Sponsor Resources

 

Sponsor FAQs

 
  • To sponsor a child, please click here to view our children in need of a sponsor and select the child(ren) you’d like to sponsor by clicking “sponsor” below his/her photo. Complete the “checkout” process and you’re all set!

    If you signed up at an in-person event and took a QR code sponsorship card with you, you’ll follow the same steps above to complete your online donation setup. Simply scan the QR code on the sponsorship card you chose and complete the checkout process.

  • $60/month for Pre-K - Secondary Students.

    $150/month for students pursuing vocational & technical degrees.

    $300/month for students enrolled in a 4-year university program.

    *You can choose to pay monthly or annually for any of these sponsorship levels.

  • After you have set up your payment method (monthly/yearly, online via debit/credit card, ACH, etc.) you can expect to receive your first letter from your new sponsored child within 2-3 weeks in your REACH donor portal here. (You will receive an email notification when any communication from your child has been uploaded into your REACH account).

  • When a child enters the program the whole family enters the program with him/her. Your support not only changes your sponsored child’s life, but it changes their entire family’s lives. Don’t just take our word for it, read what others have to say about why they love DCM here!

    -DCM is a hand up not a hand-out organization.

    -Unlike many other sponsorship programs, DCM is more directly involved in the spiritual lives of each child. We come alongside each child to individually meet their needs vs. applying a “one size fits all” solution.

    -DCM is a Ugandan-led organization. We in America are in a partnership to serve our Ugandan team, but it is their ministry to lead and plan strategically.

    -The child writes a personal letter to the sponsor at least twice a year.

    -Everyone has the opportunity to travel to Uganda to visit their child if they so choose.

    -DCM focuses on the whole child, developing them mentally, physically, and spiritually.

    -Over 90% of donations go to the on-the-ground program in Uganda.

    -Many of the children sponsored are in remote areas of Uganda that until DCM arrived, never had the opportunity to go to school.

    -DCM has a medical and dental clinic at one of its locations which is operated by Ugandan medical staff.

    -During the Covid-19 pandemic when school was closed, DCM staff visited families deep in the villages to continue the child’s education and to support the families.

    -DCM is run by local Ugandans who have a personal interest in the success of each child.

    -DCM takes an interest in all parts of the child’s life. Ugandan children are confronted with many challenges outside the classroom that if not monitored by the DCM staff would result in a child dropping out of the program.

    -DCM has program continuity because the founders are still leading and personally committed to the program after 20+ years.

    -The DCM team builds personal relationships with the children’s families and therefore are aware of any issues that impede the child’s education.

    -Program alumni frequently come back to the ministry to assist with the ministry programs and encourage the children in our programs, that they too, can dream big!

  • We have a saying in the ministry that goes like this, “The only way you are finished with the program is if you choose to leave.” Meaning we will be there to mentor, love, and support all children in our programs (past, present, and future) throughout their whole adult life. Each child is forever a part of our family and we don’t just stop walking alongside him/her after he/she has graduated/grown up. (We do stop supporting him/her financially, once he/she has graduated from our program as each child has at that point gained either vocational skills or a University degree).

  • Your sponsorship is critical to the overall viability of the ministry. First, it is the primary source of DCM’s operating funds. It funds all of the day-to-day community development programs, evangelism/church planting training, teachers’ salaries, education materials, school fees, uniforms for children, consistent food, and so much more. Second, your dollars are certainly important, but the love and support your child(ren) get from knowing someone in the US cares about them is priceless. Your sponsored child and his/her family pray for you continually and we can assure you that your life will be greatly impacted by this symbiotic relationship.

  • Children LOVE hearing from you!!! Your encouragement means the world to your sponsored child, so write letters often! Child letters can be snail-mailed or easily sent online.

    TO SEND AN ONLINE MESSAGE:

    Log into your REACH account, then click on "My Sponsorships" then click "New Message." (You can even send photos/videos).

    Tutorial Video: Sending an Email and/or a Video to Your Sponsored Child

    TO SNAIL-MAIL SPONSOR LETTERS:

    Divine Care Ministries

    c/o Peter and Phoebe Sozi

    P.O. Box 3957 Kampala, Uganda

    *Please include your sponsor child’s name and school (if you know it) at the top of the letter to your child. It usually only costs $1-$2 USD to mail a letter to Uganda.

  • Once you receive your first introductory letter from your child, you can expect to receive a personal handwritten letter at least twice a year.

  • You can pay for your sponsorship in a variety of ways. We accept debit/credit card, check, ACH, giving via a Donor Advised Fund, etc. To learn more please visit our donation page.

  • Your letters don’t have to be long. In fact, we recommend keeping them to one page or less. Here are some ideas for topics to discuss with your sponsored child:

    -Ask questions- your questions will tell your child you want to know him/her. Research Uganda, ask about his/her favorite Bible verse, or ask what he/she is currently learning in school or life. Ask about their family and friends, etc.

    -Talk about your family/children.

    -Talk about your favorite memories or traditions.

    -Share your favorite Bible verse.

    -Share a prayer request or two.

  • Here are a few things to avoid sharing in your letters:

    -Please don’t share your personal email, address, or phone number.

    -Talking about material possessions like how big your house is or discussing your cars, etc.

    -Using slang, idioms, or complicated words that would be hard to understand if English wasn’t your first language.

    -Suggesting that your sponsored child visit the United States.

    -Asking what your sponsored child would like as a gift from you.

  • When a message is sent to you from your sponsored child, you will receive an email notifying you, with a link to log in to your REACH account to view it.

    Once logged in, you will see any unread messages highlighted in their Inbox and the number of messages will be shown next to “My Profile.” Any unread communication between you and your sponsored child will remain highlighted until you click on it.

  • We suggest that until your sponsored child has graduated from the program you refrain from messaging him/her other than through writing letters or online messages via our donor portal, REACH.

    -In the digital age we live in, we know that is very likely your sponsored child can find you online. As we've seen with other sponsors in the past, it can get very awkward if messaging a child directly through social media, email, etc. as it is not unlikely that eventually money will be asked for, stories could be made up, etc. Instead, we ask that you always point him/her toward the ministry when he/she requests a need other than prayers/encouragement and that the child comes to one of our longtime leaders, Uncle Silver, Auntie Dianna, Pastor Henry, Phoebe, or Peter so he/she can mentor and guide him/her and point him/her in the right direction and ensure they get what they need from a Ugandan perspective.

  • As a general rule of thumb, we prefer that you don’t send gifts directly to your sponsored child. While super generous of you, we want to be mindful of all of the kiddos in our program. DCM is supporting over 1,800 children and only 300+ of our children have sponsors. We don’t want the children in our program to feel like they are any less loved and cared for than any other child. If your sponsored child receives a gift and their classmates don’t, there could be potential for the other children to feel less loved and/or feel jealous and envious of your child.

    At Christmas time, we do encourage you to provide a financial gift to your child which goes to the DCM staff who determine how best to spend the money on your child. The most common purchases are for bedding, shoes, clothing, etc., all very practical and needed items. We will contact you when it’s time to make Christmas gifts. Thank you so much for your willingness to give!!

    *When your child graduates from the program, i.e. completes his/her vocational degree or University degree, there will be an opportunity to send him/her a graduation gift! Our sponsorship team will be sure to inform you when this opportunity arises.

    *There are exceptions to the above as we sometimes have opportunities to send a gallon ziploc bag of lightweight small gifts to your sponsored child (handled via our sponsorship dept. and social workers) when we have teams going over to Uganda. Reach out to our U.S. Coordinator to find out more.

  • Yes, please! We encourage any and all of our sponsors to visit Uganda! Your visit means the world to your sponsored child(ren) and to our staff. In addition, the exposure you get to the children and ministry gives you a renewed perspective of the work DCM is doing and the difference DCM and your sponsorship is making in the lives of the children and the communities in which we work.

    Visits need to be arranged through Kim who would coordinate your trip with the Ugandan staff. Significant planning is required for every trip and the staff must allocate time to you during your visit; therefore we try to limit the number of visits per year to minimize staff disruption and trip planning. In most cases, we would organize a trip to include multiple sponsors and someone from the US who is an experienced Ugandan traveler.

  • You can sign into the donor portal here. We have also created a series of helpful how-to videos for using the donor portal. Click and watch these short tutorial videos here.

    Video Tutorial: How to Navigate the Donor Portal

    Video Tutorial: Using REACH (Donor Portal)

  • Contribution statements are mailed and/or available online in your REACH account by the 3rd week of January each year for the previous year’s giving. You can also check on any of your donations to date in REACH at any point you desire.

    Video Tutorial: Downloading Your Contribution Statements

  • Inviting your friends and family to give towards a special project you’d like to fundraise for DCM is an incredibly rewarding experience!

    We’ve put together a helpful video tutorial for you below and can’t wait to see your creativity shine!

    Video Tutorial: Creating a Supporter Fundraising Campaign

  • Due to the difficult situations our children find themselves in, it is not uncommon for a child to have to unexpectedly pick up and move with his/her family. While this early departure doesn’t happen often, it does come with the nature of where and who we work with, vulnerable children. Read this blog post to learn more about the difficulties our children face.

  • We understand that sometimes things happen and you need to stop your child sponsorship. Please give us a call at 615-270-9455 to cancel.

  • -Start a Fundraising Campaign to Raise Money for a DCM Project!

    -Host a DCM Event at Your Church/Small Group, Etc.

    -Share our Posts, Stories, etc. on Your Social Media Platforms.

    -Visit Uganda!

    -Invite Your Friends to Sign Up for our Online Newsletter. Copy and paste this link in an email or text and invite them to sign up. :)

    -Host a Yard Sale, Car Wash, Lemonade Stand, Race, or Another Creative Endeavor to Raise Money for DCM.

    -Send us Your Stories of Sponsoring/Being a Donor With Us so we Can Share Them With Others!

    -Pray For Us!