Sponsorship

So I just recently (as of a few hours ago) started sponsoring a child in Africa through the The Raining Season Which is a group that is a center in Africa for children who are either orphans, or cannot live with their parents anymore. Its a great thing to do, and it isnt expensive at all. (I work 3 extra hours per month to pay for it)

Here are the things available for sponsorship. You can do one or all. I picked Education, and I will explain why.

Food/Nutrition $40
Education $40
Medical $30
Personal toiletries $20
Caregiver $35

I would like to eventually do all of them, but for now this is all I can afford.

Here is my question though. It was hard for me to pic one of them to do, since they all seemed relatively debatable on importance. I ended up picking Education for the following reason: Food and Medical are important to keep the child alive, obviously so I assume more people will pick that, and the child I am sponsoring will get that covered. I think that education would be overlooked but to me, it is possibly the most important. If he survives and makes it to adulthood, then what? Live in poverty and have the chance of your children going into a home like that? I think that education is the best way to get people living in these poor nations out of poverty for good.


Also, I think it would be a kickass thing if you guys sponsored a kid. All you would need to do is give up that new video game you would buy, or the booze you would buy. These kids have nothing. You would be saving their life by doing this.

ps. I dont want to hear anything like "these organizations just rip you off, or **** like that. My friend went to Africa over the summer, and actually worked at this organization center there.

My friend's dad is from Kenya, so he took a group of kids from my school to build a library there a couple of years ago. They said that all of the people there are really gracious and humble. My friends said that it's one of the best things they've ever done.
I think that one of the best investments that people can make in new businesses are those that are starting in third world countries or impoverished areas, because the people there need the money to live their lives, whether someone gives microfinancing or a straight-up donation. I'm not saying that local businesses are unimportant, but the third world should be the forefront of political and economic foreign policy. It's really what's going to impact the world in the coming decades, whether or not developing nations become stable or if they become engulfed in brutal civil wars, potentially setting the region back a decade in any sort of progress.

I'd say they are all pretty close in importance. I have to side with you though, Ranging, because of all them, education has the longest and best returns. As the saying goes "Give a man a fish he can eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he can eat for a lifetime." At the early part of life, medical and substantive things like food and shelter are necessary to stay alive. But once your living needs are met, you need to focus on staying alive or bettering yourself through education. I'd sure some people think of it the same way like you, Ranging, but the majority probably focus on food and medical the most. Good choice.

I would sponsor their food because an education won't do much good when the kid starves.

Yeah I was thinking what good is education to them as well. xD I don't know anything about it though nor the opportunities there. Maybe the education is just basic stuff taken for granted like ability to read and write and that there are actually occupations around there that require that... I don't know.