An explanation: how did I find out about it and why did I decide to do it?

So what prompted me to become a Project Mala sponsor? Well I have been considering – and then intending – to set up some sort of arrangement to sponsor a child for a while. The ads on tv, the reports to be read in a newspaper, even an appeal at a concert I attended all persuaded me of the significant difference that can be made through supporting charities which work hard to help children who don’t have the opportunities that children in this country have. But I wanted to find a charity which would



(i) ‘tick the boxes’ of my particular areas of interest

(ii) reassure me that my money would be well-spent and

(iii) allay any concerns I had about starting a sponsorship arrangement.

Project Mala met all three of these criteria ~ I’ll explain how later. But first, how did my search begin?

Aware that there is a ‘choice’ of child sponsorship arrangements I decided that I wanted my search to find one which addressed education. Education was an important factor in my choice partly because I have read about – and believe in – the empowerment of education. And partly because education has been so important in making a difference in my life that I like to find ways of supporting access to education. Another factor that was an interest for me was the setting: India. I have not travelled much but I wanted to go to India. I was lucky to go there for a short holiday. I enjoyed the trip immensely and was impressed with many things about India, not least the children who always seemed to be polite, pleasant, hard-working and keen to learn.

How did I find Project Mala? For me it was the result of a google search. I think I typed into the search engine ‘child sponsor, India, education”. I read through the website of Project Mala carefully. It was easy to do so because the information is well-laid out and I found navigating around the different parts of the website was very user-friendly. Already I was realising – and impressed by – the effectiveness of what this organisation does. I was not put off by the fact that they are not one of the large charities who advertise on TV or enclose flyers in newspapers. Far from it, I felt even more inclined to support a charity that has supported thousands of children through its six schools.

I guess I am not alone when giving money to a charity that I hope that it will be well-spent, used for positive and not negative outcomes. Having worked in the charity sector myself for a number of years I have sometimes been dismayed with what I have seen or heard about what organisations do. Therefore efficient and effective use of donations is not something I take for granted. I was really impressed when I read that Project Mala UK administrative costs are for just two part-time employees. I found the list of what each sponsored child receives and the summary of the project’s achievements extremely impressive. I was also reassured when I read about the patrons who are connected with this charity as well as the comments made by independent people.