Meet the Grandparents

The Sponsor a Grandparent programme currently works in 30 countries around the world. Our projects aim to help the most vulnerable older people and their families and communities. All projects empower older and work towards sustainability. We hope that one day grandparents and their communities can exist without needing to depend on help.

Below are examples of some of our Sponsor a Grandparent projects. Each project is represented by a Grandparent who acts as a spokesperson for the entire community. Through their story you can see how sponsorship money not only changes their and their families’ lives, but also the lives of the entire community it benefits. Visit our projects pages to see the impact sponsorship is making.

Bernadetta's story

Bernadetta is a widow looking after four of her orphaned grandchildren in Iteera Village in Karagwe, Tanzania. Bernadetta's daughter died in 2001, and her son died the following year. Bernadetta doesn't know how or why they died, but couldn't do anything for them when they became ill.

Bernadetta's husband left her a small plot of land which means she can grow pineapples, bananas and groundnuts for the family to eat and to sell at the market. As part of a project funded by the Sponsor a Grandparent programme, Bernadetta received money to buy more seeds and extend her garden with a friend. They started the Pineapple Project and are now part of an older person's cooperative that supports the whole community.

"We all work on the project two mornings a week. We also help eight other old people in the community who can't look after themselves, by giving them some of the cooperative's pineapples and groundnuts. We also sell our pineapples at the market. We use the money to buy kerosene and soap, but we also take firewood to those who can't collect it themselves."

Because Bernadetta can make some money from her garden, she can now afford to send her grandchildren to school. Sponsor a Grandparent has changed her life, and now she can help to change theirs.

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Amelia's story

Amelia looks after three grandchildren in Tete province, Mozambique. The children's parents are both dead.

The family used to be refugees in Zimbabwe but when they come home to Mozambique, life was still difficult because they didn't have any friends and their neighbours didn't know them. The two older grandchildren missed school because they were short of money and the family suffered food shortages because of continual droughts.

The Sponsor a Grandparent programme has supported Amelia, her grandchildren and other children in the village.

"Help the Aged came to our village explaining that they had money to pay for school and uniforms. The village leaders registered all the children in the village so they could go to school. For the past three years, my two oldest grandchildren have been able to go to school regularly. We also received food parcels including rice, maize and beans every three months. This is enough to feed the family. My grandchildren going to school is the greatest thing I could ever imagine."

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Sanjay's Story

Sanjay, aged 87, lives in a remote rural area of West Bengal, India, with his wife and grandson. His son died a few years ago, and his daughter-in-law moved back to her parents' home in Calcutta, so Sanjay and his wife officially adopted their grandson who is 14. He is in Year 9 at school, and doing very well at his studies. Sanjay is very proud of him.

Sanjay was a fisherman when he was younger, but couldn't continue this work due to ill-health. As part of a project funded by the Sponsor a Grandparent programme, Sanjay received money to start a small business. He and his wife now run a small grocery store in his house. They also make and sell fish nets.

"After becoming involved in the Sponsor a Grandparent programme, I am much more confident, as I am active again and earn money to look after my family. I also get to interact with other people my age in the village, and we share our troubles together."

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Jamini's Story

Jamini is 63, and lives with his wife and grown children in a small village in West Bengal, India. He used to manufacture paint brushes, but stopped seven years ago after suffering a stroke. Jamini's family became very poor and struggled without this important income. He became depressed at not being able to provide for his family.

Now that Jamini is involved with the Sponsor a Grandparent programme, his life has changed. He received support to start a small business making puffed rice, and his family help too. A care worker visits his home once a month to see how he is doing and check on his health, which has improved. He is now actively involved in an older person's group in his village. Together they monitor how the money from the Sponsor a Grandparent programme is used.

"I got my position back in the family, and now have the respect of my children as I earn money and run the family business. Before this, I was depressed. Now I am motivated to keep living by my new job, my friends and my responsibilities."

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Simon's story

Simon is 73 and lives in the village of Esquencachi, high up the Andes. Like everyone in this community, Simon is a farmer and has never been to a city. Simon and his wife had nine children but eight of them have died of measles. The family supports itself by growing potatoes, vegetables and wheat, but the supply is irregular: without rain, Simon's crops will fail.

Simon gets the Bonosol, the non-contributory pension available to all Bolivians over 65, but this only gives him 1,800 Bolivianos (approximately £116) every year on his birthday. It's very little money for a whole year, especially since Simon also buys books for his grandchildren.

In 2002, Simon received money from Help the Aged partners to build a greenhouse. The greenhouse, made from bricks and plastic sheeting, is cheap to erect and easy to maintain and allows Simon to grow peppers, chillies, cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables.

"I built it on my own - it took a month. The greenhouse has changed my life and means I can grow food all year round. It's not as much work as growing in the fields. I feel too old for ploughing now, my back hurts and I get muscular pain in my legs. The greenhouse makes my work easier."

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Whilst photos are representative of older people we work with, images of named individuals have not been used.