Frequently Asked Questions

Q – What is the sponsorship gift towards a child?

A – Bridge of Hope Sponsorship is Rs. 800 per month

Q – How donation payments can be done?

A – Payments can be made as cash/ cheque/ DD and sent to BRIDGE OF HOPE, St. Thomas Nagar, Kuttapuzha (P.O.), Thiruvalla, Kerala – 6896103, INDIA. All cheques/ DD needs to be in favour of “BRIDGE OF HOPE”

Q – What makes Bridge of Hope unique?

A – Bridge of Hope provides development opportunities for every aspect of a child’s life. Children blossom academically, emotionally and socially through our holistic approach and the care of our staff. The education provided through Bridge of Hope liberates children from the dangers of illiteracy, ignorance and exploitation. Not only that, Bridge of Hope’s impact extends beyond the individual child to the entire society. As underprivileged children embrace the opportunities offered to them, their whole families find bright hope for the future.

Q – What is my role as a Bridge of Hope sponsor?

A – When you make the commitment to sponsor a child, you become a vital part of their journey to a new life of freedom and purpose. Your investment is not only in one child, but also in a family and a community. We encourage you to be personally involved in your child’s life through our letter-writing program. Letters from the child you sponsor will help you understand the child’s dreams and how you are making them possible. Children also eagerly wait for letters from their sponsor.

Q – What does my giving provide?

A – Your support of Rs. 800 a month provides an underprivileged child with quality education, extra tuition for academic excellence, new school supplies, medical attention and a nutritious daily meal.

Q – Do you accept donations from sponsors outside India?

A – The sponsorship program on this website is an Indian sponsorship program. We do not accept sponsorship from outside India through this particular program.

Q – Can an individual support more than one child?

A – Yes, a donor can support any number of children he/she wishes.

Q – Can a sponsor give beyond Rs. 800 a month to support a Bridge of Hope child?

A – Yes, a sponsor can give beyond Rs. 800 a month to help a child. Rs. 800 per month doesn’t cover the full expenses of sponsoring a child in India. We set the figure at 800 Rs. because many people told us they would like to sponsor a child but are unable to meet the full needs of a child. To help them, our plan is to facilitate multiple sponsors per child for Indian sponsors (only when specifically requested by the sponsor). We are upgrading our technical systems to make this easier.

Q – How can I encourage the child I sponsor?

A – You have the opportunity to be a great encouragement to your sponsored child through letters. The initial letter writing material will be included in your child sponsorship packet. Your child will also be given special stationery and envelopes to correspond with you. Each time your child writes, new stationery and an envelope will be mailed to you with the letter.

Q – Can I send my child a special gift?

A – For the sake of fairness, Bridge of Hope’s policy is to take care of children’s needs on a general basis without giving some boys and girls extra things that others might not receive. For this reason we do not accept special gifts for children. However, you can include some flat objects, such as coloring sheets or postcards, in your letters.

Q – What happens if I discontinue my support?

A – If you are unable to continue sponsoring your child, he or she will still receive education – and all other benefits – through Bridge of Hope. We will immediately find another sponsor to cover the child’s ongoing education and care without interruption.

Q – How long should my commitment last?

A – We give sponsors the opportunity to support children throughout their entire education. Some sponsors may desire to assist their child for the entire length of his or her education; others may choose only a year or two, depending on individual situations. We are sincerely grateful for the support you give toward your sponsored child’s ongoing education, yet we also understand that your circumstances may change. You may discontinue your sponsorship at any time. Our desire is to see each child complete high school, but we understand that each child’s circumstances vary and some might conclude their studies before then. We will inform you if this happens and give you the opportunity to sponsor another child in need.

Q – How will I know if there is any change in the status of the child I sponsor?

A – If your child moves away or discontinues the program for any reason, we will inform you immediately.

Q – What is Bridge of Hope’s financial policy?

A – We are firmly committed to good stewardship of the funds entrusted to us and we use all contributions as efficiently and effectively as possible. All funds are accounted for clearly and transparently according to the requirements of the Government of India and other nations where we work. Bridge of Hope is an 80g non-profit organization and donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

Q – What specific benefits will the children receive?

A – Basic school education is complemented by quality tuition as skilled Bridge of Hope staff members help each child at their own level. This drives the children to excellence in their studies. Learning the English language is an important part of the curriculum. We intentionally prepare the children at the project centers to be responsible citizens among their generation through character building, moral values and manners.

We also provide the best medical care for each child, which many needy families would be unable to afford otherwise. These poverty-stricken children learn basic habits of good hygiene, such as hand washing, brushing teeth and bathing regularly. They also receive periodic checkups and any necessary medical treatment. Bridge of Hope freely provides deworming tablets and even vitamin A capsules, which prevent blindness.

The children get a hot, nutritious meal every day which frees them from hunger and allows for their normal physical growth. They also receive awareness on vital issues such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, illiteracy, child labor and dangerous habits. This early exposure to such issues will protect the children from many problems later in life. The children in turn help educate the public by participating in awareness rallies and programs.

Additionally, we encourage parents to be involved in the child’s growth and development and arrange special training programs for this purpose.

Q – What specific benefits will the sponsor receive?

A – All the donations made towards Bridge of Hope is tax exempted. Our payment receipt carries the message that the amount is tax exempted under section 80G of Income Tax Act.

Q – How many children are benefited through Bridge of Hope?

A – There are currently over 67,000 children pursuing a meaningful future through Bridge of Hope and the number is increasing rapidly.

Q – Where is Bridge of Hope working?

A – We have about 550 project centers scattered throughout the nations of India, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

Q – What does the sponsor get from the child on sponsoring?

A – a. A sponsor is provided with 2 letters written by the child to the sponsor.

        b. A new updated child profile photograph, once in 2 years.

Q – Are online payments done on Bridge of Hope website secure?

A – You can be assured that all transactions done on our site are safe. All online transactions done on our site are encrypted and transmitted using secure pages (https). Please look out for the padlock symbol which indicates that a page is secure.