Once a child is fully enrolled in our sponsorship program, each of our partner countries begin working to link the child with a sponsor. While this occurs, the staff in our Ghana country office and at our church partners begin praying for kindhearted individuals to see the pictures of the children and pick them up for sponsorship.
Our Communications Department is one of the first areas to learn that a child has a sponsor. They receive a regularly generated list of children who have new sponsors. A copy of the list is printed out, together with an age-graded, first-letter pad bearing a bar code with sponsor and child details on it. This is placed in the “pigeon holes” of the respective child development centers whose children have new sponsors.
The next center worker to visit the country office picks up the material from the holes and brings it to the center where the child notification process is carried out.
“Any time we come to the country office and find this list, we become very happy,” says Fredrick, the center coordinator for Victory Assemblies Child Development Center.
At the center the list is filed in a special folder that has been created to hold the new assignment list. The next step is to go to the child’s home and inform the family about the sponsorship.
You can also view this child sponsorship video in YouTube.
Every child who receives a sponsor must write a first letter of introduction. This letter must contain detailed information about the child and the family. Some of this information the child may not know. So as part of the notification process, the center worker takes down all the information needed to complete the first letter later.
The worker takes down the names of the parents, the names and ages of all the children in the family, and the work the caregivers do, among other things.
Children who cannot write their letters are assisted by center staff. When the letters are written, they are returned to the country office.
In Ghana, this first letter has a deadline, which is one week. This means the letter is to be submitted to the country office no later than one week after collection so the Sponsor Donor Services Associate in the Communications Department has ample time to check it and ensure that the letter meets all standards before packaging and subsequent mailing to Colorado Springs.
From Colorado Springs, the child’s first letter is then sent to the sponsor’s country, where it is mailed to the sponsor, and communication commences between sponsor and child.
That’s a pretty neat video. I like how they are starting to sing a song at the end! I was blessed to tell a few children that they have a new sponsor, because I had just found one for them. But noone ever sang a song like that! LOL So, this is cool.
we sponsored one of our children during a sponsored tour — so he found out first — they took us to him and said Obed, guess what — you have sponsors and here they are! he was pretty overwhelmed to say the least!!
Brings tears to my eyes…. the team work that goes into making this possible… the careful way this unfolds… the many hands and hearts linking these precious children to us, their sponsors…. God is being glorified!
I love that video! Such joy they have. Thanks for posting this.
Beautiful!!! Video clips have a special way of touching the heart; it would be nice to see to be more of them representing each of Compassion’s countries.
I think if I had the job of telling families their child got sponsored and each one reacted like this, then I would cry all day long. That is really awesome to watch.
That would be a tough job. Generally, within each project there is a person with the title of “Sponsorship responsible” who takes care of this. They also handle the letters and the visits to the project (that’s very few, maybe one a year). They are the ones, who take the photos. Given that the average project is probably about 200 children, you won’t be crying all day long, because if 20 -30 children are without sponsors, you won’t have to do this all day long.
Such a great video! This video melts my heart! It just goes to show what a great thing we are doing as sponsors! Thanks for posting it!
That made me cry like a baby! Praise God! I am so honored and thankful that He allows me to be part of what He’s doing in these families!
That video made me want to sponsor like 10 more kids!
Lisa, I’m so glad to hear this. I’m actually looking for sponsors for several children in the Cochabamba area in Bolivia. I got several photos of them, including photos of them when their official Compassion picture was taken. They are very good letter writers and they’ll answer every letter that you wrote them.
Great video! In Tanzania this summer, I had the privilege of witnessing several children being told they had a sponsor. It was very emotional and very special to see! It ‘s truly wonderful news for the child and the family and the cause of much celebration in the home.
On another note, does anyone know if the introductory letter to a new sponsor written by the child is fairly standard from country to country? I was surprised to learn that this letter “must contain detailed information about the child and the family”.One of my boys (in Uganda), whom I have had for a year and a half, has written four times and I still don’t know who his family members are. My other Ugandan child wrote detailed info. in his first letter. In looking back at my other kids’ first letters, it was a mixed bag whether they told me anything about their families…some not until much later. As stated in this post, though, my children in Ghana told me all about their families in their first letters
Stephanie, it looks like this post is specific to Ghana. I think it’s great that they make sure that each child’s first letter has all this information! Everything I have heard about Ghana’s letter writing process has really impressed me. I’m sure other countries work hard to have an effective letter writing process, but Ghana just seems to do an outstanding job at it!
my kid was probably one of those! I got her this summer at church camp! ive only had her since july and she has already written me four times! I love getting those letters!!
What a great video – tears of joy are in my eyes! I was recently able to sponsor a boy in Peru on an advocate tour. His entire family was standing in front of me when I told them I would sponsor little Emanuel. It was a highlight in my Compassion experience!
That made me cry!
So cool!!! I’d love to see more of the kids’ reactions!
I would give just about anything to see the expression on my lovely sponsor child and her family’s face when they got the news! I’m really thankful that I have been blessed enough to be able to help out a family in need.
I recently got my first letter from the child I am sponsoring and I was so excited!!!!! I made sure I wrote her right back. I will probably sponsor another child next month.
[...] How Compassion notifies families that their child has a sponsor. This one made me cry! [...]
My Husband and I just signed up tonight to sponsor a child! We are very excited! We learned about Compassion International at Jeremy Camp’s concert this past weekend! We felt that this is what God wants us to do! We cant wait to get our packet in the mail!
I love that they make it so personal! Great video and thank you for sharing the process with us!
Agh, that made me cry, too!
That’s great! I often think about what the kids must think when they find out they’ve been sponsored, but I failed to consider that how joyful the parents must feel.
The video is heart-touching. I’m so happy that God has blessed me abundantly, so I can share His blessings with others. I am anxiously awaiting my frist letter from 8-year old Ana, in Peru. When I receive it, I too will most likely jump up and down, and sing for joy. Compassion sponsorhip is a two-fold blessing; child and sponsor both feel the love of the Father.
I am sponsoring a child for the first time in my life (46 years old). It has come to my heart at others times, but I did not listen to what God wanted me to do. This time he pretty much slapped me in the face when I picked up my child’s card and I saw she and I shared the same first name. When I looked in my checkbook to submit my first sponsor payment, I had EXACTLY the correct amount only in my checkbook. I am thankful God has put this in my life!!
Veronica, thank you for sharing that. That is really cool.
I love how God works.
Hi Veronica, I had to laugh when I read your post. I, too, had the call to sponsor a child over the years, and chose not to heed the call. Then, in March, God put the image of a child in need in my head, and asked me exactly when I planned to do something to help. When I hesitated on the thought, the voice in my head said “How about right now.” Two days later my wife and I sponsored our beautiful Compassion child, Luz from Bolivia.
Thanks for the reply Jim. My husband and I are so glad we have put our hearts in this endeavor. I love seeing Veronica’s letter and she recently sent us a picture she colored. I wrote and told her it hangs on my Fridge where I can see it every day and pray for her and think about her.
I thank God for Ester! And I thank God for the means to be able to sponsor her! I look forward to hearing all about Esther and her family. I also look forward to sharing my life and family with her.
In Christ,
Kathy
That is so Great! The parents were so happy fills my heart with gratefulness that i am able to sponsor through compassion, I am awaiting my first letter i can t wait to see it.
The Lord is good.
What a blessing to share in the celebration of the family in Ghana over the sponsorship of their child! When I was in Senegal, families there proudly showed photos of any sponsors the children in their villages had, and also the school materials that sponsorship enabled the children to have. Sponsoring is a wonderful connection.
My husband and I are new sponsors and just received our notification that our precious little girl has been told that she has a sponsor. I hope that her family is excited too like the couple in the video…I know that we are! Thanks Compassion for being our “hands” to express Christ’s love for this lovely child so far away. We’re so happy to share what the Lord has provided.
I enjoyed the video very much. I was able to connect with the mother’s joy immediately. I too respond with singing when something good happens for my children. I was just curious if you have any children in Cambodia? Blessings to you all.
I am so happy to see that video. I am thrilled to be part of this
and know its the Lords desire that we help all of his children.
I have written Josue and am anxious to get mail back even though he is very young. I am praying for him.
I have been to 4 overseas mission an have fell in love with children there and was so glad i had the opportunity to sponsor a child. and it was great to see the reaction 0f a family that also got some one to sponsor their child
Im glad to know that they are so grateful I sponsored him. Yes, this is my child, I sponsered him alittle over a month ago. I am thrilled I got a video of him showing his reaction.
Thank You Compassion
OMGoodness! You’re kidding! I am so happy for you. To be able to see your child and his family, what a blessing! Just curious, did compassion tell you about the video, or did you just happen to see it?
I just want to share with anyone who is reading this comment. I am comming from a very poor family of South America, I know what hungry is, I know how hit is the ground when you are not wearing shoes. Thank you to God my mother’s siblings always share their few goods with me and my brother. I never stop going the school then I became a nurse, I inmigrated to US my life came together. I adopted two precious children and I am sponsoring one child from Tanzania. Since I began doing that my life is fulfill and I am happy. God keeps my budget bless!
I love this. Awesome video and so great to see the meaning of what you do.
Amen……what a blessing! This trully warms and brings joy to my heart. To know my sponsor child and family know my name aswell is wonderful. Love to be a blessing.
Seeing this video made me so happy! I’m fairly young to be sponsoring a child all by myself and I’m not very good at writing, but this video shows you how much of a blessing to these children we are. God was truely shining his light on me when I found out about this organization. So glad to be apart of something this amazing!
I got my first letter from my child a few weeks ago. I already wrote her back.
Her letter was writen by her Mother. It was so cool. It told so much about her family and even her friends. I love it. I can’t wait to get another one.
My wife recently told me of her desire to sponsor a child through compassion . I have major medical issues which has left me unable to work and because of that we have financial hardships on a regular basis . We both agreed that by becoming a sponsor to a child is what we wanted to do . Knowing our child is safe and will get needed medical care, fresh water and would be enrolled in this wonderful program along with help for the entire family in one way or another is the greatest feeling we have ever experienced…We have written our first letter a week ago and was emailed by compassion it was recieved and is now being translated for delivery. And have just been informed today by compassion our sponsor child Mwiseneza from Rwanda who is 16 yrs old has been told she has a sponsor and will be writing us very soon.. We are so happy to hear she is excited and are eagerly waiting for her letter.
I recently read a story about a missinary in africa that was handing out bottled water to children and gave one to a young boy.. He asked the missionary if it was his to keep …the reply was yes this is for you to drink..Amazed the boy looked up and said i am going to take this water home to show and share with my family because it is the most beautiful thing i have ever seen in my life…..A simple bottle of water that we take for granted was the most beautiful thing that young man had ever seen…..I will never ever forget that..
I just started sponsering two beautiful children through compassion! I have had it on my heart for years, but due to financial things (and because I believed I was too young, 21 now), I never did do so. But, God has blessed me so much that now I am proud to say I have two sponser children! Seeing this video just gives me such hope for them and their families! Knowing that the little money I provide for them can make them so excited, is a blessing in and of itself! So, thank you for sharing this wonderful video! It truly spoke to me!
this is obviously fake! look how unnatural this is, their greetings, and the way they just go and hug them at the same time. i’m thoroughly upset that i have given money to a company fronting as an organization to help children. what a scam! i’ll probably be recieving a letter back written by a woman from colorado. nice, really really, nice.
Hi, Caitlin, I rewatched the video again. I could see in the USA how that would be fake, but I don’t believe it is. This is Africa and there culture is different.
I had the unique opportunity to tell a mother that I found a sponsor for her child in Bolivia. I lived in Bolivia from time to time for together 7 months. So, through the internet I was able to look for sponsors in the USA. I can tell you, that when I told the mother, she was very close to crying. It’s a huge deal. The sponsor is very important to the child.
Although I must say that I’m not sure that with your level of skepticism that you might believe me. You’re welcome to call me and ask me anything that you wish. (310) 933-4284. I’m not a employee of Compassion. I’m a volunteer. I’ve been to and taught in many of the centers. I’ve volunteered in the country office of Bolivia. So, I got to see it all from a very close prospective. Anyways, feel free to call me and ask me the hardest questions, you can imagine you can ask. I would be happy to talk with you about. Trust me, if you can show me it’s fake, I want to know about, because then we’re talking it’s huge scam and they have put on quite the show for me. It would have been a show of thousands of people. And then especially all those children. But call me….
Caitlin,
The mail goes to Colorado Springs and then is distributed to sponsors but is definatly not written there. Culture here and culture in Africa is alot different. The reactions you are seeing is a cultural difference.
I’ve been sponsoring for quite awhile. I get letters from my kids and you can tell right away by the handwriting that the letters aren’t written by someone from the States. The handwriting here and the handwriting in Africa is alot different. I sponsor two in Ethiopia and one in Tanzania. I can assure you that your sponsorship is not fake,and that the letters are coming from the country of orgin.
Excuse me Caitlin, wow, you do not have heart for the things of the Lord, how sad. You have never been to a third world country have you? Their culture is very different from Western ones, they respond is different ways too. Don’t be so quick to voice your opinion on something you probably don’t know anything about. They are real and REALLY rejoicing.
My daughter and I are sponsoring a child in Ghana and I can only hope she and her grandmother have this kind of joy when notified. I was also overjoyed when I received my initial packet on her. I wrote my letter right away and cannot wait to receive my letter from her. It is a blessing for both sides. Wish you could post and show more videos so people can see what a joy sponsorship is.
We just don’t understand how it is in the rest of the world when we are living in all of our abundance. I am so honored to be able to be a part of this sponsor program. All of the glory goes to God!!!
Oh, yes, I’ve taught in several centers in Bolivia and I would see the children write the letters to the sponsors. They are definitely not written by someone in Colorado Springs….
Can you imagine the job:
“We’re looking for someone to write children’s letters. We have about 1,2 million sponsors that we need to fool. So, we’re looking for someone, who can write in 20 plus languages, answer sponsor letters, Also, be able to continually change their handwriting, because some sponsors sponsor multiple children in the same country.”
Then they need to find thousands and thousands of children in those countries and then staff to put on shows for visiting sponsors. They also need to make sure that they have children that look very much like the children’s photos that they send out, because every year thousands of sponsors visit their children. Then they need to make sure that some of them join the LDP and act like they’re receiving money. Probably the hardest to orchastrate are all the CSP babies. Then in each of the countries the staff in the country office needs to act like there are real children. Then the GMC office needs to create this huge illussion of handling all of these letters.
This is a really good scheme…. This tops the biggest heist movies…. Then Wess Stafford needs to really live on top of a mountain in Switzerland, look like he is dressed like a Communist from Mainland China, bald and petting a white cat on his lap….. Then someone needs to go steal his girl friend and blow up his hide out…..
Now pay attention 007, this is your mission…… jajajajajajaja
We just found out our sponsored child now knows she is sponsored. It is a very happy occasion for us. We just can’t wait to get our first letter. We have sent two to our child, our first introduction letter and one for her birthday which comes very soon. Hope she gets it on time and now it looks like she will. We are indeed blessed. Who’d would have thought that at 63 years old, we have a new child to share our lives with. God is so very good.
This video was very touching. God is great ! Seeing this family’s happiness that their child was sponsored brings tears to my eyes and warms my hearth. I wish i can see my sponsored child family reaction.
God bless everyone!
What a wonderful video. This really touched my heart knowing this family is excited about my sponsorship. The Lord will be praised day in and day out for sending this child to me thru my church.
I have lived in Africa most of my life and was raised in West Africa where this video was shot. To me the scenario is legitimate and the joy is real- particularly the song is typical of the response to good news in WA- they are rejoicing, but the video of the meeting itself is clearly staged or perhaps “re-enacted”. They are acting. The child picking his nose on camera is a sign of nervousness.
Having said that, we see this all the time here in the States. Reality TV which we have become used to, is full of re-enactments and staged scenes. So in my opinion, it does not really take away from the reality of what the producers of the video were trying to portray.
This vedio was heart felt. I want to go write my letter now. I am blessed to be a blessing and am so thankful the Lord has chosen me to be His vessel
I began sponsoring Solomon in Africa at a Matthew West concert in Sept. I felt God calling me, so I answered. You just never know what’s going to happen because I lost my husband suddenly October 20. Now I have 4 kids to raise on my own, but because God has provided once again and blessed me financially, there will be no problem continuing to support Solomon. I am happy to answer and continue God’s call and watching this video just compensates the good in it all!
I was in tears after seeing how joyful and thankful those parents were after learning that their child was sponsored by someone in New Zealand. I thank God for this opportunity. I pray God’s blessings our all who are sponsoring–, may God’s favor continue to enable you to make the future brighter for a child you might never meet. And may they and their family grow to know Christ as their Lord Savior.
Oh I just cried seeing this. This is my first time sponsoring a child and I am so touched by this video to learn how much it means to the family and the child
This video just confirms why my husband and I are sponsoring a child. We just learned that Monica now knows she is sponsored. God commands us to love, to give and to help those less fortunate. We are excited to have this opportunity to welcome Monica into our lives and to share precious moments, and be able to support her and her daily needs. Thank you Compassion.
This video got me excited for what i just agreed to do. I’ve received my first letter from Emmanual and it touched my heart! Thank you for sharing this moment with us!
Oh. I am so happy for you Linda and Emmanual! I hope you develop a great friendship. Sponsorship is such a blessing.
Hi y’all. I am like some others who commented above. I have had the call to sponsor for over 2 years. I even picked out my kids at a Christian concert. But I did not do anything with them and kept feeling horrible. Then, recently, Compassion had these ads on the radio stations I listen to and they were specific to older kids. I knew that was God talking to me. I felt like he was saying, “wow, the kids you picked out are not going to even be kids much longer”. And how many poor 16-18 yr olds are there who need a sponsor. So, I went online and instantly knew I wanted a boy. I just waited for the H.S. to pick one out. I was looking for one who looked way young for his age, because it might mean he has been malnourished and didn’t develop properly. I found my kid and sponsored him and am awaiting his letter. He is 17 and probably thought the world had passed him by since all the little kiddo’s are the ones getting sponsored so quick. I figure this is the best deal ever, because I can keep sponsoring older kids because I won’t have to sponsor them as long as younger ones!
Oh, but I agree with the guy who said that although this was a real scenario – it did look like it was reenacted…. but who cares?
I am so excited to be a part of my children’s lives in Africa. I decided on Africa because my three of my own grandchildren are half African-American, and wanted to sponsor as many kids as I have grandkids, so I now have 6 sponsored children! We are called to help these precious little ones and as sponsors, we have committed to them. God bless them and all you sponsors!
I agree that is awesome how they started singing and praising! we just started sponsoring and I wish I could have seen the face of my sponsor child when she and her family found out. I can not wait to meet them. I am praying the Lord will be sending us with in two years. I love this ministry!