Community Development is people powered.
Development projects are made possible by the combination of financial and non-financial resources. These resources are used to champion the values of social justice against the oppression of poverty.The causes and impacts of poverty are complex, tangled in history, politics and the often-incomprehensible state of human nature.
Child sponsorship stands as one of the strongest and most popular forms of financial support for community development practices in response to poverty. It is fundraising with multiple functions for recipients and donors.
I contend that child sponsorship is not an easy practice to either dismiss or accept. It is beneficial as a form of aid and development with a community approach; however there have emerged concerning psychological impacts from the corollary functions of the program, in particular the donor-child relationship.
There remains important scope to continue innovating the practise, educating donors and the public and taking up arms against an infiltration of consumerist culture in community development practices.
mjmwonders 