Inspired by Islamic values, our orphan sponsorship programme recognises the importance of providing for an orphan child. There are an estimated 140 million orphans around the world, most of whom live with an existing parent or relative.
Being an orphan significantly increases a child’s risk of poverty, marginalisation and exploitation, which are ordeals many children are facing right now.
However, something can be done. READ Foundation brings hope in the form of sponsoring a child, investing in them, investing in their future and ours too. The purpose of our sponsorship programme is to give children, from toddlers to adolescence, the relevant high-quality education they need. This will be led by passionate and engaging teachers who will prioritise education and give these children better life prospects.
Just as every country and environment is unique, every child and smile is unique. They all have something different to contribute. Not all sponsors can physically be there to assist their sponsored child, however, you will be there in every word they read, every textbook they open, in the food they eat, the games they play and throughout their lives as they live and grow.
It began in Kashmir, Pakistan, which is now one of READ Foundation’s longest running programs.
An orphan is a child without a father or both parents, as one parent would be a source of provision and protection for a child.
We sponsor 11,341, across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
It is in Afghanistan, Azad Jammu Kashmir, as well as Palestinian & Syrian children currently living in Lebanese refugee camps.
The conflict and natural disasters within Afghanistan have had a huge impact on children. As well as poverty, high child mortality rates and lack of safety, education has also been impacted. According to UNICEF, 24% of girls over 15 are illiterate and 42% of school age children are out-of-school.
By implementing the sponsorship programme in Kabul and Nangarhar, READ Foundation has improved the lives of 36 boys and girls. Not only has READ provided access to education, the programme has restored a sense of dignity and self-worth in these children and enhanced their life chances.
Lebanon has hosted 1.5 million Syrian refugees fleeing from war, with one third living in camps in the Bekaa valley. Less than half of the Syrian refugee children have access to formal education. Syrian children often have to work to provide for their families.
Palestinian refugees also suffer a similar fate in Lebanon, where they work as manual labourers (rag pickers etc) to provide income for their families. Further obstacles include discrimination in mainstream schooling, language barriers, abuse and unsafe journeys to school.
READ Foundation has afforded 153 Palestinian and Syrian orphans a safe and high-quality education, allowing children to aspire to a brighter life. The trauma and turmoil have had a great impact on a child’s life. At READ Foundation, we want to change this by creating a space to allow children to develop, build social connections and be able to experience the calm, innocence and joy of childhood.
A one-off payment or a monthly instalment for a year will cover the cost of education, psychosocial support and hygiene facilities for a child.
The school fees are paid in full, giving the orphan child the opportunity to go to school, gain knowledge, make friends and be themselves again.
A backpack is provided, containing a notebook, pens, pencils, colouring pens, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, a geometry set, and textbooks.
For the school year, the child is given a full uniform, including a jumper, two shirts, a pair of trousers and two pairs of sturdy shoes.
A monthly stipend is provided to the guardian of the orphan to help them with their child’s needs, even outside of school.
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READ Foundation is a charity registered in the UK with the Charity Commission (1160256) and a company limited by guarantee (09195667).
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