Sponsoring Destiny Garden School
Supporting our sponsorship programme provides the school with a reliable regular income to cover its main running costs. You can choose to sponsor the school as a whole, or to sponsor a particular child, or a class.
- Sponsoring the school: you can choose to send a regular monthly donation – as much as your budget will allow – to help cover the costs of running the school, which include paying the staff salaries, buying text books and stationery, and providing the children with a nutritious lunch.
- Sponsoring a child: or if you prefer, you can sponsor the education of a particular child, and follow that child’s progress. All it takes to educate a child at Destiny Garden school is £15 a month.
- Sponsoring a Class: you and your work/club/organisation/other group could sponsor a class at Destiny Garden School – we usually ask for a minimum monthly amount of £45.
For those sponsors living outside the UK please see this link with estimated exchange rates and on how to apply.
For more details about sponsoring please see the Frequently Asked Questions below or contact Destiny Children on info@nulldestinychildren.co.uk
If you would like to help educate the children at Destiny Garden School, please contact us at info@nulldestinychildren.co.uk. We would be happy to answer any queries you may have. Alternatively, please complete the attached Sponsorship Form and return it to the address thereon, or electronically.
Sponsoring the school as a whole
To sponsor Destiny Garden School as a whole you can choose to send a regular monthly donation – as much as your budget will allow – to help cover the costs of running the school, which include paying the staff salaries, buying text books and stationery, and providing the children with a nutritious lunch.
When you first sponsor the school, you will receive a welcome letter with further information, together with the latest newsletter. You will then be sent regular reports on the progress of the school. There will also be regular updates on the website so you can see at any time what is happening at Destiny Garden School.
All you need to do is complete the attached Sponsorship Form and return to the address thereon.
For those sponsors living outside the UK please see this link with estimated exchange rates and on how to apply.
Sponsoring a Class
Could you and your work/club/organisation/other group sponsor a class at Destiny Garden School ?
We usually ask for a minimum monthly amount of £45 to sponsor a class; some groups/organisations manage to collect more each month which is a great help to the school. The funds go towards the teacher’s salary, and occasionally buying the class essentials such as text books or stationery.
Feedback is provided – initially the class teacher writes a letter to introduce his/her class and provides a photo of the children in their class. Then each term, as a regular update, the teacher lets the sponsors know what the class has done that term with a few photos showing their activities and a selection of the work they have done. It gives the sponsors an idea of what goes on at Destiny Garden School, and they can see the children progress up the grades, be introduced to new teachers and follow the lessons they have each year.
For more details please contact Destiny Children on info@nulldestinychildren.co.uk
For those sponsors living outside the UK please see this link with estimated exchange rates and on how to apply.
What does sponsoring a child mean?
Whilst we call it ‘sponsoring’ a child, as this is the term the larger charities use, what you are actually doing is ‘educating’ a child by paying for their educational costs, e.g. the salaries of the teachers and support staff of the school, educational materials and the school lunch and clean drinking water. The main aim of the school is to give these children hope and to enable them to escape from poverty through education.
Sponsors receive regular information about the school. Those who choose to support a named child also receive an update on the child’s progress. We hope that these progress reports enable sponsors to see what a difference their money makes.
To sponsor a child at Destiny Garden School, you usually make regular monthly donations of £15 per child. There is no limit to the number of children one person can sponsor.
For those sponsors living outside the UK please see this link with estimated exchange rates and on how to apply.
Why should I sponsor a child at Destiny Garden School?
Sponsoring is a personal way to support deprived children and there are many organisations that do this. They all work in different ways and sometimes it is difficult to know exactly how your donations have been spent. Many are large organisations and their overheads are high, so a percentage of your donation goes towards administration costs.
By sponsoring a child at Destiny Garden School, you can be sure that 100% of your money, including Gift Aid, will go directly to the running of the school. There will be no administration costs as the sponsorship programme is run by volunteers. The size of the school is small, around 350 pupils, and there will be complete transparency on how the sponsorship funds are spent. The school is directed and managed by Jacob Boaz, a businessman with experience of running schools. His vision is ‘to enable the children to escape poverty through education.’
As a sponsor, you will see the difference you are helping to make. Through the child you sponsor and through Destiny Garden School, you could learn about a culture very different to your own and gain an insight into lives of children being educated in Kenya.
Do I have to sponsor a particular child?
No; the choice is yours. Some sponsors prefer to support the school as a whole, by sending enough funds to educate one, or more, of the children, but if you would like to take a particular interest in an individual child, we are happy to arrange this for you.
Sponsoring a named child – sponsors support DGS and take an interest in a particular child’s progress. You will receive feed-back on your child three times a year together with photos and letters and, of course, information about the development of the whole school.
Sponsoring the equivalent of a child at the school – sponsors provide funds to educate one of the children at DGS and take an interest in the school as a whole. Some sponsors’ interests are in the school and they would prefer not to follow one child, but would like to know their funds are providing the education for a child, and to receive regular reports of DGS and its achievements.
How is the sponsor money used?
The money you give doesn’t go directly to your sponsored child or family, it goes to the school to cover its running costs and to ensure that it meets the high level of education it wants to deliver to its children – e.g. well qualified teachers and smaller classes than in the Kenyan state system. This ensures that your sponsored child receives the best possible education, one that they would not receive if Destiny Garden School did not exist.
The Sponsorship Scheme is run by Destiny Children who cover the administration costs, so that 100% of the donations, together with Gift Aid, go directly into the school funds. These pay for the salaries of the teachers and support staff, educational materials, and the lunches and clean drinking water for the children, in approximately the following proportions:
- Tuition – 70%
- Food – 15%
- Educational Materials – 15%
How are Payments Made?
Payments can be paid monthly by Standing Order but, if you prefer, you can choose to make your payments quarterly, half yearly or annually. Sponsors’ payments are collected into Destiny Children’s account and then transferred to the school’s charity account in Mombasa at the end of each month.
For more information please contact Destiny Children on info@nulldestinychildren.co.uk
For those sponsors living outside the UK please see this link with estimated exchange rates and on how to apply.
How does the sponsorship scheme work for sponsors living outside the UK?
If living outside the UK, please send an email to Destiny Children at info@nulldestinychildren.co.uk advising them if you would like to sponsor a specific child, the school or a class, for what amount, and which country you live in.
Payments can be made via the Destiny Children PayPal account** (see link in ‘donate’) or alternatively via the international banking system, but for small amounts this can cost more in charges. Fortunately once the funds have been transferred to the UK there are no further charges when the funds are sent to DGS, and the Kenyan Bank give an excellent exchange rate as it is a charity school.
The full annul payment can be sent to Destiny Children to manage, or for larger amounts a recurring payment could be set up with PayPal.
Destiny Children transfer sponsors’ money to DGS once a month, so an annual payment is held in a designated account and the money payment is drawn from it each month. This goes towards the costs of educating the DGS children during the year. A separate record is kept of each sponsor’s payments, and a reminder is sent when the annual payment is due for renewal.
We are pleased to advise you that 100% of sponsors’ and donors’ funds, together with Gift Aid where applicable, go to Destiny Garden School. The Destiny Children committee members meet all the expenses and administrative costs involved in running the charity.
During the year sponsors receive regular email updates about the progress of the school and the children.
An estimate of the Exchange Rates, taking into account PayPal and Bank charges of around 4% is as follows, together with a link for more details about school, child and class sponsorship.
Sponsoring the school:you can choose to send a regular monthly donation, as much as your budget will allow. e.g.
Pound Stirling – £10
US Dollars – $13
Euros – c12
Sponsoring a child:
Pound Stirling – £15
US Dollars – $20
Euros – c19
Sponsoring a Class: we usually ask for a minimum monthly amount of £45
Pound Stirling – £45
US Dollars – $59
Euros – c55
** Tip – a sponsors from the USA said: – One thing I did differently this time was to use my credit card conversion rate for the pounds to dollars instead of the PayPal conversion rate, and it was better to use my credit card conversion rate. This is an option that is presented on the final page before finalising the donation.
Can I choose the child I sponsor?
We need to protect the children at Destiny Garden School and therefore cannot put their details or photographs on the internet for sponsors to view.
You can however choose to sponsor either a girl or boy from Destiny Garden School, and if you would like to sponsor a child of a particular age, or if you have any other preferences, please let us know and we will try to match your requirements.
You will then be sent details of the child with photographs. You will receive regular information about Destiny Garden School and the child you are sponsoring. We hope these updates will enable you to see what a difference your money makes.
What about visiting Destiny Garden School?
You would be very welcome to visit Destiny Garden School by arrangement – contact Jacob, the School Director, on info@nulldestinygardenschool.com. You could also consider undertaking some voluntary work at the school.
What about letter writing, Christmas & Birthday presents?
Every year, all the children learn to write letters in English as part of the school curriculum. This is good practice for the children, and we are delighted to be able to forward the relevant letters on to each child’s sponsor. Occasionally, sponsors may wish to respond, but there is no expectation of this, and the vast majority of sponsors do not do so. However, if you would like to write to your sponsored child, please contact us and we will explain the appropriate procedure.
Sometimes, sponsors ask whether it is possible to send birthday or Christmas presents to their child. Unfortunately, items posted to Kenya can incur customs taxes and duty which are only applied at the point of entry into the country, and we cannot guarantee that such items will reach your child safely.
In this area of Mombasa, it is often the case that families cannot afford to celebrate birthdays, and some children do not know their exact dates of birth, so it is unusual for a child’s birthday to be marked in any way. We are very keen to ensure that all the children are treated the same, whether or not they have sponsors, and we do not want to create “haves” and “have nots” i.e. “sponsored” and “not sponsored ” among the children. For these reasons, any gifts which sponsors wish to send to their child/children are shared with the whole class or school. For example, a birthday cake is regarded as a great treat, and it is lovely for the children to share such a special cake with their classmates. In this way the children learn to share, and no-one feels left out. Sponsors are also very welcome to make a donation to pay for a special addition to the nutritious but repetitive school lunch diet of ugali and beans. Half a banana or a piece of mango goes down very well with all the children!”
The treats and gifts are much appreciated by all the children and staff of the school, and your donation will be acknowledged by the school.
Can I sponsor a child with my friends or work colleagues?
Yes. This is a good way of being involved with Destiny Garden School if you are unable to commit yourself to the full monthly payments. Destiny Children welcomes friends, schools, work colleagues or other groups and we believe that this is a great opportunity to gain an insight into the lives of children being educated in Kenya.
If you do decide to sponsor as part of a group, we need to have one nominated person as the point of contact to whom we can send all the information and updates.
How often will I hear from the School and child?
When you first sponsor a child, you will receive a welcome letter with further information, together with details and photos of the child you are sponsoring, if you have chosen to sponsor a particular child or children. You will then be sent regular reports on the progress of the school. If you choose to sponsor a named child or children, they will write a letter or draw a picture, depending on their abilities, and this will be sent to you; you will also be sent updated photos and receive their teacher’s annual report.
There will be regular updates on the school website so you can see at any time what is happening at Destiny Garden School.
How long do I continue to be a sponsor?
To help us see your child’s education through to conclusion, we hope you can support Destiny Garden School for a number of years. However, we appreciate that your circumstances could change, and you can withdraw your support at any time. We would, therefore, endeavour to find another sponsor for the child. Once your child completes their education, we would hope that you would continue with your interest in Destiny Garden School, in other ways if not by further sponsorship.
Will my details be kept confidential?
Yes. Your home and email addresses and telephone numbers are not disclosed to anyone except the Destiny Children Coordinator, her assistant, and the Treasurer. Likewise, Destiny Garden School do not let sponsors have home contact details of the children they are sponsoring.
How many children still require sponsors?
As a charity, we now have sponsors for two thirds of the children. However, we need to increase this to ensure that the school has sufficient funds for all its running costs. Destiny Garden School therefore desperately need more sponsors, so please consider supporting the school by joining the sponsor programme – for further details please contact Judy Roper on info@nulldestinychildren.co.uk
What are the views of existing sponsors?
The following testimonials have been recieved recently from some of our sponsors.
I found out about the Destiny Children charity on this website: sponsor a child (in the smaller charities section near the bottom). I spent the best part of a day going through all of the charities and ultimately chose Destiny Children for a few reasons; firstly I love that it is a small charity as we’ll know where the money is going and can see photos of the school developing over time. I also love that if we had a bit of spare money to donate, or if it was one of the children’s birthdays, we could send a one-off donation to treat everyone or to help to buy some essentials. Secondly, many charities spent some of the money on improving the chances that a child would be educated but, as a teacher myself, I think that education is absolutely key to improving a life and so I love that all of the money goes to a school. Finally, the Destiny Children website was absolutely fantastic – almost every question was answered for me and it is a good balance of informative and transparent, yet friendly and welcoming.
SJ Kent
We were looking for a way to give our 10 year old daughter an insight into how different life can be in a less-favoured corner of the globe. Sponsoring a child at DGS has done exactly that by giving her the opportunity (but not the obligation) to form a penfriend relationship with a girl her own age.
N & H Macclesfield
I did voluntary work for several months at Destiny Garden School, Mombasa, and when I returned home to Australia I was inspired to sponsor some children to ensure that the school had funds to keep running. From my first-hand experience I know that the dedicated staff and teachers are doing a tremendous job out there and it is wonderful that disadvantaged children are receiving a good education they otherwise would not get. It made sense to sponsor the school via the UK charity, Destiny Children, who organise the sponsorship programme, and the updates are sent to me electronically. I transfer a whole year’s payment and the charity sends the monthly payments to the school; once the funds are in the UK there are no further transfer charges and the charity gets a good exchange rate. It has all worked very well for me and it is great to know that the school continues to grow from strength to strength.
JP Australia
I chose the charity Destiny Children as I know all donations, including gift aid, go directly to Destiny Garden School in Mombasa , and that the committee members meet all the administrative costs of running the charity – there are not many charities that claim that. I sponsor the school as a whole and in sending £50 per month I am confident that this is properly accounted for and well spent. The progress the school has made in 6 years has been remarkable.
PR Macclesfield
We have sponsored Ann-Glory, who is the same age as our daughter Lauren, for nearly 2 years and it immediately had an impact on Lauren’s awareness of how different life can be in other areas of the world. Lauren says: “I was shocked to hear that Ann-Glory only has fresh fruit as a treat for special occasions when I can have it every day as a snack”.
V & J Hazel Grove
To share a small personal story with you – soon after my daughter (who is now 18) and I started sponsoring Jenifer at Destiny Garden School a few years ago, there were a lot of changes in my personal situation, including being made redundant twice in rather rapid succession, and separating from my wife. I had to “tighten the purse strings” quite radically and did consider stopping my sponsorship. However, I am very glad I didn’t, as reading the letters from Jeniffer, updates from Victor the School Manager, Destiny Children Charity, and visitors to the school really helped me to keep everything in perspective- while I thought I had problems, they were nothing compared to the hardship the Destiny Garden Children would face without sponsorship, and that thought really helped me in my darkest hours. It might sound daft – but I would thoroughly recommend sponsoring a child in Kenya to anyone going through a challenging period in the UK! I’m pleased to say things are now a lot more settled – my daughter is hoping to go to University and I now have a good job!
TC Guildford
I have sponsored a child at Destiny Garden School for several years now and it has been great to follow his progress through from class 1 to Class 6 where he is now. I have seen his marks in English and Maths improve and watched him develop his interests from enjoying skipping to becoming a football fanatic! Every year we are sent a letter from him, updated photos, his annual teacher’s report, and the School Manager sends us a twice yearly school newsletter which keeps us advised on how the teachers are doing and how the school is developing. If you would like to give a disadvantaged child in Kenya the opportunity of a good education and the chance to escape poverty, I would have no hesitation in recommending the charity Destiny Children.
NR Newcastle
I visited Destiny Garden School in 2010 and had raised funds beforehand to have new desks made by the local carpenter. It was good to know that ALL the money raised goes to the school, and isn’t swallowed up in admin etc. I am used to poverty, having been well travelled in the past, but I was still shocked at just how little these children have, and I have now been sponsoring a child for many years. To anyone who reads this and is thinking about helping out … please, please go for it.
MM Bedforshire
Can you tell me more about Destiny Garden School and sponsoring?
Destiny Garden
School is located in Mtongwe, one of the poorest suburbs of Mombasa, on Kenya’s coast. Many of the children are orphans and some are HIV positive. Families of the children struggle to find regular work in this area where jobs are scarce, and very often the food they are able to afford is inadequate.
To provide these children with an education, Destiny Garden School relies heavily on sponsors – their donations cover the running costs of the school, ensuring it can deliver a high standard of education and provide the children with a nutritious meal each school day, together with training and care on HIV/AIDs, and counselling for those orphaned.
In brief, sponsors usually donate £15 a month per child and this amount ensures a child receives a good standard of education at Destiny Garden School, together with a healthy lunch. The Sponsorship Programme is run by the committee members of the UK charity, Destiny Children, who cover the administration costs to ensure that 100% of the donations, including Gift Aid, go directly to the school.
Sponsors can choose to sponsor a named child, at £15 per month, or to support the school as a whole, for as much as their budget will allow. In both cases sponsors receive regular feedback on how the school is progressing with news about the children in general. Those who opt to sponsor a named child also receive reports on how their child/children are doing with photos and a letter or drawing from them.
A small donation has huge value in Kenya and you can be sure that your money, whether you are sponsoring the whole school or a named child, will go a long way towards providing a sound education for over 470 disadvantaged children. You can also be sure that every penny you give is sent directly to finance the school in Mombasa.
I would like to sponsor the school, a child or a class – what next?
If you would like to help ‘Educate a Child’ at Destiny Garden School, or sponsor the school as a whole, or sponsor a class, please complete the Sponsorship Form and return electronically or to the address supplied.
If you would like more details, please contact info@nulldestinychildren.co.uk who would be happy to answer any queries you may have.
For those sponsors living outside the UK please see this link with estimated exchange rates and on how to apply.