If you are interested in Sponsoring a Child in Africa, this page provides regularly updated reviews and feedback on our child sponsorship charity. To help prospective child sponsors decide whether they would like to sponsor children in Africa through our grassroots organisation, many of our current supporters have kindly provided feedback and reviews here.
Child sponsorship through SOS Africa is a personal process with regular feedback and interaction
Since 2003 SOS Africa has benefited from the fantastic support of loyal child sponsors throughout the UK and around the world enabling us to expand the scope of our education programmes across South Africa. Long term SOS Africa sponsor Ian Swindale recently visited our education programme and kindly wrote “A Memorable Few Days Spent with SOS Africa.”
After reading the following reviews and feedback, if you wish to sponsor a child in South Africa please don’t hesitate to Contact Us for more information.
Jodie Kirk (Child Sponsor from 2024)
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the work that you do to ensure these children get the opportunity to be educated at your facilities. Your team and the teachers are absolutely phenomenal with the children, and provide a wonderful and safe environment for them to learn in.”
Child Sponsors Jodie and Josh visiting SOS Africa’s Grabouw Education Centre
Daniel and Oxana Muller (Child Sponsors from 2021)
“My wife and I were keen to meet the children we were sponsoring while we were in South Africa and the team at SOS was very helpful in facilitating our visit. We visited 3 education centres to meet the 4 children we were sponsoring; at each one we were welcomed by friendly staff who made meeting with the children feel very natural and light-hearted. Overall, the visit was a great experience and, if possible, has only committed us more to the charity. We feel much closer to the charity and the children now and hope to build a long relationship with both.”
Child sponsors Dan and Oxana visit children at SOS Africa’s Elgin Education Centre
Anna Roche and Gordon Mitchell, UK (Child Sponsors from 2019)
“My husband, myself and our almost 11-year-old son researched various charities before we chose to support SOS Africa. As fundraisers who have worked within the non-for-profit sector in the UK for 25 years in some of the UK’s most established charities, we were both very keen to support a charity where we knew that 100% of our monthly funds go directly to support a child’s education. We were very persuaded by Matt’s own story of how he set up the charity. Wanting for almost nothing ourselves and bringing up a privileged child in the UK, we were doubly keen to do something to help another child. This was a big motivation for us and for our own son – helping him to appreciate that many others are not so fortunate as he is. At SOS Africa, the ‘reward’ in terms of information back, being updated and kept in the loop is very personal and this in itself is a high motivation. We plan to visit – as soon as we can safely do so in a COVID-safe world!”
Luisa Gonzalez, US (Child Sponsor since 2019)
“I am glad to hear Meyah is doing great at school. I am proud of her and amazed by the work you do. This has been a very challenging year, so I really appreciate you kept up to expectation and even went beyond. I love the Christmas card, and I love seeing Meyah dressed as the superwoman she is growing into!”
Anne and Dave Nesbit, UK (Children Sponsors since 2018)
Anne and Dave have been dedicated SOS Africa child sponsors since 2018
“We were pleased to sponsor a girl as the status and opportunities for women and girls in South Africa is a lot less than in the UK. We hope that, with the help of the extremely dedicated SOS Africa team, our sponsored child will be aware of the possibilities for her future and be equipped to follow her dreams. SOS Africa provides a very personal sponsorship experience, and it is a pleasure to receive regular pictures and reports on our sponsored child’s progress.”
Catherine Gabbitass, The Maynard School, Exeter (School Sponsor from 2018)
“Maynard School are so delighted to have found SOS Africa. Visiting their Grabouw Education Centre this summer and meeting all the children helped us to see first-hand the wonderful work Des and her team are doing and witness what an amazing difference you are all making to these young people’s lives. The visit was the highlight of our recent sports tour, and our students are already making fundraising plans for the next academic year and beyond.”
Schools across the world sign up to sponsor SOS Africa children and follow their progress and visit
Kim Williams (Child Sponsor from 2017)
“We were fortunate to visit the school in Somerset West in 2017. We witnessed first-hand how much these children want to learn and what they are prepared to go through to achieve their dreams. They want to learn. Some have had the worse of starts in life and some have challenging home lives, yet they still have a smile and a hug for you. We are so proud to be sponsoring a child with SOS Africa. We receive regular updates and photographs not only what our child is doing but also what the school is doing and how it is advancing towards the needs of the children.”
Katie Harrison, Picture News (Business Sponsor from 2017)
“At Picture News, we work with over 1000 UK schools. Our aim is to educate and encourage children to question what’s going on in our world. We are honoured to sponsor a child with SOS Africa and were inspired by founder Matt Crowcombe’s story and vision and wanted to help in any way we could. Matt regularly provides detailed and personal updates and it’s fantastic to share these with our schools.”
Meral Ince (Child Sponsor from 2016)
“I love being involved with SOS Africa. I look forward to the regular updates and photos – they always brighten up my day! It feels so rewarding to be involved with SOS Africa because of the personal approach they take. It’s not a faceless charity like many others, rather you know exactly where your money is going and clearly see how the money is improving the children’s lives through seeing their grades improve with the regular report cards. I am very glad I discovered this charity and regularly recommend it to friends and family.”
Kara Wasley (Child Sponsor from 2016)
“SOS Africa is a wonderful charity to support as there’s nothing more important than giving a child an education. Because you sponsor an individual you feel very involved and can really make a difference. It is lovely to get the reports and updates of the child to see their progress. The team do an amazing job and it’s a great way for our own children to learn not to take education for granted.”
Dudley Rotary Club (Child Sponsor from 2015)
“It is almost three years since the Rotary Club of Dudley began supporting SOS Africa. Our initial involvement was to support a student’s education.
As time has gone on, we have been impressed by many aspects of this organisation. The enthusiasm, the excellent feedback re our student, the hands-on approach of Matt and Claudia (and probably now young Ted), the astute use of monies donated, and the overall benefit SOS Africa brings to children and increasingly to adults.
We are now funding a new education centre in Grabouw for the use of SOS Africa students and parents. When we suggested we might support a major project their response was of such speed and quality it made it a pleasure to be part of this partnership.”
Lindsay Fuller (Child Sponsor from 2015)
“It is the best thing we have done; we love being able to see our child’s progress through her end of term reports and the photos sent via SOS Africa. It is like having another grandchild to add to our family, we can send birthday and Christmas cards and have also sent things for the whole Aftercare Centre at Grabouw. The next step is to arrange another visit to South Africa and this time incorporate a visit to see her and spend some time volunteering at the centre… We can’t wait.”
Gerry & Heather (Child Sponsors from 2014)
“Having worked in a township children’s home in South Africa many years ago, I have an affinity with this beautiful but challenged country. I really enjoyed sponsoring a child and receiving regular up-dates on his progress. Not only that, the blogs are great at keeping everyone up-to-date with what all the children are doing on a regular basis. 18 months later I met my sponsored child in person. What a sheer delight it was. The visit was one of the highlights of our trip and the memories will last forever.”
Gerry and Heather were the first child sponsors to visit our Western Cape Projects in 2014
Paul Langley (Child Sponsor from 2013)
“To sponsor a child creates a fantastic opportunity for an underprivileged child and an even greater opportunity for the sponsor to do something that is really worthwhile.”
Steve Baston, Luxembourg (Child Sponsor from 2013)
“I am extremely happy with the sponsorship process; a feel of direct involvement is very important to me. I really appreciate the pictures and feedback; he has a lovely smile. I keep all the pictures.”
JooMo Ltd (Business Sponsor from 2012)
“We’ve known Matt since 2012, when we first started sponsoring a child. We’re so glad we found SOS Africa – not only are they a pleasure to work with, but they’ve also had the vision and determination to set up a charity which, through providing education and support for disadvantaged African children, actively promotes education as the key to opportunity and a brighter future. As the organisation grows, it still manages to maintain a personal approach. It’s a privilege to have been able to play a part in Nthabiseng’s, and now Lele’s, education, and so exciting to get regular updates about the progress and activities of all these amazing young people.”
Bettina Otterbeck, Australia (Child Sponsor from 2012)
“SOS gives me an opportunity to contribute directly to the education of a child, in the hope that these kids will grow up empowered to help many others. I am so happy that I found SOS where I can be certain that 100% of my contribution goes directly to an actual child, who I can contact, and watch grow – rather than to pay for the flashy luxury car of some self-serving middle manager in an oversized ‘aid organisation.”
Ashley De Safrin, United Kingdom (Child Sponsor from 2010)
“We are delighted to be sponsors of SOS Africa. I am trustee for a very large UK charity, but we also chose to support a small charity where the results are very tangible. We have a great deal of empathy with and experience of South Africa. We are therefore proud to sponsor a young girl whose schooling will allow her to contribute to the future of this wonderful country. This would be thanks to SOS Africa.”
Edward Briggs, United Kingdom (Child Sponsor from 2009)
“It is the best investment you can make – a young person’s future. I love to hear about my sponsored child’s progress. It’s like supporting a football team, it is a real thrill to get news about their successes, no matter how little.”
SOS Africa’s longest serving Western Cape employee, Admin and Finance Manager Rae Morris reflects on the invaluable role she has played in the charity’s development
During the September School holidays SOS Africa arranged an exciting trip to the ArtsCape Theatre Centre in Cape Town, where the SOS Africa students watched
