Give Life. Give Education.
This year, we are looking for 100 sponsors to help us put 40 children into school.
Who will be sponsored?
We will have eight returning students. Going forward, new students will be specifically chosen by the Ethiopian government, having been identified as children who are in need. One of the criteria outlined in our proposal to the government is, “children who have never had access to education due to abysmal poverty.”
How will the children benefit?
The children will be enrolled in school and will be provided with the books, shoes, and uniforms they need. They will be closely monitored by a social worker who will follow up with their families and teachers. The social worker will mentor the students, organize recreational activities, and conduct Bible studies. They will have access to a safe, clean place where they can study and bathe.
How much is the sponsorship?
$300 for the entire year.
Why $300?
We have carefully chosen this amount to cover all of the program’s expenses. These expenses include: the children’s school supplies, uniforms, shoes, and books; rent for an office that will also be used by the children; and salaries for the social worker and Ethiopian staff. We are trying to keep every expense to a minimum while maximizing the impact for the children.
When will I be matched with a student?
The eight original students will most likely be re-sponsored by their original sponsors. Before the school year begins again in September and October of 2015, the government will recommend new students for our program. As we receive these students, we will match them with sponsors.
Why do I need to start my sponsorship before I have been matched with the student?
The sponsorship money is not something that we hand directly to the children and families. It is a portion of the total amount that we need to operate for one school year. In order to prove to the Ethiopian government that we are ready to add children to our program, we need funding upfront so that we can get our staff and office in order before school begins again in September.
What is my relationship with my sponsored students?
Our staff will keep you updated on your student throughout the school year. At any time, you are welcome to contact any of us for an update. There may be times throughout the school year when you are able to send a care package to your student. Your student will have a photo of your family and will know your names. We ask that you specifically pray for your student and his or her family throughout the year—we have seen prayer warriors make a huge difference in the lives of our original eight students! We also invite you to travel to Ethiopia to meet your child! Logan and Brandy Wade hope to travel from the US to Addis Ababa during the winter of 2015/2016, and we would love to have you join us!
Why can’t my sponsorship be automatically withdrawn each month?
We looked into options for monthly sponsorship withdrawals, but, at this point, those programs are far too expensive for us. We don’t want to spend any of our sponsors’ money on anything that doesn’t directly benefit the children. For now, it makes the most sense to receive donations directly through PayPal.
How do I sign up?
The BEST possible scenario is that you donate $300 right now. We would be eternally grateful! You can donate through our PayPal account at LifeThruEDU@gmail.com or mail a check to Life Thru EDU at 760 D Street NE Linton, Indiana 47441. We will be in contact with you immediately and keep you updated on the program. We will match you with a student as soon as we have our list of students.
The next best scenario is that you donate $75 right now, using either of the methods above. We can send a quarterly PayPal request for the remainder of your sponsorship.
We completely understand that there are many families who want to be involved, but may not be able to pay the entire sponsorship at one time. Those families are welcome to donate $25 a month for the year. If you would like to go this route, please contact LifeThruEDU@gmail.com, and we will work it out together!
What can we guarantee you?
We can guarantee you that Ethiopian children currently living in poverty will benefit. We can guarantee that you will bring them hope and Jesus, maybe for the first time in their lives. We guarantee that the children and families will be grateful.
We can also guarantee that we will make mistakes this year. We can guarantee that there will be missteps. This is our first year as a licensed Ethiopian charity, and this is new to all of us. We’re stepping out of our comfort zones to do what we feel God is leading us to do. We don’t have all of the answers right now. We don’t know where we will be in six months or a year. But we will continue to follow the Lord where he leads us. We hope you’ll come with us!
