Some important facts to know regarding sponsorship with Matsiko
Your sponsorship is the lifeline to your sponsored child's future. The way sponsorship works with Matsiko is that your sponsorship takes your child's education through the university in your child's home country so that they may become whatever they want to become and have their futures and destiny in their own hands for the first time in their family's history!
If additional fees for your child's schooling become more than you would like to support, we can ask you if you would like to share your sponsorship support with another willing person (we or you can find) or if you would like to pay that additional schooling fee for your child. Either way is most common and is greatly appreciated and needed for your sponsored child.
One thing to always remember is that we all support the children for the betterment of the child and therefore, should always encourage any additional support for a particular child and should never think we have not done enough. In addition, we all should know that if a child has one (1) sponsor or four (4) sponsors, each and every sponsor has become the most important part of that child's life just like having 2 parents and grandparents supporting a child as is very common here in the USA.
Other than the scenario above, you are the only sponsor for your child and can always write, visit, and ask our office questions regarding your child at any time.
The only exception to your being the only sponsor for your child other than the scenario above is if you sponsor a child who has, is, or will be touring on the Matsiko World Orphan Choir Tour. In that case, Matsiko works to get these particular children at least four (4) sponsors.
Let me explain why.
We work to get multiple sponsors for children who have toured with the Matsiko World Orphan Choir because these children work hard to get many of our world's neediest children sponsors but often lose their sponsorship within the first year of being sponsored.
According to past World Vision studies, 50% of sponsors drop their sponsorship within the first six (6) months of sponsorship. Thankfully, Matsiko sponsors have a better rate than that, but still, making sure these particular children do not lose their sponsorship is a prevalent goal for Matsiko.
The reality is that if a child loses their sponsorship, they still must eat. Since they can no longer go to school, they have to do something to eat, and many return to selling on the street or doing whatever they can to eat for the day. This is the reality when a child cannot afford to go to school and is no different for Matsiko touring children or any of the other 600 million orphaned or at-risk children in the world.
Therefore, Matsiko works very hard to ensure this never happens to any child, especially for the children who have toured with the Choir.
The reason is that Matsiko's touring children are the organisation's " face " and why many sponsor a child in the first place. In fact, the children of the Matsiko World Orphan Choir have been called, "The greatest representatives of our world's 600 million orphaned and at-risk children by US Congressmen, Senators, and even from their nation's government officials. Therefore, if anyone ever learned or saw, on from a Matsiko Service Trip visit, any particular child they may remember from the Matsiko World Orphan Choir selling on the streets and not going to school, this would reflect poorly for the entire purpose of why we are working to help our world's 600 million orphaned and at-risk children!
This look may even tarnish Matsiko's good work and reputation. Therefore, finding at least four (4) sponsors for every Matsiko World Orphan Choir touring child ensures that the child continues to go to school and has most of their needs covered, such as food, clothing, medical, and other essentials.
As for all other children, when a child loses a sponsor, we place that child at the top of the sponsorship list and on the list of most vulnerable children needing sponsorship.
This understanding is most important, and we hope you understand the rationale of this practice. Matsiko has actually taken many steps to develop this policy from the advice of many of our valued sponsors, staff, and outside experts in the field.
If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact me directly at any time. Your constructive input is always welcomed!