Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you for considering child sponsorship. Following is a list of questions often asked by individuals, families, or churches seeking program information. We hope that this information addresses any concerns you might have, and will help you decide whether to make a committment to one of these very special children.
- What type of situations do these children come from?
- What qualifies an orphan for the GlobalFingerprints program?
- What are some of the individual needs of children being addressed by GlobalFingerprints?
- How long will these children be cared for by GlobalFingerprints?
- How important is prayer as a GlobalFingerprints sponsor?
- What does sponsorship really do?
- What does my $25 monthly sponsorship provide?
- How does my sponsored orphan benefit from my monthly donation?
- What are micro-projects?
- Am I the only one corresponding and praying for a specific child?
- What do I need to do to become a GlobalFingerprints sponsor?
- What type of contact will I have when I make a commitment to a child?
- Can I adopt the child?
- How long will my sponsorship last?
- What if I must discontinue my sponsorship?
- How does GlobalFingerprints ensure accountability?
- Can I send money or packages directly to my sponsored child?
- Can I bring a sponsored child to the U.S. to visit?
- Is my donation to sponsor an orphan tax deductible?
- Is my online sponsorship donation secure?
- How does a sponsored child learn about Jesus?
- How do I send in my donation by check?
- What type of situations do these children come from?
These children in the northwestern area of the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) have lost one or both parents to the disease of HIV/AIDS and are presently living in the home of an extended family member (aunt, uncle, grandparent, etc.) or Christian family within the Congolese Evangelical Free Church. They live in a region of the developing world that is very impoverished (no electricity or running water), lacking in infrastructure (no mail, inadequate roads, etc.), and is nestled in a climate of political unrest and instability. These orphaned children come from one poor family situation into another poor family situation with only the assistance, in most cases, from the local church community. The family unit is fortunately still a strong stabilizing factor in the rural settings of Congo and the likelihood of a child becoming homeless and left to the streets is minimal.
- What qualifies an orphan for the GlobalFingerprints program?
A child is an orphan, according to Webster, when they are “deprived by death of one or usually both parents.” Some orphans in the GlobalFingerprints program do have one natural parent living, but in most cases, the parent is extremely ill and cannot care for the child. Half of the orphans in the program must also be un-churched, as GlobalFingerprints is an outreach program of the Congolese church.
- What are some of the individual needs of these children being addressed by GlobalFingerprints?
One of the primary concerns for these children is the assistance to help relieve the emotional distress resulting from the recent death of a parent, the stigma & discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS that is prevalent, and the adjustment of fitting into a new family. Financial assistance through GlobalFingerprints will provide medical assistance for these vulnerable children. The Congolese church has an excellent hospital and health centers where these children will be cared for when necessary. Since education at all levels requires fees for tuition and books, most children are not able to attend school without support through GlobalFingerprints. Spiritual needs of these children and families are addressed by the assigned regional supervisors (case managers), along with local pastors and Sunday school teachers.
- How long will children be cared for by GlobalFingerprints?
We believe that supporting the family system caring for an orphaned child, especially those placed with relatives, is the best investment towards predicting a child’s health and well-being. GlobalFingerprints will continue to assist families until the child(ren) reach adulthood (18 years old). Even if the family becomes economically stable in the future, we will continue to assist with the emotional, social, and spiritual needs surrounding their journey into adulthood.
- How important is prayer as a GlobalFingerprints sponsor?
Prayer is a crucial link between sponsors and the children and families being helped. The child to whom you have made a commitment will hopefully become a special part of your own family and your prayers for their health, safety, education, and spiritual development. Sponsored children in the GlobalFingerprints program and their families are greatly encouraged when they know that their "extended family" sponsors are praying for them. Of course, interceding to our Father in heaven provides hope that the well-being of these children and families will not be limited to any short-comings of our direct care providers or program efforts.
- What does sponsorship really do?
As a sponsor, you offer hope for children who are overcome with grief, displacement, and fears of what tomorrow may bring. Your sponsorship shares the love of Jesus Christ, with children that are desperate to see His global fingerprints!
- What does my $25 monthly sponsorship commitment provide?
GlobalFingerprints is committed to serve children and families with their physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual needs. Your sponsorship donation will help provide these basic needs: food, clothing, medical, and school costs. A very small percentage will be directed to supplement the field staff expenses as they function in their case management responsibilities. Unless a child is very malnourished, food "money" will not go directly to the families, but will be put into micro-projects for the orphans in their regions, such as large gardens, fish ponds, raising animals, all of which will meet the nutritional needs of the orphan and the other children in his/her extended family.
- How does my sponsored orphan benefit from my monthly donation?GlobalFingerprints is committed to serve children and families with their physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual needs.
Your sponsorship provides:
- A witness of Christ's love and pastoral care
- School tuition
- Clothing
- Health care (includes doctor visits, medicine, hospital care)
- Development of micro-projects in the orphans' communities
- Support for the orphan case workers
- Biblical abstinence training programs in schools and homes
In special cases, when an orphan is very malnourished special food money will be spent on nutritious food for those individual families.
- What are micro-projects?
Micro-projects are designed to create a self-sustaining nutritional food source for the community. GlobalFingerprints provides agricultural assistance for the start-up of micro-projects such as farming local gardens, fish ponds, and livestock. The goal of the micro-projects is to create a self-sustaining environment for the community both nutritionally and economically.
- Am I the only one corresponding and praying for a specific child?
Yes, we have assigned only one program sponsor to each child.
- What do I need to do to become a GlobalFingerprints sponsor?
The GlobalFingerprints website (www.globalfingerprints.org) will help you become informed of the expectations surrounding child sponsorship, and allow you to complete the online sponsorship commitment form. Any questions regarding child sponsorship and/or this online process can be directed to globalfingerprints@efca.org.
- What type of contact will I have when I make a commitment to a child?
Our hope is to facilitate meaningful relationships between the orphaned children/caregiving families and GlobalFingerprints sponsors. To help enhance this relationship, the method of connecting with each other will be via email correspondence. Once you have registered as a program sponsor, you will receive a photo of the child you can pray for along with specific information to help build this relationship. Annually, you will receive an email communication from the child you are committed to and have the opportunity to reply.
- Can I adopt the child?
GlobalFingerprints will help support the tens of thousands of HIV/AIDS-affected orphans in Congo relocate into relatives’ families or church families in their locale, which does not make legal adoption a necessary option for care. Your role as a financial sponsor of the GlobalFingerprints program and prayer partner places you as part of this "extended family" already. If at any time in the future adoptions could be considered, we would notify sponsors. At the moment, adoption of these children would be very difficult, if not impossible.
- How long will my sponsorship last?
Your ongoing sponsorship commitment allows you the opportunity to support children participating in the GlobalFingerprints program until they are 18 years old.
- What if I must discontinue my sponsorship?
While we hope that you will maintain your support, we recognize that sponsors’ circumstances sometimes change. With this in mind, you may choose to discontinue your sponsorship at any time. If you must discontinue your support, GlobalFingerprints will immediately pair the child you have been linked with to a new sponsor. Our goal is that the child would not experience an interruption of prayer support or GlobalFingerprints program support.
Please understand that a sponsored child’s circumstances may also change. For example, due to possible future civil unrest, children and their families may need to relocate for their very survival. Also understand that given the medical and nutritional situation of children in the GlobalFingerprints program, it is possible that a child would die. We will inform you as quickly as possible if any such circumstance affects the child you uphold in prayer.
- How does GlobalFingerprints ensure accountability?
Member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
Currently, GlobalFingerprints is a collaborative effort between TouchGlobal (a ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of America), and C.E.C.U. (Communaute Evangelique du Christ d l’Ubangi / Evangelical Free Church of Congo) designed to serve children and families through local Christian leaders and pastors in the HIV/AIDS-affected regions of Congo. TouchGlobal staff make periodic visits to Congo for training and program accountability. The majority of all sponsorship donations go directly to in-country services and management of the child/family needs. All expenditures are accounted for and reviewed quarterly by EFCA national office accountants under guidelines defined by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
- Can I send money or packages to my sponsored orphan?
We understand your desire to send gifts to your sponsored orphan. However, GlobalFingerprints is unable to hand deliver anything from you to your sponsored orphan for the following reasons: complexity of shipping packages to Congo; possibility of loss, theft, or damage; risk of tension created in the community by one family receiving numerous or expensive gifts for one child while others receive little or no extra gifts.
If you or your church are interested projects that benefit the children as a group (backpack kits, verse cards, etc), please email globalfingerprints@efca.org for more information. Donations to support the operating expenses of the organization are greatly appreciated. To give a one-time donation supporting our efforts assisting orphans, click here.
- Can I bring a sponsored child to the U.S. to visit?
No. Bringing a child to visit the U.S. is not permitted for several reasons, including health and travel safety issues, culture shock, language barriers, and difficulty for the child in readjusting to his/her life after returning home. Most of these children lack any ID cards as well, so passports and visas would be very difficult to obtain.
- Is my donation to sponsor an orphan tax deductible?
Yes. You are not receiving goods or services for your support, and your gifts qualify as charitable contributions. Whether you may deduct them from state or federal taxes depends on which tax form you use and your personal situation. Please contact the IRS or a tax advisor for answers to your specific questions.
- Is my online sponsorship donation secure?
With an online sponsorship donation, you trade in check writing for simplicity, security, and maximizing your sponsorship gifts to help children. Donations processed online are guaranteed secure. The GlobalFingerprints program, as part of the EFCA, benefits from secure online transactions processed through Verisign. Verisign provides a critical layer of security enabling online transactions, protecting data, and safely delivering information. If you have questions or concerns about your online transaction, contactdonorserv@efca.org
- How does a sponsored child learn about Jesus?
The basis of this ministry is that the spiritual, as well as physical and emotional needs of children are addressed. There are dedicated local Christians who do this work from a desire to minister. Children are encouraged to be involved in local Sunday school classes, children’s choirs and youth groups. Some children in the GlobalFingerprints program will not come from Christian homes. Currently, the Congolese church desires to reach out to their communities, so only 50% of the children participating in the program will be from local Evangelical Free Churches. Children/families will not be forced to attend a Congolese Evangelical Free Church, but will know the love of Jesus through action and word. All of those supervising the program are believers, and trained in HIV/AIDS material that is biblically based and points the child to a loving Heavenly Father who is their Creator. Our prayer is that all will come to know Jesus personally and mature into a life that glorifies and honors Him.
- How do I send in my donation by check?
To pay for your sponsorship by check, please make the check payable to EFCA and designate GlobalFingerprints Sponsorship #21709-3996 in the memo. Mail check to EFCA GlobalFingerprints 901 East 78th St. Minneapolis, MN 55420.
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