Nyarko Twum Berima, known as Twum, has been working with our office in Ghana for five years and now serves as Partnership Facilitator Supervisor.

Twum attended a small-village elementary school and proceeded to secondary school, where he obtained his ordinary and advanced levels certificate in education. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sociology as well as a master’s in business administration.

Twum is married to Esther. They have three children – a girl and two boys. His daughter, age 4, is the oldest; the second child is a 2-year-old boy and the youngest child is an 8-month-old baby boy.

I spent some time getting to know Twum and learning more about his work in Ghana.

What did you do before coming to Compassion?

I pastored a small church in Accra and also worked part-time with the Scripture Union. One day the then General Director of the Union informed me that his friend was bringing Compassion International to Ghana and that they were looking for qualified people.

I went to the Compassion website to find out more about them. I realized that they were into holistic child development, which was in line with what I was already doing as a youth and children’s pastor. So I applied, went for an interview and got the job.

I started as a Program Facilitator and not too long after that, I was promoted to Senior Partnership Facilitator. I combined the work of a facilitator with the work of a Complementary Interventions Administrator. In the course of time, the Program Manager left and I acted in that position for 11 months.

Fortunately a new Programs Manager and a Complementary Interventions Administrator were hired and I moved to the position of Program [Partnership?] Facilitator Supervisor. That has been my position for the past two years.

Does this mean that your work load has been reduced?

Not really; I am now supervising 10 Program Facilitators and I am also responsible for new church partners.

I am in charge of recommending church partners to our office. I still do some of the Complementary Interventions proposals, monitor Complementary Interventions activities in the child development centers, and write some of the Complementary Interventions completion reports.

In addition to these responsibilities, I am actively involved in advocacy issues. So my work has rather increased.

What is your favorite part of your current role?

The advocacy issue is very exciting for me because you are supposed to think outside the box and do something. There is always more room for you to explore and discover new ways to help.

For example, we realized that children in Ghana are normally in their school for a greater part of the day. So together with the Country Director and others, we started child protection training for teachers’ training colleges.

With this training we hope that teachers in the making will be informed about child issues before they step into the classroom and that they will treat children well and be advocates for them.

I get bored with routine and I love to explore. Advocacy activities give me new opportunities and variety in my work.

What are the challenges you face in your role?

There are a lot of challenges. Most common are conflicts within the child development centers. Sometimes a center worker will have a misunderstanding with a church partner committee member or a pastor.

Some conflicts can become long and drawn out and it is a big challenge to find a lasting resolution, which sometimes makes my work hard.

The most heartbreaking aspect of my work is that sometimes in the rural areas I will come across an issue that I cannot fix because a particular child development center is not equipped to manage those issues. That is when I come home feeling stressed out and angry for not being able to help the situation that center is facing.

Some of the challenges also come with church partner selection. We have a policy that there are some specific things that should be in place in order to qualify a church for partner selection.

When you have a church that is poor, and they do not have all the things to qualify them because they are very much under-resourced, the question becomes, do you leave out those who are not resourced but have a heart for children? Or do you select the church that has so many resources in every area but does not have child ministry at heart?

So it is a challenge for us to make the right decision and to get the right partner in place. These challenges are many, but to me that makes the work enjoyable.

Do you have any lessons or innovations you would like to share with others?

I want to encourage others to embrace teamwork in all their endeavors. I work with a team of 10 Partnership Facilitators who are involved in everything I do, especially during the church selection process.

My team works together and this brings out the best of decision making. The essence of teamwork is great.

Another thing I have noticed is that, if you want to create innovation, then you have to allow for mistakes. You cannot crave innovation and frown on mistakes. I have noticed that a lot of mistakes we make turn out to be great lessons.

There was a time when we were building a classroom block for a church partner and we made a lot of mistakes. Those mistakes taught us so much and have helped us in subsequent building projects.

I personally think that it is good to allow people to explore and make some amount of mistakes, to learn from them and become better informed for the future.

What motivates you to keep on doing what you do?

When the challenges I meet on the field get resolved I have more vim to get up every morning to continue my task of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

Recently we attended a one-year anniversary celebration of a child development center. I looked back to the day we first stepped into that community; they were under-resourced and the children could not do anything.

But now the children are doing choreography, they are singing, and they have done beautiful beads, artwork and many things which they have exhibited.

I saw the potential in the children and realized that without the development center, their potential would have been untapped.

Also, sometimes we meet very serious medical situations during child registration, but with our intervention these children bounce back to life. An example of this was a child who was born with no anus. This child was in a hopeless condition and could not mingle with other children. We came in and, after a couple of surgeries, the child is now living a normal life, has been enrolled into school and plays like every normal child. Imagine where that child would have been now if we had not gone into that community!

Those are the things which motivate me to wake up every morning to go to work. When I weigh the success stories against the stress, I quickly cross out the stress and say,

“Yes, something is really happening, so let us go on.”

Where do you hope to see yourself five years from now?

I see myself here five years from now, still serving our church partners.

Let me say one thing: I enjoy working in the programs department and especially with program facilitators out in the field.

Several job vacancies have come up in other departments but I have never applied for any of them because the partnership section of the ministry is where I really want to be.

So what position do you want to see yourself occupying ultimately?

I believe that God places us in positions, so to me every position is a privilege given by God.

Whatever position He deems fit for me is good. I have never applied for any of the positions that I have held. I just want to be here to serve, learn and grow.

What parting words do you leave with the Compassion family everywhere?

I want to say that we are doing a great job; we are building the next generation and that should be our motivation to work even harder. It is a joy building human resources and we shall see the fruits of our labor.

I want to encourage everyone globally to keep working; do not stop, for God is recognizing our work. Amen!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Two years. I am a supervisor within the Sponsor Donor Services department.

2. What are the main responsibilities of your position?

I make sure the sponsors have up-to-date information about the children. Not just the letters, but also new cases. I keep the biannual report updated. I make sure that pictures and information are high quality and are sent on time.

3. What is an average day like for you?

I start at 8 in the morning by reading. I like to read a proverb every day. I think it helps me for the rest of the day.

Then I read the mail; this takes about two hours.

Then I see the pending tasks with the associates, pending letters, the letters package we have to send [for the week], see if the departures were sent.

On Mondays we spend part of the morning in devotions. Then we have a meeting. And then we check the performance of each associate.

4. What is the most challenging part of your job?

We work on a weekly basis. The reception of the letters from the sponsors, we receive those on Monday, process them on Tuesday, send them to translation, and deliver them the next week.

All the information has to be sent weekly.

5. Why did you choose this particular area of work? And why did you choose to work for Compassion?

I think it just happened. I started as a translator, translating the letters from the children.

Then I had the opportunity to apply as an associate. I spent three years as an associate and have been a supervisor for two years.

It has been a great blessing. I have grown as a person. I have grown as a Christian. I have grown professionally, too.

I have received advice. I receive advice at church, too, but here I receive advice specific to my work.

I feel that being in this position is a challenge because I am a leader. Not a leader from the world, but a leader like the Bible says.

6. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your job?

A big challenge is delayed information about the children. Regrettably, sometimes that happens.

Not to solve those as fast as I want, it makes me … we cannot just rush the children to write a letter, it is not something we can get overnight. I would like to have a faster response. That is what overwhelms me.

7. You used to work in a factory. How was it different from Compassion?

In the factory, they are outcome oriented; so is Compassion. However, Compassion emphasizes the way you care for people.

We care for people according to the Bible. Caring by being stewards, but also showing excellence, integrity and dignity. They all go together.

In a factory, it does not matter how you ask for things. The important thing it to get it done. Here, it matters. It is complete, holistic.

You realize that it is the Lord Who teaches you how to do the job. In that way, you grow as a person, as a leader and as a Christian.

Here you can see changes in the children, you see their development. Not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually, you are helping in all areas.

In a factory you produce 3,000 sweaters a day, and it makes $3,000 or $4,000 of earnings. Here you see a complete growth, holistic development. You cannot get a monetary compensation for that.

Even though I, unfortunately, do not get to have much contact with the children because I am busy dealing with papers and photos, I am motivated when I see a letter that says, “I am growing, thanks to your prayers, I am getting involved at church, I study hard, I am being more obedient.” These are the things that motivate me to go the extra mile, because I do this for God and for the children of your country.

And this is also a motivation: I want our children to be presidents one day, to be in the senate, to become Josephs and change, truly change our country. And the only way I can do that is by working hard and keeping my commitments with the biannual reports, the letters, the pictures … it is what links the children to their sponsors. I think it is important.

8. What have you learned as a result of your job (about yourself, the plight of children or the way that God works)?

As a person, I have grown, [she looks at her belly, since she is pregnant, and laughs].

No, really, I have grown, I am more patient now. Compassion has helped me think about those values I did not have before.

Before, I knew I had to practice them, but I did not have as much motivation as I do now.

Professionally, Compassion has also helped me grow, through workshops, through Bible teachings. Willow Creek has been a blessing.

Like Paul says, I have not reached it yet, but I have a goal, and I am getting there.

9. Will you share a situation or incident you have experienced through your job that has touched your heart?

I have two children in mind, two cases.

One is Wendy. When I met her three years ago, she was a child. Now, she is a young lady. She is 16 years old.

When I met her, she played the guitar and lived with her grandparents. Her grandparents are not Christians, so you can imagine the challenges that face her.

She has grown as a Christian. When she sings, everything around her changes. I can see she wants to praise the Lord.

Where once I saw a child who was not close to the gospel, now I see a firm Christian. She wants to be a musician. Her vision is great, and her faith makes me believe she will accomplish her dream.

The other child had a skin disease, and nobody could tell what it was. The child received medical treatment. His mom is a Christian, his father was not. The child passed away because of the disease. He wanted to be a missionary.

It was hard. You cannot imagine how damaged his face and his body were. But to hear that child talk about God, he talked with faith and conviction.

After he passed away, his father came to Jesus because of his son.

10. Do you have a message for sponsors who support the children?

Thank you for dedicating your money, your time and your love to children you do not know. I thank you for that. I know God is using you to change this world, and leave a mark on the life of each child.

What you say to the children changes their lives, makes an impact and gives them vision.

You are transforming, from far away, the life of a child. An “I love you” or a “keep working hard” changes the lives of these children.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Seventeen months. I am an auditor.

2. What are the main responsibilities of being an auditor?

Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the partner church as well as the challenges it faces.

We look for strengths so that these can be used as a support for other churches. We look for weaknesses and challenges so we can suggest solutions and give the appropriate follow-up in order to correct and solve problems in the churches.

In other words, we hope to provide necessary and timely support to the church.

3. What does an average day look like for you?

Well, first of all I put each day in God’s hands. If there is a day with a scheduled visit to any child development center, I would have previously informed the center through the partnership facilitator.

Once I arrive at the center I gather the staff together and share in devotions before collecting information about different areas of child development.

I have a time in which I clarify any doubts about the information-gathering process. Prior to this, I have a special meeting with the administrative staff in order to evaluate them and the center documentation.

I also interview some children in order to understand their concerns and measure the results of the program objectives.

At the end of the auditing process I have a time to share the results of the visit. I make some suggestions and take into consideration the pastor’s opinion as well as those of the members of the support committee and administrative staff. This is known as the “exit meeting,” and we go through everything in the center activities log.

When there is no scheduled visit, I usually work on auditing reports at the office, revising center follow-ups and attending to any doubts or problems the church partners might have about the process.

4. What is the best part of your job?

Talking with the children and finding in each of them the fruit that each of us as Compassion staff have passed on to them.

5. What is the most challenging part of your job?

Not having enough time.

Sometimes a single day is not enough to evaluate objectively each center in all its areas, especially when I have to answer any questions and concerns of the staff.

Sometimes there is not enough time for the home visits, and besides that we are still working with the auditing concept because there are churches that have a wrong idea of the auditing objectives. In some cases we have a hostile environment as a result.

But God is in control of everything, and He just sets up every piece in its right place.

6. Why did you choose this particular area of work?

I think that God called me to this ministry. I feel privileged that the Lord has considered me useful, and I have tried to give my best to honor Him.

Professionally, I have had experience in the auditing field, and I’m prepared academically for the job.

Everything that I have been through with Compassion has been a unique experience with a remarkable objective – giving better support to churches.

Before working for Compassion, I used to work in a bank.

My work at the bank absorbed all my time and kept me from serving God. I felt burdened because of this. I prayed to the Lord for a new job that would not infringe upon my service at church.

During that week, I was told about a job opportunity in Compassion. I sent my resume, and I was called the following week for an interview. That same week I was hired.

Four months later I was promoted to project auditor. I know this was a response from God.

7. What motivates you about your job?

Knowing that this is not just another job. This is the place that God has given me here. Here I have the honor to serve the Owner of the kingdom.

8. What have you learned as a result of your job (about yourself, the plight of children or the way that God works)?

I have learned to value each thing that God has given to me. I have seen God moving in a powerful way. God has used different people from this ministry to help me to grow in His word and also as a person.

I have learned to see hope, love and humility in the eyes of the children. I feel pleased about what I’m doing in this place.

9. Will you share a situation or incident you have experienced through your job that has touched your heart?

I remember one day I was visiting a church at around 1:30 in the afternoon. As the many children began to come into the center, I noticed three children between between the ages of 4 and 7 years old who looked like brothers. They looked sad, and the youngest one was crying.

I talked to them, and they told me that they were very hungry because they had not had anything to eat since noon of the last day. Their mother was looking for a job in order to feed her children. The children were waiting anxiously for the lunch at the center.

On another occasion, I visit a center located in Santa Bárbara, and had the opportunity to talk to a young man.

He told about some surgeries that he had gone through in order to correct some problems that he had in his internal organs.

He said to me, “I’m alive because of the grace of God and thanks to the support of Compassion and my sponsor.” He told me his family would not have been able to cover all of his medical expenses.

10. Do you have a message for sponsors who support the children?

I think it is important that every sponsor know that their support changes the lives of many children. The sponsors are very important in the lives of these little ones. Not just because of the financial support, but also because of the communication and relationships they build. The letters let the children know that there is somebody out there in other place that loves them even without knowing them.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Lilliam was born in Ciudad Sandino, and she and her family have lived there for many years.

Lilliam is an active member of Betania Baptist Church. She has been at that church for nine years, serving as Sunday school teacher and church secretary. She’s worked for Compassion since 2003 and has been a Partnership Facilitator (PF) since October 2007.

1. What are the main responsibilities of your position?

As a facilitator, I help strengthen the church to reach results in the four areas of our work with children: spiritual, emotional, cognitive and physical.

For example, in the physical area, we want children to choose good health habits and to be healthy, so I try to see if that result is being reached or not, because we don’t want it just to be written in paper.

In the cognitive area, it is not about spending more money on a computer course for the children. It is about the child’s learning and how he or she is using the resources. And so on in each area.

The church partner also gives clear information of how the budget is being used, and facilitators help them in this administrative area.

I want to be clear and let you know that the results aren’t seen from one day to another. It is a process.

I believe my responsibility is to help churches become self-sustaining. I don’t want children to be sponsored the rest of their lives. I want a generation that can support themselves and sponsor other children.

I want churches spiritually and economically strong, to be light in the midst of darkness.

This also is a process. It might not be seen in one, two or five years, but we are putting the foundation down now to make them strong to reach maturity.

2. Describe what an average day is like for you.

I have two facets. One is the work I do at the office and the other, the work I do in the field.

The partnership facilitator’s role has changed and I spend most of the time in the field, supporting directly the partner churches.

Normally, I have one day at the office (Monday) to do the office work, like follow-up funding and reporting. I also coordinate monthly activities and evaluate activities of the previous month in the PF meeting, analyzing achievements and weakness to look for better alternatives.

The other four, five or six days (because sometimes I work Saturday and Sunday, if necessary), I am with the church partner. It is arduous work seeing how the children are doing, how the church is working, and looking for alternatives to do better work. Results aren’t be achieved if I stay at the office.

3. How many churches do you visit a day, and how often do you visit a church?

In general, it is one church a day. Sometimes two can be done in one day, depending on the topic or situation that the church is presenting, but it is usually only one a day.

We desire to give more attention to all centers to increase the results with the children. Each PF here in Nicaragua has been assigned a total of 12 centers and we each do 10 visits per month so we visit each church almost once a month. I will visit more than once a month only if it’s necessary.

4. What is the best part of your job?

I love the direct contact with children.

Many times I have to do many activities with church staff; however, there is nothing better than the contact with the children, because we exist for them.

On a church visit, I usually get to spend about an hour with the children. I visit each classroom to greet them, talk to them, pray with them, and see what they have learned.

5. What is the most challenging part of your job?

To empower partner churches to achieve the results with children. To empower them through training to do the work we want with the children.

6. Why did you choose this particular area of work? / Why did you choose to work for Compassion?

I join those who say that nothing happens for coincidence.

I feel it has all been God’s purpose, so I only ask the Lord to use me. The truth is that I didn’t choose to be here, the Lord did, and I love it!

I feel happy when I’m here, but I many times I think, Lord, why did you choose me? There were so many people with many abilities!

However, I recognize that this is His ministry and He brings us here because He wants to use us, and that’s what I’m doing. I said to the Lord, use me anywhere you think I need to be. He did.

Now I’m here to help these children. I like to feel useful in the hands of the Lord and to feel that this is not a job for me but a ministry.

7. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your job?

Honestly, no.

Maybe if this was a means to survive or if I considered it as a regular job, I might feel overwhelmed because the amount of work is heavy. But in the midst of all the work that this position demands, there is something important. The Lord says “I am with you, I won’t leave you, not forsake you.”

I believe these words. They encourage me, and I say “Thank you, Lord, because with your help the work is easier.” Sometimes I wish the day would have more hours to go on and on and on, but sadly it only has 24 hours.

I love the fact that I work for the Lord. It makes me feel fulfilled.

I have the heart and disposition to serve the Lord. I am not serving man. I am not serving the country director. I work for God, the One who has given us life.

The fact of knowing that one day I’ll be in front of the Lord, and all I want Him to tell me is that I’m approved!

8. What have you learned as a result of your job?

The Lord has taught me that those things that for me are impossible, with Him everything is possible. There is nothing impossible for God.

I have learned that the root of poverty is lack of opportunities, that these children are the way they are because of little opportunities. But through our ministry and through the work the church is doing with children, opportunities are coming up.

9. Tell us about a situation or incident you experienced through your job that touched your heart?

There are many experiences, but one of them is the case of a 10-year-old girl that had no hope to live.

Her single mom did not have enough for a medical check-up or to give her the treatment. The girl was very sick with hemorrhagic dengue and the Lord manifested Himself mightily.

A whole church gathered in prayer. Compassion helped with economic resources to give the girl the attention she needed. Her platelets were extremely low and doctors said only a miracle could save her.

I remember how we were constantly calling the hospital, visiting the girl. It was a very hard situation. We had to take quick decisions in order to save her life.

Now it doesn’t matter how much was spent, but that her life was saved. The Lord worked there and her health was restored.

Many churches around and neighbors heard of the marvelous work of God and it was a great impact.

10. Do you have a message for sponsors who support the children?

Yes, I do. Sponsors are an important element in this ministry. This ministry is supported by the Lord; He is our foundation, but we recognize that the Lord touches the heart of people that help our children, and thanks to them we can support so many children in Nicaragua and around the world.

It always impresses me, the fact that someone without knowing a child can help him/her being so far away, not able to see each other face to face.

Thank you for giving some of your money that could be used for your own family. But you send it for a little one you don’t know, that’s awesome!

I want to encourage you to continue supporting our children because thanks to you, many of them are being released from poverty. Don’t give up!

The Bible teaches us that anything we do for a little one, it will be rewarded. So sponsors, Christians or not, the blessing of God will be with you if your heart is willing to help children. I encourage you to continue with the sponsorship.

Updated: May 18, 2009 – Meet Tiffany Blanco.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

1. How long have you been in your current position, and what are your main responsibilities?

I have been in this position for the last three years.

My main responsibility entails supervision of the three core processes for Program Communications: Field Communication, Sponsor Donor Services and Tours and Visits.

Besides that I am responsible for communication with Global Partner Alliance (GPA) staff, mentoring my team, budgeting and working alongside the country management team (CMT).

2. Describe what an average day is like for you.

An average day starts with the corporate devotion. It is followed by attending to my “To Do List” where I address each request, need or assignment based on priority while also following up during a morning briefing on any pending work assigned to my team members.

The later part of the day involves meeting with the Country Director and/or other CMT members for updates, approval or planning.

3. What is the best part of your job, and what is the most challenging part?

The best part of my job is when I am able to represent the work of Compassion in East India to visitors from overseas in a way that moves them to become strong advocates for children. It gives me pure delight to take them around the child development centers we work with and show them the tangible difference Compassion is making in the lives of children coming from impoverished communities.

What better feeling can there be than to see vibrant young boys and girls emerge as healthy, confident, outgoing children ever glowing in the love of God, which would otherwise be hard to imagine in their given circumstance.

In the light of growth that we are experiencing from the past few years as God so graciously has opened new avenues for us to expand and touch more lives, sustaining quality in our work can be quite a challenge.

4. Why did you choose this particular area of work?

I started out with a job in a renowned chain of hotels only to realize with years that my heart’s desire was not fulfilled, as all I was doing was achieving targets and pleasing those who already had enough.

Having done my major in Human Development, as I had a desire to work with children, this working in the private sector for eight years was no longer fulfilling for me.

Coming from a strong Hindu Brahmin background, I found myself in Christ in 2003. Thereon, I was exposed to various outreach ministries from my church, primarily to do with children.

Working as a volunteer with the lesser known from the society was a privilege and an eye-opener which put a deep burden in my heart to reach out to them and make a difference by showing them God’s love, who otherwise were considered insignificant.

5. Why did you choose to work for Compassion?

I felt my calling was to do something for children, and God graciously opened the avenues for me through Compassion.

6. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your job?

When too many things needs to be attended simultaneously, it does get overwhelming at times. But with God’s grace I am able to pull through all of that.

Also seeing children leave before completing their term in the sponsorship program is heartbreaking. But I need to accept this reality, which is circumstantial, and move on, praying God will go with them and cover them with His grace.

7. What motivates you in your position?

To see hope in the eyes of children who have absolutely nothing in life and to see dedicated people choosing to leave their comfort zone to come and work among the impoverished, with very limited resources in hand, humbles and challenges me each day.

8. What have you learned as a result of your job?

When I look at the abundant need around, my faith in God and His awesome power gets grounded more firmly in me.

Amidst great dearth, neglect and poverty His love is manifested through the help little children receive at Compassion from their sponsors around the world.

All this has made me more determined than ever, that, slowly but surely we can make a difference in someone’s life, one at a time.

9. Tell us about a situation or incident you experienced through your job that touched your heart?

Once I was following up on a child’s update and came to know that he had been paralyzed for sometime and stopped attending the Compassion center due to his illness.

We followed up on his treatment’s possibility and the center staff tried to convince the child’s guardians to send him to city for a treatment by which he would most certainly get cured.

This was the most challenging part as the guardians were so under the bondage of old traditional practices where they would rely on local village quack doctor and witchcraft.

This went on for a few months. In the meantime, the child would write to his sponsor on and off with the help of his young friends, expressing himself longing to be normal again and run around like his other friends, go back to school, as he enjoyed studying.

It used to be so touching to read his letters. The guardians never did agree, and the child had a pitiful death without receiving any medical care.

I have not been able to quite come out of this as I know there are many such cases all around the world, and we have a greater responsibility to reach out to these children.

10. Do you have a message for sponsors who support children?

I just want to thank them for being an extension of God’s arms in reaching out to these children and supporting various programs of Compassion by overcoming innumerable personal sacrifice.

They are making a big difference, impacting a generation, and touching lives which would have otherwise continued to live in despondency. They are the very reasons for hope and opportunity in their life. They are making a difference for Christ!

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Yep! A magnet. Can we get get a “Woot! Woot!” for Judy?

Now, without further ado, here is your answer key.

Answer: Six. More than 9 million children under age 5 die every year, and malnutrition accounts for more than one-third of these deaths. Most of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

(Source: www.unicef.org, November 2008)

2. Question: True or False – One-third of the children in developing countries live in poverty.

Answer: True. Of the 1.8 billion children in developing countries, 600 million of them live on less than U.S. $1 a day.

(Source: www.unicef.org/mdg/poverty.html, November 2008)

3. Question: True or False – In reducing the rate of sickness and death from diarrhea, the supply of adequate quantities of water is more important than improving its quality.

Answer: True. The organisms that cause diarrhea can be spread through many routes besides drinking water; increased quantities of water can improve household and personal hygiene, which prevents the spread of disease.

Each year about 1.7 million deaths related to dehydration caused by diarrhea occur in children under age 5.

(Sources: www.cdc.gov; http://rehydrate.org/, November 2008)

4. Question: Which one of the following is NOT one of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals?

• Achieve universal primary education
• Ensure environmental stability
• Provide worldwide access to safe water
• Develop a global partnership for development

Answer: Provide worldwide access to safe water

The Millennium Development Goals were created to develop a concrete action plan for the world to reverse poverty, hunger and disease affecting billions of people. The other five goals are:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Learn more about the U.N. Millennium Development Goals.

5. Question: True or False – Life expectancy in the world’s poorest countries is about one-third lower than that in the high-income world.

Answer: True. Life expectancy in the least developed countries averages 55 years, as compared with 79 years in industrialized countries.

In fact, in most of Africa, average life expectancy is only 50 years.

At any given time, close to half of all people in developing countries suffer from a health problem caused by water and sanitation deficits.

For people in the the developing world, illness, job loss, drought or even pregnancy can mean the difference between life and death.

(Sources: www.unicef.org; www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats, November 2008)

6. Question: What is the definition of extreme poverty?

Answer: Living on less than $1 a day. One in six people around the world lives in extreme poverty.

(Sources: www.unicef.org/mdg/poverty.html)

7. Question: Which of the following statements about children in the developing world are true?

• 1 in 3 children does not have adequate
  shelter.
• 1 in 5 children does not have access to
  safe water.
• 1 in 7 children does not have access to
  health care.
• All of the above.

Answer: All of the above. Along with malnutrition, these mostly preventable causes are leading contributors to the millions of child deaths each year.

(Source: www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats, November 2008)

8. Question: True or False – The majority of the world’s chronically undernourished people live in Africa.

Answer: False. Approximately 790 million people in the developing world are still chronically undernourished, almost two-thirds of whom reside in Asia and the Pacific.

Despite the food production rate being better than the population growth rate, there is still desperate hunger in many parts of the world.

(Sources: World Resources Institute, “Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems” (February 2001); www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-andstats, November 2008)

9. Question: What percentage of the world’s population growth occurs in developing countries?

Answer: 95 percent.

Currently, the world’s population totals more than 6.7 billion and grows at an average rate of around 80 million persons per year.

Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, three regions of the world made up of mostly developing countries, account for most of the world’s increasing population.

(Sources: www.worldfactbook.org; www.census.gov, November 2008)

10. Question: What is the United Nations’ deadline for meeting the Millennium Development Goals?

Answer: 2015. The Millennium Project is working with individual countries to help identify and address specific needs, such as access to health clinics, immunizations, teachers, roads and water pumps.

Developed countries have committed to provide increased funding to help reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

(Source: www.undp.org/mdg)

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I’ve never experienced poverty firsthand. My real experience is seeing poverty through Compassion.

Just like my parents did, my wife and I try our best to remind him as often as possible that there are people/kids around the world who lack basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter, which we often take for granted. There were times when he would say that he wants to help those kids.

I guess we just sow the seeds …

2. How many letters and case studies does Compassion process? (Juli Jarvis)

A lot! An average of 54,465 case studies per month, and an average of 282,490 letters per month!

3. What is the process for a child’s case study to be updated? Will we begin receiving yearly case studies soon? If they remain at every two years, will they at least become more detailed and personal? (Alyson and Juli Jarvis)

A case study update for a child is due when the last case study form is between 18 to 24 months old.

The church partners send in the case study form and photographs to the field office, and the field office staff processes them and submits the forms and photographs electronically to our Global Ministry Center in Colorado Springs.

I don’t think we’re ready yet to do yearly updates, but we’ve started discussions on ways to redesign the case study form from an outcome perspective. We don’t have a definite date for that yet. 

4. How does the India office handle letter writing? Does each individual project have its own process?

If a sponsor writes to their child very often, say two to three times a month, do these letters get delivered individually or does the child get a couple at the same time? 

Does India have a child respond to every letter from the sponsors, or is it heading that way? (Alyson and Sara Benson)

Most of the child development centers in India have a similar process. All sponsored children write letters to their sponsors once every four months, and in addition to that the children write letters in response to sponsor letters and gifts.

India and a few other field countries have their children respond to every letter from the sponsors, but until now they did not have the tools to track the responses.

We are in the process of installing software in each field office to help them track their child and sponsor correspondence efficiently. 

5. What are some of the most interesting or meaningful things you’ve seen (or heard of) being sent by sponsors with their letters?  (Renee)

Finger puppets! At least for me it was interesting, because I didn’t know finger puppets existed. The ones that I saw were Noah’s Ark puppets.

Make sure whatever you send fits into an envelope no larger than 8″ x 11″ and 1/8″ thick, and please check with our contact center (800-336-7676) if you have questions.

Tips for mailing small gifts to your sponsored child.

6. If I am sponsoring a Hindu child and make Christian references and add Bible verses in my letters, will I offend the child and their family? Will they think I am pushing my religion on them? (Kalaya)

No, not at all, as long as you don’t condemn their religion in any way.

We partner with churches, and the parents are told by our church partners that their children will be receiving Christian education. Some church partners even have the parents sign a consent form. 

7. Has Compassion as an organization ever come across much persecution for preaching the gospel in a mostly non-Christian society? Do parents often withhold their children from attending the center, even though they badly need the help, because they do not wish for their child to be exposed to Christianity? (Mel)

Compassion as an organization has not faced any persecution, but our church partners have been impacted by it.

Our church partners have a good reputation in the communities for the good work that they do for their children, so they’re mostly protected by the local community.

8. I sponsor a child in India and have wondered about the school system. Do children attend grade school up to eighth grade and then on to four years of high school? (Mary)

Children start in pre-primary or kindergarten/nursery when they’re 3 years of age for two years.

• The first year is LKG (Lower Kindergarten) and UKG (Upper Kindergarten).
• Primary: Children age 6 start in class 1 or first standard. (Grades are called “class” or “standard.” Primary school goes till class 5.
• Middle: Classes/standards sixth to eighth.
• Secondary: Classes/standards ninth and 10th.
• Higher Secondary: 11th and 12th standard, also known as “10 plus 2″ or simply “plus two.”

9. I have a question about marriages in India today. Do the bride’s parents have to provide a dowry, and if so, does this cause a great financial crisis for them? What is Compassion doing to combat the problem of child brides in India? (Mary and Heather)

Yes, dowry is highly prevalent among the Hindus, and it creates a lot of financial stress for the parents. That’s why a girl child is considered a burden, because they have to pay the dowry to get their girls married off.

Dowry is illegal in India if it’s reported that it was demanded or given as a precondition of marriage.

There are still child brides below the age of 18, which occur mostly in the rural areas of India. It’s left up to the church partners to raise awareness about this issue.  

10. If a sponsored child leaves the Compassion program, can they return to the program at a later date if their circumstances allow?

If a child who has left the program returns to the program in another area of their country at a later date, would the original sponsor be notified and given the chance to sponsor the child again? (Shelly)

Yes, whenever a child is reinstated into our program, the first thing Compassion does is to try and locate the sponsor who was linked to the child. 

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Sathy is a native of Chennai, India, and has worked for Compassion for 10 years. He worked for Compassion India for seven years of those years as a Sponsor Donor Associate in South India, and as the Program Communication Manager in East India.

Then three years ago, he, his lovely wife and son uprooted from India to work in Colorado Springs as our International Sponsor Donor Service Field Specialist. (Job titles here at Compassion are a mouthful, huh?)

Translation: He now works to train our field countries on processes for letters and case studies (those summaries of your sponsored child in the Child Packet). He also works to identify efficient processes for these … Quite a job if you know how many letters and case studies we process!    

So Sathy has a unique perspective to offer us — he’s lived in India and visited Compassion’s child development centers there (and Compassion-assisted centers throughout Asia, in fact), and he’s lived and worked here, on the other side of things. He also knows more about all those letters than most people you’ll meet. An interesting brain to pick.

Leave your questions to Sathy as comments, and I’ll pick 10 of them for him to answer for us.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

1. First of all, thank you so much for all you do for the precious children of Mexico! My question is, as you go through each day seeing a multitude of needs in these children’s lives, what do you find yourself praying for most often? (Lindy)

Most of the time, I pray for their hearts. My main prayer is normally that they get to experience the love of Christ. I long for them to know how precious they are to God. I pray that they never give in to the idea of not being worthy or good enough to do anything they dream of. 

2. How far do the students travel, on average, to get to the centers and how do they do so? (Walk, bus, etc.) (Beth Ingersoll) 

Most of the children registered live very near the churches where they participate in the activities and where they are registered. It is very common for them to walk. As part of the program, Compassion Mexico considers children within 30 minutes walking distance.

In some of the child development centers, it is common to see a few children ride their bicycles to the center, but in those cases it is only a luxury some can afford.

There are other churches where the pastor’s vehicle or the cars owned by the church membership serve to bring children to classes. Every time they drive by the community, children line up to jump in and ride to the church. Many times these are old cars on bumpy and dirt roads, but the fact of being able to ride with the teachers or sparing the hot sun is well worth the tightness.

Finally, there are centers where teachers and staff members split by areas, and they walk the streets around the center to bring children in. Families then trust their children to go with the staff members to church.

Either if children walk by themselves or in big groups or ride their bikes to the projects, they normally wear a special shirt from the project or even uniforms, so it is very nice to watch children come into the centers because they fill the streets with joyful laughter.  

3. What do you like best about your job? (Britney)

I love people, spending time with them, hearing their stories.

People in the communities I get to visit are so open to share their lives, their dreams, and the way each has been blessed. They easily inspire me through their conversation, and they help me keep my feet on the ground. They value their children and their families more than anything else. We live so differently, and when we get so distracted by worthless things, they easily bring us back to life’s basics.

After talking to them and spending some time with them, I just feel blessed with the opportunity of being there. I am constantly challenged, humbled and blessed by getting the chance of spending some time with them. This experience is incredibly thrilling to me, and I can hear the Lord talking to me through their voices. I have learned to love them dearly. 

4. What do you love most about the children that you work with? (Mary)

Their smiles!

Children are children here, there, and everywhere! Although they struggle in the midst of poverty, even when life is so unfair to them and even when they face the most awful circumstances we could ever imagine, they smile, they love, they believe.

I get to see parents who neglect their children and children suffering from poverty, illnesses, lack of love, and malnourishment. But overall, when I look deep in their eyes, I see they are still children and have a special spark in their eyes. Sometimes this only glows again after I remind them how special they are to me and to God.

5. If you could have one wish granted for the children you work with, what would that wish be? (Crystal)

That they grow strong and beautiful before the Lord. That they never go astray or give up on the plans God has for them. 

6. If you could tell us, as sponsors, just one thing, what would it be? (Abbie H.)

Don’t let our children down!

I know it might be hard to relate to someone that is so far away not only in distance but in culture and understanding. But it is true — you can make a difference in the lives of these children by praying, by writing, and by being there for them!

When the children know they are worth someone’s time and interest, they change their view of themselves. They will believe you when you write that you love them, and they are counting on your prayers.

Every time they are at the center, they will expect to receive a letter from their sponsors because this fills them with joy and encouragement to continue to stand. 

7. Sometimes I feel, as a mom of a 3 year old, that I can’t do as much because my daughter is young and requires a lot of time. How do you juggle your time with your 2 1/2-year-old son and all the children you encounter daily? (Abbie H.)

It is difficult, my time is never enough, and I often find myself juggling many responsibilities when I visit the churches.

As a mom, I believe my son is starting to get a better picture of the world when he is aware of other children around who do not live in his same circumstances. It is hard for us at times, but in the end, I hope he can receive the blessing of meeting these wonderful children. 

My family shares this passion, and we all learn from the people I meet. We also enjoy spending time together, and although I work, I still manage to get home to play ball and enjoy dinner together.

I also have a wonderful support team, otherwise this would be impossible. 

(Because there were just seven questions posted, I, Amber, get to ask all my questions!) 

8. We hear a lot about the global food crisis around the world. Has the rise in food costs impacted Mexico? If so, how is it affecting Compassion’s projects?  

The global food crisis is a serious issue. Authorities in Mexico have said the crisis will not affect the Mexican population badly, but they have also announced a package to support the agriculture and food industry.

Prices started rising and then slowed down the increase rate, but there is still speculation in the markets in regards to the future. The crisis is just starting, and although it has not affected the churches strongly, it has been a great challenge.

Child development centers have to buy from big and well-established stores where taxes increment the value of their products. The amount a center receives to feed the children on the days the children come is not enough anymore, so expenses are starting to be redistributed differently to face the basic needs of these children.

The office in Mexico has started to explore alternatives to help the churches generate their own vegetables and to produce their own consumables. They are starting to use hydroponics, vegetable gardens, and growing chickens or rabbits for their children and families.

The programs team is also advising the centers to look for other kinds of support, such as food banks and by requesting donations in kind from department stores. 

9. How can we pray for your country and the children you minister to there? 

• Pray for their health, their well being, their hearts, and their emotions.
• Pray for safety in their communities and for the many risks they face while they are young.
• Pray for their learning, for their nourishment, and for their salvation.
• Pray for the families, the ones that stay together and the ones that split, for their work and for the money they earn to last long enough until their next paycheck.
• Pray for the single mothers who have to educate and raise children by themselves, and pray for the homes to become refuges for children, not dangerous places.
• Pray for the churches that take these children in, for loving adults to care for the children while they face their own challenges.
• Pray for the churches’ commitment to God and the resources available to them.
• Pray for the country office staff, for wisdom and strength as well as for protection and discernment, for a clean heart to serve these churches and for God’s direction in every step.
• Pray for the different work that has to be done in order to complete the effort we are involved in to serve the children.
• Pray for Mexico as a country, for the impact of the growing crisis, for the government (for the violence and corruption to cease) and for the general conditions we face as a country.
• Please also pray for the rainy season that endangers many of the communities where Compassion-assisted children are located.

 

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

1. First of all, thank you so much for all you do for the precious children of Bangladesh! My question is, as you go through each day seeing a multitude of needs in these children’s lives, what do you find yourself praying for most often? (Lindy)

You are always welcome. Actually, I feel a deep pain when I find myself in a position where I can’t afford to help each of my children to solve their problems.

Every night I pray that at least they could have their dinner and have a sound and peaceful family environment. 

2. I would like to know the specifics of how the global food crisis is affecting the people in Bangladesh and how it has affected Compassion’s program there. Have you cut back days that the children meet? Has it made a difference in the type of food that you can afford to serve the children? (Cheryl J)

The price of rice and other food products including lentils, flour, oil, and sugar are increasing continuously from last year.

According to different sources, the cost of the cheapest rice has increased by over 90 percent, and for the better grade rice, it is over 64 percent.

According to the statistics provided by the World Bank and United Nations, the daily income of a lower-level person in Bangladesh is between $1 and $2.

Each family requires at least four pounds of rice each day, which means if they only buy four pounds of the cheapest rice, they have to spend $1.18, which means they have little or no money left to buy vegetables, oil, and other food products.

Compassion Bangladesh hasn’t cut back the number of days that the children meet. Instead, we started an extra day of Compassion program.

Most of the child development centers provided a meal five days a week, but now they are providing a meal six days a week.

Some centers had to reduce their expense for food revenue; they decreased the quantity of food.

After receiving the support of the Global Food Crisis fund, this lack has been filled and children are getting food according to the new, revised menu.

Your support and prayer made it possible.    

3. How far do the students travel, on average, to get to the centers, and how do they do so? (walk, bus, etc.) (Beth Ingersoll) 

Students of Compassion have to walk for 30 minutes on average to reach their child development centers. They cannot afford the bus and it is not available in the remote areas. 

4. What do you like best about your job? (Britney)

Actually, I like two things about my job. The first thing is the love and affection of the children and their families. For example, last month I visited the house of one of our Compassion children. His name is Saidi.

I went to his house just to see how he and his family were doing. Saidi’s parents cooked their only chicken for our meal. We had dinner together. I felt so honored.

I tried to pay them the price of the chicken, but they refused my offer. They were thanking Compassion and all of us for taking care of their kid. Their love and gratefulness deeply touched me.

The second thing I like about my job is your sponsors’ response. When I see that our children are getting support from you and my stories and reports are used to benefit the children, then I feel so satisfied.

5. What do you love most about the children that you work with? (Mary)

I love their smiles. They are so lively and energetic. Their prayer is very strong, as they pray from their heart. 

6. If you could have one wish granted for the children you work with, what would that wish be? (Crystal)

I would wish for their safety. I would wish no one will ever hit them or hurt them physically or mentally. (No matter what they do wrong, there is no excuse to hit a child.)

7. If you could tell us, as sponsors, just one thing, what would it be? (Abbie H)

These children love their sponsors so much. You can’t imagine how happy they are when they receive letters and photos from their sponsor parents. 

(Because there were just seven questions posted, I, Amber, get to ask all my questions!)

8. You have family who live in the United States. Based on their experience, what do you think is the largest difference between living as a Christian in the United States compared to living as a Christian in Bangladesh?

The biggest difference between Christians in the United States and Bangladesh is that Christians in the States have the complete freedom to worship God and preach the good news.

However, we have several obstacles to worship God, and to preach the good news openly is considered a crime. We have to modify our preaching system and style. 

9. What do you think we could learn from the believers in your country?

We have hundreds of pastors in the remote areas as well as in the city areas who have been physically assaulted several times. But they are still working for the Kingdom of God.

They are leading a very poor life but their belief is so strong and nothing can discourage them from their work. You can take their lives as inspiration. 

10. How can we pray for your country and the children you minister to there?

Please pray that we could be able to win millions of souls in the name of our Lord Jesus.

People of Bangladesh are fighting a losing battle with the food crisis, price hiking, political instability, dishonesty, violence, bribery, injustice, and many other problems.

Please pray that God may remove the misery from this country. 

Please pray for our precious children, that each of them could grow in Christ and in the future they could lead our country from the front.

Also pray for their safe, happy, and hunger-free childhood. 

I want to thank all of you for your questions. Please feel free to ask any other thing you want to know about compassion’s ministry in Bangladesh.

Please pray for me that I could efficiently serve our Lord and the children through Compassion’s ministry. 

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates