World Vision was the first international child sponsorship organization to utilize the power of the Internet to dynamically present online child photo profiles in order to more effectively facilitate the development of a personal, supportive relationship between sponsors and their sponsored children in developing countries.

In February and March of 1998 we conducted a 30-day test of the technology. It was well-received by our site visitors; we then began the process of gathering feedback and making the necessary improvements to the technology.

World Vision U.S. donors sponsor more than 500,000 children from several dozen different countries. Not all of those nations are yet participating in this phase of the project, but a handful who are working with us to provide resources appropriate to the Web. Currently there are nine countries involved in the project.

World Vision conducts community development work in the context of "area development programs," or ADPs. An ADP is locally managed by World Vision field staff in partnership with local religious and civic leaders, and usually comprises several different communities. In the nine countries currently being profiled on this website--Bolivia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Lesotho, Malawi, Mexico, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania--there are 34 ADPs funded by child sponsors in the U.S. More than 500 children from these 34 ADPs who are currently available for sponsorship have been selected to be a part of this phase of the project. You can sponsor one or more of these children.

There are two ways to sponsor one of these children. First, you can browse our list of available countries. Select a country, and then an ADP within this country. Review the materials presenting the nature of community development work being conducted in the ADP to help transform the lives of the children and families. Then you can select children currently available for sponsorship in that ADP.

Or else, alternatively (if you are in a hurry) you can allow our computer to randomly select one of these children for you.

The photo profile you will see has limited information about the child. World Vision takes child security very highly, and therefore intentionally does not release certain types of information to anonymous web visitors. (In addition, please be aware that child photos on this website are digitally watermarked, a process enabling us to trace and prosecute against any person who might steal and abuse the photo in a matter inconsistent with the mission of World Vision.)

When you decide to sponsor a specific child, after submitting your personal information and credit card number you will be asked to wait a few moments while we validate the submitted information with bank records. The bank reports the status of the credit card and availability of funds for the first monthly or quarterly transaction. Your credit card will not be charged at this time, however. If your credit card information is thus validated, the sponsored child you have selected will immediately be removed from public availability on our database and you will be taken to a new photo profile which gives more information that you need for your sponsorship. Bookmark this page in your browser; you will be able to return there in the future for additional updates and information on the sponsored child and his or her project. (This feature is not yet available. Sponsors will be notified by e-mail when this feature has been launched.)

Each sponsored child is assigned only one sponsor at a time. It is theoretically possible that two or more web visitors can be viewing the photo profile of the same child at the same moment. If this happens, the sponsorship will be reserved on behalf of the first visitor to press the "sponsor now" button. The other visitor(s) will receive a message indicating that the child is no longer available for sponsorship.

Sponsors submitting a valid mailing address should receive, within a few weeks, a packet confirming their sponsorship and containing a full-color printed edition of their child's picture folder. We hope this will be the beginning of a long and rewarding relationship between you and your sponsored child.

Additional links will be given after your sponsorship that will enable you to get more information and other resources about child sponsorship. But if at any time you have any questions that are not answered by this website, you are invited to call our toll-free child sponsorship hotline for more information: 1-888-511-6592.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO RETURN to IPPs (or use your "back" button to return to the same IPP you left)