Welcome to Mary’s Friends
Mary’s Friends is an organization independent of any political ideology or religion. We provide financial aid and support to children and youth living in poverty in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Bangalore in India.
All staff members are unpaid volunteers, with the exception of a secretary paid by the hour. This means that we are able to send 90 % of all donations directly to the children and their caregivers, with a minimum of administrative cost.
Targeted donations
Mary’s Friends is a recognised Norwegian sponsor organization that is based on sponsorship of individual children. We are the only recognised organization in Norway based on giving individual support, allowing sponsors to follow the child all the way from childhood until they become independent adults.
Choose one of the 3 following alternatives for your donation and membership in Mary’s Friends:
ALTERNATIVE 1 – Give a child living in poverty a better life with individual sponsorship
NOK 300,- per month can provide a child with food, clothes, health care, a bed to sleep in and access to basic education. Each child is selected for sponsorship by the nuns running the orphanage, and the children are either orphans or have no other people capable of taking care of them. We work closely with their local caregivers who take care of the children on a daily basis, giving them a safe and healthy environment. As a sponsor you will receive regular information about the child’s development and daily life. Currently, our 700 members sponsor 800 individual children.
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What makes us different from other organizations?
- We are the only recognised organisation in Norway that sends your monthly donation to the individual child you are sponsoring.
- Every sponsored child receives a personal bank account where a small part of your monthly donation is deposited. This way you can build up savings for the child to use once the sponsorship is terminated. You can donate additional funds to your child’s personal bank account any time you like.
- You will receive drawings and/or letters from your sponsored child, and if you want you can communicate via email or even visit your child.
- Mary’s Friends have more than 40 years of experience helping children from a young age until they can live independently.
- Currently we support several young adults pursuing a university degree.
- With the exception of the secretary paid by the hour, all members in Norway work for free with no form of compensation.
- We are the only recognised organisation in Norway that sends your monthly donation to the individual child you are sponsoring.
ALTERNATIVE 2 – Donate to give homeless children access to education
Basic education is free in Sri Lanka, Thailand and India. However, the children need to pay for school uniforms, books and one meal per day. These expenditures are beyond reach for the poorest. Mary’s Friends have made a program to help these children living in poverty get access to education.
In Thailand there are thousands of stateless children, mostly from Myanmar. These children have no access to public schools or healthcare.
With a donation of only NOK 150,- per month, you can secure access to school for a child. You can choose to help a child in Thailand, Sri Lanka or Bangalore in India. You will receive a picture and biodata of the child you sponsor.
Mary’s Friends have provided computers to all orphanages we work with, including schools. We also have built up Vocational Training Centres for young girls so they can learn a trade and get jobs in order to support themselves. Mary’s Friends has also built an orphanage in Sri Lanka called Children’s Corner.
We can always tailor a donation according to your wish.
We thank each and every one of you for helping us to give our children a better life.
Contact:
Email mvenner@online.no
www.marysvenner.com
Address: Marys Venner, Kvennhusmonen 23, 4760 Birkeland, Norway.
Tlf: +47 62 83 92 75
Org.no. 982 847 699
Innsamlingskontrollen Norway
Fund raising account: 1602 03 02228. Vipps (Norway only) 18196