Australians sponsor children to make a positive contribution to a child and their community, and to teach their own kids about the world, and an Australian-first survey reveals.
The survey of 1000 people by Plan International Australia has found that one in five Australians are current or past child sponsors.
Three-quarters of those surveyed (71 per cent) agreed that children in all corners of the world deserve our help wherever they live, and for parents the number one reason for sponsoring was to teach their children values, according to the report It Takes a Village: Australians’ Views on Child Sponsorship, released on the United Nations' International Day of Charity (September 5).
Sydney couple Gazi Magdalawi and Abir Abdallah and their children have been sponsoring children through several different organisations for a number of years. They believe it helps teach their children to be good people and help others.
"I just happened to be born here by chance," Magdalawi tells SBS.
"I'm half Palestinian, half Danish. My wife is Lebanese, she's lived in a warzone before, lived on the streets and gone without food. We do need to teach our children that life can be very different and teach them love, compassion and mercy.
"If I've made a difference with my existence here, a positive difference, that's what I'm concerned about, and that's what I'm trying to teach my children as well.
"It brings out a different person within them. They're not always thinking about themselves [but about] contributing to society, contributing to people around us, and trying to help others, whether it be locally or abroad."
According to the report, people aged 35-45 were most likely to currently sponsor, but Millennials and Gen Y’s were far more likely to say they want to sponsor a child.
Almost all current sponsors (87 per cent) agree sponsorship makes a lasting difference to a child and their community and is a great way for them to make a positive contribution to the world.
More than half (54 per cent) of the non-sponsors surveyed were concerned sponsorship was aligned with a particular religious agenda, and 35 per cent mistakenly believed funds went to a single child.
Child sponsorship rates have been flat for a decade, according to Pareto Fundraising.
Plan International Australia’s CEO Ian Wishart says the survey revealed some of the common misconceptions around child sponsorship.
“The classic view of sponsorship is that it’s a way to preach religion and a very traditional and perhaps outdated model, but I’m here to tell you this is not the case in 2017 – sponsorship, particularly in Plan’s case, has evolved to a model that respects difference and supports whole communities," he says.
“I’ve seen how communities have changed over time thanks to sponsor contributions. How children can stay in school, have access to fresh water and wholesome food, better buildings and safer neighbourhoods. Sponsorship is arguably one of the most effective ways to help communities in the developing world and a hugely rewarding experience for those who sponsor too.”
