Nelson I

Nelson aged 9 lives with his grandmother, his older brother, older sister and 3 cousins all of whom are orphaned. His single mother died in December 2008 and his mother’s sister, also single, died too. His grandmother tries to sell things and to wash clothes to earn an income. The eldest of his cousins, Beth, is studying dress making at the Ruben Centre. Only Nelson joined the Lea Toto programme on 26 September 2008. His favourite subject at school is maths and he enjoys playing football.

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.