Why support Starfish Asia?

All of our income goes towards helping the children in Pakistan through the schools and projects we support. We minimise our overhead costs. Around 85% of our received income goes directly to our partners in Pakistan and the projects they run among the poor.

We maintain regular and close contact with our national partners in Pakistan and the senior staff visit all our projects annually. Most of our partners’ projects are locally registered under Pakistani law, with their own independent Boards of Trustees.

We have thirty years’ experience of working in Pakistan and have close and strong relationships with community leaders in Pakistan. Since 2003, Starfish Asia has continued to grow and now supports around 50 homes and schools providing help and education to more than 8,300 children and their families per year.

Pakistan is often in the headlines for bad news. We bring good news to this beleaguered nation — hope and not despair. We focus on education for the marginalised minority children of Pakistan and support our partners in building Christian values into the lives of the children.

We invest in national partners who are already involved in bringing hope to their own communities. Many have made a considerable personal sacrifice to work with the poor and do so often under severe threat and difficult working conditions.

You will have the satisfaction of knowing that your support will enable children to escape from poverty and make a contribution to their world.  Without your help many might lose hope and spend their lives in bonded labour in brick kilns, sweeping the road, cleaning sewage, or cleaning the houses of the rich. Worse still, many might return to the streets without work, drawn to drugs and cheap sex or waste their lives as petty thieves and beggars. You can make a difference.

We acknowledge all gifts with gratitude and welcome supporters as members of the Starfish Asia family (unless you choose otherwise). We will keep you informed about how your money is spent and the difference you are making to some of Pakistan’s poorest children.

Pray for Pakistan

Prayer for God’s blessing on Pakistan is at the heart of our commitment. We long to see God’s blessing on Pakistan’s people, first and foremost on the Church and its leaders, but also on all in authority.

The apostle Paul urged us to pray: I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour.

(The Bible, 1 Timothy 2:1-3)

Why not join us on the second Thursday of every month for our Zoom prayer meeting.  Please email us at info@starfishasia.com and we will send you the links.

Starfish Asia provides two resources to help you to pray:

  • Write to info@starfishasia.com and request the monthly Prayer Bulletin, sent out by email to all who wish to pray more intimately and regularly for the work of Starfish Asia.
  • Download two .pdf attachments that will give some guidelines for group prayer. These may be copied and used in prayer meetings or for personal prayer.

Prayer for Pakistan, outlines for prayer produced by Starfish Asia

Prayercast Pakistan, produced by OneWay.

Fundraise for us

Starfish Asia is a partnership. We do not have all the answers – and we cannot raise all the funds on our own. We need to work together as an army of enthusiasts who believe that together we can make a difference! Here are some ideas:

Events and sponsorship

There are all sorts of organized events that you can sign up for to raise profile and funds for charities like Starfish Asia. You just need to know what you like to do – and then take the step of contacting us!

Whether it be a run, walk, cycle, climb, baking contest. We will support you.

See what some others have done

Organize your own fundraising event

The first step is always the hardest, but here are some tips for raising money for Starfish Asia. There is a lot to think about before planning a fund-raising event. In order to choose an event suitable for you, it is helpful to think about your hobbies, contacts, circle of friends and school, college or work environment.

Consider how much time you are prepared to give. The easiest event to organise will be one that links to your existing lifestyle.

Contact info@starfishasia.com if you would like to set up your own fundraising event.

When deciding on the right event you might consider the following

  • Who will it appeal to?
  • How much time will it take to organise? If you are very busy or pushed for resources, then something simple that fits your lifestyle might be appropriate.
  • Who could help you to organize it? You don’t have to go solo. Think about others who could help you. Family, friends, work colleagues and neighbours may be able to help with planning, preparing and assisting on the day.
  • What resources will be needed, e.g. posters, flyers, tickets, refreshments, etc.?
  • Will it be cost effective? There should be a reasonable amount raised after costs have been met.

Remember to

  • Generate publicity. This not only attracts people but provides credibility. With permission you could put up posters and distribute flyers around your school, college.
  • Let the people know workplace, church, local shop, supermarket, library etc. The best form of advertising is by word of mouth. You could also email, text or send out personal invitations.
  • Share on Social Media channels. This way you can reach people all over the World!
  • Make it enjoyable and interesting for those who attend.
  • Make it clear what you are raising money for. We can provide information leaflets and brochures, or the Starfish Asia DVD
  • Aim for a target amount you would like to raise.

Leave a legacy

Leaving a legacy to Starfish Asia is an enduring gift and will provide hope to a whole new generation of Pakistan’s Christian children. We treat every bequest as a gift from God to be used carefully and in full to touch the lives of the downtrodden and disadvantaged.

The information given here is not exhaustive and we recommend taking independent professional advice when writing your will.

For more information please download a copy of our leaflet:

Starfish Asia legacy leaflet

The benefits of making a Will

  • Of all the ways in which people contribute to the vital work of Starfish Asia, one of the most valuable is leaving a gift in their Will.
  • Making a Will is thoughtful planning, enabling you to take care of your family and friends and make a lasting investment in the next generation. To die without making a will can result in all sorts of complications for your heirs and your wishes may never be fulfilled.
  • A Will enables you to make a substantial donation to a Charity of your choice, underscoring your commitment to provide for the wider world. By making a gift to Starfish Asia in your Will you will be giving dignity and hope from one generation to the next.
  • Making a will gives you and your family peace of mind and can provide a lasting memorial in the lives of Pakistan’s Christians.

Tax-efficient giving

If you are a UK tax payer, we can reclaim 25% of your gift from the Government. All you need to do is to complete a Gift Aid Declaration (UK donors only).

We have an online Gift Aid declaration, which you can complete and submit electronically.

Alternatively, you can download a Gift Aid form and send it to us at:

FREEPOST RRAY-KKCU-SGZC
Starfish Asia
32 Beck Lane
Beckenham
BR3 4RE

Tax-efficient giving in the USA

Starfish Asia is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) in the United States

Advancing Native Missions (Code: 470SFA)

P.O. Box 29, Afton, VA 22920

 

Adopt a school

Church or business partnerships

AE Tuition is a tuition centre and publishing company based in Slough, Berkshire that provides quality tuition to more than 1000 students each year.

Stephen Curran, Director of AE Tuition, visits Pakistan each year to help Starfish Asia partners to improve standards in their schools. He also gives training to the teachers in Starfish Asia schools. He writes on his website:

“AE Tuition is committed to help educate under privileged children in Asia through donation and support. We are passionate about giving children a chance to a brighter future. Stephen Curran visits Pakistan and India regularly on fact-finding missions to advise schools how to improve their resources and provide education for impoverished children living in slum conditions.”

“Our tuition centre makes a monthly donation to the charity based on the number of students attending our classes each month. Our objective is to donate around £10,000 each year. Due to the exchange rate and the lower standard of living in Asia, the value of this donation is increased substantially and can do so much to improve the situation and assist less fortunate children in Pakistan.”

Several churches and individuals have entered into partnerships with a school or home for orphans or the disabled. Please contact a Starfish Asia office if you or your church would like to link up with a school or project with view to providing support. “Adopt a School” could be a project for your Sunday School, Women’s Fellowship or Mission Committee.

A group of churches in Shropshire adopted a school serving a community of Brick Kiln workers and for one year made it a focus of several church events and collections.

Their target was £1,500 but they finally reached more than £5,000 which provided a new classroom, furniture, playground swings and seesaws, schoolbooks and more for the children at the Miracle School.

Regular monthly payment plan

A regular payment plan is the greatest help that enables us to budget and to ensure that we can maintain our on-going monthly commitments to our partners. A regular Standing Order direct to our bank account (UK only) ensures that we are able to use 100% of the value of your gift.

You can download a Standing Order mandate to give to your bank, here:

Standing Order/Gift Aid Form

Alternatively, you can set up a regular payment with you own Credit/Debit Card or PayPal using the ‘Donate’ button.

BACS / Cheque

If you prefer to pay by BACS, then please contact us for our bank account details or please send a cheque by post to:

Starfish Asia, 32 Beck Lane, Beckenham, BR3 4RE

 

Volunteers Q&A

Fundraisers make a huge contribution to Starfish Asia by giving freely of their time, talents, skills, energy, enthusiasm and experience to help raise necessary funds for impoverished children in Pakistan.

We are a non-profit organisation. We cannot hire enough paid expertise to fully achieve the aims and goals of the mission and vision statement. Therefore we rely on a family of volunteers and fundraisers.

It is important to select one that suits your skills and abilities. If you don’t have a lot of time we suggest one that fits your lifestyle. See our A-Z for some ideas and the section, Organizing your own fund-raising event.

Ideally we would like to know what you have in mind and like to talk with our fundraisers. Contact us by email or phone.

We may be limited in the amount we can help physically, as we are a very small full-time team. However, we can definitely help by providing publicity materials and copies of the Starfish Asia Newsletters. And we can pray for you and your event. We like to be in touch and will help as much as possible.

That is entirely up to you. Some fundraisers arrange a number of events throughout the year or get sponsored regularly. Others do one-offs. The time you give is your choice.

Yes, of course. We understand that you may have work, family, church and other commitments. You can give us as much or as little time as you choose.

Yes. Each donor who is a UK tax payer can increase their gift by 25% by signing a Gift Aid form which can be provided by us or downloaded from the website, or completed online.

We take the absolute minimum to cover our low overhead costs. Currently about 85% of all our income goes directly to Pakistan. This represents excellent value for money. If you are raising funds for a chosen school or project, we will send 100% of your gift to the project.

Yes, you can choose any school or project that we are currently supporting. Otherwise we are happy to advise or use the funds raised wherever they are needed most. We cannot use funds for projects that we are not ourselves already committed to.

The money goes to Starfish Asia’s bank account and is sent to Pakistan, usually on the next transfer.

No. Every contribution is valuable – it only costs about £5 or $6.50 to support a Pakistani child in school for a month, so small is very beautiful. However it is good to set a target, as this will provide motivation to raise more funds.

You can make cheques payable to Starfish Asia or you can pay through internet banking. Just contact us for our account details.

Check the Contact Us page for contact details.

As the role is voluntary we do not normally cover out of pocket expenses but do talk to us if that is a difficulty preventing you from fundraising, and we will see what we can do.

You may fundraise for Starfish Asia if you are under 18, provided you have written permission from a parent or legal guardian.

Absolutely. We see no reason why you should not raise funds wherever you live.

Please get in touch with a Starfish Asia office and we will advise – we have many friends across the world who might be able to help.

Check the Contact Us page for contact details.

Please do! We value the time and energy you give, and want to listen and learn.

Join the fight to give Pakistan's children a future

With your support, we CAN make a difference

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