FAQs

Yes. It is registered as an NGO (non-governmental organization for the development) with the TIN 509519792 at the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs pursuant to Article 8 of Law no. 66/98 since the 21st September 2010.

In Mozambique, at this time in the city of Chimoio and the villages of Messica, Matsinho, Chipaco and Monte Chimoio. Province of Manica.

We particularly work in Mozambique, because it was there that the founder of The Big Hand® began to collaborate on cooperation projects and realized the real needs of the country.

In Mozambique, according to the National Education Plan, there are still around 660 thousand children (from 6 to 12 years old) who are still without access to primary school; there are officially approximately 626 thousand orphaned children due to HIV/AIDS and other diseases such as malaria (and the number tends to grow) and only 2% of the population has running water inside the home, with the majority of the population (47%) obtaining their water from a well without a pump or from the nearest river or lake.

In October 2004, the founder of The Big Hand® participated for the first time, in a cooperation project in Mozambique where he spent 11 months working in nurseries and a home for children and young orphans. With a brief experience in Guinea-Bissau, in 2006, he returned to Mozambique in the following years to develop projects for teacher training and sponsorship of children. It was then that, in 2010, with the support of several friends and colleagues he decided to formally establish The Big Hand® with a view to increase the capacity of aid provided to the most vulnerable children.

Our work is focused on the children, but we all benefit from the work done by The Big Hand® as by educating the children we are contributing to the sustainable development of the communities in which they are included and the world in general.

The Big Hand® develops criteria to ensure that it works where there is the greatest need and where we can have the greatest impact. To determine the need, The Big Hand® considers international development indicators, such as infant and maternal mortality, the wealth of the country, the stability of the government and the desire to work in collaboration with us to improve the lives of children.

Where a site is established as a project area, The Big Hand® establishes a commitment with families, the Community and the local agents so that everyone can participate actively in achieving lasting and sustainable change.

Through the support and active development of projects that guarantee the development of the child during a long period of time aiming for their healthy growth from birth to completion of studies, so that a child becomes a valuable and participative adult in its community.

Sponsorship is the possibility that the donor has to establish a connection with a child and its family. Our sponsorship system allows the Godparents and the local communities to establish a network of cultural exchange through an exchange of letters and photographs or the visit of the Godparents to the community.

To sponsor a child is one of the most transparent and sustainable ways of helping entire communities out of poverty and to guarantee the rights of their children and grandchildren to education, health and a better future

To make a sustainable contribution, our Godparents are invited to accept a long-term commitment to ensure the child's access to school from the 1st to the 12th year.

As a Godparent, you will receive regular updates on our work in the community where the child lives. You can also enjoy a unique cultural exchange as we encourage all Godparents to send messages, photos and postcards and even visit the child. All communications and visits are arranged through our coordinators, for child protection reasons.

They contribute with 25 euros per month, according to the needs of each child, these will be invested in school materials (backpack, pencils and notebooks), in footwear, school uniform and sports clothes, a tutor to accompany the child and also for the remuneration of local teachers, the school guard, for vitamin supplements and immunization control of the child.

We know that our godfathers/godmothers will do everything to maintain the commitment to the child but if by chance you are in a situation in which it is very difficult to contribute with 25 euros per month, you can always contact us to cancel your direct debit, without any problem

The money that is assigned to a joint scholarship formed with donations from other Godparents will allow The Big Hand® to buy school materials for the children, develop health and nutrition programs or build structures such as water holes or libraries that will benefit the sponsored child but also the whole school community.

When you assign the money directly to the families we open a line of subsidy and welfarism which will increase the level of general poverty, since other families, to benefit from these amounts may fail to work or promote community activities. Thus, your money is invested in materials, structures or programs that ensure the well-being of all the children in the community (including the sponsored child) keeping the families involved in the commitment to improve their situation through work and community participation.

Yes. Additional contributions are always welcome and are used to provide additional resources for many projects which are considered vital. You can also sponsor more than one child. However, we do not accept goods (such as clothing, toys or shoes) that the Godparents want to send to the child that they sponsor because in the past we have seen that this type of donations generated inequality and, consequently, envy and strife among children as not all are sponsored or have godparents that can send them goods.

Yes. There are other forms of support. See the section "How to Help".

While it is necessary or until the child is 18 years old. However, the child may leave the program if its family moves out of the area where The Big Hand® promotes its programs or if the project objectives have been achieved and the community has become self-sufficient.

The donations are used for community projects that aim to improve the quality of life of children, through the construction of several structures, as for example: schools, water holes, improved latrines and health centers.

The Big Hand® has a policy of accountability and openness. We are working to always have available on our website the annual report containing the consolidated financial statements. We encourage sponsors to visit our programs on the ground to meet the children, their families and their communities and observe at first hand the impact of their donation.

The Big Hand® is a transparent organization and therefore we want our donors to know how their donations are managed. 80 percent of the money donated to The Big Hand® is directly applied in our development programs that benefit children and the communities where we work in. The remaining 20 percent is invested in fundraising activities to promote the project and to cover our operating costs (such as electricity, telephone, internet, stationary, promotional materials and incentives of our collaborators). This means that of the 25 euros donated monthly by the Godparents, only 5 euros are retained for operating costs.

Yes. All donations enjoy tax benefits in accordance with the Patronage law

For individuals, the maximum deduction allowed is 25% of the total value considered as a cost. For example, on a donation of €100, the cost would be €100*1.4 (140€). Thus, the amount to be deducted (25%) is calculated on the cost (140€), making a total of 35€ for deduction on a donation of 100 euros. Note that after the establishment of the value of the collection in the IRS you may not deduct more than 15% in donations.

Please note that for companies the benefits are different and that for donations from abroad you should consult the policy of your government´s country.