Poverty » Complementary Interventions

Ministry Highlight: Rwanda

Web Team — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:23:28 +0000

We began our ministry in Rwanda in 1980 with the Child Sponsorship Program. In 2008, we started the Leadership Development Program, and the Child Survival Program followed in 2010.

We were forced to close temporarily due to the war and genocide, but reopened operations in September of 1994. The first country director was appointed in 1995. Also in 1995, our President and CEO Wess Stafford visited Rwanda in an effort to reunite churches and pastors who had been divided during the war.

Country Director

Samuel Rugambage joined us as Program Manager in March 2005 and was appointed Country Director in 2006. Before coming to our ministry, Samuel served in various leadership positions at the Baptist Union of Churches of Rwanda, the Protestant Counsel of Rwanda and the Protestant University of Butare.

Samuel holds a master’s of Education, a master’s of Theology, and a Ph.D. in Theology.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches in Rwanda with whom we work to deliver child development programs and frontline ministry in the field.

Spiritual Climate
The spiritual climate in Rwanda is one of freedom. More than 93 percent of the population is Christian, and people are free to pray and evangelize throughout the country.
Unique Challenges
One challenge is that English is not commonly used, which causes language barriers and the constant need for interpreters. Also, Implementing Church Partner staff are paid a relatively low salary, which causes many to seek other employment.

Contributions
Implementing Church Partners provide the land where program activities take place as well as time and manpower for child development center activities.

They also volunteer for projects such as house construction for Highly Vulnerable Children or providing relief in the case of disaster.

Partner Development Activities
We develop partners through education, training and Complementary Interventions support.

Child Survival Program

We recently started the Child Survival Program in Rwanda. The program is currently working in eastern, southern and northern Rwanda as well as in the capital city of Kigali.

Child Sponsorship Program

Your sponsorship of a child in Rwanda provides a variety of benefits.

Children are busy with school during the weekdays so they meet on Saturdays.

Meeting Times:

3 to 5 year olds: 8 hours on Saturday
6 to 8 year olds: 8 hours on Saturday
9 to 11 year olds: 8 hours on Saturday
12 to 14 year olds: 8 hours on Saturday
15 to 18 year olds: 8 hours on Saturday
19 +: 8 hours on Saturday

Nutritional Support
The children are fed when they come to the center on Saturdays. They are given porridge in the morning before starting the first lesson and then a full meal for lunch, which typically consists of rice, posho (a common East African dish made with cornmeal) or Irish potatoes with beans and green vegetables. We provide this food in order to give them energy to participate in the program as well as to motivate them to attend.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are provided free of charge by the government according to the schedule set by the Ministry of Health.
Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
Child development centers set aside time for sports and cultural/traditional dances for the children twice a month on Saturdays and more frequently during their school holidays.
Vocational Activities
Adolescents participate in discussions about human development relevant to the teenage years, such as body changes, hygiene and emotional changes.

They are also involved in Bible study, discipleship, and income-generating activities such as crocheting, tailoring and basket weaving.

Parent Involvement
Parents meet for weekly prayer meetings and for monthly community service activities, such as house renovations for families who need our Highly Vulnerable Children program, center clean-up days, and working at the vegetable gardens at the centers.
Areas of Expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program>
We plan to focus expansion on existing clusters throughout the country, especially where clusters are not complete.

Leadership Development Program

Universities Attended
Our Leadership Development Program students attend government or public universities.
Location of Universities
There are five universities total in Rwanda; three are in the capital city of Kigali and two are in other parts of the country.
Service Opportunities
Students visit child development centers on Saturdays to participate in the activities and encourage the younger students.

They also build at least four houses per year for vulnerable families near their universities and churches.

Leadership Development Program Meetings
Our Leadership Development Program students meet twice a month to plan for and evaluate their service activities. They also participate in weekly Bible studies and fellowship together.
Specialty Curriculum Topics or Resources
We discuss sexual purity and abstinence. We also do general health screenings, HIV tests and counseling.
Mentors
We work with churches, Christian unions and other leadership associations that train and mentor the students. Potential mentors are invited to meet the Leadership Development Program students and to learn more about the program itself. We also encourage students who already have mentors to help other students find a mentor.

Complementary Interventions

Compassion’s core Child Sponsorship Program, while comprehensive, cannot address all obstacles to a child’s healthy development. Compassion’s Complementary Interventions program works in harmony with the holistic child development model to provide additional services as needed, such as the AIDS Initiative, Bibles for All Children, disaster relief and water projects.

In Rwanda we typically use Complementary Interventions for supplementary development activities that focus on child development, such as health, curriculum and Highly Vulnerable Children. We also use Complementary Interventions for program enhancement activities. This includes water supply, mosquito nets, income-generating activities, and infrastructure.

Highly Vulnerable Children

Primary Highly Vulnerable Children needs are food, clothing and shelter. We provide cottages, house renovations and food supplements. Highly Vulnerable Children funds also provide the means for beneficiaries to be self-supporting — mainly through income-generating activities.

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

Ministry Highlight: Dominican Republic

Web Team — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:32:35 +0000

We began our ministry in the Dominican Republic in 1970 as a relief program donating food, medicine and money for children selected by the local churches.

This relief program transitioned into a school program in the 1980s. In this program, children in the Dominican Republic gained access to education through the local church. In 1994, we started our Child Sponsorship Program. The Leadership Development Program started in 2004, followed by the Child Survival Program in 2006.

In the Dominican Republic we have a strategic partnership with the Evangelical National University to offer higher education to our staff, Implementing Church Partner staff and church members in holistic child development and child advocacy in order to train leaders to be child advocates.

Country Director

Kleber Isaias Lora Bautista joined us as Country Director in 2005.

Prior to coming to our ministry he held various positions including Child Sponsorship Program Manager at Food for the Hungry and a consultant for the Institutional Strength Project.

Kleber graduated with a degree in computer engineering from INTEC Technological Institute of Santo Domingo in 1990. He also earned a masters of business administration from the University of Quebec, Montreal in 2004.

As a young person, Kleber was the founder of the Christian Church in his community and later became the youth pastor and a staff member of their Bible seminary.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches in the Dominican Republic with whom we work to deliver child development programs and frontline ministry in the field.

Spiritual Climate
The Dominican Republic is very open to the gospel and the church has a strong voice in the community. Youth delinquency is a major challenge in many communities; because of that the church is widely accepted and welcomed in the hope that the church will encourage and embrace the youth.

As a result, the church in the Dominican Republic is experiencing numerical growth.

Unique Challenges
It can be challenging for churches to find and train professional staff as the quality of education in the Dominican Republic is quite low. Once they are trained, the market often offers better salaries and benefits than Implementing Church Partners can offer. Also, most churches must rent their space because land is expensive and neighborhoods are very crowded.
Contributions
Implementing Church Partners provide construction and labor for the facilities as well as volunteers who offer their time and service in their specific field of expertise, such as medicine or social work.
Partner Development Activities
We develop partners in the Dominican Republic through training in accountability and sponsorship processes as well as leadership meetings with pastors and project directors.

Child Survival Program

Caregiver Literacy
Literacy is taught at the caregiver meetings once a week using an adult literacy method by ALFALIT. ALFALIT is an international Christian non-profit organization that specializes in eliminating literacy and offering education and development opportunities with the purpose of strengthening families in need.
Income-generating Skills
We offer a workshop once a week on various topics such as baking, jewelry making, hair dressing and beautician’s skills, and making pajamas and undergarments.

These are skills that the caregivers can use in their homes while also taking care of their children.

Health Care
For vaccinations, medical consultations and follow-ups, mothers and babies go to public or private health centers that are located in their communities or nearby. We reimburse the Implementing Church Partners at various rates depending on whether the beneficiaries received care at a public hospital, semiprivate center or a private center.
Nutritional Support
Each month we assess which families are in need of nutritional support, then we deliver food and micronutrients for those families. Usually we do not deliver to the same families month after month, but occasionally that is needed for families living in very difficult conditions.

We also provide an orientation on nutrition and subsequent follow-ups.
Involvement of Fathers
We encourage fathers to participate in group meetings and home visits. At the group meetings, we will often have a counseling professional come and talk to the couples about parenting and family dynamics.

Implementing Church Partners also organize yearly retreats for Child Survival Program mothers and their husbands where they go away for three days and enjoy being together, meet new people and hear speakers teach on various topics.

Transitioning Out of the Child Survival Program
When children reach the age of 2, the Child Survival Program Implementers organize group activities where the children sit together around tables, draw and paint and have a nutritional meal together to help them get acquainted with the Child Sponsorship Program classroom and activities.
Areas of Expansion for the Child Survival Program
We would like to expand into the southern region of the Dominican Republic because that is the poorest area of the country.

Child Development Through Sponsorship

Your sponsorship of a child in the Dominican Republic provides a variety of benefits.

Based on our curriculum, this has been the most appropriate schedule for the children.

Meeting Times:

3 to 5 year olds: 8 hours a week spread out over 2 to 3 days
6 to 8 year olds: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week
9 to 11 year olds: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week
12 to 14 year olds: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week
15 to 18 year olds: 2 hours a day, 2 days a week
19 +: 2 hours a day, 2 days a week

Nutritional Support
Each child receives a meal every day that they attend the child development center, which is about three times a week. A typical meal consists of rice and milk, wheat flour and milk, rice and chicken, oatmeal with bread, fruit juice and cookies, or cornflakes and milk.

We give a meal or snack each time they attend the center because although the government schools do sometimes offer food, it is not consistent nor is it always safe and clean.

Vaccinations
Development center staff advises all parents to vaccinate their children. A health professional does an annual checkup and checks that these vaccines have been completed.

In some cases, Implementing Church Partners have agreements with other non-governmental organizations or governmental agencies that provide vaccinations when needed.

Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
Children are able to participate regularly in sports, camps, arts, field days, museum visits, book fairs and field trips to historic sites, various companies and recreational places.
Vocational Activities
Vocational training in skills such as computers, handicrafts, driving, beauty, English, cooking, baking, welding, carpentry and sewing are offered depending on the local community. Many of the vocational training courses are certified, allowing the students to grow professionally in a given technical professional field.

We also offer spiritual guidance and support, counseling, and opportunities for long-term development such as “My Plan for the Future” which is completed by each student.

Parent Involvement
We offer quarterly parenting classes on topics such as healthy parenting, family violence prevention, nutrition, literacy, vocational training and health.
Areas of Expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
We would like to expand into the south and northeast regions of the Dominican Republic. The south is the most impoverished area in the country, and the northeast is a region where we do not currently have any church partners.

Leadership Development Program

Universities Attended
Leadership Development Program students attend governmental, private or Christian universities.
Location of Universities
Most of the universities are located in the capital city or in other large cities. There are several regional campuses spread throughout the country that offer a limited choice of degrees.
Working Students
There are a few Leadership Development Program students who do work, but generally these students are about to graduate.
Service Opportunities
Many students go back to their child development centers and churches to serve, while others serve at orphanages, nursing homes and schools or by doing community evangelism and missions.
Leadership Development Program Meetings
Leadership Development Program students hold an annual Advocacy Conference and an annual Youth Forum. The Advocacy Conference is a large meeting in which the students invite child development centers from various regions to bring their children and adolescents so the Leadership Development Program students can speak to them on specific topics related to child development.

The Youth Forum is a forum where students invite leaders and professionals in various fields of social service to speak to them and other youth. They also meet quarterly in their Leadership Development Program care groups, which are smaller groups divided up by region; this is when they usually meet with the program specialist.

Specialty Curriculum Topics or Resources
When students enter the Leadership Development Program, they are required to complete the “Leadership Development Program Academy.” This is a one-month training program with specialized teachers in subjects such as math, writing, speed reading, and Christian worldview.
Mentors
Some of our staff members in the Dominican Republic are mentors for the students. They also assist other students in finding mentors through their connections with leaders from their churches.
Career Placement Assistance
We offer workshops to help the Leadership Development Program students choose their careers based on their interests and the labor market demands. We also give a vocational test administered by a psychologist to every student.

Complementary Interventions

Typical Complementary Interventions in the Dominican Republic include vocational training, reliable water using water purification systems, dental care, promotion of sports practices and major medical interventions

Highly Vulnerable Children

The primary needs in our Highly Vulnerable Children population are nutrition, hygiene and reliable water. It has been shown that focusing on prevention is the most efficient way to address the needs of Highly Vulnerable Children.

As a result, we concentrate our efforts within the Child Survival Program to improve and promote care and hygiene in newborns, infants and mothers. Child Survival and Child Sponsorship Program beneficiaries are eligible for medical support through Complementary Interventions.

In some cases of severe malnutrition, help and food is provided regularly. Funds are also used for adult literacy and nutrition/health education. In the event of a disaster, food, water and other resources are available for Highly Vulnerable Children.

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

Ministry Highlight: Tanzania

Web Team — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:32:24 +0000

Compassion began its ministry in Tanzania in 1999 with the Child Sponsorship Program. In 2008, we added the Child Survival Program.

In just over 11 years, Compassion Tanzania now works with 236 Implementing Church Partners in 12 regions of the country. We have been growing at an average of 30 percent per year and currently serve almost 64,000 children.

Country Director

Joseph Mayala Mitinje joined our ministry as a senior accountant in 1999 and also served as an operations coordinator, human resource specialist, and program implementation manager. He was appointed country director in 2009.

Prior to Compassion, Joseph worked at the Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania as a bank clerk before being promoted to business development manager and account relationship manager.

Joseph holds a bachelor’s degree in advanced accounting and auditing from Shivaji University in India; a post-graduate diploma in human resource management and international relations and stock market & exchange control from the Central Institute of Management in India; and a diploma in computer programming from India’s Space College.

He also holds a MBA from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute.

Joseph is a board member with Haki Kazi Catalyst and previously served as a church elder and chairperson of evangelism and missions for the Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara regions at the African Inland Church.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches in Tanzania with whom we work to deliver child development programs and frontline ministry in the field.

Spiritual Climate
Christianity is strong and the gospel is preached throughout the country, but superstitious practices still exist. For example, some believe that albino body parts will bring wealth.
Unique Challenges
One challenge that Implementing Church Partners face is retaining their child development center workers. The salary and benefits offered are low relative to the market, specifically for health workers. Thus, staff turnover is high.
Contributions
Implementing Church Partners make financial contributions for Children’s Day and provide the classrooms and kitchens.
Church-to-Church Partnerships
We have one church-to-church partnership between an Implementing Church Partner and a sponsoring church in the United States. The benefit is that the Implementing Church Partner has assurance that the children in their child development center will be sponsored. Also, it is beneficial for the children of both churches to share experiences with one another.

Partner Development Activities
We develop our Implementing Church Partners through training, facilitation and partnership meetings.

Child Survival Program

Caregiver Literacy
We offer literacy classes for the Child Survival Program caregivers three times a week using government curriculum.
Income-Generating Skills
We offer monthly training in income-generating skills to the caregivers in our Child Survial Program.

These skills include agriculture, cooking, small-animal keeping, poultry, embroidery, tailoring, gardening and catering.

Health Care
The Tanzanian government provides prenatal care free of charge to mothers, and Compassion Tanzania pays for ongoing follow-up consultations for the mothers and children as well as any medications needed.
Nutritional Support
We provide nutrition education to Child Survival Program caregivers on a regular basis.
Involvement of Fathers
We hold group seminars during which Child Survival Program fathers are encouraged and challenged to participate in Child Survival Program activities.
Transitioning Out of the Child Survival Program
We work mainly with the Child Survival Program caregivers to make them aware of how the Child Sponsorship Program works and prepare them for their child’s transition.
Areas of Expansion for the Child Survival Program
We plan to expand into the Mara, Tabora, Iringa and Singida regions of Tanzania because these areas are extremely impoverished.

Child Development Through Sponsorship

Your sponsorship of a child in Tanzania provides a variety of benefits.

The children are busy with school during weekdays, but they have time on Saturdays to attend their respective child development centers.

Meeting Times:

3- to 5-year-olds: 6 hours on Saturday
6- to 8-year-olds: 6 hours on Saturday
9- to 11-year-olds: 6 hours on Saturday
12- to 14-year-olds: 8 hours on Saturday
15- to 18-year-olds: 8 hours on Saturday
19 +: 4 hours a week

Nutritional Support
Each child receives a meal on the days they come to the child development center. A typical meal consists of milk tea, eggs, bread, rice, beans, meat and fruit. We also provide supplemental food for children who are malnourished.

Our goal is to provide healthy food for the children and to encourage program attendance.

Vaccinations
In Tanzania, when a child is born, the government provides vaccinations and monitors adherence.
Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
At our Compassion-assisted child development centers, we offer arts and crafts, music, sports, games and income-generating activities (such as tailoring) every week. We also offer annual camps and community involvement.
Vocational Activities
Adolescents participate in entrepreneurship and apprenticeship activities, and they also go camping together. The public schools do not offer these activities so we hope to fill the gap and expose the youth to additional opportunities to have fun and learn important vocational and social skills.
Parent Involvement
We hold parents’ meetings, offer parenting classes and conduct training in entrepreneurship, health and HIV/AIDS prevention twice a year.

Parents also cook for the children weekly.

Areas of Expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
We plan to expand into Dar es Salaam and Tanga, which are in the eastern and northeastern regions of Tanzania. These are some of the neediest areas of the country with many children living in poverty.

Complementary Interventions

Compassion’s core Child Sponsorship Program, while comprehensive, cannot address all obstacles to a child’s healthy development. Thus Compassion’s Complementary Interventions program works in harmony with the holistic child development model to provide additional services as needed such as the AIDS Initiative, Bibles for All Children, disaster relief and water projects.

Complementary Interventions in Tanzania are most commonly implemented to provide insecticide-treated, anti-malaria mosquito nets; water systems; infrastructure such as toilets, classrooms and kitchens; income-generating activities for families; and medical treatment for children if regular funds are not sufficient.

Highly Vulnerable Children

The primary needs for Tanzania’s highly vulnerable children include food, clothing, shelter, parental care and support, and social integration. To meet these needs, we have foster care, cottages and counseling available.

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

Ministry Highlight: Bolivia

Web Team — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:20:25 +0000

We began our ministry in Bolivia in 1975 with the Child Sponsorship Program. The Leadership Development Program started in 1998, and in 2008 the Child Survival Program began.

The ministry in Bolivia is now geographically positioned in almost 70 percent of the Bolivian territory and has built a positive reputation both inside and outside of the evangelical community.

Country Director

In 1984 Mario Vasquez started out with the ministry in Bolivia as a messenger and courier.

Through the years he served as an accounting assistant, an accountant, and Director of Operations. In 1991 Mario was promoted to Country Director.

Mario holds degrees in business administration, accounting and auditing. He is active at the Bethesda New Community Church and is involved in various activities within the evangelical community.

He serves on the Cochabamba Unified Churches Board and also participates in the Universal Theological Fraternity in the city of La Paz.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches with whom we work to deliver our Child Development Program and ministry in the field.

Spiritual Climate
The current government is putting a lot of emphasis on animistic religion, which makes spreading the gospel difficult, especially in rural areas. While there is growth among evangelical Christians, there is no strong evangelical presence in Bolivia’s cultural, educational and social arenas.

Unique Challenges
One challenge unique to Implementing Church Partners in Bolivia is how to use one contextualized ministry program in the three predominant regions, because each has its own unique culture. It is also difficult to respond to various denominations’ different ways of doing things. We try to be as neutral as possible, but we can’t always satisfy each denomination.

The geographic locations of the child development centers and high staff turnover are also challenges.

Contributions
Implementing Church Partners provide manual labor such as classroom construction, remodeling and painting. They also provide pastoral counseling for children and their families, financial support for needy families, and home visits to sponsored children.

The financial assistance for needy families is provided one to three times per year and is $100 per family on average. The church leadership and child development center staff determines who receives this support.
Partner Development Activities
We develop partners through pastor meetings and educational workshops that inform them of changes to the way the program is run. Also, Partnership Facilitators visit church services and participate in at least one church activity per year. They get to know the church members and speak with them about our ministry and the child development center in order to strengthen our relationship with them.

Child Survival Program

Caregiver Literacy
We implement literacy plans with women who do not know how to read or write. We also work with women who have learned to read but who have had little opportunity to practice and are having difficulty.

We take advantage of the bimonthly home visits to give homework. In addition, 15 percent of churches have made alliances with educational institutions that have experience in literacy.
Income-Generating Skills
We offer monthly training in personal work skills, business skills, finances and technical skills.

Technical training includes cooking, knitting, cloth painting and decorating.

Health Care
Two medical checkups are available during the months of March and October; one is done by a pediatrician and one by an obstetrician. The objective of this schedule is to ensure that pregnant women and children have two opportunities to receive medical attention.

Bolivia has a national health program, the Mother and Child Universal Service program, which covers children under the age of five and pregnant women from the start of their pregnancy until six months after delivery.

The objective of the Mother and Child Universal Service program is to reduce malnutrition and child mortality in children five years of age and younger. For children, this program covers consultations, treatment, hospitalization, surgery, dental treatment, vitamin supplements and medication, if needed. For mothers, this program covers consultations, treatment, hospitalization, and surgery related to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care as well as dental treatment, micronutrients and medication, if needed.

The Mother and Child Universal Service program does not always function according to its design, however, especially in rural areas and areas of poverty where the Child Survival Programs are located. So we teach mothers their rights in regard to the Mother and Child Universal Service program, ensuring that each mother utilizes the program fully.

In the event that the Mother and Child Universal Service program does not meet mother or child needs, we use medical funds and funds from Implementing Church Partners.

Nutritional Support
Each caregiver receives a “family basket” once a month which contains items such as cereals, oatmeal, milk, beans and wheat, and in some cases, fruit and vegetables. In the case of malnutrition, we also include items such as Suprelac and Nutrebebe, as well as other items recommended by nutritionists.
Involvement of Fathers
Fathers sometimes participate in family social evenings, celebration days and family get-togethers. The greatest impact on fathers is when the Child Survival Program Implementers are in their homes inviting them to become familiar with their child’s development process.

Fathers are sometimes given “homework” that covers their role as men, husbands and fathers. In many cases, it seems that the fathers put pressure on the mothers to participate in program activities.

Transitioning Out of the Child Survival Program
We have a six-month transition strategy for beneficiaries leaving the Child Survival Program. During the first phase of the transition strategy, the Child Survival Program Implementer continues monthly home visits. Children who are 36 to 39 months of age continue to learn activities within the Child Survival Program.

During the second phase of the transition strategy, children who are 40 to 41 months old continue to learn activities in the Child Survival Program, but will also visit Child Sponsorship Program classes to meet the sponsorship program tutors.

During this time, we identify mothers with teaching abilities, so they can work with other mothers as trainers in group activities in the future. We hope these activities will make the transition less traumatic for both mothers and children.
Areas of Expansion for the Child Survival Program
We will open additional Child Survival Programs in the states of La Paz (El Alto) and Potosi. These areas have high rates of child mortality and extreme poverty, but they also have highly involved and passionate churches.

Child Development Through Sponsorship

Your sponsorship of a child in Bolivia provides a variety of benefits.

Children in our Child Sponsorship Program who go to school in the morning attend the Child Development Program in the afternoon, and the children who go to school in the afternoon attend the program in the morning. Teenagers spend less time at the center because they have more schoolwork.

Meeting Times:
- 3 to 5 year olds: 4 hours a day, 3 days a week
- 6 to 8 year olds: 4 hours a day, 3 days a week
- 9 to 11 year olds: 4 hours a day, 3 days a week
- 12 to 14 year olds: 4 hours a day, 3 days a week
- 15 to 18 year olds: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week
- 19 +: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week
Nutritional Support
Each child receives a snack and lunch at the child development center twice a week. A snack consists of an egg sandwich with tea, fruit shake with crackers, fruit salad, oatmeal or bread. Lunch consists of vegetable soup, a lentil burger, salad, rice, dessert and apple juice.

Both the snack and lunch menus are prepared by a nutritionist. We feel that meals are very important for the development of the children because many do not have well-balanced meals at home.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are mandatory. When children are registered, they are asked to show their vaccination records. If they are not current on their vaccinations, they are asked to get caught up before being enrolled at the child development center.

Children go to health centers that give vaccinations through government medical campaigns; some of these vaccines are free and others have an associated fee. If a child is under five, the Bolivian government will provide all vaccines free of charge.
Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
Children participate in sports, church and regional retreats and service activities (available for adolescents 12 years and older). Service activities include cleaning up town squares and painting.
Vocational Activities
We hope the adolescents will participate in activities in which they will learn to work and support themselves.

We offer service activities, church retreats, campouts, youth counseling, and technical training, such as computer training, pastry making, dress making and English.

Parent Involvement
We have monthly meetings where the Bible is shared and information about the child development center is given. We also offer family programs and bring in specialists on various topics that are of interest to families, such as discipline, parents’ roles, marriage, sexuality, etc.

There are nine topics covered in a year, one topic per month. We have social activities and celebrate occasions such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. And in some cases, we have health campaigns that provide medical care, such as dental and eye care to the parents and siblings of sponsored children.
Areas of expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
We plan to expand into the city of El Alto in the La Paz region. This city is growing because the majority of immigrants from the rural areas of La Paz are settling there, making it an area of extreme poverty.

Leadership Development Program

Universities Attended
Our Leadership Development Program students attend mostly government universities.
Location of Universities
The universities are mostly located in the urban areas of the main cities.
Service Opportunities
Many students serve at their churches, and some students are beginning to hold social activities for street children and abandoned women.
Leadership Development Program Meetings
Leadership Development Program students meet every Saturday to study the Bible, share with each other, pray and counsel one another. They cover program curriculum and participate in activities together monthly.
Specialty Curriculum Topics or Resources
We hire people with expertise in the areas we want to teach, such as Bible study methods, stewardship of money, sexual issues in relationships, etc.
Mentors
We ask our staff if they would be interested in mentoring a Leadership Development Program student or if they know someone who might be interested.

Also, Leadership Development Program Specialists will talk to people at church or other Christian organizations who shown interest in developing leadership skills among young people.

Career Placement Assistance
The Commerce Institution of Bolivia is an affiliation of various corporations and companies in the city whose main role is to promote business activity in the city and across the country. If a company needs an intern, they advertise through this institution. Our Leadership Development Program will notify students when a new job opening or internship has been advertised.

Complementary Interventions

Our core Child Sponsorship Program, while comprehensive, does not address all obstacles to a child’s healthy development.

Compassion’s Complementary Interventions program was created to provide additional services as needed, such as our AIDS Initiative, disaster relief, water projects, special medical intervention and provision of Bibles to all Compassion-assisted children.

Complementary Interventions in Bolivia include medical and education funds. Additional Complementary Interventions are selected based on annual strategic planning.

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

One Child Sponsorship Helps an Entire Family

Caroline Atuhwere — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 07:04:35 +0000

When Akite first joined the Child Sponsorship Program, her family did not know that they too would benefit. Akite’s father, Awany, was grateful to God for helping him with one of his four children.

We gave Akite school fees, medical care, a mosquito net, clothes, shoes, a blanket and a mattress. Awany knew he would have to continue struggling to provide for the other three children and his wife, but he underestimated how much the Child Sponsorship Program would help his entire family.

Awany has since received so much more than he had ever imagined. Today he looks back with a smile. It is hard for him to believe how far he has come. Even his community has benefited.

When the Adwari Child Development Center first opened, a 20-year insurgency in the northern part of Uganda had just ended. Everyone was still in fear.

Many had been tortured. They witnessed their loved ones die. Others were forced by the rebels to kill their loved ones. Property and crops were destroyed and the people were destitute.

The best thing that could have happened to this land was the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet Pastor Joseph, overseer of Corner Adwari Victory Outreach Church tells us that some people would not receive the gospel because they were too hurt. Some of them felt that if God really loved them, he would have rescued them and their loved ones. They were hopeless.

When we began a partnership with Corner Adwari Victory Outreach Church, most of the people were homeless and had no food. Many died from starvation.

Most of the survivors were still living in camps at the church and feared going back to their homes. Awany, who narrowly survived death, remembers that during this tough time there was a famine and our ministry distributed food to all the families of the registered children.

Awany received 45 kgs of beans and 50 kgs of maize flour each month for two months. He also received supplemental foods like eggs and milk for Akite, who was 4 years old at the time. Akite and her 2-year-old sister escaped death because of this intervention. Even as he received this food, Awany shared some of it with his starving neighbors.

He cannot imagine what he would have done without this assistance. At that time no one really planted crops because people thought that the rebels would come back any time.

Awany lost 84 heads of cattle to raiders and when he went back to his home, he found a shattered house. Awany had little comfort because he also lost three brothers to the war. He had to start from scratch.

A miracle happened when Akite got a sponsor. Akite’s sponsor sent her family a cash gift and Awany invested it in goats. Eventually these goats multiplied and he was able to provide for his family. One of his children often fell sick and he used the money he got from the business to treat her.

Many children in this area still go without clothes, but Awany was able to buy clothes for his children and also pay for their school fees. He was thankful for Akite’s sponsor.

Sometimes Akite’s sponsor sends personalized gifts for her, but many times she sends the entire family a gift. For each gift and letter that is sent by his daughter’s sponsor, Awany has ceremoniously recorded it in a book.

Perhaps the greatest gift they have received is the money Awany used to construct a new small brick house for the family. The house is almost complete and recently Awany bought 18 iron sheets to complete it. He is overjoyed. Awany and his family are blessed indeed; most of the people in their village live in grass-thatched huts of mud and wattle.

All parents of registered children receive different training at the child development center. One training that changed Awany’s life was that of sanitation and hygiene.

Awany confesses that before this training, he did not think that having a toilet was important. When his family needed to make toilet calls, they would simply do it in the bush or dig up small holes, use them, and later cover them with soil.

Most people in the village did the same. But when he received training on sanitation and hygiene, Awany resolved to build a toilet for his family.

Many people were affected with HIV/AIDS during the Lord’s Resistance Army war. Awany has benefited from the voluntary counseling and testing that the child development center arranged for all caregivers. He was found free of the virus and benefited from training on how to stay free from HIV/AIDS. Awany and his wife have also received training on nutrition and now their children are living a healthy life.

Awany also received seeds from the Compassion center to plant trees and they have since grown. He hopes to sell the wood some day and continue to generate income from the trees.

His wife, Amongi, planted a garden of ground nuts from the seeds they received from the child development center. They are grateful because now they do not have to worry about food. Their garden has since flourished.

The larger community has also benefited from the presence of our Child Sponsorship Program in Adwari. The center received Complimentary Interventions funds for water and they built a borehole in the community.

Now the people in this area enjoy fresh and clean water. Before this borehole was constructed some families had to walk many miles to fetch water from ponds.

Awany is grateful to our ministry and the church, which have been a great support to him, his family and his village. The practical help that we offer to the caregivers has also gone a long way in helping people in this area receive the gospel of Christ.

Pastor Joseph says that since the Child Sponsorship Program started more people have joined his church and our presence is a blessing to all the families of registered children and to the community.

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

Ministry Highlight: Ethiopia

Web Team — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:18:52 +0000

In 1993 we began Compassion’s ministry in Ethiopia with the Child Sponsorship Program. In 2004, we started the Leadership Development Program and in 2006, the Child Survival Program.

Country Director

Tsehaywota Taddesse joined our ministry as a program facilitator in 1998 and was subsequently promoted to program supervisor, program manager and then program director. In 2007 he became the partnership specialist for the Africa Region, and in December 2008 he was appointed country director.

Before joining Compassion, Tsehaywota was asked by his church leaders to be a director for the child development center at his church. He served in that capacity for three years.

Tsehaywota was born and raised in rural Ethiopia and did not go to school until the age of 10. His father taught him to read and do simple mathematics, but he did not teach him to write. When the Ethiopian government started a literacy campaign all over the country, Tsehaywota had the opportunity to pursue modern education.

He holds a bachelor of science in geology from Addis Ababa University and a masters degree in child development from Daystar University in Nairobi.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches with whom we work to deliver our child development program and ministry in the field.

Spiritual Climate
Islamic fundamentalism is growing in Ethiopia, which is threatening the Christian Church. There have been incidences of violence toward Christians from Muslims. Also, some in the Muslim community threaten other Muslims who register their children at Compassion’s child development centers by hindering them from using funeral services and isolating them from certain social activities.

Coptic Christianity is the cause of some persecution of evangelical Christians in the northern part of the country. Some families have faced isolation from social activities and have even experienced physical abuse.
Unique Challenges
Our Implementing Church Partners face several challenges unique to Ethiopia, including:
- the existence of different languages within our country requiring translation of program implementation documents
- the need to go through denominational organizations to work with the local churches
- the constant rise in the number of highly vulnerable children
- limited financial capacity of the Implementing Church Partners
- limited availability and high demand for vocational schools
Contributions
Implementing Church Partners take care of the office construction for development center administration as well as Sunday school classes and on occasion, latrines.

Implementing Church Partners also assign volunteers for the child development center.

Church-to-Church
Our church-to-church partnerships in Ethiopia are in the relationship-building stage at this time. Sponsoring Church Partners have held special events to bring more sponsors into the ministry, which has enabled the Implementing Church Partners to register more children.
Partner Development Activities
We develop partners in Ethiopia by delivering training, conducting needs assessments, making funds available through Complementary Interventions, and organizing advocacy and sensitization workshops.

Child Survival Program

Caregiver Literacy
Caregivers study literacy individually and in classroom settings of no more than 15 mothers at a time. We use a basic adult program developed by the regional educational department.

This program has five components: alphabetical letters (in their local language), words, construction of sentences, simple mathematics and environmental science. The mothers attend class twice a week for four hours each day over six months.

Income-Generating Skills
Mothers can learn knitting, cotton spinning (for cultural dresses), basket making and petty trading. All income-generating activities are practiced both at home and at the Child Survival Program where the mothers are encouraged to work in groups.
Health Care
Caregivers have access to immunizations and voluntary counseling and testing – a free program provided by the Ethiopian government to meet the Millennium Development Goals of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.

We cover health counseling for mothers at the Child Survival Program on a regular basis, as well as pre-natal care, delivery expenses, medical treatment for children under age 5, transportation costs, and a higher level of medical care in the case of complications during labor and delivery.
Nutritional Support
All mothers are equipped with an income-generating skill and the necessary materials to be self-sufficient and provide for their families. The Child Survival Programs provide nutritional education and demonstrate how to prepare healthy, balanced meals.

In addition, each caregiver receives monthly food items such as grains, cooking oil, flour, and milk and cereal for their babies.
Involvement of Fathers
Fathers are the main source of income for families in Ethiopia, so they are generally very busy and cannot attend programs organized by the Child Survival Program.

However, when we are able to find an available time for the fathers, the Child Survival Program workers will meet with both parents to discuss various issues related to parenting. This happens once a month.

Transitioning Out of the Child Survival Program
We make every effort to prepare the caregivers, children and Implementing Church Partners for successful completion of the Child Survival Program and transition into Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program after the caregiver and child achieve specific physical, cognitive, social-emotional and spiritual outcomes.
Areas of Expansion for the Child Survival Program
Over the past three years our emphasis has been on rural towns; we plan to open child development centers in Addis Ababa next.

Child Development Through Sponsorship

Your sponsorship of a child in Ethiopia provides a variety of benefits.

The Implementing Church Partner’s facilities are used during the weekends for programs for adults, so sponsored children attend the Child Development Center during the week.

Meeting Times:
- 3 to 5 year olds: 2 hours a day, four days a week
- 6 to 8 year olds: 2 hours a day, three days a week
- 9 to 11 year olds: 2 hours a day, three days a week
- 12 to 14 year olds: 2 hours a day, two days a week
- 15 to 18 year olds: 2 hours a day, two days a week
- 19 +: 2 hours a day, two days a week
Nutritional Support
Implementing Church Partners do not provide food or nutritional support to the children at the child development centers because the government feels that doing so creates dependency.

In addition, because of the impoverished areas surrounding the Implementing Church Partners, they do not consider it fair to feed only the registered children while the rest of the children in the community do not have any food.
Vaccinations
Children receive vaccinations free of charge at the public health clinics provided by the government.
Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
Occasionally there are community service opportunities such as tree planting or environmental sanitation activities. Extracurricular activities such as sports are regularly available.

Vocational Activities
Most adolescents in Ethiopia do not have an opportunity to attend college because it is highly competitive. Vocational training enables the students to learn a practical skill and become economically self-supporting.

Adolescents participate in skills training and professional training depending on their area of interest and what is available. Students often become certified in the skill they are learning.
Job Placement for Adolescents
Implementing Church Partners make an effort to provide jobs to child sponsorship graduates, but there are a limited number of positions available at the child development programs. The government encourages micro-business by giving small shop spaces or small plots of land to those who organize themselves into a group and propose a specific business.

Some Implementing Church Partners try to facilitate these shop spaces or land plots for child sponsorship graduates who are trained in various vocational skills.
Parent Involvement
We have a monthly meeting for parents at the child development center. We discuss parenting as well as various issues raised by parents.

Parents also get involved in the planning and purchasing of items such as clothing and food grains for the children.

Areas of Expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
We would like to expand into the northern part of Ethiopia. This is an impoverished region with a high number of evangelical churches and committed church leaders.

Leadership Development Program

All of Compassion’s Leadership Development Program students attend government universities throughout the country. Students presently attend 23 of the 26 government universities in the country. Some schools are located in the capital while others are up to 700 kilometers away from the capital. Because of the help from the Leadership Development Program, none of the students have to work while attending university.

Service Opportunities
Students participate in service opportunities mainly during their breaks from school. They assist at work camps, teach children at the child development centers, encourage parents in child rearing, speak to church elders and pastors about ministry, clean church compounds, assist the child development centers in whatever work needs to be done, evangelize adolescents, and paint church rooms.

Leadership Development Program students are required to serve their local church and community for a minimum of 15 hours every two months. Their pastor sends a signed letter to the Leadership Development Program specialist explaining the type of service in which the student participates.

Leadership Development Program Meetings
The larger Leadership Development Program group meets at least twice a year, between semesters or during long vacation breaks. They cover the Leadership Development Program curriculum topics, participate in service opportunities, and meet individually with the Leadership Development Program specialist.
Specialty Curriculum Topics or Resources
In addition to the 24 curriculum topics set by our ministry, Leadership Development Program students in Ethiopia take eight electives offered by college theology teachers. These electives include Old and New Testament survey and life skills courses. We feel it is important for the students to have a basic knowledge of biblical doctrine and to have an ample amount of Bible study time.
Mentors
We identify students who are not involved in a mentoring relationship and introduce them to the child development center staff in their area. Sometimes the center staff become mentors, and at other times they help the students find a mentor.

We also network with the Evangelical Student Union of Ethiopia, which works with Christian university students. The regional coordinators assist new Leadership Development Program students in finding a mentor and many are mentors themselves.
Leadership Development Program Alumni Group
There is a Leadership Development Program Alumni Association but it is not extremely active because the graduates are scattered throughout the country. Meetings and activities generally take place in the capital city where a few graduates live.

However, students who are active are invited to different parts of the country to preach and teach at the child development centers. They also advise current Leadership Development Program students, and some graduates serve as mentors.

Complementary Interventions

Our core Child Sponsorship Program, while comprehensive, does not address all obstacles to a child’s healthy development.

Compassion’s Complementary Interventions program was created to provide additional services as needed, such as our AIDS Initiative, disaster relief, water projects, special medical intervention, and provision of Bibles to all Compassion-assisted children.

Complementary Interventions in Ethiopia include:

equipping guardians with child care, business and income-generating skills and enhanced parental capacity
providing pit latrines, playgrounds and classroom construction
building and provision of educational resource centers such as libraries and computer rooms

Highly Vulnerable Children

The needs of highly vulnerable children in Ethiopia include:

Caregiver incapacitation: About 60 to 70 percent of registered Highly Vulnerable Children are living with sick, elderly or child guardians. They have serious physical, economic, nutritional and household needs. They need community-based care to cope with their living challenges and to attend programmatic activities. Highly Vulnerable Children funds allow children to remain in the Child Sponsorship Program and finish successfully.
Caregiver deprivation: About 25 percent of registered Highly Vulnerable Children are without adult care and follow-up, resulting in a chronic need for foster families. We are working to find volunteer families who can accept these children into their homes and protect and provide for them in a sustainable way.
Child abuse: About 5 to 10 percent of registered Highly Vulnerable Children encounter various forms of child abuse, resulting in emergency situations requiring immediate intervention.
Disabilities and special needs: As we identify registered children who have physical disabilities, we take necessary action to help them remain in the program and finish well. We will also make efforts to mobilize the church and surrounding community to give support.
Cottages: There are 35 children in six ministry cottages who are provided with proper family care and follow-up. We are working toward the sustainability of these cottages.

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

Ministry Highlight: Philippines

Web Team — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:22:21 +0000

We began our ministry in the Philippines in 1972 with the Child Sponsorship Program. In 1996, we started the Leadership Development Program, and in 2005, the Child Survival Program. In 2009, the 50,000th child was registered.

We have been blessed to experience a number of notable milestones in the Philippines. First, the Leadership Development Program began in the Philippines, then the first local alumni association was organized.

After Typhoon Durian hit in 2007 we became more aware of the challenges natural disasters bring. With this disaster, the Country Office in the Philippines became more prepared to handle future disasters. This led to the building of the first Compassion Village in the country, where more than 350 homes were built and more than 600 were repaired through Complementary Interventions funds.

Country Director

Noel Pabiona joined us as Country Director in 2004. Before coming to our ministry, Noel worked at various companies based in Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States. He also served in the Philippine government for four years as Chief Planning Officer for the National Livelihood Support Fund Agency and served as pastor for the Living Grace Christian Fellowship from 1996 to 2006.

Noel earned a bachelor’s of economics degree from the University of the Philippines and earned a post-graduate degree in petroleum refining at the Oxford Extension School in Australia.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches with whom we work to deliver our child development program and ministry in the field.

Spiritual Climate
Evangelical churches in the Philippines are growing all over the country. However, there is a lack of unity due to denominational differences.

We recently conducted a series on church leadership and development training focused on pastor wellness. The goal of the Country Office is to serve as a catalyst for unity across denominations.

Unique Challenges
One challenge unique to the Philippines is that the country is composed of more than 7,100 islands with various languages, and the children are scattered all over the islands. Also, the quality of church partners and leaders can be a challenge. Because of this we strive to provide training before we enter into a church partnership.
Contributions
Church partners provide labor, manpower and networking.
Partner Development Activities
We begin training in partner development even before the actual partnership. As we look for new partners, we conduct training on ministry presentation, orientation and strategic planning. Through this training both our ministry and the church can assess if the church is ready to partner with us.

When a church becomes a partner, it enters a three-year module on partner development. For five years we work closely with our partners, but in the sixth year, we hope that we have provided enough training that the church can be independent. It is our desire that those who have partnered longer will be able to train the newer partners.

Partner development focuses on partner training, technical support, facilitation and church maturation. We offer training on topics such as holistic child development, sponsorship basics, start-up, functional trainings, child protection, Complementary Interventions, community development and child advocacy, among others.

Child Survival Program

Caregiver Literacy
We teach literacy through one-on-one lessons at home and in group activities at the center. We use lectures with resource speakers, visual aids, demonstrations and experiential learning such as field trips and food preparation.

Income-Generating Skills
We offer income-generating training twice a month. The activities offered depend on the interests and needs of the mothers who attend.

Generally, we offer baking, food processing, culinary arts, sewing, cosmetology and hair science, bead-making, and craft-making using indigenous materials and scraps such as coconut shells, corn skins and seashells. Some of the mothers have begun earning from these activities, especially those involving food.

Health Care
The local health centers offer prenatal care as well as free vaccinations, but there is a limited vaccine supply. Mothers are encouraged to go to the health centers to take advantage of these free services. After 12 months, the Child Survival Program pays for the child’s booster shots.

The Child Survival Program checks the caregivers’ immunization card and prenatal card to ensure that they are utilizing the programs at the local health center.

All of the children go through screenings and medical monitoring regardless of whether or not they are sick. The Child Survival Program pays for immunizations that are not covered by the government as well as unscheduled hospitalizations and emergency situations. The Child Survival Program also pays for ultrasounds and newborn screenings.

The government offers social welfare assistance for indigent families to get discounted rates from hospitals, and some the Child Survival Programs have also received services such as financial support, ambulance services and free hospitalization offered through other organizations.

Nutritional Support
Mothers are educated in basic nutrition and food preparation. We show them how to purchase nutritious foods, such as vegetables, with limited money. Many mothers were surprised to learn how nutritious vegetables are.
Involvement of Fathers
During the first Child Survival Program orientation, mothers are encouraged to bring their husbands.

Some church partners ask the fathers to sign an agreement that they will not prohibit their wives from attending Child Survival Program activities.

To encourage the involvement of fathers, we hold Couples’ Retreats, Family Day, Father’s Day, sporting events and sometimes ask some of the fathers to play guitar at church, do carpentry work, or drive.

For every Child Survival Program in the Philippines, about one or two fathers are the primary caregivers.
Transitioning Out of the Child Survival Program
The Child Survival Program will ensure that a child is ready for the Child Sponsorship Program.

Each child must have achieved normal weight as well as basic hygiene and self-help skills, which include a sense of independence, social adjustment, self-feeding, the ability to clean up toys, and the ability to socialize with other children.

We provide pre-literacy activities that train children to scribble, string items together, color and identify colors and shapes.

Then, children in the Child Survival Program attend Child Sponsorship Program classes to expose them to what they will soon be experiencing.

Transitioning mothers to the Child Sponsorship Program is still a challenge. The challenge is to make it clear to the mothers that after successful completion of the Child Survival Program, they are no long beneficiaries but partners.

Some church partners introduce Child Survival Program mothers to Child Sponsorship Program mothers to help with the transition. They also have made efforts to involve the mothers in care groups and Bible studies.
Areas of Expansion for the Child Survival Program
We would like to expand into Western Mindanao, the National Capital Region, Bicol, Palawan and Mindoro, which are areas scattered all throughout the country. These regions have been identified by the government as priority areas due to prevailing poverty.

Child Sponsorship Program

Your sponsorship of a child in the Philippines provides a variety of benefits.

Child development center activities are mostly done on Saturdays, since children are busy with school throughout the week. Some centers use Sundays, but the Country Office discourages this practice so that center activities will not compete with church activities.

Meeting Times
- 3 to 5 year olds: 6 hours a week, usually on Saturday
- 6 to 8 year olds: 6 hours a week, usually on Saturday
- 9 to 11 year olds: 6 hours a week, usually on Saturday
- 12 to 14 year olds: 4 hours a week, usually on Saturday
- 15 to 18 year olds: 2 hours a week, some in the form of community service
- 19 +: 2 hours a week, some in the form of community service
Nutritional Support
If the children come to the child development center during lunchtime, they receive lunch, which consists of rice, meat or fish, vegetables, fruit, and juice or milk. If they come at any other time, they receive a nutritious snack, which consists of sweet potatoes, sticky rice, skewered bananas, or noodles.

Malnourished children receive vitamins and additional food packs, which contain one complete meal of rice, meat or fish, vegetables and fruit. We are currently implementing a Complementary Interventions food mitigation program for several centers.

Vaccinations
All children should have received at least the minimum vaccinations as prescribed by the World Health Organization. We encourage child development centers to connect with local health centers to get free immunizations, although they have limited supplies.

There are cases in which the Country Office assists in the purchase of vaccines in bulk to get special discounts.
Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
Typical extracurricular activities include camps, sporting events, field trips and talent shows. The older children participate in these activities approximately twice a month, which is more often than the younger children.

Vocational Activities
We offer practical skills that will allow children to develop employable skills.

Child development centers offer vocational training such as carpentry, auto mechanics, food preservation, and basic livelihood. Some church partners network with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations such as Advancing the Ministry of God, which provide vocational training and job placement.

Child development centers also offer community service opportunities such as community clean-up and environmental protection.

Child Sponsorship Program Alumni Activities
The national alumni association in the Philippines is now sponsoring a child. Members hold fundraising events and provide relief in times of national disaster. There are also smaller alumni groups in different regions.
Parent Involvement
We have general assemblies and orientation for parents, and there are some churches that have initiated activities such as Bible studies and care groups. Mothers are also involved in letter writing. But generally, we do not have the budget to offer regular activities specifically aimed at parents.
Areas of Expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
We would like to expand into indigenous areas, specifically Mindanao, because it has not been reached and is very needy. We are also praying about and preparing to enter the Muslim province of Basilan.

Leadership Development Program

Types of Universities Attended
Typically students are enrolled in private universities, but there are also students who are enrolled in government universities. There is one accredited Bible school for those who intend to be trained in ministry.

Location of Universities
Students attend the university that is located in the main city of their province, along with all other Leadership Development Program students who live in that same province.
Working Students
Students do not work while they attend university.
Service Opportunities
Students assist in weekly learning activities at the child development centers, serving as tutors and activity coordinators.

Leadership Development Program Meetings
Every year Leadership Development Program students go through two major training events, the Work Camp and the Leadership Ambassadors’ Training. Once every month, students meet in their clusters for care group meetings and fellowship.
Specialty Curriculum Topics or Resources
We specifically cover Filipino family dynamics to address the issues confronting our students in regarding with family members. We also discuss issues related to the broken family and living with extended families as this is very common in the Philippines.
Mentors
The Country Office coordinates with the alumni association and the Implementing Church Partners in order to assist our students in finding a mentor.
Leadership Development Program Alumni Group
The Leadership Development Program Alumni Association is establishing cluster groups to increase awareness and support for the program. There is one Leadership Development Program alumni group that has sponsored a child in the Child Sponsorship Program, and they are promoting the initiative to other graduates.

Complementary Interventions

Our core Child Sponsorship Program, while comprehensive, does not address all obstacles to a child’s healthy development.

The Complementary Interventions program was created to work with our holistic child development model to provide additional services, such as our AIDS Initiative, funds for Bibles for All Children, disaster relief and water projects.

Complementary Interventions in the Philippines include post-partum psychological counseling for Child Survival Program beneficiaries, malaria-related services, food distribution, vaccines, vitamins, water sources, income-generating activities and medical reimbursements and disaster/emergency situations, the most common of which are fire and typhoons.

Highly Vulnerable Children

In the Philippines, the Highly Vulnerable Children program mostly involves children in need of special protection because of physical or sexual abuse. We also have a few cases of commercially exploited children.

Our strategies include child abuse awareness trainings and child protection workshops for the Implementing Church Partners.

We are able to give immediate help to Highly Vulnerable Children through our resident social worker and through our partnership with local government units, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development and nongovernmental organizations such as the International Justice Mission.

Take a tour of our office in the Philippines through the eyes of sponsored child, Alvin. This informative and fun video was created by our field staff in the Philippines.

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

Ministry Highlight: Nicaragua

Web Team — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:03:35 +0000

We began our ministry in Nicaragua in 2002, when the Child Sponsorship Program was started. In just seven years of ministry, we have served over 30,000 children in Nicaragua.

Country Director

William José Gutiérrez Rojas joined us as an administrator in 2002 and was appointed Country Director in 2003. Before coming to our ministry, William served as the Country Director for Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua for two and a half years and for the Council of Evangelical Churches Pro-Denominational Alliance for 11 years.

Born in a rural area, William did not begin school until he was 11 years old. However, his mother had taught him to read, write and do basic math at home.

The earthquake of 1972 influenced William’s decision to work in Christian ministry as an adult. When the earthquake struck, his local church offered services for the children and adults in the community, and he was able to see firsthand the effect it had on them.

William holds a degree in business administration from Central American University in Nicaragua. He serves as a substitute preacher at his church and also gives support and counseling.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches with whom we work to deliver our child development program and ministry in the field.

Spiritual Climate
According to the 2005 census, 22 percent of the population claim to be evangelical Christians. This represents significant growth as just 10 to 20 years prior, evangelical Christians only accounted for 15 percent of the population.

This growth is most evident among the poor and in Pentecostal denominations. In general, the high level of poverty in Nicaragua generates uncertainty among the population which increases dependency on God. Evangelical churches must have all their legal documentation up to date to avoid persecution from the government.

Persecution mainly happens at a business level. For instance, churches cannot have a bank account if they are not registered with the Nicaraguan government.

Unique Challenges
One challenge for Implementing Church Partners in Nicaragua is that they are located in extremely impoverished areas where church volunteers have a low academic level.
Typical Contributions
Implementing Church Partners pay about 50 percent of the electricity, phone, Internet and water service costs. They also provide construction for new facilities, facility improvement, and payment for the land where the child development center is located. The church committee volunteers their time at the project as well.
Church-to-Church Partnerships
There are Implementing Church Partners in Nicaragua that have church-to-church partnerships with churches in Canada and the United States. One supporting church partner provided the construction for a kitchen and basketball court, another bought property and paid for construction of a kitchen and classrooms, and yet another provided the construction for two classrooms.
Partner Development Activities
We develop ministry partners through training, facilitation, spiritual retreats, meetings with the pastors and project staff, and Complementary Interventions.

Child Development through Sponsorship

Your sponsorship of a child in Nicaragua provides a variety of benefits.

Children attend school either in the morning or the afternoon, so the child development centers schedule their meeting times accordingly.

Meeting Times
- 3 to 5 year olds: 3 days a week, 8 hours total
- 6 to 8 year olds: 3 days a week, 6 hours total
- 9 to 11 year olds: 3 days a week, 6 hours total
- 12 to 14 year olds: 4 hours on Saturday, 1 additional day for vocational skills
- 15 to 18 year olds: 4 hours on Saturday, 1 additional day for vocational skills
Nutritional Support
Each child receives a meal consisting of rice, meat, tortilla and natural juice, tea or cereal. Children also sometimes receive a snack that consists of fruit salad, rice with milk or a thick hot drink made of corn meal.

This food is intended to complement what they are already receiving at home; it is not meant to be their main source of nutrition. However, when children are malnourished, we use nutritional Complementary Interventions. Also some Implementing Church Partners coordinate with and receive support from other Non Governmental Organizations for feeding programs.

Vaccinations
Part of our medical checkup is ensuring that children have received their vaccines, so parents are encouraged to take their children to the local health center for vaccinations. If needed, Implementing Church Partners can request a “vaccination day” at the child development center and the Ministry of Health will facilitate this through the local health center.

Also, some communities have an agreement with one of the hospitals to do medical checkups and give medical attention in case of emergencies.
Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
Children participate in extracurricular activities such as camps, sports, field trips and art. Camps are held once or twice a year, field trips are done once a year, and sports and art are offered regularly throughout the year.

Children also participate in tree planting at least once a year and cleaning up in their community twice a year.

Vocational Activities
We offer vocational skills training because we want to give them the necessary tools to generate their own income. Adolescents are involved in vocational skills such as computers, sewing, carpentry, music, baking and hair styling. They also participate in camps, spiritual retreats and sports.
Parent Involvement
We have parents’ meetings either monthly or quarterly depending on the Implementing Church Partner. At least once a year, parents receive training on topics such as hygiene, preventative health care and child protection.

They also participate in church activities and volunteer work such as cleaning and helping in the kitchen. Twice a year, parents participate in their child’s medical checkup.

Areas of expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
We would like to expand into the Western and Southern areas of Nicaragua, because these areas have some of the greatest educational and nutritional needs.

Complementary Interventions

Our core Child Sponsorship Program, while comprehensive, does not address all obstacles to a child’s healthy development. The Complementary Interventions program was created to work with our holistic child development model to provide additional services, such as our AIDS Initiative, funds for Bibles for All Children, disaster relief and water projects.

Our main priority for Complementary Interventions in Nicaragua is nonformal education because we are working toward successful departures.

We have also provided dental, visual and nutritional Complementary Interventions. Our goal with dental and visual Complementary Interventions is to cover all children younger than six years old, and we are taking a more preventative approach to nutrition.

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

Ministry Highlight: Guatemala

Web Team — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:01:45 +0000

We began our ministry in Guatemala in 1976 as a family help program run by missionaries. The Child Sponsorship Program started in 1980, and the Leadership Development Program began in 1997.

We have one main office in the capital city and two satellite offices. We work with over 35,000 children in Guatemala, and we are serving 19 of the country’s 22 territorial units. We have responded to some of the country’s biggest crises including Hurricane Mitch and Stan, the Corredor Seco famine and the Agatha tropical storm.

Compassion Guatemala has established key alliances with organizations such as The United Children Christian Coalition, Healing Waters International and Fuller Seminary.

Country Director

Jose Carlos Prem joined our ministry in Guatemala as Country Director in 2008. Before this, Jose Carlos served in leadership roles in companies such as Kerns and Alimentos Naturales and SCENTIA.

Having earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and an MBA from Rafael Landivar University, Jose Carlos also studied French and German and pursued a Bible teaching degree at one of the largest seminaries in Latin America.

He joined the Theological Latin-American Fraternity and is a Guatemalan delegate for The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization.

Additionally, Jose Carlos is a part of the missions committee and preaching team at his church.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches with whom we work to deliver our child development program and ministry in the field.

Spiritual Climate
The majority of the population is Catholic, 40 percent of the population is Protestant, and a small percentage hold to old Mayan religions or syncretism. There is a great deal of freedom regarding religion in Guatemala.

We have the freedom to evangelize in parks and public centers in Guatemala and to reach out to people in all areas of the country. The church also has a large presence in the media. However, the church and the country as a whole face shocking levels of violence due to poverty, gang activity and drug cartels from Mexico.

Violence has been a challenge in evangelizing and reaching out to the youth, especially those in need who live in the urban areas and in border towns. There are many victims of this crime and people die every day.

Unique Challenges
The following are key challenges unique to Implementing Church Partners in Guatemala:
- Because child development centers manage large amounts of money that are not part of the Implementing Church Partners’ budget, it is a challenge to define the center’s legal status to the government. They are not official non-profit organizations even though they receive funds from our ministry.
  In Guatemala, similar organizations receiving large donations without an established legal identity have served as headquarters for drug operations and money laundering.
- Legal implication of having volunteer staff at the development centers is another challenge. Guatemala’s laws can misinterpret the volunteer status of some of our staff because some receive a small monthly stipend or “offering” but we still classify them as “volunteers.”
- Most of the population has a low level of education, especially in the rural areas. According to the National Statistical Institute Census of 2002, only 16.71 percent of Guatemala’s youth received a high school education. It is very challenging for the ministry and our Implementing Church Partners to recruit qualified tutors who have an acceptable level of education for developing and teaching the curriculum.
- Many churches are not focused on supporting children’s ministries. It is difficult to find churches that are committed to developing children and committed to a program that has a high level of complexity.
- It is difficult for churches to generate other resources to help the children other than our ministry.
- It is challenging to spend funds wisely and effectively due to the great amount of need that our Implementing Church Partners and children face.

Typical Contributions
Implementing Church Partners provide utilities such as electricity and water, the child development center facilities, and the time and effort of leaders and volunteers.
Partner Development
We develop partners through training and meetings. We train the staff in their specific areas of expertise and provide leadership training for the development center leaders and pastors.

In addition, we hold meetings with the pastors to strengthen our partnership, and Partnership Facilitators hold regular meetings with center leaders to discuss the children, topics related to partnership and resource management.

Child Development Through Sponsorship

Your sponsorship of a child in Guatemala provides a variety of benefits.

The 3 to 11 year olds meet after school and they only meet twice a week because of school work. The 12 to 19+ year olds meet on Saturdays because in the public school system, junior high school and high school classes meet in the afternoon.

Meeting Times
- 3 to 5 year olds: 4 hours a day, 2 days a week
- 6 to 8 year olds: 4 hours a day, 2 days a week
- 9 to 11 year olds: 4 hours a day, 2 days a week
- 12 to 14 year olds: 4 hours on Saturday
- 15 to 18 year olds: 4 hours on Saturday
- 19 +: 4 hours on Saturday
Nutritional Support
Each child is given a substantial snack every time there is an activity at a child development center. A typical snack might be pancakes and oatmeal with milk; vegetable soup with tortillas and pineapple drink; a bean sandwich with a warm drink made of rice, milk and cinnamon; oatmeal with milk and rice tortillas; or cereal.

The development centers also provide special meals for celebrations and extracurricular activities. This food is provided to contribute to the children’s health because there are some cases in which families do not have enough food to provide lunch for their children.

Vaccinations
When children are enrolled into the Child Sponsorship Program, our staff asks the family to provide their vaccine card. If the child has not been vaccinated, they are referred to a public health center which provides free services including vaccinations.
Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
We offer various activities in the hope that we can get families involved. Many children are not able to celebrate special days in their homes due to a lack of resources. These activities include:
- Camps and retreats, special devotionals, worship nights with bonfires, evangelism activities in the community
- Celebrations for birthdays, Children’s Day, end of the school year, Family Day, rallies, graduations, Christmas
- Soccer games, small marathons
- Discussions on the rights and responsibilities of children, ceremonial activities teaching children about our national symbols and how to respect and care for our country
- Informative meetings and activities with the community, parents and beneficiaries on health topics such as hygiene, HIV, etc.

Vocational Activities
Vocational training is offered to adolescents so each one can acquire a skill enabling him or her to be competitive in the job market and have an income-generating skill.

Adolescents are involved in community service, organization of children’s activities, My Plan for Tomorrow, tutoring and vocational training. Child development centers offer vocational training based on need. Some trainings offered include beauty school, carpentry, pastry baking, seamstress training and handicrafts.

INTECAP (Technical Training and Productivity Institute) is a government organization that seeks to train and certify individuals so that they are able to be competitive in the job market. INTECAP is the only other organization available in major towns that provides a similar training program to our ministry. They are the leaders in vocational training. In some cases, we have sought INTECAP’s services to train children.

Parent Involvement
We hold regular parents’ meetings to discuss the child’s progress and any special situations that need attention. Parents are also invited to meetings where staff members or guest speakers will speak on topics such as health or parenting.

Additionally, every year child development centers host activities for the children and the parents to work on “My Plan for Tomorrow” together. Some development centers even host parents’ retreats.

Areas of expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
We are planning to expand into the Western region of Guatemala because it is an area that is very impoverished and in need of development. There are great growth possibilities because there are many Christian churches in that area.

Leadership Development Program

Universities Attended
The students attend both public and private universities. The private universities can be classified as either Christian or secular, but most of the students attend private Christian universities.
Location of Universities
All of the universities have their headquarters in a capital city. There are also university extensions or branches located in smaller towns. These branches have no dormitory facilities for students, so if a student is studying at a branch, he may need to travel up to three hours to get to his classes.

Working Students
Some students work, but they have to have the Leadership Development Program Specialist’s permission to do so. We do not recommend that students work, but some students need to for various reasons. Some students need to help support their families, especially in the case of single-parent families or very large families, which is common.

Other students want to work to gain experience so it will be easier to find a job upon graduation. And some students work because they attend one of the university extensions which only hold classes on the weekends, so the students take advantage of their available time during the week.
Service Opportunities
Many Leadership Development Program students serve in their local churches as worship leaders and youth leaders. Some volunteer at their old child development centers, help with Vacation Bible School and promote the Child Sponsorship Program.
Leadership Development Program Meetings
The larger Leadership Development Program group meets two to three times per year. At these meetings they cover curriculum topics and play games, have devotionals, celebrations and times of sharing with each other and the Leadership Development Program Specialist.

Meetings have included on-site medical check-ups involving lab tests and HIV testing. The reason for this is that there are many poorly equipped healthcare facilities especially in rural areas. Sometimes these facilities provide false and inaccurate diagnoses and prescribe dangerous procedures and/or medications. So we started an initiative to provide medical and dental check-ups with qualified doctors.

Specialty Curriculum Topics or Resources
Part of Guatemala’s cultural mindset is to live in the present. There is not a clear concept of the future or concern for future generations. Therefore, some curriculum topics are more of a challenge, such as Christian worldview, savings as part of your budget, and having a vision.

In order to contextualize these topics and make them relevant for Leadership Development Program students in Guatemala, we have to help the students think about their future in specific ways. We help them plan for life after college, prepare for their careers and set up goals for the next five to ten years.

Mentors play an important role in the students’ vision and planning. In addition, we have emphasized the importance of setting aside a portion of their income for savings. Finally, we’ve adapted an ecology elective course for our curriculum to reinforce the students’ concern for our planet and future generations.

Mentors
In order to help students find mentors, we ask our staff and Leadership Development Program alumni to become mentors. We also ask former mentors if they would be willing to volunteer again. If necessary, we ask the field office staff for recommendations of people they know who might be qualified mentors.

Complementary Interventions

Typical Complementary Interventions in Guatemala include: disaster relief, famine relief, potable water, Bibles, nutritional aid for children, scholarships helping students finish high school, entrepreneurship training, medical help for specific emergencies, and vocational training.

Complementary Interventions also benefit our Leadership Development Program students. We offer funds for The Academy Camp, a two-week camp for students who are in the last phase of the Leadership Development Program application process. We also help students in the Leadership Development Program with dental needs.

Highly Vulnerable Children

In Guatemala, highly vulnerable children are usually children who suffer from abuse in their homes, children whose guardians are extended family and can barely afford to provide for the basic needs of the child, or children who are severely malnourished.

For children who suffer abuse, we refer to International Justice Mission for follow-up.

In a few cases, International Justice Mission intervention has resulted in placing the children in Christian children’s homes. For those whose guardians cannot provide for them, the Implementing Church Partner will provide bags of basic food items.

Sponsor gifts also play a key role in providing for basic needs, such as a bed.

For children who are malnourished, we use famine relief Complementary Interventions to provide assistance.

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

Thankful for a College Education

Edwin Estioko — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:52:06 +0000

Children grow up answering the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” over and over.

Theresa always wanted to be a lawyer, and it was at the child development center that she learned to dream about her future. When she was younger, one of her favorite activities at the center was pretending to argue with other children in a debate.

“During our time to debate, I was really very happy. I enjoy being able to express my opinions and being given the chance to fight for them.”

Today, Theresa is 17 years old and in college. Although her childhood dream was to be a lawyer, she is taking a course in computer animation.

Theresa took the course because it was offered to her on scholarship at the AMG Skilled Hands Technical College in the faraway province of Bulacan. At first, she didn’t like the idea of moving away from home to live in a dormitory.

“I didn’t want to go to Bulacan, but when I learned that it was for a scholarship, I took the chance. I told myself I’d take this course just so I could finish college, but it was in that school where I discovered God’s real plan for me.”

Theresa was a student at the Malabon Child Development Center. Currently, her father is out of work and her mother works in a factory earning less than P100 (US$2.40) a day. Theresa has two sisters. At the center, Theresa actively participated in youth group and has been a member of the praise and worship team.

In the Philippines, it is not typical for children to leave for college. Usually, Filipino children live with their parents throughout college and even after college until they can afford to live on their own.

“Separating from my family and my ministry at church was my first challenge in moving to Bulacan. But the Lord is teaching me now to depend on Him alone. Now, I enjoy being away from my family so that I could totally depend on God.”

Theresa is one of the 28 sponsored youth who are studying at the AMG Skilled Hands Technical College through our ministry’s Complementary Intervention’s Non-Formal Education funds.

Ten more students are studying in the same college as scholars of AMG. They come from 13 child development centers located on the island of Luzon, where Bulacan is also located.

AMG stands for “Ang Manggagawang Gumagawa,” which is Filipino for “the worker who works.” It is a private school that operates based on Christian and biblical principles.

According to Alexander, a school supervisor,

“AMG instills in our students the fear of the Lord, because this school believes that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

According to Anne, another sponsored youth studying at AMG and one of Theresa’s newest friends,

“I experienced in this school the Lord working in my life. He showed me once again that He is truly alive.

“God’s provision in my life is truly amazing and I really don’t feel that I deserve it. It is really a blessing that I passed the Computer Hardware Services course, and now I have a certificate that I can use to find work later on.”

AMG offers job placement. All of its students are guaranteed to find work after college. These 38 students are taking two-year courses in Computer Programming, Computer Animation and Electronics.

Four other students have already finished a one-year course in welding and now they are all employed and earning an income.

Tricia is studying Computer Animation, just like Theresa. She also misses her family back in the province of Albay. She misses them because she knows that there are days when her family doesn’t have food on the table.

Tricia’s father is out of work and her mother tries to earn a little money by cooking and selling local rice snacks. Tricia has nine siblings and she shares with us,

“There was no way for my parents to send me to college. Often we can’t even buy food to eat. This is why I am very thankful for being able to study here, get a college education, and eat three meals a day while I’m in school.”

Anne speaks for the other 38 students when she says that her main goal is to finish college, land a good job, and be able to help her family.

“I also want to help children in our student center in whatever simple ways that I can. I would like to share all that I learned here in Bulacan, not only in the technical skills but also in the spiritual aspects of life.”

Today, Theresa has dreams of attending Bible school.

“If God wills, I would like to study in Bible school. But for now, I will continue to pray and seek God’s direction in my life. As I continue to study here I can see that God is changing me little by little, and I can see how good our God is.”

On behalf of the students studying at that technical college through Complementary Intervention funds, Theresa wants sponsors to know,

“We are so grateful for all the people who have allowed us to study here. Otherwise, our parents could not send us to college.

“We are very thankful to have been chosen to enter a good college for free. We are truly growing spiritually and skillfully. I think we are growing in all aspects of life here. We are so thankful.”

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