It costs only $20 per month to sponsor a child with a commitment of one year minimum.

What is your overhead general and administrative expenses? How do you use the sponsorship amount?

SAC general and administrative (G&A) costs are kept at a low 5%, which pays for stationary, admin salaries, marketing, web maintenance, and professional fees (accounting/legal). G&A expense is one of the lowest in the industry made possible by the efforts of our dedicated and tireless volunteers. The remaining 95% of your sponsorship money goes directly to the benefit the child.

Are my contributions tax deductible in the US?

Yes! Sewa International is a 501 (c) (3) organization in the US. All donations are tax deductible. You will receive a receipt for your tax-deductible contributions.

I would like to know more about the sponsorship payment schemes. Are there sponsors who pay monthly a fixed amount?

We strongly encourage you to provide a monthly deduction authorization from your bank or credit card account which ensures a sustainable and continuous education program for your child. Monthly payments through checks is not accepted.

Can I contribute by Credit Card or Bank Account?

Your contribution can be monthly or annual. Your can pay through our secure internet portal via a credit card or from your authorized bank account. We strongly encourage you to provide a monthly deduction authorization from your bank or credit card account which ensures a sustainable and continuous education program for your child.

Can I contribute by Check?

For payment by check, only annual payment option is available. For donation by personal check, make it payable to “Sewa International – SAC” and mail it to the address below. Add your email and phone number to ensure proper delivery of the donation receipt.

Sewa International
P O Box 820867
Houston,TX 77282-0867

Can I donate anonymously and still communicate with my sponsored child?

Yes you can. You can be an anonymous donor. You will then communicate with your child only through SAC.

Can I stop sponsoring a child whenever I want?

It is your right and privilege to determine at your discretion to continue or stop the sponsorship support at any time. We respectfully suggest that this be done before March since school year begins in June in order not to disrupt support for your child.

What happens if I stop the sponsorship? Does my child lose the benefits of the program?

Though there will be a jerk; it will not be a hindrance. Our team members will work to find a new sponsor as soon as possible and support the child till he/she completes class 10. If you run into financial hardship, we may be able to suspend your sponsorship for a short time and keep you as a child’s sponsor.

Does all children complete the schooling?

Our children live in very tough circumstances beyond their control. Sometimes a child’s family may move and the child will no longer have access to our program. In those instances, we will introduce you to another child for your consideration.

I may sponsor a child. If I stop sponsorship after a few years will the parents of the child approach/ harass me? Do they know that I am the sponsor?

The parents or the child are aware that the child is sponsored but your legal name and address is not revealed to your sponsored child or their parents as a matter of policy. In the event of direct continuous communication between you and your sponsored child, the child may come to know of the sponsor’s details inadvertantly. Hence, we suggest you to route your communications through SAC, which will help avoid any undue demand from you. Hence nobody except SAC will correspond with you.

What happens when you sponsor a child?

Everything gets started when you register with us and make your first contribution.
  • You can manage your account and view payment history
  • You will get a receipt and information about the child.
  • The child through learning center will come to know that you are his/her sponsor.
  • Your sponsored child will update you his/her academic status, monthly attendance, and write an eLetter
  • You can talk to the child through web call and meet when you visit India

How to maximise your Sponsorship?

As you decided to support a child, you can help us find one more person like you. If every sponsor brings one more donor to us, we’d be able to support more from our list.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Share your sponsorship on these platforms.
Check if your company does matching grants for employees donation. You can contribute through that as well.

Can I send gift/ money to my sponsored children? Can I also send gifts for other children of my sponsored child’s class/ school?

Your sponsorship itself is your gift. As a matter of policy we do not encourage sponsors to send gifts/gift money to their sponsored children as it creates envy and disappointment for those who may not receive something similar or those who rarely – if ever – receive presents from their sponsor.

How can I support you in addition to sponsorship?

If you already shop on Amazon, we invite you to shop at smile.amazon.com and choose Sewa International as your charity of choice. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Sewa International.

This way you can extend your financial support to the cause.

How to use Amazon Smile

  1. Visit smile.amazon.com
    The entire shopping experience is the same and most products available on amazon.com are available at Amazon Smile.
  2. Sign in your using amazon.com credentials.
  3. Search For Sewa International and select Sewa International, Location: Houston, TX | Year Founded: 2003
  4. Once selected, you will receive an email confirmation, click the link and confirm
  5. Now, you can begin shopping.
  6. Once you’ve selected your charity everything else functions the same. Shop for your favorite products or the perfect gift. Most products are eligible on Amazon Smile–if not, you’ll be notified. You can checkout normally as well. No extra cost is passed onto you–Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to Sewa International!
  7. (Optional) After you’ve successfully completed a purchase on Amazon Smile you can share the news with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email. This option appears on the confirmation page after your order is complete.

Shop on Amazon Smile and Amazon will donate to Sewa International on your behalf!

 

Can I visit the child at school, home or at my residence or hotel ?

  • We will be happy to coordinate your visit with your sponsored child and arrange a time at your convenience if you are visiting the city where the child lives in India. As a matter of policy, you can visit the school where your sponsored child is studying only under the supervision of SAC personnel. We need a two-week advance notice to avoid any conflicts with the children’s availability due to their class and activity schedules.
  • In the light of our experience, per policy, we will not allow the sponsor to meet the children at their sponsor’s residence, hotels where they stay, or the child’s residence.
  • You can also meet the child over Skype once a year at assigned times.

Can I send money directly to my sponsored child?

Sending monetary gifts directly to your child is discouraged. As previously mentioned, when one child receives a gift of any sort and others do not – children are heartbroken and extremely disappointed when left out. . Thank you for your understanding. You may send letters and cards anytime to our SAC office. We ask that you send your correspondence through us so that we may keep a record and ensure that your privacy is protected and any undue harassment is avoided.

Does SAC cater to orphans? What about handicapped children? Do you help them?

Yes. We do cater to orphans and handicapped children. All such background information will be included along with a child’s profile.

Can I extend my support after the tenure of sponsorship?

Yes. You can. In this case either you can extend your support to the same child on an annual basis or you can choose another sponsorship to support another needy child. Your sponsor money is spent on education, healthcare and overall development of the child.

What do I get from Child Sponsorship?

Happiness and satisfaction, in short. You are gifting a child its future through education, health and overall development. You are also building hope in the child’s heart. You can watch your child grow and build a long lasting relationship. You are helping the child, child’s family and ultimately the community where they live.

What do I get from Child Sponsorship?

Happiness and satisfaction, in short. You are gifting a child its future through education, health and overall development. You are also building hope in the child’s heart. You can watch your child grow and build a long lasting relationship. You are helping the child, child’s family and ultimately the community where they live.

What do your Partners do for the Project?

Partners play a crucial supportive role in helping Sewa International implement the Sponsor a Child project economically and effectively by providing logistical and foundational organization support. The Partners work under the strict operational metrics demanded by us. Specifically, they help in marketing material generation, awareness campaigns, procurement of facilities (location of centers, etc.), recruiting of teachers to the SAC Centers, set up Skype communications etc. Sewa works closely with our partners in ensuring adherence to the principles of transparency, efficiency and accountability.

Who are your Partners?

Currently we have the following partners: Youth for Sewa (YFS) through its project Vidya Chetana works with us in Karnataka (Bengaluru, Tumkur), Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad), and Tamil Nadu (Salem). Together we are able to reach the children of the invisible poor. YFS was started with grants from Sewa International. We have supported YFS since its inception and have provided the impetus for starting the Vidya Chetana project. VKKVanavasi Kalyana Karnataka (VKK) – tribal welfare organization works with us in Karnataka (Uttara Kannada). We are able to serve the difficult to reach tribal belt and provide much needed education to our vanavasi (forest dweller) friends. Sewa International has provided grants to VKK and continues to support it in its other initiatives also.