Soup Club Program:  (child advocacy, care)

We have learned that sponsoring a child with financial support can place them in a position of vulnerability.  The sponsorship can become a commodity--extra money for food, alcohol and other substance abuse, etc. for adults who have hidden agendas.  An adult will take in an orphan for the financial benefits—simply put, they are crooked foster parents with ulterior motives.  In these cases the child does not benefit from the sponsorship, but is perhaps placed in harm’s way.  In these cases, the child can be better assisted by sponsorship through a Soup Club.  This encourages children to stay in school, where they can eat at least one decent meal.  And because they are identified through this program, school staff can supervise their progress. Support of this program is crucial; government funding of school-sponsored lunch programs was severely cut in 2007.