Our sponsorships
In many countries Waldorf schools receive little or no support from the state. Since the schools have to support themselves financially many families are confronted by insurmountable problems. They are often burdened with unemployment or receive only very low wages, and many are single parent families. Of course the schools do their best to admit all children, but what if the school itself is struggling for surviving financially?
You can choose the level of your regular donation - each donation is a valuable help. The level of school fees varies between countries like Armenia, Lithuania or Vietnam – around 25-30 Euros a month and up to 200 Euros a month in countries in South America. Living costs in many of these countries are comparable with those in Europe, whereas incomes are many times lower!
We facilitate sponsorships in the sense of an educational voucher system. Our approach involves an arrangement with the school whereby the donation to top up the fees benefits all the children in need whose parents cannot afford the full fees, even though not every child is sponsored. Ideally all these children can stay in the school including those not individually sponsored. Thus the sponsored children are like ambassadors for the whole school. Therefore the sponsorships benefit the whole school community, whilst nevertheless retaining the possibilities of a more personal relationship to the sponsors and thus an individual element.
All sponsors receive twice a year a little report including photographs from ‘their’ children, often including a personal letter from the family and even a letter from the child. The sponsors can write to their children if they want. Friends of Waldorf Education have permanent reliable contacts locally who pass on the contact details and email addresses of the sponsors to the children and their families.
What a Waldorf School can mean...
As a young South African who was born in Johannesburg and who grew up in Cape Town I can honestly say that without your financial support I´d probably be on the streets telling myself that crime is my life and that there is a future doing that. So thanks for believing in me and making my education possible. I am where I am today because of you!"
Thuto Thipa, class 12, WS McGregor, 2008.
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