IIMC Sponsorship Program

The sponsorship program was started in July 1994, and it soon became one very central program of IIMC. There are currently more than 2500 children sponsored by international individuals and groups, coming from over 16 different countries. With a monthly contribution of 20 Euros, you can help a child to have access to education and proper health care.

How It All Started

IIMC is a social empowerment organization designed to improve the lives of the poorest of the poor people of India educationally, medically & economically. Soon after we started IIMC in 1989, we realized that medical problems have a larger context. When people do not have proper nutrition, proper education, proper economical means, medical problems are a consequence of their situations.
Most of the people can’t read the prescription given to them by a doctor; and they do not know what is bad and what is good for their health. So it was clear that people need at least primary education and this is how we started with 10 sponsored children in 1993. After the first year, the results were very encouraging. All these children were healthy, clean and medically rich. So health care and schooling, ultimately changed the whole family and we believe this will bring improvement to our poor and backward society.

Why We Sponsor a Poor Child

India is a very large, highly populated tropical country. We have mountains, sea, and minerals -- but still most of us are very poor because we do not know how to  utilize  all those valuable resources due to lack of education. Till now, 56% of the people are illiterate and 40% people live under poverty level. In this situation, if we want to bring development to our society, we have to go through the education of people. If everyone can read and write it will make difference for our backward society. Poor people have this preconception that school is not for them, that only children from rich families deserve to go to school. That is why we started IIMC's sponsorship programme for the poor & backward families.

How We Sponsor a Child

We take great care in selectioning the families and children that IIMC will accept in our sponsorship program, to ensure that our ressorces are effectively reaching the poor. The first step in our selection process is to organiz awareness visits from house to house to talk to the poor parents about the importance of education. We encourag & motivat the parents. This process goes on in our medical centres, among the mothers of sick children. To make the final selection of which child will be sponsored, we use some criteria for the sponsorship, e.g. children who are born into a very poor & illiterate, landless family. Most of these parents are working as a day labourer, rickshaw puller, street hawker, house servant etc.

What We Mean by Sponsorship

We provide school fees, study material, uniforms, shoes, socks, school bags, books, midday food, private tuition fees, everything whatever they need for their education. Sponsored children are living with their parents. They come once or twice in a month in our main Indoor centre to collect their materials & money. Also, we support them to give social & moral courage. Other facilities include:

1. When the sponsored children are sick we give free treatment to them, sometimes if they are very sick, we admit them into our own hospital for proper treatment. If it is a serious problem, we send them to University Hospital for better treatment. Their family also can get free treatment from our clinic.
2. Financial support: The mothers of our sponsored children are getting financial support from the project. We have opened a Micro Savings and Micro Credit unit for them. Mothers can save a little money for their future and they can take a loan for their small business to uplift their financial status.
3. Family counseling: When parents of our sponsored children have some problem we are trying to give some solution & proper counselling.

How Long we Sponsor a Child

Normally sponsored children are coming from a very poor family, and would otherwise not be able to attend school. Our sponsored children generally continue school till higher secondary (Class-XII, 18 years old). After that, they have a solid basic education, and can work to earn money for their families. Some are very bright and will continue up to University (21 years old). If some children cannot continue their study, we inform their sponsoring parents to stop sponsoring. But if the foster parents want to sponsor another child, we will propose a new child file.

How to Join our Sponsorship Program

Please contact us or our coordinators in your Country. 20 Euros per month will stop:

• Hunger
• Disease
• Abuse and exploitation
• Poverty, Child labour
• Social & economical injustice
• Caste problems
• Will give a child human rights & social dignity

Students can sponsor by joining with two or three friends together for one child.
The equivalent price of 2 meals or 3 pizzas’ per month can give a sustainable solution to child illiteracy.

How You Will Be Connected
Once you decide to sponsor a child, you will get your child’s file, including a photograph, family history and living conditions.

• School Progress report every year after annual examination.
• Child will write on her/his birthday & New Year’s times.
• IIMC Education coordinators will keep you informed regularly with the reports of the institution.
• You are welcome to write to the child as often as you want.
• Your personal visit to Kolkata, the project & the child home is very welcome.

We at IIMC believe that education is one of the best way you can help India.
Let’s support & co-operate together nationally and internationally.