Our projects > Sponsorship Program
Siargao Masaya —
SPONSORSHIP
PROGRAM
Right from the start, Siargao Masaya decided to set up a sponsorship programme to enable children from the island's poorest families to go to school. Thanks to sponsorship, around 270 pupils have been able to go to school since 2010.
Why sponsor a child ?
By sponsoring a child with Siargao Masaya, you can provide long-term support for a young girl or boy in Siargao to attend school.
In the Philippines, school is compulsory but has to be paid for, which means that many parents - some of whom are unemployed, widowed or on extremely low incomes - find themselves in a very difficult position when it comes to financing their child(ren)'s schooling.
By choosing to sponsor a child, you are supporting families in difficulty and giving a young Filipino the chance to go to school or university.
Who benefits from the sponsorship ?
Siargao Masaya uses various selection criteria to ensure that the children most in need are sponsored:
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Degree of poverty in the child's family
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Family situation (widowed parent, single mother, large family, unemployed parents, etc.)
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Pupil's level of attendance if already at school (grades and attendance).
Sponsored children are monitored by the association throughout their schooling. They must, however, show good attendance and motivation throughout.
How are sponsorship donations used?
By sponsoring a child, you contribute to the various costs associated with his or her education:
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School tuition fees
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Necessary equipment: exercise books, pencils, pens, books, school bag, two uniforms (shorts and t-shirt for boys, skirt and t-shirt for girls), shoes, etc.
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Expenses relating to projects during their studies
In order to give parents a sense of responsibility and encourage their involvement in their child's education, Siargao Masaya has decided to ask them to contribute around 30% of the school fees.
To ensure that donations are used appropriately, they are managed entirely by Siargao Masaya, instead of being paid to families. When you sponsor a child, the association pays the school fees and buys the necessary equipment.
How can I sponsor a child with Siargao Masaya?
To sponsor a child, all you have to do is make a donation to the Siargao Masaya association equivalent to the cost of one school year. You can, of course, sponsor several children.
The cost of schooling varies according to the child's level of study. We have therefore defined a global budget for a year of study, taking into account all associated costs.
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One year at primary school (Elementary school, 7 - 12 years old) : 50 CHF / 52 € *
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One year at secondary school (High school, 12 - 16) : 100 CHF / 103 € *
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One year at post secondary school (Senior High, 16 - 18) : 150 CHF / 155 € *
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One year at vocational school/university (18+) : 600 CHF / 623 € *.
*based on the conversion rate on 08.11.2023
You can choose the age range of the child(ren) you wish to sponsor. All you have to do is specify this when you make your donation. However, in order to avoid any form of discrimination, Siargao Masaya reserves the right to choose the exact child you to sponsor.
Is it possible to follow the sponsored child's schooling?
Once the child you are sponsoring has been selected, he or she will be introduced to you by e-mail.
Going forward, we will send you an e-mail update with news of the child about twice a year.
Many sponsors want to sponsor a child throughout his or her school career. That's why, at the end of each school year, we'll send you an e-mail so that you can renew your sponsorship for the following year.
Sponsorships to date
When we started sponsorship in 2010, we were following just 18 pupils. In 2017, 198 pupils were sponsored! 65 pupils were able to go to primary school, 65 pupils to secondary school, 36 pupils to post-secondary school and 32 pupils to university. A great success for Siargao Masaya!
Today, the association has around 270 pupils in total, from primary school to university. Since the association was set up, around 72 of our students have graduated from university. They are now working in a variety of professions, including managers, teachers, civil servants, security guards, mechanics and farmers.
