ActionAid is Overhauling its Child Sponsorship Model Amid Calls for Reform.
The child sponsorship scheme that allows donors to pick children from poor countries has been criticized for perpetuating racist undertones and paternalistic attitudes, prompting ActionAid UK to rethink its model as part of a broader effort to "decolonize" the organization's work.
The charity's new leadership team, consisting of Taahra Ghazi and Hannah Bond, aims to shift the narrative from sympathy towards solidarity and partnership with global movements. This involves re-examining how ActionAid UK works with teams in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to develop a model that better reflects community needs.
Ghazi notes that the current child sponsorship scheme relies on donors choosing between children based on factors such as skin color and nationality, creating a transactional relationship that reinforces paternalistic attitudes. The charity currently sponsors over 1 million children across 30 countries, with the money generating 34% of its global funds.
The transformation process will be gradual, with Ghazi stating that ActionAid is working until 2028 to decolonize its systems, finances, and services procurement. A key aspect of this change is embracing community voices and responding to the realities faced by communities today.
Bond highlights the importance of maintaining sponsor support while ensuring it has a tangible impact on real-world problems. The new model will prioritize partnerships with civil society groups, such as sisterhoods of friends or family members pooling their resources to fund women's rights initiatives in developing countries.
ActionAid is also planning to launch a dedicated fund for grassroots women's rights groups facing attacks globally. The organization's co-leaders see this shift towards solidarity and justice-driven fundraising as essential to driving meaningful change, particularly at a time when the world is grappling with numerous injustices.
Experts such as independent researcher Themrise Khan emphasize that marketing mostly African children to Western audiences perpetuates racist undertones and supports white saviorism. Instead, they advocate for better-funded education systems, state welfare programs, and healthcare services – responsibilities firmly within the realm of national governments rather than charity-led initiatives.
The child sponsorship scheme that allows donors to pick children from poor countries has been criticized for perpetuating racist undertones and paternalistic attitudes, prompting ActionAid UK to rethink its model as part of a broader effort to "decolonize" the organization's work.
The charity's new leadership team, consisting of Taahra Ghazi and Hannah Bond, aims to shift the narrative from sympathy towards solidarity and partnership with global movements. This involves re-examining how ActionAid UK works with teams in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to develop a model that better reflects community needs.
Ghazi notes that the current child sponsorship scheme relies on donors choosing between children based on factors such as skin color and nationality, creating a transactional relationship that reinforces paternalistic attitudes. The charity currently sponsors over 1 million children across 30 countries, with the money generating 34% of its global funds.
The transformation process will be gradual, with Ghazi stating that ActionAid is working until 2028 to decolonize its systems, finances, and services procurement. A key aspect of this change is embracing community voices and responding to the realities faced by communities today.
Bond highlights the importance of maintaining sponsor support while ensuring it has a tangible impact on real-world problems. The new model will prioritize partnerships with civil society groups, such as sisterhoods of friends or family members pooling their resources to fund women's rights initiatives in developing countries.
ActionAid is also planning to launch a dedicated fund for grassroots women's rights groups facing attacks globally. The organization's co-leaders see this shift towards solidarity and justice-driven fundraising as essential to driving meaningful change, particularly at a time when the world is grappling with numerous injustices.
Experts such as independent researcher Themrise Khan emphasize that marketing mostly African children to Western audiences perpetuates racist undertones and supports white saviorism. Instead, they advocate for better-funded education systems, state welfare programs, and healthcare services – responsibilities firmly within the realm of national governments rather than charity-led initiatives.
... but at the same time, I don't think it's fair to say that all Westerners are racist, I've met some really amazing people from the West who care deeply about social justice 
. On the other hand, I do think it's a bit too much to ask for charity organizations to just shift their entire model without any support from governments, especially when there are still so many problems with funding and resources 
... and I'm not sure I agree that women's rights initiatives should be handled by grassroots groups only, shouldn't they have some help or guidance from experts? 
. Like, we're literally putting money in someone's pocket just because they look cute and need our help? It feels like a weird transactional relationship 
. And let's be real, the current model can come across as super paternalistic 
. I'm all for making sure our donations are having a tangible impact on real-world problems 
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. Like, what about these kids? Don't they deserve some support? It's not that simple 
. Maybe we can find a middle ground and prioritize community-led initiatives instead of relying on charity-led ones 
.
. That's more than I can say for some other orgs 
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. I mean, think about it - we're used to seeing these child sponsorship schemes where you just pick your fave kiddo from afar, but now they're like "hold up, let's do better" 
ActionAid's decision to overhaul its child sponsorship model is a step in the right direction! Interesting how the new leadership team is shifting the focus from sympathy to solidarity and partnership with global movements 
. They should focus on working with local communities instead of relying on donors picking kids from poor countries. That 34% of funds they get from sponsorships feels so... transactional 
not a super inclusive way of supportin communities. i think its awesome that actionaid is tryna shift the focus from sympathy to partnership & solidarity 
. can't say i blame 'em though - those racist undertones and paternalistic attitudes gotta go 
. it's cool to see them shifting the focus from sympathy to solidarity, you know? partnerships with community voices and global movements is the way to go 
. and let's be real, experts like themrise khan are onto something - we gotta stop relying on charity and start investing in our own governments' services instead 
. It sounds a bit unfair that the donor gets to choose which kid they want to sponsor based on their skin color or nationality... I mean, wouldn't it be better if they just supported the community in general? 
. But seriously, it's not just about the child sponsorship scheme; it's about how we approach poverty and development in general. We need to stop relying on charity and start investing in systems that can create real change, like education and healthcare. I'm glad they're prioritizing partnerships with community groups and women's rights initiatives 
. It's time for us to move from sympathy to solidarity and support communities in their own struggles 
but also kinda surprising that it took them so long to acknowledge the racist undertones 
the charity generates 34% of its global funds from these sponsorships 
. The fact that they're launching a fund for grassroots women's rights groups is a huge step in the right direction 
And now they're trying to make it more "solidarity-focused" which is cool and all, but what about the actual results? Are we just throwing money at a problem without really fixing anything?
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