PARTNERS AND SPONSORSHIP POLICY

Introduction and definition of key terms

Whereas a sponsor/ partner is an individual or organisation that gives relief or aid in form of money or in kind, SCU is responsible with the role of facilitating and delivering the given aid to the individual, community or group of people herein termed as beneficiaries of SCU.

The beneficiaries to include and not limited to, individuals in need, communities and other organisations within Uganda that partner with SCU.

SCU’s number one priority responsibility is to facilitate, ensure and maintain accountability, excellent stewardship, safety and security of those in our sponsorship and partnership programme.

Smile is accountable for and to all stakeholders in the programs including the community leaders, sponsors, sponsored child/student, sponsored widow, women, children, youth, Pastors, schools or churches, parents and SCU staff. A lot of work is done by each stakeholder to ensure that the supported/sponsored individual, family, church, school, or community gets the best out of the sponsorship opportunity. It is a collective responsibility.

Therefore, the following policies need to be a collective responsibility and service to those in need.

Any individual looking for sponsorship must complete an application form, which also serves as information for SCU office to share with the sponsors/partners. This must include as much detail as possible.

A photo/video of the beneficiary individual or community shall be taken by SCU staff for administration use only. A sponsorship commitment form must be completed and signed by the beneficiary or the beneficiary’s parents, guardians. This then must be on file at the SCU office for information record and in any situations of follow-up or dispute.

All records need to be kept of each sponsored individual at SCU. An individual file is needed for each beneficiary and in this file, the following is needed:

• Information on the beneficiary community or individual – their original application form, contact details of a next of kin, a signed contract, a photograph of them and their Smile reference number.
• Details of the sponsor – the sponsor’s full name, the date the sponsorship/partnership started, and then details of any gifts/cards/letters or items received for the sponsored individual/ community Any gifts sent to SCU and are not safe to give to children, community or individuals shall be retained at SCU and the sponsor will be notified for decision.

Any further information regarding this individual or their sponsorship e.g., copies of birth certificate, exam certificate, health records etc shall be kept with a high degree of confidentiality. The records then need to be filed accurately.

When SCU receives a letter, card or other items from a sponsor to a sponsored individual/ community this is the procedure, which must be followed:

Letter – relevant staff member to open letter at the SCU offices with a witness of another staff but not in front of the sponsee – relevant staff member needs to read letter before it is given to the sponsee to check that there is nothing in the letter that could upset them, or not be suitable for the person to read, etc. If a letter contains email/addresses/telephone numbers, Facebook information, Skype name, etc., it is to be removed or not visible before handing letter over. If the letter is appropriate, then relevant staff member will give the letter to the sponsee and wait for it to be read/translated.

Sponsee’s file - record the date the letter was received and then the date the letter was given, as this may be on different days.

Sponsee – ensure sponsee writes to sponsor to thank them for the letter.

Sponsee’s file - record the date the letter was answered. Take copy of letter and place in file.

All correspondence to the SCU Head Office must be clear. Smile ID numbers must be used when talking about any sponsored individual/ community. All partner schools and sponsors must do all they can within their abilities to meet deadlines set by the SCU office, and to give good warning if a deadline cannot be met, with an estimate as to how long after the deadline it will be received. Also, give a reason why this delay has occurred.

All visits from sponsors to their sponsee/ project must be arranged through the SCU Head Office so that we can run checks on the sponsors to make sure that their sponsee meet them appropriately. The normal rule is that sponsors must have sponsored for at least a year before they can visit their sponsee (this only changes if they have previously sponsored other individuals with us or have been on a trip to Uganda with SCU). Any sponsor/ who arrives unannounced must not visit their sponsored individual.

All communication from SCU to sponsors/ partners must happen through or with the approval of the director’s Office. Sponsored individuals can only write to their sponsors through the SCU Head office. No phone numbers, email addresses, postal addresses, social media details etc. maybe given to either the sponsor or the sponsored without the knowledge of the SCU head office. This is aimed at protecting the sponsor/ partner from overwhelming demands from the sponsored and to ensure that SCU has reasonable management control over all stakeholders into the sponsorship program.

The sponsored individual is expected to send three letters to the Sponsor through SCU. That is the New Year, Easter letter and Christmas letter. During the letter writing process, a relevant SCU staff member will supervise to ensure that the sponsored person/ project or community writes genuinely without any cause for panic or fear to the sponsor/partner. The Sponsor is already giving their best and therefore there is no need to demand more money or help from the sponsor without passing through the head office.

However, if the Sponsor wants to help in a special way on top of what they are giving already, then SCU team would guide on what is right and appropriate to give.

A sponsor has a right to organise through SCU a video chat to the sponsored child/children or to meet the community beneficiary. This would be at most 20 minutes and should be supervised by the relevant SCU staff. The staff in charge has the right and responsibility to cut short a transmission in case there is a cause for unnecessary discomfort for both sides and to give a written incident report.

SCU management is very careful not to post photos of a beneficiary onto any of the social media platforms without SCU’s review and permission. When permission is granted to use a photo, SCU encourages the sponsor/ partner to used photos that are disguised to avoid any future attacks on the beneficiary or sponsor or partner.

All stakeholders must be vigilant at all times because you do not know who could use the photos or motion pictures to cause damage either physical, emotional or psychosocial to a sponsor or the sponsored. Be vigilant and avoid any ways of violating the privacy and dignity of a sponsor or a sponsored individual.

SCU is responsible to ensure that the sponsorship correspondences are done formally and professionally. In the incident that the sponsored individual gets the contacts of the sponsor/s, this will be regarded as accidental and therefore unlawful. Immediately when the sponsor receives communication, they should contact SCU director immediately. Communication that is demanding anything or any form of additional help is not allowed as this may discourage the sponsor. Such communications shall therefore be regarded as harassment to the sponsor and therefore anyone involved shall be departed from the sponsorship program.

In the same regard, SCU expects all its supporters/sponsors to contact their sponsored individuals through the set system. This management control will help the program to be sustainable.

Many reasons can cause the sponsor to resign. This range from change or loss of income, illnesses, relocation, change of priorities and the list is long. If a sponsor resigns and the child is still under 18 years and in education, then the child becomes a priority child. The child becomes a priority above the waiting children. However, if they are above 18 years, they may never get a new sponsor. Priority children need to abide by the child sponsorship programme policy and still maintain a good attendance record.

In case a Sponsor is to resign, SCU encourages them to notify two months minimum before the end of the sponsorship and assist in the process of trying to find an alternative sponsor. However, helping to look for an alternative sponsor shall be optional. In case the situation improves for a sponsor who had resigned and they want to sponsor again, SCU shall assign a new individual, project or community to sponsor OR if the pervious individual is still available, then a graceful reunion shall be facilitated with all formalities.

Once a child has finished the level of secondary or equivalent to A level, they will be departed from the program. In the same way, when the agreed project period time has ended, the partner shall formally resign. In case there is need to continue with the project or take on a new project, then a discussion shall be facilitated by the relevant SCU staff.

If the Sponsor is willing and able to support the student through to college or university, then this communication should be made to SCU director and Sponsorship coordinator.

In the incident, that the child has finished A level or equivalent to that then the child must write a final letter to their sponsor. SCU shall then give them their certificate of graduation from the programme and a departure letter. The final letter will then be sent to the sponsor from the SCU office.

This is a program that is targeting to support excellently performing scholars or those that have exhibited leadership abilities within the sponsorship program or those students who could have found a profession twin (e.g.: A doctor who can sponsor another young person to train as a doctor). This is aimed at mentoring and training young people to become leaders in their communities or highly qualified individuals to pilot development in Uganda and the world. This necessitates such young people to continue and attain college or university qualifications.

Therefore, if a sponsor is willing and able to continue supporting their child into university, then that would mean increasing their monthly sponsorship budget as well commitment to the entire course.

If a child is not keeping the rules of the sponsorship contract, then they may be removed from the programme before the age of 18. A departure letter must be given to the child so that it can be referred to if there are any disputes over the departure and there should be relevant evidence that the sponsored individual broke the rules.

The letters used for departure must be on a headed paper and the same is also needed for the certificate of departure.

When a widow or pastor is in better circumstances and able to provide for themselves, they will be withdrawn from the programme. This is always good news as they have benefited enough that they have gained independence. When this happens, they provide SCU office with a final letter, which can be sent to the sponsor.

If a sponsor resigns when their sponsored pastor/widow is still in need of their support, then the pastor/widow should be priority on the list through the Empowering Programme when a new sponsor is found.