ActionAid UK's newly appointed co-chief executives have signalled a major shift away from the charity's traditional child sponsorship scheme, describing the model as carrying racialised and paternalistic undertones. Taahra Ghazi and Hannah Bond, who took up their joint role this month, said they aim to move the organisation's focus from sympathy towards solidarity and partnership with global movements.
The sponsorship scheme, which began in 1972 and currently supports children in 30 countries, accounts for 34% of the charity's global funds. Ghazi said the practice of asking mostly well-off, often white supporters to choose a picture of a brown or black child was "very transactional" and "quite paternalistic". Writing on the organisation's plans, she said: "We recognise that the current child sponsorship model reflects a different time."
ActionAid is undertaking a transformation process running until 2028, which will include examining how funds are raised and allocated. Bond said they are "evolving the model so it is shaped by community voices and responds to the realities they face today", while stressing that sponsors remain valued and their support will continue to have a real impact. The changes are intended to give teams in Africa, Asia and Latin America greater influence over how funding is structured.
The charity's plans follow growing criticism of child sponsorship across the sector. Save the Children, which pioneered the fundraising method in 1919, ended its programme last year, citing its unsuitability for modern contexts and the administrative costs of facilitating letter exchanges. Independent researcher Themrise Khan went further, saying the practice should be abandoned altogether, describing it as "highly problematic and racist in its overtones" that "shrieks 'white saviourism'".
Looking to the future, Bond and Ghazi envision ActionAid as a feminist, anti-racist organisation that prioritises long-term funding for grassroots groups. They are exploring ideas such as "sisterhoods" – groups of friends or family members collectively raising money for women's rights organisations – and plan to launch a dedicated fund for women's rights groups facing attacks from the global anti-rights movement. Bond said: "The world is in a bad place and we have a really important role as a global federation in pushing back on the levels of injustice that are happening all over the world."
