Policies and Procedures

Mosaic Vision Policies & Procedures

Mosaic Vision Child Protection Policy:

Mosaic Vision believes that children should be:

Known
Loved
Protected

Everything we do, everything we stand for is in pursuit of excellence in those three areas. Understanding that the children we work with live in areas where love and protection are not the norm, we have established policies in accordance with Christian faith and practical experience that together create a different possibility and reality for the children in our care.

Psalm 82.3-4 reads “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

The “wicked” in many of the areas in which MVM works are truly evil and every possible security against their predation must be part of who and what we are.

Our Core Beliefs are these:

Children are beloved and valuable to God. They are worthy of respect and love.
There is never a justifiable reason for violence against children
Parents and caregivers should be the primary ones responsible for the care, protection and nurturing of children. However, not all parents are equipped for that role, and in those situations, we are all called to stand in the gap.
Children must be empowered to contribute to their own safety and care. Those who can guide and teach the young to make good decisions and care for themselves and one another.
All those in a relationship with a sponsored child have a responsibility to protect that child; sponsors, staff (both in-country and US-based), local clergy and approved caregivers all must share in this task.

To say that the children in our program have lived lives at-risk is an understatement. Many have lived without caring adult supervision for long periods of time. Abuse is rampant and often vicious, targeting the most vulnerable.

Our approach to counter this reality consists of the following:

To prevent abuse whenever possible
To intervene as quickly as we can when abuse is observed
To provide restoration and healing to those subjected to abuse
To empower children to take an active role in their own protection

Some of the safeguards MVM employs to ensure the safety of our children include background checks for all staff and all visitors, training for staff, local leaders and volunteers, and establishing policies and rules consistent with our mission and values. Child Communication and Sponsor Visitation policies are in place to protect not only the children but sponsors as well.

The Sponsor’s Role:
As a sponsor, you are part of a community of advocates dedicated to protecting children. Jesus demanded that his disciples care for the little ones, saying “Whoever causes one of the little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea!” (Matthew 18.6).

Okay then! Serious business.

If your child says something in a letter that might lead you to feel that abuse is present, we strongly urge you to talk to our US staff.

Mosaic Vision Communication Policy:

Safety and well-being of our sponsored children is our number one priority. One of the most important ways to safeguard them is through strict adherence to our communications policy.

Please read this document and understand that any abuse of this Policy will constitute a breach of contract and will result in the cancellation of sponsorship.

Communicating with Your Sponsored Child

We cannot help protect a sponsor’s or child’s privacy if we are not involved in the correspondence.

Currently, the ONLY method of communication between sponsor and child is the exchange of letters through the Mosaic offices. Being involved in the correspondence process also allows MVM to help you navigate the ocean of cross-cultural sensitivities and avoid inadvertently writing something inappropriate or offensive.

As part of our policy, we will not deliver any letters to or from the child, which contain personal contact information (e.g., address, phone, email, etc.) or references to monetary gifts.

Any sponsor communications, photos or materials deemed inconsistent with our Christian values will not be forwarded to the children.
As social media and internet access becomes more prevalent in developing countries we recognize that sponsors and children may have the opportunity to connect online.

Because of the convenience that online communication offers come with increased privacy and safety risks, we must prohibit such correspondence at this time.

Phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. are platforms NOT sanctioned by Mosaic Vision. Your sponsored child may try to contact you via one of those methods.

Please do not respond, even to say “I’m sorry but I can’t talk to you in this manner.” We ask that you let us know about this contact by emailing or calling us. Sometimes beneficiaries and their families disregard the rules about direct communication with a sponsor, and by alerting us we can work with your child’s family to reinforce our communication policy.

It truly is for their own protection. We realize how tempting it is to use what for us in the west is a normal, daily method of communication.

You may find that your child even has an FB or Twitter account, but please understand that there are serious reasons for MVM not permitting such contact. We trust our sponsors to adhere to our policy.

In summary:

Sponsors and children are required to use Mosaic Vision approved channels to communicate.
Hopefully soon an online portal will allow you to electronically transmit letters and your child will be able to use Mosaic Vision computers in-country to respond, but for now, using any electronic communication channel (or other method) outside of what Mosaic has approved is considered a breach of the contract to which both sponsor and child have agreed. “Friending” on any social media and/or commenting on a post is also considered a breach and will result in cancellation of sponsorship.

What Sponsorship Covers:

What it is:

There are currently more than 1.2 million children in Uganda who have been orphaned by the still-rampant AIDS epidemic in their country. There is no comprehensive government program designed to rescue these kids from a future that holds nothing but continued poverty, vulnerability, hopelessness.

We’re not willing to accept that. We can’t turn our heads away and ignore the fact that more than a billion children in this world live on less than $2 per day. Sponsoring one of these children can help create a different reality not just for the child, but for an entire community.

Sponsorship, to a child, is;

Evidence that they are loved by God
Supervision, safety and security
The difference between surviving, perhaps, and thriving

Sponsorship, to the sponsor, is;

The chance to fall in love with a brand new person!
The opportunity to honor Christ’s exhortation to care for others
The way to make a difference

Sponsorship is not just about writing a check and sending a letter. At its best, it is the foundation of a very special relationship that can blossom between people from vastly different cultures and circumstances.

What it covers:

Our mission is to restore the lives of AIDS orphans in Africa.
Child Sponsorship is the model we use to accomplish that mission.

Our approach is holistic, caring for the complete child physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, educationally, economically.

Your sponsorship addresses their education, healthcare, and discipleship/mentoring through your prayer, financial support, and advocacy.

How it works:

The sponsor may indicate the gender and age of a child they wish to sponsor. While there are no guarantees that those particulars will be met, every effort will be made to find the child with whom the sponsor will have the greatest affinity. As an example, if a sponsor family includes an elementary school-age daughter, sponsoring a girl of the same age can lead to a rich, two-way, long-term relationship.

Once the child has been identified, the completed paperwork included in the Sponsor Packet is to be returned to Mosaic Vision Ministries. The sponsor is then encouraged to write to their new child right away, as mail traffic between Uganda and the West is often spotty or slow, and the sooner the connection is made, the better. The child will be immediately enrolled in the Mosaic program, and his/her life will change dramatically.

You may look forward to scheduled communications between you and your sponsored child, which will no doubt include hand-drawn pictures of the plants, animals, etc. that are a vital part of the child’s everyday life. To protect the child, Mosaic has established clear guidelines for communication. All correspondence is sent through the US staff to the UG staff. All these things will be fully explained at the outset, and are designed to make communication safe and rewarding for both parties.

Sponsorship donations are made monthly, by check, credit card on record or Paypal. Additional gifts may be sent twice per year and will be used to meet specific needs of the child, i.e. shoes, seed, housing improvements, livestock, etc.

Thank you for your interest in our program.

Sponsoring an orphan in Uganda, showing your love and care and receiving huge love in return, is certainly one of the best things you will ever do!