August 2016 Stop For The One - Canada: Child Sponsorship Program Update

Every couple of years we are delighted to update our report on IMC’s “Stop for the One—Canada” sponsorship program.  As Canadian Christians open their hearts to one or more needy children in our care in Northern Mozambique, this wonderful program is continuing to grow steadily.

“Stop for the One—Canada” is unique to Iris Ministries Canada and is structured differently from the Iris Global program with the similar name. This program focuses on individual children (and their families, in the case of village children). It allows Canadians to sponsor individual children resident in our Mieze and Noviane centres for a suggested donation of $50/month or more—or village children active in our churches and programs in Mieze and around the Pemba Base for $35/month. We now have more than 90 individual children matched with generous and caring sponsors. In many cases, sponsors are so committed to this program and its direct benefit to the children that they are sponsoring multiple children or giving more than the minimum monthly support to their sponsored child.

In the case of village children, all the funds received are disbursed to each child on a weekly basis to help meet their—and their family’s—urgent and basic needs. However, we are using the sponsorship connection to single out these children and their families for a greater share of our general provision, as well. This enhanced provision includes more food, clothing, school supplies, personal attention and care…and even, in few recent cases, renovations to the family’s little mud hut to make their accommodation more secure and livable. (In a few cases, we have double sponsorships for village children to provide for their immediate needs and to set aside some funding for their future. It would be our goal to expand these double sponsorships to ensure future provision for post-secondary education or vocational training for more of our precious and promising village kids.)

In the case of children who live in our centres, their entire sponsorship support is being accumulated in a trust account to be available for their future. In many or most cases, we hope that will include post-secondary education or advanced skill training…though in some cases it may provide seed money to begin a small business when schooling is finished. The funds will accrue for the sponsored child unless the sponsored child seriously defaults in some irreversible way. In that case, the accumulated funds would be assigned to another needy child.

[Maria (pictured here with her youngest sister) and her older brother Ramos are sponsored village kids.They live near the Pemba Base and attend the Iris Christian school. Both kids are very bright and personable. Their mother died a year and a half ago and their father cares for his six children…also with support from our sponsorship program.]

For more information about sponsoring one of our precious children through this program, please contact Janis Chevreau, Director of Iris Ministries Canada