Operation Ten Thousand Francs a Child
Ten thousand francs puts one child back in school
Ten thousand Francs CFA covers one child for a school year. It is a sum small enough for one person to give, and large enough to change that year completely.
Most recent edition supported 880 children.
What it costs
10,000
Francs CFA
per child, per school year
Donations are taken in GBP through PayPal. No fixed sterling equivalent is quoted here, Francs CFA is pegged to the euro, so any GBP figure drifts with the exchange rate.
Monthly sponsorship costs are discretionary. Give what suits you, monthly or as a one-off. Any amount contributes toward a child's school year, and a regular gift is what lets us commit to a child across years rather than one edition at a time.
Thirteen years of Back to School
The full journey, every edition since the first, with the children reached each year.
What it covers
Exactly what your money buys
The commonest reason people don’t sponsor isn’t lack of sympathy, it’s not knowing what they would actually be paying for.
School fees
The single barrier that keeps most children out of the classroom.
School uniform
Many schools will not admit a child without one.
Books and learning materials
Exercise books, textbooks and pens for the full year.
A safe place to learn
Support for the school environment itself, not only the child's place in it.
Long-term mentoring
Someone who stays with the child across years, not just one term.
How it works
From your gift to a classroom
You choose an amount
Give once for a school year, or set up a regular gift. Regular giving is what lets the programme commit to a child across years rather than one edition at a time.
We match your gift to a child
Children are identified through needs assessment in the Buea municipality, working with families, schools and our delivery partners on the ground.
Fees, uniform and materials are paid
Funds go to the school and suppliers directly, not as cash to families.
You hear how the year went
Progress updates at the end of the school year, within the safeguarding rules below.
Safeguarding
How we protect the children in this programme
- We do not publish browsable profiles of children. Sponsors are matched to a child by need, not by choosing from photographs.
- Where a child appears on this website, it is with written consent from a parent or guardian covering website use specifically, first name only, and no school or location detail.
- Sponsors do not receive a child's contact details, address or school, and direct contact between sponsor and child is not arranged.
- Consent can be withdrawn at any time, and images are removed when it is.
Questions
Before you commit
Can I choose the child I sponsor?
No. Children are matched by need, assessed with families, schools and local partners. Letting sponsors browse and choose puts identifiable children in front of strangers, which is the exact risk safeguarding policy exists to prevent, and it tends to direct support toward the most photogenic child rather than the one who most needs it.
Will I get photographs and updates about my child?
You will receive progress updates at the end of each school year. What those contain is governed by the charity's safeguarding policy: first names only, no school name, no location detail, and nothing that would let anyone identify or locate the child. Sponsors do not receive contact details, and direct contact is not arranged.
What happens if I need to stop?
Tell us and we will stop the payment. There is no minimum term and no penalty. Where a child's schooling is part-way through a year, the charity covers the shortfall from general funds so no child's education is interrupted by a change in a sponsor's circumstances.
Where does my money actually go?
To school fees, uniform and learning materials for the child, paid to schools and suppliers directly rather than as cash to families. A full breakdown of programme and running costs is published in the annual report.
Is my donation tax-deductible?
PLACEHOLDER, depends on where the charity is registered and where you pay tax. This must be answered accurately before launch; do not guess. Gift Aid is not available unless the foundation holds HMRC charitable recognition.
Can my company sponsor a group of children?
Yes. Several organisations already support the programme this way, and corporate partners receive reporting they can publish. Get in touch to discuss what fits.
Put one child back in school
Choose an amount, or give what you can. PayPal handles the payment, you don’t need a PayPal account to use a card.