Mercy N

Mercy lives with her mother who is blind as a result of her HIV status. Her father left in 2004 to marry another wife and his whereabouts is unknown. She is 14 years old and she has a brother and a sister. Her mother also cares for her niece who is an orphan, HIV- and younger than Mercy. Her mother is a Community Health Worker and was taught Home Based Care skills by AMREF who sometimes call for her services. Mercy joined Lea Toto in 2007. She then went upcountry to live with her grandmother while her mother attended a blind school in Machakos. In school her favourite subject is maths and she would like to become a doctor. She was in position 5 out of 22 pupils in her class in the second term of 2009. She likes skipping.

How sponsorship works

By sponsoring a child's education, you are helping to break the cycle of poverty for some of the world's poorest families. You can do this in one of two ways:

Feedback

Once you have sponsored a child, we will provide regular feedback on the work of the Hotcourses Foundation in your child's community. In addition, you are welcome to send letters or emails to the child which we will pass on (although you should not always expect a reply given the extreme poverty most of these children are living in). Unfortunately for logistical reasons we are not able to deliver packages or presents to children being sponsored.

Security and safeguards

The Hotcourses Foundation is a registered charity (number 1104396). Hotcourses local volunteers have met most of the children needing sponsors. We work in partnership with trusted local organisations in Kenya and Uganda who arrange for the money to be paid directly to the school or college. It is not given directly to the child you sponsor or his/her family.

Administration costs

As a small charity with low overheads we are able to keep administration costs to the minimum. Over 90% of the money you pay will go directly to help the child you are sponsoring or the community in which the child lives.

How is my information used?

The Hotcourses Foundation uses the information we collect from you to improve our understanding of how our site is being used, and to send you news of the child you are sponsoring and of the charity in general that may be of interest to you. We will not pass it on to third parties, including other charities or fundraising organisations.