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Child Sponsorship Campaign 2026

Writer: Nia Bodimeade
Nia Bodimeade
4 days ago
4 min read

It’s Nia here, the Fundraising Officer at Kids Club Kampala, where I have the privilege of leading our Child Sponsorship Project alongside our incredible Ugandan team. 


My love for this project has grown from the moment I saw the first photo of a sponsored child, read the first letter, and wrote the first report. Since then, it’s been a joy to help facilitate the impact of over 180 sponsors changing a child’s life - children who, without this project, would not be in school. .  


Whether you’re an aspiring or long-term sponsor, your impact is tangible, shaping a child’s life now and for years to come. Child Sponsorship has been part of Kids Club Kampala for over a decade, but the need continues to grow. Rising living costs are contributing to school dropouts, as families face difficult choices between essentials and education (Daily Monitor, 2026; Business Times, 2026), while cuts to USAID funding have placed further pressure on communities.  


In this blog post, I want to tell you about our live campaign, and pull back the curtain on what child sponsorship really looks like with us.  

Back to school


It’s clear that back-to-school season is here. Perhaps you’re a parent, sibling, or guardian yourself, having conversations about school uniforms, new stationery, or the school run starting up again. It’s become an annual rhythm, a marker of the end of summer and the start of something new. 


It’s easy to forget, as we go through these motions, that this is only possible because education in the UK is free. In Uganda, the reality is different. For children like Nina*, a place in the classroom was never guaranteed. 


Living with a visual impairment, Nina was denied the chance to go to school. She is just one of the 2.5 million children living with a disability in Uganda. In 2012, Nina was kindly sponsored by a supporter in the UK through our Child Sponsorship Project, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her journey. With help and encouragement, she was given access to the education she deserved.


Her father shared: “We knew she needed a special needs school, but they are very rare and expensive in Uganda, we could not afford one.”

After completing Primary 7, Nina joined a specialist school, pursuing practical skills training in knitting and bakery.

Her hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed.Today, she is employed at the same school where she trained, a remarkable achievement that reflects her competence and resilience. Nina’s story highlights the importance of inclusive education and equal opportunity. 

“I am who I am right now because of the support I received from KCK. I am grateful that I was retained by the school to be teaching my fellow friends who have issues with their eyes as well. While teaching them, I want to keep reminding them to remain good people to others and also be hopeful for the future because nothing is impossible.” - Nina

*Name has been changed

Why sponsor a child with Kids Club Kampala?



There are countless reasons why becoming a child sponsor can be transformational. Here are just a few. 

A personal connection

When you sponsor a child, you’re not just changing a life, you're building a bond with a child 4,225 miles away. Despite the distance, you’ll begin a unique journey, gaining a view into another part of the world: the life, culture, and daily experience of a child in Kampala. 


No two children are the same, and neither is their educational journey. You’ll be alongside them as they grow and work towards their dreams - one of the people in their life who helps them believe in a brighter future. 


When you sign up, you’ll receive information about your sponsored child, along with a photo and a postcard. Throughout the year, you’ll receive updates on their progress, handwritten letters, and news of key milestones, with the opportunity to send notes and gifts in return. 


Whatever you’d like to do to stay in touch and strengthen that bond, I’ll be here to help you do it. 

At Kids Club Kampala, we’re dedicated to creating voluntary, locally-led, safe environments where children can thrive, and it starts in the classroom. As a sponsor, you can trust that your sponsored child’s wellbeing sits at the heart of everything we do, whether that means access to medical care, or in more serious cases, emergency support. 


None of this work is done for children and communities, it’s done with them. They sit at the centre of every programme at Kids Club, taking ownership over the change we build together. 


To see what our approach looks like in practice, take a look at our Child Sponsorship FAQs, or watch this video with me and our Communications Officer, Sarah, on Youtube. 

Invest in a child’s future this September


This September, we’re on a mission to find sponsors for 10 children in Kampala waiting to begin their education. We have until Wednesday 30th September to get more children like Nina* off the waiting list and into the classroom, but we need your help to make it happen. 


For just £28 a month, you can sponsor a child’s education, covering not only school fees but also their uniform, meals, learning materials, and healthcare - giving them the opportunity to shape their own future. 



Often it’s hard to take the first step. Perhaps you’ve thought about sponsoring a child before. I hope this project, and its power to break cycles of poverty and empower children in Kampala, resonates with you. 


If so, will you take this first step with us today, and help one of the 10 children on our waiting list to begin their education this September? 



If you have any questions about our campaign or the Child Sponsorship Project, big or small, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m only an email or phone call away, and always happy to talk about a mission I feel so passionate about. You can reach me at nia@kidsclubkampala.org or give me a call on +44(0)7971601154.


 
 
 

1 Comment


fnffree67
27 minutes ago

The £28 monthly sponsorship covering school, meals, healthcare and learning materials stood out to me. Is that amount fixed for every child, or does the support package vary depending on each child’s circumstances? FNF

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