Last minute Christmas gift child sponsorships

Last year twenty-two UK donors took out child online sponsorships with us as gifts for loved ones on 22,23 & 24 December. This is nearly double the daily rate of new online sponsorships for the rest of the year, and every sponsorship is valuable as it helps us help one more child.

We are very used to sponsorships being a present for Christenings, Birthdays or Christmas and are set up to send packs and updates to a different address from the billing address for the sponsorships. All you have to do to take out a sponsorship for yourself or someone else is click here to sponsor and fill in the instructions box with how you would like it set up. We will read these instructions carefully and do exactly what you request, or get back in touch if unsure. Then, when you have set up a sponsorship, if you did ask for it to be a gift to someone come back to this page and download this printable pdf letter with photos (700K file, be patient to download) sponsorship gift letter to add their name and hand over on Christmas day to whom ever you wish to give the sponsorship.

It is hard to see how someone could be disappointed with such a gift of love. Then we can follow this up with a sponsorship pack about the chosen child early in the New Year.

Children's Christmas

Children dream of a special day with families all over the world - of the occasion of spending time with loved ones and hoping that their Christmas wishes come true. You can read what a couple have written in their letter to Father Christmas below.

Dear Father Christmas,

My name is Yandi. I am nine years old and I am a girl. I have heard a lot about you, so I have decided to invite you to my house for a Christmas lunch.

My mother has decided to prepare one of our local dishes: cassava leaves sauce. It is a typical Sierra Leonean dish. I want to assure you that you will love this dish. We the children will also make sure that we have enough soft drinks, snacks, a big Christmas cake to serve you and the children. We would also love to play some Christmas games with you.
By the way, I would like to know when you started giving gifts to children and why you give Christmas presents only to children? Why don't adults get any?

Christmas in Sierra Leone is very important, especially for us children. This is the time our mothers buy us beautiful dresses, shoes and we the girls weave beautiful styles into our hair.

Please come to our home and do not disappoint us.

Your friend,
Yandi (girl from SOS Children's Village Makeni)

Dear Santa

This is the first time I write you a letter. As you may know, Christmas preparations are taking place all around us. I am sure you have started buying gifts for the children all over the world. I want to believe that good people give you the money to buy gifts for millions of children who always want to see you, receive presents from you and play with you. Father Christmas when you come to the SOS Children's Village Freetown, I would love to get a closer look at your long white beard; it's very intriguing!

Santa, I have a suggestion to make to you. Please Santa, this 2008 Christmas celebration, why don't you start to distribute your gifts in Africa. There are many children in Africa who have never seen you and they go without Christmas presents. Do you want them to be happy or sad? I am sure you want to keep these African children happy. Many children in Africa have experienced wars in their country.

Finally, when you arrive in Africa do not just give gifts to children but at the same time talk to the children about why peace is important to them and also tell the adults not to use the children to fight for them.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a bright New Year.

Your friend,
Paulissa (girl from SOS Children's Village Freetown)

Unique Christmas gift

A gift of child sponsorship is a unique way to show how you care for a loved one - and to show that children who have lost their parents, are not alone. The simple instructions to sponsor a child mean that you can arrange this in time for a special christmas present. Once you have done that you can download this letter to hand over as a Christmas present for your loved one.