Why Is It So Hard to Say Goodbye?
I grieve today for the child I’ve lost. The relationship has ended. He’s left the Compassion program. There’s nothing I can do. And he’s not even really mine; I’m the correspondent.
Child of Compassion
Ismene loved school. She loved learning how to work math problems. But Ismene was worried. Her grandparents might not make enough money to buy food and keep her in school.
Does child sponsorship through Compassion really work? How does it make a difference in the life of a child?
“Our objective is that before (the sponsored children) leave the center, they should have something to fall back on for their daily living,” said Liza, child development worker and youth facilitator for Paglinang Student Center. “Not all of them can go to college and not all of those who do make it to college can…
Why Do Child Development Centers Close?
We partner with more than 5,000 churches worldwide to implement our sponsorship program. And last year, 95 centers closed, about 1.7 percent of the centers open at the time. The number of child development centers that close each year varies. They close for a variety of reasons, and each case is different.
A frequently asked question about child sponsorship is this: How does it make a difference? People want to know that their concern, their money and their intentions are safe in our hands. This video from El Salvador highlights one of thousands of similar stories that attest to the crucial difference your sponsorship can make in…
My Sponsor Wiped My Mother’s Tears Away
I celebrate my sponsorship with Compassion because through the relationship with my sponsor, I caught the fire of hope. Sponsorship puts hope in the hearts of children and in return these children serve the rest of the world with that hope.
Our goal is to assist as many children and families as possible. In order to do this, we allow three children per family to be enrolled in our program.
However, the child development center staff is able to change that allowance to one or two children — based on the community’s needs. Particularly in Africa, one…
“Sponsorship is not about the money you give but about the lives and relationships you build.” This is not just a clever thing to say. It’s a profound statement that I learned from the children themselves. I’ve seen that our children are more concerned about building their relationship with you than the help they get.
When a Child Leaves Our Sponsorship Program
In the contact center we’re responsible for processing the paperwork for every child that leaves our program — “departs” in Compassion lingo. On average, we deal with about 1,500 to 3,000 departures a week.
One of the goals for our Child Sponsorship Program is for every child to successfully graduate with faith in Christ and the necessary life skills to become self-sufficient. Onidis’ story reflects the importance of the Child Sponsorship Program, even for the youth who don’t move on to our Leadership Development Program.
I’ve taken many calls from sponsors about their children’s pictures. “Why is my child wearing such nice clothing?” “Why is my child not smiling?” “My child’s newest picture doesn’t look like my child.Why?”
Picture this: You’re in El Salvador in the middle of summer visiting a newly opened child development center. There is a long line…
How Long Does My Sponsorship Last?
Although age is a determining factor in a child’s completion, we do not finalize a completion just for that reason. Our completion guidelines include consideration of our goals for each individual child and the goals each child has personally set.
Children are welcomed into our programs regardless of their faith. Although, we are unapologetically Christian and every child development center is connected to a Christian church or ministry.
That’s one of the things that makes us distinct. We’re church based.
While we provide the children and their families the opportunity to see living faith in action,…
At only 5 years of age, Michelle had to say goodbye to one of the places she loves the most: her child development center.
By attending classes at his or her child development center your sponsored child receives age-appropriate instruction in four main areas: spiritual, cognitive, physical and socio-emotional.
At KE-630, Good Shepard Isinya Student Center, all the children begin their Saturday at 9 a.m. with spiritual learning.
No more than three children from the same family can be registered in our Child Sponsorship Program, though each country may choose to limit this to fewer children so they can help a larger number of families.
Child Sponsorship Is Not in Vain
My name is Peninah Esianoi Pashile. I was a sponsored child at Imaroro Child Develoment Center in Kenya. I would like to share my story with you and hope that it will be an inspiration and encouragement to all who are dedicating their time and resources to releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
Your…
Catalyst 2009: It Could Have Been Me
As I write this, there are tears splattered on my keyboard and mascara smeared on my cheeks. I’m not much of a crier, perhaps being desensitized as a result of reading painful stories every day. But this video of Jimmy Wambua meeting his sponsor has made me cry like a baby.
The reason why…
Child Sponsorship: Life After Graduation
Tulancingo is located in a semidesert valley in central México. The view is beautiful and green with big cactus trees standing on the horizon.
The area of Tulancingo holds great history from the ancient Toltec and Otomi cultures. Although the inhabitants are mostly dedicated to farming and agriculture, a few other industries are also in…
“Why just now?” asks Pastor Joel. “Where was Compassion when I was just a child who had all the potential but did not have the money to go to school or to eat three square meals a day?”
Pastor Joel grew up on the remote island of Siquijor in the Philippines, which has long been known…
One of my earliest lessons in the importance of our gifts came from Tausi (Tanzania). I began sponsoring her soon after her stated birth date (which later proved to be wrong, but…) and immediately sent a gift of $25.
Tony Beltran: My Best Day in Ministry
Moody Bible Institute scholar Tony Beltran shares his amazement and excitement about a child he met who was determined to help others, just like Tony’s sponsor.
Christian child sponsorship: kids get it.
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Tony Beltran
For every 100,000 views this video gets, Dude Perfect will sponsor a child. It’s all explained at dudeperfect.com.
You can also watch this Dude Perfect video, along with Dude Perfect’s other amazing videos, on YouTube.
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