Lifestyle

There are four places to go where you can sponsor a child online:

1. Sponsor a child with World Vision

2. Sponsor a child with Plan UK

3. Sponsor a child with Action Aid

4. Sponsor a child with Everychild

Established in 1964, Tanzania suffered for many years under the policies of President Julius Nyerere. His government failed because of its inefficiency and corruption, and because of persistent social resistance to it. Despite recent significant progress under the guidance of the World Bank, Tanzania’s economy is very weak indeed.

Tanzania has majestic countryside and is rich in natural resources. But continued droughts and floods have exacerbated the poverty of the mainly agrarian population. Less than half of Tanzania’s 36.3 million inhabitants have access to clean, safe water. The life expectancy for the average person is 43.5 years, and 1 in 6 children will die before their fifth birthday.

The people of Tanzania are in great need of the life-changing hope that child sponsorship can bring to their families and communities. You can sponsor a child in Tanzania through ActionAid, one of the world's leading relief and development agencies. They have developed a child sponsorship scheme which links people in more affluent countries with individual children in developing countries around the world.

ActionAid has been working alongside communities in Tanzania since 1997 and seeks to improve access to basic sanitation, health and education facilities. A key focus for ActionAid in Tanzania is the development of education facilities, which they believe will lead to lasting social change. It also invests heavily in the training of teachers in 'Reflect', ActionAid's hugely successful adult literacy program.

The charity has invested in the training of health workers and the provision of health services, which are otherwise too few and far between to be of service to most in Tanzania. Efforts are also focused on supplying clean, safe water to as many people as possible. This is often combined with the training of farmers in innovative techniques that yield bigger harvests while conserving water and soil usage. ActionAid supports micro-finance companies that make small loans and credit available to business start-ups.

In the 37 years since its inception, ActionAid has reached many millions people in Africa, Asia and the Americas, and it has developed a wealth expertise in fighting poverty. The charity partners with local organisations and recognises the need to work with communities on their own terms, and not impose solutions. By getting to know the culture intimately ActionAid workers have the best possible opportunity to affect a lasting end to poverty.

Sponsoring a child in Tanzania today will cost you only 50 pence per day. Your money will also go towards development efforts in the town in which the child you sponsor lives. This will ensure the most efficient and effective use of your money.

As a child sponsor you will be able arrange a personal visit with your child and to communicate with them. You can also look forward to receiving special letters and drawings, including a new photograph every two years. Additionally, you get to see where and how your money is being spent by keeping in touch with your child's local ActionAid office, and through regular editions of Common Cause, ActionAid's newsletter.

You can sponsor a child in Tanzania through Action Aid here

You may also like to consider sponsoring a child through the following trusted agencies:

Sponsor a child with World Vision

Sponsor a child with Plan UK

Sponsor a child with Everychild