FAQs

S.A.L.V.E. International stands for "Support And Love Via Education". It is the ethos that we follow in all of our work, and through sponsorship and fundraising we hope to care for vulnerable children living on the streets of Uganda and to provide them with an education.

We are a small, specific charity where every single penny donated is put to good use. Because of our size, we are able to offer you an insight into the work we are doing in Uganda and we will always be able to provide clear feedback as to where your money is going on the ground. We are unique because in donating to S.A.L.V.E. you will see just how much you can really make a difference to these children's lives.

But S.A.L.V.E. International is also different because although we are a sponsorship scheme, our work doesn't stop there. We work tirelessly to raise money through fundraising and donations which we then plough back into local schools, bringing benefits for the whole community.

As you can see, there are many ways in which you can get involved with S.A.L.V.E. International and each and every one of them will help to change a child's life.

If you have ever been to Uganda, you will understand that the sight of so much poverty in one country can break your heart. If we were able to help every child that needed it we would, but realistically it is an impossible task. With this in mind, we decided that we needed to focus our efforts on those children who were most vulnerable and at risk; street children. Abandoned, orphaned, and rejected - they are Uganda's forgotten children. Shunned by most people for the life they are forced to live, there are few individuals out there who are willing to help pull these children out of their desperate situations. That is where we are different; we are willing to take on the challenge. The children we accept on to the S.A.L.V.E. program come to us with nothing. If you choose to become a sponsor, you will provide them with everything they need to leave the streets behind them forever. No-one chooses the life they are born into, but with help, they can turn it around. We believe that everyone deserves an education. It is up to us to make this possible.

There are many reasons why extra fundraising is essential for S.A.L.V.E. International. Firstly, we are not just a child sponsorship scheme, as by ploughing funds into the school we send our sponsored children to, we hope to benefit a whole community of children by improving educational facilities for all. However, we can only achieve this with your help, as it is through the generosity of fundraisers and donors alike that these dreams are made possible.

But there are also other reasons why we need your help. Extra funds are desperately needed if we are to keep S.A.L.V.E. International fully operational. Although we offer a comprehensive sponsorship scheme that can take a child from street to school, there are many other hidden costs that the sponsorship program doesn't cover. For example, funds are currently needed to help set up a contingency fund. This will be used in case of emergencies, such as a child suddenly becoming extremely ill; with this in place we would immediately be able to provide the required medical support for them. There are also costs involved in the interview and relationship-building process with the children, as before taking a child onto the S.A.L.V.E. program we need to gain their trust. This is a gradual process and one that is done by sitting down and sharing meals with the children on the street, something that of course requires funds. Even when we have selected the children for the program, there are further costs involved. For example, every child must go through an assimilation period before they are taken into school, a time when S.A.L.V.E. must fund food and housing costs with only the partial aid of a sponsor. And finally, we also need to cover ongoing administrative costs such as the web site and our in-country staff's wage.

As you can see, running a charity can be a difficult business, and it is impossible for our sponsorship costs to cover everything. Any fundraising that you can do to help us will always be gratefully received. S.A.L.V.E. International wants to change the lives of hundreds of children living on the streets of Uganda, but we can not do this without your help. Please get involved and make our dreams of making an education for all possible.

No, they have created this charity and continue to run it in a completely voluntary capacity. The only person who receives a wage is our in-country director who works full-time as an employee of S.A.L.V.E. International.

S.A.L.V.E. International has not been set up for financial gain. We are a small charity so every penny is important to us and will always go a long way. All the people involved with S.A.L.V.E. want to see it succeed and to help as many children as possible. For this reason, all money received and spent by the charity is comprehensively accounted for, and pictorial evidence of where it has gone is sent to all donors.

We also have a much-trusted member of staff in Uganda who ensures that donations sent from the U.K. are well-spent and go to where they are most needed. Of course, if you would like to see where your money is going for yourself, you are more than welcome to visit S.A.L.V.E. International in Uganda to see the benefits of your support first-hand!