Launched! Refugee Child Sponsorships

Goal: 1000 refugee children sponsored!

Children in one of the refugee camps Indigenous Ministries has been ministering to since 2014. Thank you for sharing with relief aid with your prayers and financial gifts to these kids and their families! Now we can all help refugee kids through monthly sponsorships.

We’re excited to share with you great news! We’ve just launched our brand-new Refugee Child Sponsorship Program in Iraq!

Right now we have three different ways you can help Iraqi, Syrian, Kurdish and Yazidi refugee children. First, the Trauma Care Kit, secondly,the backpack project, and now, Child Sponsorships are available.

Our goal is to help 1,000 children in our program, and from now to December 1, we are asking the Lord for the first 125 to be sponsored. Are you feeling a tug at your heart to get involved yet?

With 3.2 million refugees in Iraq, sponsorships help to address the need refugee families, and especially the children, desperately have: a more stable life environment and hope for their future.

Recently, Indigenous Ministries received NGO (non-government organization or nonprofit) status in Iraq, which means we have government permission to move ahead in ministry. The countless hours of work by our Colorado Springs team, and our teams in Iraq in preparation for this launch, means you can sponsor a refugee child (hopefully more than one!) in Iraq.

Sponsorships are $39 for one child monthly, $78 for two, or $117 for three. It’s easy to do this; simply on the right click the Donate button and select “Child Sponsorships” in the drop down menu. The whole process should take you 3-5 minutes.

FAQs to assist you in posting these kids on your fridge:

1. Do the families receive cash? No, our teams use these funds for monthly food packets, clothing, shoes, school supplies, and an occasional toy for the children. We also assist with general medical needs on a case by case basis.

2. What’s in the food packets? General supplies such as rice, macaroni, canned meats, cheese, nuts, flour, sugar, salt and oil, shampoo, soap, tissue, etc.

3. Do the children hear the Gospel? These kids and their families have been greatly traumatized and need consistent, gentle care and demonstrated love before anything else. Our goal is to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the children as God enables. IM staff regularly share Bible stories and lessons with the children, and they have opportunities to respond to the love of the Lord if they so choose. Most are Muslim and nominal Christian in background and have never been exposed to Biblical Scriptures.

4. Where do the children live? Most live in UN refugee camps, while some live in settlements, and others live in tents, apartments or homes. It varies greatly. Most live with multiple families.

5. What if there are a lot of kids in a family? We sponsor a maximum of two children per family.

6. Am I the only sponsor of my child? Yes.

7. What is expected of me? Please pray regularly for your child(ren) and for our IM teams, regularly contribute $39/month, write your child(ren).

8. What can I expect of Indigenous Ministries? You receive a packet with your child’s bio, photo and other helpful information. IM sends monthly receipts of your donations, as well as reports on the sponsorship program and progress of the children. We send you The Liaison, our ministry newsletter, and if we have your email, we will send you video and email updates. In emergencies and natural disasters, you will be contacted and given the opportunity to respond with prayer and financial helps. You have full access to our website with hundreds of resources and insightful blogs on the ministry and working in Islamic and Hindu cultures.

9. Who meets with the kids and what oversight does Indigenous Ministries have? Our local Iraqi Indigenous Ministries staff, who speak Arabic and Kurdish, and meet with the kids regularly. Families are also contacted by our pastors and church members when feasible. We interact with our teams weekly and require financial reporting, as well as reports on the activities of the children. Our US teams are regularly on-site training and monitoring each of IM’s child sponsorship programs in Iraq, Egypt and the Philippines.

10. What is the administrative fee Indigenous Ministries takes? Our US admin fee is 20% on child sponsorship programs which helps to cover administrative oversight, accounting, fund transfer fees, utilities, equipment, office supplies, postage and translation at our Colorado Springs office. We work diligently to keep overhead costs within check and constantly monitor them in order to direct these funds exactly to the purpose for which they are intended.

11. Can I write my child? Will he or she be able to write me? Yes! We provide you with helps and encourage you to write your children. You will hear from your child three times a year. Oh, and yes, we will translate these letters for you!

12. What about visiting my child? Absolutely! We invite our partners to join us in Prayer Walks in the Middle East and the Philippines, and yes, we will be happy to arrange for you to visit your sponsored child at that time.

Call our office and speak with Sarah to set up your sponsorship today!