These holidays... give a gift of hope
With a real project gift from Plan you are giving hope to the children and families whose lives are being threatened in communities throughout East Africa.
Find out moreUnderstanding occasional changes to your sponsored child's details
As a sponsor you receive information about your sponsored child
and their community. The Sponsor Child Introduction document and
the yearly updates are produced by the local Plan office to inform
you of the progress in your sponsored child’s life and the
community, while the child may write to you from time to time and
let you know of any significant events and changes in their
lives.
Occasionally, you may find that the personal details of the child,
such as their name or age, has changed since the last report or
maybe the composition of the family has changed inexplicably in a
short time. When this happens, you might worry that a mistake has
occurred or that Plan has exchanged your sponsored child details
with that of another sponsored child.
When these discrepancies occur, we are happy to clarify them for
you as promptly as possible. In some cases, it may simply be a data
entry error. However, many of the changes have other explanations
that are common to most communities where Plan works.
Below are some common questions regarding occasional variations in
names, age, family composition and schooling of your sponsored
child. We trust this will help you to understand why these changes
occur and that you find it helpful and informative.
- Why is my sponsor child's age different?
- Why does my child look so young?
- Why does my sponsored child have a different name?
- Why has my sponsored child dropped out of school?
- Why are the family members different?
Questions and Answers in Full...
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Why is my sponsor child's age different?
Nine last year, seven this year! How old is my sponsored child?
There are a number of circumstances that may create uncertainties about the age of your sponsored child.
Lack of a systematic and universal birth registration system – often the registration of birth is not a priority due to the costs involved, the distance to the nearest birth registration office from the village, etc.
Uncertainty of child’s age among family members – many cultures do not celebrate birthdays and therefore do not keep a written record of the child’s date of birth.
The chronology is different in some cultures and religions. For example, the Muslim calendar has different years to the Christian calendar and in Ethiopia the calendar is years behind the Christian calendar. Therefore, when the age is calculated, it is not always easy to convert from one chronology to another.
Plan is currently undertaking a global advocacy campaign to highlight the importance of Universal Birth Registration. Plan is lobbying with Governments and individuals alike to put mechanisms in place to ensure every child has a birth certificate to enable access to health, education and other essential services and ensure their human rights.
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Why does my child look so young?
She can’t be nine; she looks only six!
Children in developing countries often look younger than their counterparts in the developed world. The reasons include malnutrition (some children having endured lack of sufficient food for years), genetics and diets that are low in protein. Sometimes it takes Plan many months to find a sponsor for a child. For instance, the photo in the Family Profile may have been taken at age 6 and it may have taken a year to find a sponsor for her. Therefore, based on date of birth in the profile, the child should be 7 but the photos could appear to be of a child who looks younger in appearance.
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Why does my sponsored child have a different name?
My sponsored child’s name has changed!
There could be many reasons for your sponsored child’s name to appear differently on different communications.
In many cultures, a persons name can undergo several changes throughout a lifetime. Many parents in the developing world do not register the birth of their children due to various socio-economic challenges and as a result many children grow up with just a first name or without a ‘fixed’ name.
A child will often have several different names, especially children who grow up in rural areas. For instance some children have a public (official) name, but in daily life it may be shortened to one or two syllables (e.g. Sri Hadiyah may be shortened to Yah). Therefore, a child’s name may vary depending upon which family member is providing information!
Some cultures believe that the name has an influence on a person’s life. Therefore, if a child becomes seriously ill, the name may be blamed and the family will immediately change the child’s name.
Some parents decide to change their child’s name when he/she enters a new phase in life, eg when he or she starts school or reaches the age of puberty.
All of the above situations and many more of similar nature affect the recording and reporting of names in communications to sponsors.
Occasionally the family members inform Plan of changes to their child’s name. When this happens Plan sends a letter to the relevant sponsor regarding this change. However, more often, sponsors are the first to notice these discrepancies and we hope you now have a better understanding of the reasons this occurs.
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Why has my sponsored child dropped out of school?
There are many reasons for a child to leave school. These are often different for boys and girls.
In some countries, girls drop out of school when they reach puberty. They may feel that working at home in preparation for a future marriage is more beneficial than continuing with their education. This view is encouraged by parents in some societies, especially where early marriage of adolescent daughters is still widely practised. Plan works with communities to change the attitudes of families about education and early marriage in order to encourage them to send girls to school and to have them complete at least basic education.
In some communities, children are expected to work to supplement the family income. The parents may also lack motivation for their children’s education because they themselves have managed with little or no education. As the value of education is increasingly understood, Plan works with communities to identify the vocational educational needs as well as to provide alternative education models.
The cost of education or vocational training is a burden that most families find difficult and are therefore reluctant to bear. Plan works with communities to show the long-term benefits of education, and also to make education more accessible and achievable.
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Why are the family members different?
Sponsors sometimes notice that the composition of their sponsored child’s family has changed, for instance, older siblings added or even the names and the ages of the child’s parents changed!
The word “family” is interpreted and regarded differently in various parts of the world. Many communities consist of extended families and kinships and some families live and raise children in communal environments. The terms such as brother, sister, uncle, aunt and even mother have different and often broad connotations in different countries and cultures. For instance, a male friend of the parents may be called ‘uncle’ by the children and male and female cousins are often called ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’. These ways of identifying and addressing people are customary and are also considered respectful.
Also, in some countries and cultures, it is customary and acceptable for men to have several wives who may live in the same community and even in the same household. Some may remarry individuals who already have children. Children of relatives may be ‘adopted’ into the family due to many reasons including loss of parents, need for extra help by the family and the existence of opportunities in the community.
It is customary for the new bride of the father to be identified as the ‘mother’ of the family. The children of the new partner will be referred to as ‘sons’ and ‘daughters’ and will be considered ‘sisters’ and ‘brothers’ of the existing children.
In some countries, young people get married and move into the house of their husband’s family. Once married, the girls are often considered to be a part of the husband’s family by both families and they may no longer appear in the original family composition.
Regardless of the reason, the concept of family appears to be more fluid and accommodating than it is in many western societies and provides extensive support networks.
When the family is visited by a Plan Volunteer to gather information necessary for the Annual Progress Report of the child, the composition of the family is provided by an adult member of the family. They are asked whether there have been any significant changes to the family in the past year. The gathering of information is done in a manner that respects their right to privacy and confidentiality. Often, the information is freely and willingly exchanged. However, Plan understands and respects the individuals’ wishes to withhold certain details and types of information.