Give a child a future — sponsor with love
With Sahaya International (USA & Belgium), READ runs a sponsorship programme for orphans and vulnerable children across Ariyalur, Cuddalore and Perambalur.
Read our annual reports →Become a sponsor-parent for a needy child
For just $30 / €26 a month — about $1 a day — you can transform the life of an orphaned or vulnerable child in rural Tamil Nadu, covering their tuition, uniform, supplies and food. Many of our sponsored children have gone on to become engineers, nurses, teachers and doctors.
How sponsorship works
Three simple ways to support a child — you choose what suits you.
Sponsor a specific child
Support one child regularly. You receive a letter or drawing every six months and a new photo at least once a year, and you can write to your child too.
Give where needed most
Make a one-time or general donation that READ & Sahaya direct to whichever child needs help most urgently.
Fund higher education
Help a bright student through college. Fees are paid directly to the institution by bank transfer for safety and transparency.
Who we support
Criteria for sponsorship
Beneficiaries are poor, marginalised children who have lost one or both parents, whose parents live with HIV or have a serious medical condition or disability, children living with HIV themselves, and in some cases very poor children whose parents survive but struggle severely.
READ staff interview each family, review school certificates and the living situation, and — if eligible — prepare a profile that is shared with potential sponsors. Sponsored children attend school regularly, submit their term progress cards, and join a monthly sponsorship meeting (first Sunday of each month) that includes awareness sessions on child marriage, child protection, health & hygiene, the value of education, and career guidance.
The cost of changing a life
Sponsorship covers tuition, uniform, supplies and food. You’ll receive an update every six months.
€26 / month — tuition, uniform, school supplies and food for one child.
Covers the higher tuition costs as a child moves into senior school.
Supports a student through their crucial higher-secondary year.
Can’t sponsor alone? Pool together with friends, relatives or colleagues — together you can easily raise $1 a day. Students who pass 10th or 12th with strong marks are eligible for higher-education support; fees are paid directly to colleges, and youth are also guided toward interest-free education loans.
Where our children are today
Real outcomes from the sponsorship programme.
| Course | Children |
|---|---|
| UG / PG degree completed | 35 |
| Engineering completed | 37 |
| Diploma & ITI completed | 23 |
| Nursing completed | 15 |
| B.Ed completed | 8 |
| M.Phil completed | 2 |
| MBBS & Veterinary completed | 2 |
| BPT completed | 1 |
| Course | Children |
|---|---|
| UG / PG degree | 29 |
| Diploma & ITI | 17 |
| Vocational / skill training | 5 |
| Nursing | 3 |
| Engineering | 2 |
| Veterinary | 1 |
| Category | Children |
|---|---|
| Children living with HIV | 30 |
| Children in HIV-affected families | 70 |
A story of hope
Eight years ago I almost dropped out in 10th standard to work and help my grandmother, who raised me and my younger brother alone. READ and Sahaya stepped in — my sponsor Mr. Prashanth supported me all the way through my Master’s degree in Computer Science. Today I work as a maths faculty member and care for my whole family. Without Mr. Koen and Mr. Selvam, none of this would have been possible. It lit up my life.
How to start sponsoring
Visit our partner Sahaya International at sahaya.org/orphan for profiles and payment options, or email Sahaya founder Dr. Koen Van Rompay at koen@sahaya.org. In Belgium, see sahaya.eu. In India, you can give directly to READ — contact our office and we’ll guide you.
Be the reason a child stays in school
For about $1 a day, you give a child education, dignity and a future.
Sponsor / DonateTalk to our team