Question

Sponsoring a Child

            Kazi’s father had died, and his mother was left to support him and his three siblings. Thanks to a child sponsorship Kazi started receiving soon afterwards, he was able to finish high school – something that otherwise would have been impossible. He did very well at school, which qualified him to get free tuition and books for any future schooling. Since his sponsorship also provided him with occasional career counseling, he has now decided to continue to college and become a medical doctor.

            Sponsoring a child is easy, relatively inexpensive, and tax deductible. Some charities offer sponsorships for just $22 per month; others run about $1 a day. Many charities also provided medical care and other types of support. Often, potential sponsors can choose the child they want to help by examining phots the charity displays on their website. The sites also usually include the personal stories of the children in need. Once the sponsors have chosen their child, they can develop a personal relationship with the child by exchanging letters and photos. Because the sponsorship offers this personal and holistic approach, many people opt for child sponsorship over contributing to a more general child relief fund. However, a child sponsorship can be less cost effective than simply donating to a fund since it involves more overhead costs. After all, someone has to oversee the money and care that go directly to a particular family.

            Another approach doesn’t allow prospective sponsors to choose induvial children. SOS, for instances, establishes children’s villages instead. These villages provide homes for children who have lost their parents (a trained surrogate mother takes care of them and so replicates a sort of family life for the children). Sponsors contribute a certain amount monthly towards the village. However, after the sponsorship starts , sponsors start receiving personal information and pictures of “their”, child which still allows for the sponsors to develop a personal relationship with a particular child. SOS takes this approach because it doesn’t consider it appropriate to make personal information about needy children available publicly.

1. What advantages and disadvantages does each of the described approaches have—choosing a child to sponsor, a village sponsorship, or donating to a general relief fund? Which approach would act utilitarianism prefer?  Which approach would a rule utilitarian prefer?   Why?

Answer 1

1. What advantages and disadvantages does each of the described approaches have—choosing a child to sponsor, a village sponsorship, or donating to a general relief fund? Which approach would act utilitarianism prefer?  Which approach would a rule utilitarian prefer?   Why?

The approach that would be chosen by the utilitarian would be to sponsor a village or a general relief fund. An utilitarian would chose this method since it would do good for not a Single individual but many individuals altogether, even though it would cost more.

Advantages and disadvantages of the single sponsorship method:

The sponsorer would be able to personally interact with the child, monitoring his growth and would be able to ensure if the money is utilised in the right manner. Alternatively, they would only be able to help one individual and subsequently his family. The number of people benefited will be lesser.

Advantages and disadvantages of the larger sponsorship method:

The sponsorer will not be able to individually interact with the child they are helping. There would be no direct monitoring. But, the benefit will be for the larger number of people.