Many development organizations have sponsorship programs to help children. Dorcas Aid has been supporting children through sponsorship for many years. Many development funds are spent on all kinds of groups in "the South", but one group is consistently forgotten: the elderly. For many reasons they are the ones that are least able to profit from this support. And many of them deserve it most, after a life of hard work and many sufferings.
In Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union many elderly, who worked hard all their lives and put money aside for their pension, have no penny left; due to hyperinflation, their saving money has become worthless.
In Africa children always were supposed to take care of their parents when they are old. However, now a lot of young people have died from AIDS and the grandchildren come under the care of elderly who even are not able to care for themselves.
In 2003 Dorcas started the Adopt a Granny program, to improve the living conditions of these elderly people. With a monthly amount of € 25 the life of a ‘granny' changes completely. With a little money a lot can be done in one of the granny programs! The support may partly differ from program to program, depending on the local situation or even the personal situation of the granny. Usually the program provides:
food
medical care
counseling
social activities
clothing
financial support for cost of living
Sponsorship in a nutshell
The local partner organization selects the grannies who will benefit from the program. The target group is the most needy elderly people aged 55 or older who are not able to provide for themselves. Most of the grannies (85%) are women, but there are a few male grannies also.
When you start to sponsor a granny, you will receive a nice sponsorship folder, with information (and a picture) of the granny, the program and the local situation. Once a year you will receive a progress report from the granny and a newsletter from the program; every two years a new picture.
It is possible to write to your granny or even visit your granny. Giving and praying for your granny will bring about a huge change in granny's life!
A granny generally will be in the sponsorship program for the rest of his/her life, but may leave the program because of a few reasons: e.g. moving to another place, improved living circumstances.
Dorcas cooperates with local churches / Christian organizations. They have the knowledge of the local culture and circumstances. They started the support with the limited means that they have, because they feel the love of God for these people in their desperate situation. Dorcas trains and equips these local Christians so that they will do an even better job, and will be able to support more and more needy people in their surroundings.
Dorcas currently supports almost 4.000 grannies in 12 countries.
For only € 25 a month you can become a sponsor. Would you care to help?
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