Give an opportunity
Every child deserves to feel safe, be loved, and have access to basic healthcare and education. Education is key to Sierra Leone’s future development and prosperity. By committing to donating AUD$53* per month to sponsor a child, we will arrange, on your behalf, for annual school or tertiary education fees to be paid directly, for school materials to be provided to the child and for a monthly allowance to be given to the child’s carer in Sierra Leone to help them provide for the child in their care.
Please email us using the ‘Get in Touch’ message box below if you would like to sponsor a child directly or if you have any questions regarding child sponsorship.
Not everyone can afford AUD$53 per month. If you would like to help us but cannot commit AUD$53 per month, you could contribute by making a one-off or a regular payment of whatever you can afford. Our regular donors are just as important as our sponsors and this also helps us with our community-based programmes.
Please use the Donate link in the menu. No amount is too small!
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Thank you
* If you’re outside of Australia or prefer to pay via PayPal, please contribute AUD $55 via credit card or PayPal (including AUD $2 fee). If you are in Australia and would like to donate by bank transfer (saving the $2 PayPal fee), please select our offline option and change the payment amount from $55 to $53. The bank details to donate to are:
Account name: The Fig Tree Children
BSB: 084 255 Account: 74 304 6763
Get in Touch!
If you can’t find what you’re looking for on our website then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We would love to hear from you ♥
Want to Volunteer?
info@thefigtreechildren.org
(+61) 431-895-733
Want to Fundraise?
info@thefigtreechildren.org
(+61) 431-895-733
Want to make a Donation?
Together we can give children in Sierra Leone the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Common Questions
WHAT DOES THE FIG TREE CHILDREN DO?
There are many orphaned or vulnerable children in Sierra Leone. These children live in poverty and struggle every day to survive. Some don’t go to school. The Fig Tree Children raises awareness and funding for projects that help care for these children. We raise funds and work with Caritas, Freetown who locate children needing support. We raise awareness for the child and find a sponsor for each of them. We help each of the children by helping them to receive access to basic healthcare, food, hygiene items and schooling. Our charity’s approach is to use low-cost, highly effective solutions that work dramatically to improve children’s lives and is currently being funded by private donations.
HOW IS THE FIG TREE CHILDREN DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS?
The Fig Tree Children is an organisation based in Brisbane which is helping to raise funds and awareness for projects to help provide care and education to orphaned and vulnerable children in Sierra Leone. We are different in two main ways: The first difference is that we are making a difference in children’s development, nurturing and futures at a grassroots level, one child at a time. The second difference is that we believe no child should be denied a family life because they are poor, disabled or from an ethnic minority. The Fig Tree Children works to support children in Sierra Leone regain their right to family life, basic healthcare and education.
WHAT DOES THE FIG TREE CHILDREN CHARITY DO IN AUSTRALIA?
The Fig Tree Children is a non-government organisation established in 2014, based in Brisbane, Queensland. We are one of a few organisations around the world who play a vital role in generating fundraising revenue, public support and awareness for orphaned children in Sierra Leone. We also host events such as music gigs and movie nights to raise additional funds.
HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE SPEND ON ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS?
Our approach is to use low-cost, highly effective solutions to keep overheads to a minimum allowing for a higher percentage of donations to be given to the programs helping orphaned children in Sierra Leone. We don’t employ anyone in Australia, we’re all volunteers. We employ one full-time programme manager in Sierra Leone and pay stipends to other workers as we need them (for example a driver, a bookkeeper).
WHERE DOES THE FIG TREE CHILDREN OPERATE?
The Fig Tree Children supports projects in Sierra Leone, but we are located in Fig Tree Pocket, West of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
WHAT COUNTRIES DOES THE FIG TREE CHILDREN WORK IN?
The Fig Tree Children currently only works in Sierra Leone. We are focused on finding a sponsor for each of the orphaned and vulnerable children in Sierra Leone. With there being many children who are orphaned or vulnerable in some way, this is a large enough task and if successful then we would certainly consider extending the project to reach other countries in need.
WHERE DOES THE FIG TREE CHILDREN GET ITS MONEY?
The Fig Tree Children in Brisbane is currently funded entirely through voluntary contributions and from the proceeds of events we organise. The current main sources of income are individuals. The Fig Tree Children receives donations as a one-off or regular contribution and through its sponsorship program. This program is designed to provide long-term care for orphaned children. Regular donations support long-term programs to provide essential services to improve the lives of all the children participating in these programs.
DOESN'T CHARITY BEGIN AT HOME?
Yes, charity begins at home, but it doesn’t have to end there. We are lucky in Australia that we can afford to respond to those in need at home as well as providing life-saving aid to those beyond our borders. Australia has the seventh-highest income per person in the world according to International Monetary Fund figures. Our level of government debt is by far the lowest of any major developed country. The Australia Government only gives around 22 cents in every hundred dollars of national income even though they are well placed to give more (compared to 34 cents in every $100 in 2012-2013, and 48 cents in every $100 in the late 1960s). In reality, our government’s spending on overseas aid is relatively low compared with other wealthy nations who give aid. We currently rank 18th out of 30 wealthy countries in terms of our aid budget. Overseas Aid has played a big part in reducing the number of children dying from preventable causes. 20 years ago, more than 12 million children died every year from preventable causes. In 2010, less than 8 million children died from preventable causes. This is a 36 per cent reduction in child deaths and aid has played a big part in this progress. Unfortunately, thousands of children still die every day so more still needs to be done.