Who We Are
Transforming Children's Lives
Help A Child Foundation is a Christian fundraising and child sponsorship organisation. We exist only for the sake of children, which makes us unique, and means we can put children’s best interests at the heart of everything we do. Our focus is also unique. We are unapologetically committed to giving children in the world’s poorest countries both the chance of a better life, and knowledge of Jesus. Inspired by the words of Jesus in Matthew 25, Mark 12 and Luke 25, we seek out and serve “the least of these.” Last year Help a Child was able to reach over 60,000 children across Africa and Asia, irrespective of background, caste, colour, gender or creed. To do this work, we rely entirely on the generousity of child sponsors and donors.
Together we are transforming children’s lives in His name. Help a Child commenced in Australia in the mid 1980’s. It grew out of an organisation in the Netherlands called ‘Red Een Kind’ (REK), literally translated as Help a Child, which has been operating since 1968.
Our Vision
Our vision is to see children and young people in developing countries restored to their rightful place in society, to a place of honour in their families through sustainable economic, spiritual, emotional and social development, which permanently breaks the cycle of poverty.
Our Values
To Restore Humanity in Distress:
We believe in the integrity and worth of every human being, especially those oppressed by poverty and injustice, and it is our desire to see them achieve their full human potential.
To Follow the Example of Jesus Christ:
We are a Christian organisation and will seek to shape our activities after the love of Christ. Therefore we are committed to putting our work, rest and leisure to the service of Jesus Christ, of working in a broken world; and restoring children to their rightful place in society.
To Work Holistically:
We are committed to working with children in the context of their family and community, with concern for their economic, spiritual, emotional and social well-being. We seek to restore families to their place in society and enable parents to take responsibility for their children.
To Be Effective:
At all times we will seek and listen to feedback from our beneficiaries and partners, to ensure our activities are meeting their needs, and be willing to adjust our service delivery so that programs meet the real, identified needs of those living in poverty. We are committed to being transparent in all that we do.
To Act Responsibly:
Christ has entrusted us with the care and best interests of children in need. Therefore we will hold each other accountable as workers, partners and supporters to transfer words into action and implementation, for the benefit of children at risk, their families and communities.
Our History
Help a Child commenced in Australia in the mid 1980’s. It grew out of an organisation in the Netherlands called ‘Red Een Kind’ (REK), literally translated as Help a Child, which has been operating since 1968.
The focus of both organisations was originally to support orphan children in developing countries, by placing them in homes which provided for their material and spiritual needs. This was financed through child sponsorship where people in developed countries were assigned a specific child, there was correspondence between the child and the sponsor, photographs were exchanged, an annual progress report provided to the sponsor, and the sponsor contributed a fixed amount per month towards supporting the child.
Today, Help A Child Australia is moving away from supporting children in full time residential care towards a model based on supporting children in community and day centres, where supported children will live with their families. In this way we are fulfilling the biblical mandate that parents are responsible for their children and that our role is to assist families to take care of their own children.