To finish well in life, it makes an enormous difference if you are given opportunities that allow you to begin well. Our Child Survival Program and Leadership Development Program help children living in extreme poverty to begin and finish well.

The Beginning – Rwanda

Recently, 35 mothers and their babies, and a group of church partners, pastors, representatives from other child development organizations, government officials from throughout East Africa, and ministry staff in Rwanda gathered to launch the Child Survival Program. This event created increased awareness of the need to honor unborn children and highlighted the work of our ministry.

At this special event, Uwingeneye shared her testimony. The 29-year-old mother of four explained how her own mother wanted to abort her and later almost died while delivering her. As a result, she was named ‘Uwingeneye’ which means “the one whom God gave me,” since her mother did not want her.

Uwingeneye’s first two children are 5-year-old twins; her third child is a 3-year-old boy whom she picked up from the roadside and cared for as her very own.

Her second pregnancy, bringing her fourth child, was totally undesired.

She had no job except washing clothes for her neighbors to earn 1,000 Rwandan francs [$1.67] once in a while. Her husband left her. She could not afford rent. She too wanted to abort her child.

“I knew what it meant to have a baby without means. When I was desperate and had tried to abort and failed, the Lord spoke to me in a dream. From Revelation 2:5 God told me to remember the height from which I had fallen, to repent and do the works I did at first, and that if I did not repent, He would remove my lampstand from its place.

God told me the child I was carrying would save my life, but I did not understand how.”

When we came to take her picture for registration into the Child Survival Program, Uwingeneye first thought we were the kind of people who take advantage of the poor and vulnerable by pretending to be an organization that offers aid while using their photos to make money.

Uwingeneye soon discovered she was wrong when our ministry became a blessing to her.

“After the Child Survival Program staff discovered how I was always sent out of houses because I could not afford rent, they paid my rent for a whole year. Because of my sickness, I thought I would deliver from home, but a Child Survival Program worker came and picked me up from home with much respect in a special hired vehicle.

The ministry paid all my medical bills. I would have never gotten money to pay them myself. I may have died had Compassion not been there for me. The ministry gave me all the necessary things for my baby.

The Child Survival Program staff also brought me congratulatory gifts (a custom in the Rwandese culture when a woman gives birth). I thank them because, in the three months after giving birth, I did not lack any foods such as sugar, porridge and other foods husbands give to their wives when they’ve given birth. My husband was not there, but God was there, and the Child Survival Program did it for me.”

 Uwingeneye went on to explain how she was helped to start an income-generating activity of plaiting hair. She also considered the scarcity of water in her home area and bought enough jerry cans and buckets to fetch a lot of water and collect rain water to sell at a profit in the days of scarcity. She testified how she got enough profit to return borrowed items and buy her own, to feed her children, send them to school, and dress her family.

The launching of the Child Survival Program in Rwanda was a celebration of hope. A hope that allows more women like Uwingeneye the opportunity to leave extreme poverty behind. A hope that allows moms to offer their children necessities like clean water, food and an education.

Halfway around the world we had a different kind of celebration. One that launched four young men from our Leadership Development Program into finishing their degrees and entering the world as educated adults.

The Finish and a New Beginning – Guatemala

The most recent Leadership Development Program graduation took place in Guatemala City where family members, ministry staff and special guests were able to share this important moment with four outstanding students who completed the Leadership Development Program and made a new life transition.

The Leadership Development Program graduation ceremony is a special event prepared for the students. Ivonne, Leadership Development Program Team Lead, explains,

“It is a ceremony where we want to celebrate their accomplishment and show them how much they have achieved.”

The ceremony is a celebration of the beginning of a new life season, and planning for the graduation begins a year in advance. Plans include finding an appropriate location, choosing a guest speaker, sending invitations, and preparing awards.

This year’s guest speaker was Julie Weller, a member of our ministry’s board. Julie also sponsored one of the graduating Leadership Development Program students, Florencio. In her speech, she encouraged graduates to use their gifts and experiences for God’s kingdom and glory. She advised them to stay close to the Lord.

Julie encouraged and challenged the Leadership Development Program graduates as she read Ephesians 3:16-20,

“As you commit your lives to him, his mighty power is at work within you to make a difference.”

In the midst of this celebration there was a bittersweet feeling because four of the best students, Jonathan, Dujardin, Florencio and Alvaro, were concluding the program.

Jonathan

Jonathan, a theology major, was given special recognition for his outstanding academic performance. He was also involved in the Leadership Development Academy. The Academy is a two-week program where semifinalists for the Leadership Development Program learn about and prepare for college. During this program, the Leadership Development Program students choose new students for the Leadership Development Program.

Jonathan later participated as an Academy group leader, influencing the lives of the next Leadership Development Program generation.

Dujardin

Dujardin pursued a civil engineering degree. Ivonne shares,

“Dujardin is a very determined young man. He has a very humble spirit and works really hard to achieve his goals. He acknowledges all the hard work his parents, sponsors and Leadership Development Program specialists have done to support him.”

Florencio

Florencio decided to go to law school. He likes to be involved in church and has a heart of service for God. He is currently working as Program Coordinator at the Compassion student center he once attended.

His plans for the future include running a law office, so he can earn profits and still have time to donate his services to people who cannot afford to pay him.

Florencio was blessed with the visit of his sponsors for graduation. They have been his sponsors since he was in the Child Sponsorship Program, and they flew to Guatemala especially to share this important day.

“Having a sponsor has been really special, a special blessing. It has impacted my life.”

For Florencio his sponsors are like his second family.

“In them I found the support of another family. Even from far away they always asked me how I was doing in school, in church and in life. They asked about my needs.”

Florencio’s sponsor had visited him three times before, and this time she came with her husband and two children. The support of Florencio’s sponsors has transformed him and helped him achieve this major milestone.

Alvaro

Alvaro majored in industrial engineering. Ivonne expresses about Alvaro,

“He is an extraordinary young man. He has a very noble heart. One of the characteristics that make Alvaro so outstanding is that he looks for opportunities to grow in the Lord and serve Him.”

Alvaro entered the Child Sponsorship Program when he was 9 and has been a part of our ministry for 16 years now. Through his time with us, he has come to know the Lord in a more personal way. The application process for the Leadership Development Program program made him depend completely on God. Every person on our staff who knows Alvaro mentions his relationship with God as one of his greatest characteristics.

Alvaro has also contributed in the Leadership Development Academy as a tutor for students who attend the program.

“Being asked to help with The Academy is the best memory I have from the Leadership Development Program. I was honored to be included in the selection process of the new students.”

Alvaro’s plan for the future is to start his own business in few years.

“The university gave me the tools that will help me achieve my goals.”

In the meantime, Alvaro will work to provide for his family and save money to start his business. He is interested in projects like recycling, exporting vegetables and food processing. He is an entrepreneur, thanks to his college education and to the Leadership Development Program.

All four students are beginning new journeys in their lives, which is why the Leadership Development specialists make sure graduation is an encouragement to them.

Higher education in Guatemala is different from higher education in other countries. The process of graduation begins when students finish all required courses. Completing course work can take five to six years. Once they have completed their courses, students are authorized to take a private exam or general test. If they pass that test, they can present their dissertation.

Next, an internship may be required, which could take an additional six to eight months. The students take a year and a half to three years to finally graduate after they have finished all their courses.

Dujardin, Florencio and Alvaro celebrated the Leadership Development Program graduation and are now working hard on  their university graduation. Jonathan has already obtained his theology degree.

Thanks to the support of the Leadership Development Program, these four students will be able to achieve their dreams of higher education very soon. And thanks to the Child Survival Program, Uwingeneye is no longer homeless and is able to provide a future for her children, one that may even include attending the Leadership Development Program someday.

Photos and content for this post were provided by Rosette Mutoni, Field Communications Specialist, Rwanda and Nadia Soberanis, Field Communications Specialist, Guatemala.

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Tomorrow, June 4, at 9 a.m. MDT, you can watch a live video feed of a Leadership Development Program graduation ceremony in Bolivia.

These are young people who grew up in poverty, were sponsored as little children and have overcome tremendous obstacles. They were enrolled in the Leadership Development Program, which enabled them to attend a university and receive intensive Christian leadership training.

Now they are graduating. And we thought you might like to watch.

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Last Wednesday’s chapel was a very special chapel at Compassion. Celebrate with us as Tony Beltran, Michelle Tolentino and Richmond Wandera, formerly sponsored children and graduates of our Leadership Development Program, become the first graduates of our scholarship program at Moody Bible Institute.

Their actual graduation is in May but Wednesday was the best time for us to give them a special tribute and send them off with our love and prayers.

We’ve also created a podcast of our chapel messages, which you can subscribe to via iTunes.

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For a young boy who had just moved to Addis Ababa, the lifestyle of the youth in the big city was very confusing yet tempting.

Sheleme was brought to the city by his eldest stepbrother for a better chance of education but was quickly lured into a life of gambling. Sheleme became one of the youth in the community who got what they wanted by fighting and threatening whomever got in their way.

His stepbrother got him enrolled in one of the best schools in the neighborhood, thinking that he would be influenced by the students there and realize that the lifestyle he was slowly being pulled into was not a good one.

However, concentrating on his education became very difficult as Sheleme’s name was constantly on top of the school’s black list. He got into daily conflicts with teachers and students because of his rebellious attitude, and this further aggravated his lack of interest in his education.

“I needed acceptance from my teachers and my friends at school. The way I interacted with them and my behavior at that time made it impossible for anyone to accept me. Deep down I felt like nobody wanted me there. So I was very angry and rebellious, which put pressure on the way I feel about my education.”

It was during the time when Sheleme was confused and the bad habits were taking control of his life that Mrs. Zewde, his stepbrother’s landlord (who later became the director for Nefase Silk Mekane Yesus Church Student Center), took him to the nearby church to get him registered in Compassion. She knew the program would provide for the young boy and be a good influence on him.

For 9-year-old Sheleme, the church environment was a totally new experience that he slowly came to enjoy as the center staff paid attention to him and encouraged him.

“Even when I joined Compassion, I never let my guard down and fought with every one whom I thought was against anything I said or did. But gradually, I was won by the concern of the center staff. Of course, there were many times I was given a warning for not attending and for fighting, but they still cared about me and that was all I wanted.”

Even though the change in his behavior was gradual, Sheleme started to mix well with others. The faith the staff and his sponsor had in him concerning his academic performance triggered a desire to do well in school.

“I always got the lowest grade from my class, but still wanted to get the reward the center prepared for outstanding students. Even when I ranked 74th, my sponsor used to write me that it was good. When I passed to grade 8, I made a decision to prove that I can indeed do well in school.”

He scored well on his 8th grade national exam and became one of the top-ranking students in his class. However, even though he was making progress academically, Sheleme was finding it hard to separate himself from his neighborhood friends and from the habits he had practiced for a long time. As a result, his attendance at the center lessened day by day.

To entice students like Sheleme to spend more time at the center, the staff provided table tennis so that children would want to spend more time there playing with their peers. Sheleme started to spend a considerable amount of time at the center.

“Initially, I came to the center to learn how to play table tennis so that I can make some money out of it. But later, as I’d spend almost the whole day at the center, the singing and the word of God I heard at the church made me want to attend the programs.”

Yet as he was straightening out his life, a conflict arose at home that led him to move out of the house and start living on his own. With the support of Mrs. Zewde, Sheleme easily adapted to his new lifestyle and continued to progress academically and spiritually.

“The counsel I got from Zewde, who is like a mother to me, is what helped me be who I am today. She helped me see that if I work hard today I would be a great person tomorrow and achieve my dreams. She used every opportunity to keep me away from my friends who were bad influences on me and give me advice on life. She instilled in me the desire to pursue my education and told me to never lose sight of my purpose.”

Supported by the center staff and energized by the encouraging words of his sponsor, Sheleme became a model student both academically and spiritually at the center. Although Sheleme was not able to score the passing grade for preparatory education, he graduated with honor from Selam Technical College in General Mechanics and continued studying for his first degree in Mechanical Engineering.

“Of course, I was a little disappointed for not scoring a good grade at the 10th grade national exam, but God planned something else for me. After graduating with honor in General Mechanics, I was truly surprised to be accepted at the university to do my first degree in Mechanical Engineering. It was all God.”

Sheleme received a scholarship from the university when he was a second year student. While studying at university, he continued to be active at his church, leading the youth choir and participating in different activities at the center until the time when he decided to leave.

Sheleme is currently employed in an organization that specializes in importing spare parts for heavy machinery.

Sheleme finished his first degree in 2000, but he didn’t stop there. With many visions for the future, Sheleme continues to study for another degree that he believes will help him accomplish the desire God put in his heart to be a Christian leader who will bring change to his church, community and nation.

“I was happy to graduate but I still didn’t feel content. The lack of good governance and shortage of Christian leaders in the country always prompts me to do something about it. Therefore, I decided to first equip myself and study Leadership and Development. I believe that if my country finds a great Christian leader, we would become a great nation.”

In addition to striving to be a great leader, Sheleme is involved in organizing other Compassion program graduates from all over the country who have a vision to give back to children in need.

“My vision is to help children get an education and give them a chance to change their life and achieve their dreams. There are currently 12 of us and we have started providing for one child whose parents were unable to send him to school. We provide school materials and pay his school fees. For next year, we plan to help more children get education.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for the persistent follow-up of the center staff, especially Zewde. My sponsor has also played a great role in building my confidence to try harder academically. Compassion has been a means for me to realize the purpose God ordained for me. I feel like I am just beginning to live and there is a lot I have to do and contribute.

“God willing, my ultimate goal is to be a Christian leader that will influence so many for the betterment of my country. Until that time comes, I will continue giving back and helping the children that are facing the same challenges I faced years ago.”

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The kids obviously take the graduation ceremony very seriously. (Or maybe they’re simply concentrating on holding such a large diploma.)

I distinctly remember my first graduation ceremony … 6th grade. I marched across the stage to get my diploma and then gathered with my class on three tiers of bleachers and sang “Country Roads” by John Denver. Even after 21 years I still remember every word to that song. I wonder what these CSP graduates will remember about their graduation.

How about you? What do you remember about your first graduation? Anything interesting?

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The area of Tulancingo holds great history from the ancient Toltec and Otomi cultures. Although the inhabitants are mostly dedicated to farming and agriculture, a few other industries are also in the community. Their major products are dairy, meat, maize, barley and vegetables.

Tulancingo is the community where Proyecto Hormiga has worked with the support of Compassion México for more than 10 years now. They serve nearly 170 children from the community and have raised many children in their classrooms.

Most of the children here come from families with single moms or with parents who work either on the farm, as masons or in the nearby fields. The salaries are too small and the money earned to support the families is not enough.

The Compassion program has been a real blessing in the lives of these children; for most of them it means the opportunity to study beyond elementary school.

In the last year the student center graduated 15 teenagers in two different ceremonies where all families, children and staff recognized the success of these youngsters who have been considered “the pride of the program.”

We interviewed and visited some of them in their new activities. Most are studying for a high school education with a vocational orientation to graduate with a technician degree in the different areas of study they have chosen. Some others are in high school or even at the state university.

These youngsters prove the Compassion development model through sponsorship and the church works here!

Zeydi is one of the most outstanding graduates from the program. She is 18 years old and got into the technological institute from Pachuca, the capital city of the state of Hidalgo. The school she chose is one of the best in the state. Many students apply there but only a fraction get selected.

Zeydi is studying civil engineering. She has already faced challenges with her teachers and professors who do not follow the values she has learned, and she is committed to her studies.

She dreams about building great bridges, tunnels and other great construction projects for the city, state or even for the country, but she knows it will not be easy for her. She is very much interested in physics and mechanics.

Zeydi had to move to a rented place she shares with her cousin and a friend to be able to attend school. The school is actually far from her home and she needed to relocate.

Maria, best known as Lupita, is 17 and is already in her second year of high school in nursing studies. She always dreamed of being a nurse.

She dreams about getting a good job in obstetrics helping mothers deliver or taking care of newborns because she thinks babies are the most wonderful creations.

Her favorite class has been studying all about pregnancy because she is fascinated by it.

“I love seeing babies and learning about their growth in the womb,” she says.

Lupita lives with three older siblings, two sisters and a male brother who works as a mason, and her mother who was left single some years ago.

Keny is 18 and is not in school but is saving all she can to get into school next year. She and her mother were abandoned by her father when she was a little girl. Now they sell homemade tamales to live on and to start saving for her future education.

She would like to become a physical education teacher because she once had severe health problems that were overcome with lots of exercise and by keeping a strict diet. Then she decided to do something to share what she now knows to help others.

Denisse is currently 17 and in high school. She likes to practice tae kwon do and she likes science. She enjoys biology, math and chemistry classes the best, and dreams about opening a cosmetology shop.

When not at school, Denisse can be found practicing tae kwon do or at the Internet café talking online with friends.

She lives with her mom and dad and has an older brother who had to leave the family to find a better life opportunity.

Omar is 17 years old now and works with his older brother as a mason. He wants to study electricity to get a better job. School starts next December.

As a younger student in junior high, he always enjoyed the electricity workshop, and ever since he decided that was going to be his path.

Omar lives with his family — his father, mother and two other siblings — an older brother and a younger sister who attends the student center.

he used to think about not attending school any further than elementary school, but his teachers and leaders at the student center challenged him to finish high school, and he did.

“If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be the same I am now. I know for sure I would have dropped school.”

Jorge is 18 and very happy because he just got his registration for college to study a career in administration and entrepreneurship. He wants to start a small business. His favorite class is math, and he also likes to play sports, especially football.

He lives with his parents and six siblings. His father is a mason and his mother runs the home.

“If it wasn’t for the student center program I could not get to be what I am or what I aspire to be,” he says.

Once, in high school, he was about to quit because he did not have enough money to pay for his studies. The student center provided the resources to cover his education fees.

Before attending the student center, Jorge used to spend entire days on video games. He only needed two pesos to start his game and would not end it until the shop closed.

“Many times I had to sneak home at night, I did not go to school or eat because I spent all many days there,” he say. “But the pastor would make me come to church and would make me come to the program. But now I graduated and I am proud of it.”

Esmeralda is 19 and starting her university studies in agro-industrial engineering. She is studying at the state university and dreams about starting a dairy business to sell yogurt and cheese internationally.

From school she specially enjoys chemistry because she likes the formulas and the reactions the elements make together. Besides school, she likes to read, listen to music and get together with all her friends.

Enedina is a 17-year-old girl who aspires to become a nurse. She is studying in her third semester, and although she still has a long way to go in terms of her studies, she has found the support of an older cousin who is already a nurse and has committed herself to helping her complete her studies.

Her dream is to become a forensic investigator nurse, and she loves the computer classes. Her siblings are all older than her, and her mother is currently working as a cook at a small restaurant.

Elizabeth is a 17-year-old who studies at the vocational high school. She just started a couple of weeks ago, but she dreams of becoming a professional nurse just as her former sponsor from Canada is.

Elizabeth dreams of working at the pediatric hospital in Tulancingo, which treats children from all the surrounding communities.

During the time she was registered at the student center, she was very happy to hear about the work her sponsor did as a nurse and that inspired her to pursue this career.

She got into a high school that offers vocational training on nursing, and although she has to travel 40 minutes by public transportation every afternoon to school, she won’t waste this opportunity.

Her father works as a mason and is highly committed to work hard and make enough for her to go to school and to pay for her school materials.

As a hobby, she enjoys playing with her younger brother and caring for him. She is part of the youth group at church and enjoys talking to her friends. Her favorite class is reading.

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