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Here you can find the most frequently asked questions related to the adoption programme, transferring money, connecting with your sponsored beneficiary, and much more.
Information for new sponsors
What is sponsorship?
How is a babushka or dedushka chosen for help?
Can I choose the babushka or dedushka I adopt?
Can I adopt more than one babushka or dedushka?
How much does adoption cost?
How long will my adoption last?
What happens to my babushka or dedushka if I cannot continue adoption?
What happens if my beneficiary dies?
How can I trust your organization and that my money is spent correctly?
Reporting and information exchange
Why do I not hear from your organization immediately?
Do you send any reports to sponsors?
Connecting with your beneficiary
Can I correspond with my babushka or dedushka?
Will I hear back from my beneficiary?
Can I send additional money gifts, presents and parcels?
Can you help her or him to buy something that she or he needs with my money?
Transferring money
Which bank should I use to transfer the money for my beneficiary?
The bank charges are too high, is it possible to use another bank account?
May I transfer the money monthly?
How do I know that you have received my payment?
What is sponsorship?
Please click here to learn more about sponsorship.
How is a babushka or dedushka chosen for help?
The identification and selection of the most vulnerable elderly people is carried out by our social workers with the support of an independent commission of experienced people working in the social sector. Our social workers conduct needs assessments by visiting the elderly applicants at their home. The assessments take into account the applicants’ work experience, health condition, housing situation, family status and value of pension, and are then measured against Babushka Adoption Foundation’s criteria:
- Aged over 65 years old
- Monthly pension less than 2500 Kyrgyz SOM (~EURO 42)
- No family support (i.e. childless; have disabled or pensioned children; or children have left Kyrgyzstan and do not provide support)
Can I choose the babushka or dedushka I adopt?
Yes, you can choose whether you would like to adopt a grandmother or grandfather. Our sponsor coordinator will send you a profile from our database. If for some reason the chosen profile is not suitable, please let us know and we will do our best to find a suitable alternative.
Can I adopt more than one babushka or dedushka?
Yes, we would welcome your generous support.
How much does adoption cost?
Adopting a babushka or dedushka in Kyrgyzstan for one year costs €150. From this yearly amount, €120 goes directly to your beneficiary, at two-monthly intervals, and €30 goes towards the administrative running costs of BA, including; staff costs, communication expenses (internet, post correspondence), transportation costs for delivering cash transfers and others.
How long will my adoption last?
Your adoption lasts one year from your first payment. Therefore, we kindly ask you to renew your adoption every year by Direct Debit or Standing Order with your bank. We ask you this because it is the best way to make our adoption programme more affordable and efficient and our sponsor coordinator will be most grateful.
If you choose to renew your support annually we will send you a reminder that the year is coming to an end when your balance is €40.
We kindly ask you to reply as soon as possible to inform us if you will continue your adoption. If we do not hear from by the time your balance is reduced to zero, we will have to cease the financial support to your beneficiary.
What happens to my babushka or dedushka if I cannot continue adoption?
If your circumstances change and you can no longer adopt your babushka or dedushka, please inform us as soon as possible. If you decide to discontinue your adoption we try to find a new sponsor for your beneficiary quickly so that we can continue their financial support without interruption.
What happens if my beneficiary dies?
If your beneficiary dies, we will inform you about the death and transfer the remainder of your balance to another needy elderly person. We will send you the profile of your new beneficiary.
How can I trust your organization and that my money is spent correctly?
Babushka Adoption Foundation is a Kyrgyz non-government organization (NGO), which was officially registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2000. The work of Babushka Adoption Foundation is overseen by a Supervisory Board consisting of professionals working in international agencies in the Kyrgyz Republic, local experts, and representatives of international and local organisations. Furthermore, the two-monthly money distribution process is monitored each year by non-staff members.
At Babushka Adoption Foundation we adhere to the highest standards of financial accountability. We have established stringent accounting and financial reporting procedures to ensure that the funds are used for the purpose specified. Babushka Adoption Foundation conducts audits yearly to make sure funds are properly received, tracked and managed.
Accountability is a commitment and a value that drives our whole organization. We are totally committed to earning and keeping your trust.
In addition, staff members conduct financial and programme reviews. We work hard to monitor and evaluate our programme effectiveness and long-term impact — right down to the individual elderly person. Any time we see an irregularity, we take immediate and appropriate action.
Our Executive Director and the board members are happy to respond to any queries/complaints/suggestions you may have.
Why do I not hear from your organization immediately?
To keep administrative costs to the minimum we have a small team of dedicated local stafffolk which does constrain our ability to reply immediately to all enquiries. Our single sponsor coordinator manages almost 700 sponsors and almost 1000 beneficiaries. We will however try to respond to all enquiries within one week. There is also a time lag between when you the sponsor sign onto the program and make payment to Babushka Adoption and when we receive confirmation of this. Babushka Adoption is investigating ways to dramatically reduce this time lag. We appreciate your patience in this matter.
Do you send any reports to sponsors?
We send our sponsors a financial report when there is €40 left on their sponsor account, along with a request for sponsorship renewal. Upon request we can also send you a financial report at any time. In addition, once a year Babushka Adoption Foundation sends to all sponsors a New Year Letter, which gives a full report of the achievements and activities of our organization. Our Annual, Programme and Audit Report are available on our website.
Can I be in correspondence with my babushka or dedushka?
Yes! Your words of encouragement will make a big difference to your beneficiary. We will be happy to translate and deliver your letters. In addition to letters, you can also send additional monetary gifts, presents or parcels, and even visit your babushka or dedushka.
Will I hear back from my beneficiary?
If your beneficiary is able to write back to you it can take between two weeks to one month until you receive their letter. However, we cannot guarantee a reply to every letter or gift. Some beneficiaries do reply, and sometimes they correspond frequently with sponsors. Please be informed that some of our beneficiaries are not able to read or write, as they did not receive any education or their health condition does not permit them to do so. We will do our best to assist by reading your letter to them and by writing to you on their behalf.
Can I send additional monetary gifts, presents and parcels?
Yes. We encourage sponsors to send additional monetary gifts, presents and parcels to their beneficiaries for special occasions, to address specific needs or simply as an act of love. These gifts are another effective way for you to reinforce your care and commitment to your beneficiary. We will give your present to your beneficiary and send you a photo of her or him receiving your present.
Can I send a check/cheque?
No, unfortunately we cannot accept checks.
Which bank should I use to transfer the money for my beneficiary?
Babushka Adoption Foundation has four bank accounts, in Kyrgyzstan, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. You can select whichever bank is most convenient for you. Click here for bank details.
Note: Please do not forget to note your personal sponsor number in any bank transactions.
The bank charges are too high, is it possible to use another bank account?
Unfortunately all banks charge some amount of money for transfers. Babushka Adoption Foundation is not able to cover the bank transfer charges and cannot offer any other bank accounts for the transfer. We ask for your understanding and have also found most banks are sympathetic to waiving the charges if you tell them the transaction is for charity purposes.
May I transfer the money monthly?
By transferring the whole amount at once you will save the cost of bank transfer charges. Of course, if this is not convenient for you, you may transfer your money monthly or quarterly and minimise our administrative costs.
How do I know that you have received my payment?
Our sponsor coordinator will confirm receipt of your payment as soon as possible.
Please note that our Swiss bank sends statements that detail transactions up to the 15th of the previous month. Therefore if, for example, you transfer money to our Swiss account on September 3, we will only be able to confirm receipt of your payment after October 15. We kindly ask you for your understanding.
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