About OSI
OSI Mission - OSI Program Sites
Orphan
Sponsorship International was founded in 1999 by Nick Hindman, after a
trip to Russia where he worked with orphans in a summer camp.
Providing essential clothing and shoes to the kids, he was struck by the
children's reaction, -not to the physical gift, but to the mere fact that
somebody cared. From this the idea of a sponsorship program was
born, as a means to provide for the child's physical needs, while also
providing for their emotional need for a sense of individuality through
the relationship that they develop with their sponsor.
We've grown substantially since our
first orphanage site in Russia, but are organized to maintain a very
personal and informal approach to child sponsorship. OSI is divided
into individual program sites, with about 50 children at each site, each site
with its own dedicated OSI "liaison" who is responsible for being the
full-time connection between the site children and their sponsors. Sponsors pay nothing towards site costs, as ALL child sponsor funds are
dedicated to the child. The operation of our sites themselves is funded by separate, individual "Program Site
Sponsors." Finally, OSI also accomodates donors to serve the larger, orphanage-wide and program-wide needs
that cannot be served via individual child sponsorship.
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Child Sponsorship - OSI Child sponsorship provides a channel for individuals to be personally involved in the welfare of a needy child. Sponsors communicate at will via email with their dedicated OSI site liaison and with their sponsored child. 100% of the sponsor’s funds are utilized directly and exclusively towards the welfare of the individual sponsored child. For more information please see the Child Sponsorship page. |
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Program Site Sponsorship - We believe the ability of OSI sponsors to focus their funds and attention solely on their child provides a level of intimacy in the relationship that would not otherwise be attainable. This provides a great challenge administratively, and we are dependent on our Program Site Sponsors to make it work, as well as to expand our efforts further. For more information, please see the Program Sponsorship page. |
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Donations - Donations allow us to help orphans and orphanages in capacities that individual child-sponsors cannot. Donations allow us to serve orphanage-wide needs, such as providing better living facilities, for all of the children collectively. But in our "liaison" capacity, we don't wish simply to obtain funds, but invite donors themselves to be involved and to let us know how they wish their funds to be utilized. For more information, please see the Other Ways to Help page. |
OSI-Sri Lanka
strives to assist children orphaned by reasons of
poverty, civil war, and the recent tsunami disaster.
Pamunugama
- The orphanage in Pamunugama village, about 30km north of Colombo, is home to 45 orphaned and destitute girls, aged 6-18.
Wattegama
- The orphanage in Wattegama village, about 10km from the
interior hill country capital of
Kandy, is home to 40 orphaned and destitute girls, aged 6-18.
OSI-Bulgaria is based in the town of Dupnitza, in the Kyustendil
Region, 60km south of Sofia.
OSI-Sri Lanka
See Map
Anita (OSI-Pamunugama Liaison) and kids
See Map
Sharmila (OSI-Wattegama Liaison) and kids
OSI-Bulgaria
 See Map |
Dupnitza - A unique program to assist children living in impoverished families in the Roma neighborhoods of Dupnitza. Slatino - Our original program in Bulgaria, OSI is involved with the permanent orphan population from the "Children's Home" in the village of Slatino. |
 Lindsay (OSI-Bulgaria Liaison) and kids |
OSI-Russia
OSI-Russia is based in Kemerovo Region in Siberia, with multiple program sites in Kemerovo city and Novokuznetsk.
 See Map |
Kemerovo - Our Kemerovo program is focused on one of the community's large orphanages, though we assist other orphans in the city as well. In addition, we provide special sponsorships to allow orphans to live in local foster families. |
 Olga (OSI-Kemerovo Liaison) and kids |
 See Map |
Novokuznetsk - In the city of Novokuznetsk, in Kemerovo Region, OSI provides sponsorship for children from numerous local orphanages, as well as a special "graduate home." |
 Lena (OSI-Novokuznetsk Liaison) and kids |