Some children wait years to be chosen by a sponsor. But what children had the power to choose their sponsor instead?
The power of choice really makes a difference in a child's life! Follow Felicia Chin, World Vision Singapore Ambassador, as she witnesses a Choosing Event in Musosolokwe, Zambia, where children have gathered to make their choice.
When it comes to a decision that will impact their lives like opportunity to attend school or engaging in child labour and child marriage, children are often not provided with the choice to decide. Instead, they are subject to the decisions made on their behalf by parents or adults.
With Chosen – a new World Vision child sponsorship initiative – we are turning the tables to give children the power to choose. It is a simple act of reaffirming their dignity and the first step to changing their future. And it all begins with them choosing you as their friend and family!
It’s a simple process to be chosen as a child sponsor!
Your name and photo are sent to a community, where staff are preparing a time for the children’s choosing event! We’ll keep you updated via email!
Some children have waited years to be chosen by a sponsor. Now, at the choosing event, it's their turn. Who will choose you?
You'll get a photo of your new sponsored child holding your photo, plus a letter about why you were chosen.
Your contribution is pooled with the contribution of other sponsors' to support community projects that help your sponsored child and their friends thrive.
You’ll also receive regular updates on the changes you’re making together.
Joy travels both ways through love and letters as you share the journey with your sponsored child.
And the best part? Our model is already built on empowering children and communities to build lasting change.
Andrew Morley, President of World Vision International, invites you to be Chosen and embark on a meaningful journey with the child who chooses you as their sponsor. During one of his community visits, one child (also named Andrew) told him, “The meal I have at school is the only meal I get for the day.”
By becoming a Chosen sponsor, you can help children like Andrew stay in school and get enough food every day!
For any inquiries, please contact jennifer_ting@wvi.org.
Chosen invites you to put the power of choice in the child’s hands, instead of following the usual method of allowing a sponsor to choose their sponsored child. It sets the tone from the start that children can (and should) be able to make choices in life, and that they have the power to choose what their life can become. Chosen allows children to contribute to the decision-making process, giving them ownership over their own lives.
Chosen is not a ‘different’ child sponsorship model – the only thing changing is how the sponsor-and-child relationship begins. Currently, sponsors are asked to choose a child to sponsor. With Chosen, sponsors send their photo to a community where children choose them to be their sponsors. It flips the choosing dynamic and gives children more ownership in the choice of who their sponsor will be. World Vision's community-empowering sponsorship development model, which has proven effective, remains unchanged.
One important way to empower children is to give them space to develop their own opinions and act on their thoughts and preferences. Through Chosen, children can select their own sponsor. This is one of the many ways World Vision is working to empower children as part of our child-focused approach to transforming communities.
Chosen is a new invitation to child sponsorship where a child chooses his/her sponsor. You (the sponsor) can sign up to be chosen whenever there is an upcoming Choosing Event. Your name and photo will then be sent to a community where World Vision works and a child from that community will make their choice. Once the choice is made, you will receive a photo of the child and a letter from the child explaining why you were chosen. As always, we encourage you to build a friendship with your sponsored child through letters or e-letters.
A Choosing Event is where the children will make their choice from a selection of potential sponsors’ photos. When you have been chosen, your sponsored child will write a letter to you sharing why they picked you out of the entire selection.
Children participating in Chosen will be in the age range of 0 to 13 years old. If a child is too young to make their own choice, the child's parent(s) will assist. In doing so, the power of choice is still given to the child and their family in an honourable way.
Yes, everyone will be chosen. There is no lack of children in need of sponsorship and World Vision has operational procedures in place to ensure that all who sign up to participate will be chosen.
Yes, each participating child chooses only one (1) sponsor. For World Vision’s child sponsorship programmes, a child is matched to a single sponsor to create a unique and meaningful relationship.
However, as a child sponsor, you may sponsor up to three (3) children per Choosing Event. You will then be chosen by different children.
When you sign up to be chosen as a sponsor, your full name and photo are sent to the community. Sometimes, it may be necessary to display an ID number on the photo to ensure an accurate match is made. Otherwise, no other information is displayed or passed on to the children.
When a child chooses you, we will inform you via email. So keep an eye on your email inbox and gather your family before opening the email! It’s a special moment worth sharing.
Once you have received the announcement email, visit the My World Vision portal to find a letter from your sponsored child explaining why they chose you as well as view photos, videos and find out more about your sponsored child’s community.
In the weeks that follow, we’ll also be sending a Welcome Kit with information about your sponsored child, their community and ways to connect with them. You will receive an e-copy within 9 working days and a hard copy within 21 days of your child sponsorship commencement.
When uploading your photo, please keep in mind cultural sensitivities and appropriate considerations including:
Thank you for joining us in the safeguarding and protection of the world’s most vulnerable children.
You can upload a photo of yourself. Alternatively, you may include family and friends who are sharing the sponsorship. Please ensure you have everyone’s permission for their photo to be used in this way.
Choose a close-up photo (portrait) of people’s head and shoulders, with faces clearly captured. A neutral background is ideal and good lighting is key. Kindly ensure that your photo’s layout is portrait and not landscape.
IMPORTANT: By signing up for Chosen, you consent to your name and photo being used by World Vision for Chosen activities and related communications. Your acknowledgment and consent will be required during the sign-up process.
Upon sign-up, your details will be requested to facilitate the registration. At the time, we will also ask you to upload your photo as part of the sign-up process. Your contribution will start upon successful completion of the checkout process (RM65/monthly – sponsored child from Asia; RM80/monthly – sponsored children from non-Asia countries). Recurring contributions will be scheduled on the 7th or 17th or 27th according to your preferred contribution frequency (monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually).
Once you have signed up for Chosen, we will send your photo, name to the relevant World Vision field office (located in your future sponsored child’s country). There, World Vision field staff will print and display your photo along with your name at the Choosing Event. Sometimes, it may be necessary to display an ID number on the photo to ensure an accurate match is made. Once you have been chosen, your sponsored child will be able to keep and cherish your photo for themselves.
In the future, your name and photo may appear in images and/or videos used for Chosen-related activities and communications, including social media, digital and print media.
IMPORTANT: By signing up for Chosen, you consent to your name and photo being used by World Vision for Chosen activities and related communications. Your acknowledgment and consent will be required during the sign-up process.
Yes, Chosen is a wonderful way to make an impact in the lives of vulnerable children. At the moment, you may sign up to be chosen by up to three (3) children per Choosing Event.
You only need to upload one photo. At the Choosing Event, multiple copies of your photo will be displayed, and a different child will each choose one. You will receive a photo and personal letter from every child who has chosen you to be their sponsor.
Yes, you definitely can. For any registrants below 18 years old (according to date of birth at the time of sign-up), a parent/guardian’s consent and information will be required.
Be among the first to receive the latest news and updates on our work, stories of children and communities, and opportunities to make a difference.
In 2023, 83% of donations collected were used for programmes that benefit children, families and communities in need.
Learn More