Over 3000 needy children gain sponsors. Thank you NZ!

World Vision CEO Helen Green admits it was a challenge: to ask New Zealanders to sponsor 3000 children in two months. But they did it. The campaign ends tomorrow [Tuesday 30 September], and well over 3000 new sponsors have been found for children awaiting sponsorship, mainly in India and Bangladesh.

"We are so grateful to these thousands of new Kiwi sponsors, for taking up the challenge to sponsor a child," says Mrs Green. "There is a real sense of urgency over seeing these children sponsored."

Mrs Green explains how child sponsorship works: "World Vision New Zealand commits to a needy community, usually consisting of 250,000 people, and local World Vision staff establish an Area Development Project in that community.

"We commit to that area for 12 to 15 years, which is the length of time it will take for a community to become self-sufficient and able to stand on its own."

And that's where child sponsorship kicks in. "New Zealand sponsors will help fund that community," Mrs Green explains. "The money from sponsorship never goes directly to the child, but it always benefits the sponsored child, with clean water, healthcare, education, as well as better jobs and income for the adults in the community."

Mrs Green says the beauty of child sponsorship is that the whole community benefits as well as the sponsored child. "We've found that this is the most effective way of funding sustainable development that is long term and effective. I do want to thank New Zealanders for giving hope to impoverished communities."

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