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

Lawrence, who once was so shy he was considered a “cry baby,” now bursts with confidence at Makerere University Business School in Uganda.

The first day he went to the university, with support from our Leadership Development Program, he could not believe it. He marveled at the expanse of the campus, gaped at the beautiful buildings and thanked God for this opportunity of a lifetime. He was determined to achieve his dreams — among them a passion for leadership.

Lawrence had grown up a very shy boy. In fact, many times he was a victim of false accusations but he never defended himself. He simply cried. He grew up with his parents and three brothers. They struggled through life. His father, a fisherman and sole earner in the home, contracted cancer and painfully passed away when Lawrence was 10.

Life was tough. Lawrence’s mother did not have a job but depended on peasant farming. The family had little food. They skipped breakfast, had a cup of porridge for lunch, and usually ate posho (mingled maize flour) with avocado or greens for supper. On a good day they would eat beans and posho.

This was their routine. The boys grew thinner each day and often fell sick.

“Whenever we fell sick, Mum bathed us with herbs and told us to sleep and cover ourselves till we were warm. She could not afford medication.”

When Lawrence joined the Lugazi Child Development Center, it was a great relief for his family. The first thing he did was seek treatment for a terrible toothache that had bothered him for more than seven months because of lack of medication.

He received lots of love at the child development center and anticipated going back every Saturday.

At the center, children were given milk, eggs, bread and bananas for breakfast. At lunch they received rice and meat or matooke (plantain), beans and peas. Sometimes they enjoyed sodas. It was like he was experiencing a whole new life.

“Our director, staff and volunteers at the center loved me very much. The director treated me like his own child.

When I was in primary grade 2, they taught us about Jesus and the things He did when He was our age. I liked Jesus very much and I gave my life to Him.”

With support and love from our staff, Lawrence discovered his God-given potential and self worth. Little by little he gained confidence in himself and stopped being so shy. He joined the school choir and always stood in front.

Lawrence also learned at an early age to take on leadership positions and to always act with integrity. Later, when he joined the university, he believed he was the leader the students needed. Today he perceives himself as a leader of integrity who adds value to his followers.

In his first year at the university Lawrence became the representative for Baganda Nkobaza Mbogo Student Association. In his second year he was elected as the speaker; now in his third year he is the chairman and leads more than 500 students in the association.

The Baganda Nkobaza Mbogo Student Association is a national association aimed at preserving the culture of the Baganda, a people group living in central Uganda.

It is not an easy thing to balance culture and the teachings of Jesus Christ. And not many people understood how Lawrence could say he was chairman of this association and yet confess Christ as his Lord and Savior.

“I believe that as Christians we should take up all positions. Perhaps if someone who is deeply rooted in the culture was chairman, many evil practices would be encouraged. But I bring change and I can influence fellow students. They see my walk in Christ and I believe I influence them a lot.”

Lawrence is also the chairperson for the Family of Christ Ministry, where he leads 53 students. On top of that, he leads the Leadership Development Program fellowship at his university and is the treasurer of the gents ministry called Men of the Original Image.

He is grateful to all of his sponsors and to his church because, without this support, it would have been hard for him to make it in life. Lawrence is excited at what God is doing and once he is out of university he hopes to start his own businesses in coffee and dairy.

He also aspires to join national politics. His initial target is the seat for Member of Parliament for his home area, Buikwe West, in 2016.

Lawrence is grateful to Compassion and to his church for loving him.

“I have seen Compassion International struggle to see that I reach where I am today. They have given me so much support and so many things. From the time I joined the ministry, I felt like there was an invisible hand holding me up. I was so happy!

I am in the Leadership Development Program and I feel you are really investing in me. You want me to be the best leader, the best future parent, and an honest and compassionate person.

The Leadership Development Program has shaped me well and I am very grateful. Now I feel ready to face the world and contribute to it.”

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

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

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.

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

We began our ministry in India in 1997 with the Child Sponsorship Program. In 2003, we started the Child Survival Program, and the Leadership Development Program followed in 2004.

Country Director

Paul Asveen joined our ministry as Country Director in 2010. Paul came to us with 22 years of combined experience from both the corporate and ministry worlds. For 16 years Paul worked in the banking industry with Citibank – 10 years in India and 6 years in Indonesia. In 2003, Paul decided to devote his energy fully to Christian ministry.

After six years of serving in ministry in Singapore, Paul and his family felt the call to return to India. Paul joined the Christian Institute of Management as their Executive Director in January 2009, a position he held until joining our ministry.

Paul holds a bachelor’s of commerce degree from Loyola College Chennai, a master’s of business administration degree from the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, and a master’s of divinity degree from Trinity Theological College in Singapore.

Implementing Church Partners

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

• Spiritual Climate
  Ninety-three percent of the population is Hindu, and India is often called “Hindustan,” meaning the “land of the Hindus.” The Christian church fights for basic rights and struggles against Hindu religious extremist groups. While Christians in most areas in India face only occasional persecution, there are scattered areas that face adverse persecution.

  However, this has only resulted in growth and unification for the church. The church has grown in number every year as a result of ministry programs.

  We have faced charges of trying to convert people to Christianity, but we have handled these charges with sensitivity and caution thus far. It is likely we will continue to face such charges.

  It is challenging to mentor the beneficiaries who become Christians because they are unable to boldly profess their faith for fear of being thrown out of their homes and punished by the local community. They lose all benefits provided by the government once they become Christians.

  For example, the government provides subsidies for education and employment for those living in poverty and those from lower castes. However, these subsidies will not be provided if a person becomes a Christian.

  The church also struggles to compete in providing services due to the lack of funds. There are new commercial institutions that are providing services, not necessarily from a heart of service, but in order to gain profit and good standing in the community, and many are choosing to seek services at these institutions rather than from the church.



• Unique Challenges
  One challenge unique to our Implementing Church Partners in India is how to make the program relevant to an area that is very large geographically and highly varied culturally. Each Implementing Church Partner is unique, and it is difficult to generalize the program enough so that it fits all Implementing Church Partner’s needs.

  Generally, our church partners can be classified as urban, semi-urban, rural and tribal and each has its own challenges and opportunities.

  Another challenge is retaining qualified staff with the resources provided.

• Contributions
  Implementing Church Partners provide the facilities used for the program, ongoing maintenance and recurring expenses for the facilities as well as spiritual materials and other resources.
• Partner Development Activities
  We develop partners in the following ways:
  • Partner consultations: We encourage the sharing of best practices and learning experiences among Implementing Church Partners and with the field office.
  • Compassion Partners Conference: We hold an event to challenge the churches to address current issues that the children face.
  • Bi-annual meeting: The leadership of the ministry in India meet for a minimum of one hour with each Child Development Center Director to provide guidance in handling local issues and to keep the Implementing Church Partner informed about progress and/or expected changes.
  • Regular Partnership Facilitator visits with the church leadership.
  • Vision casting exercises: These are done with the church leaders and pastors to help them develop growth plans.

Child Survival Program

• Caregiver Literacy
  Literacy classes are held monthly during the cognitive development portion of the program. We also offer need-based literacy training because literacy rates vary greatly between caregivers. The caregivers learn the alphabet, how to write their name, and how to deal in the local currency proficiently.
• Income-Generating Skills
  Income-generating skills, such as tailoring, weaving, basket making, juice making and goat rearing, are offered either weekly or bi-monthly depending on the caregivers’ needs and the availability of the trainers.

  Some development centers have utilized Complementary Interventions to supply machinery and tools for the training.



• Health Care
  The Child Survival Program assists every caregiver in accessing and receiving health care. This includes an annual checkup performed by a medical doctor for all caregivers and children, financial assistance for major medical treatment if needed, regular growth monitoring of the children done by Child Survival Program staff, maintenance of an immunization chart for every child, and monthly health awareness programs on topics such as the prevention of waterborne diseases and good hygiene practices.

  Caregivers and children receive medical care and immunizations at the local government hospitals and primary health centers, and the Child Survival Program staff follows up to ensure they are utilizing these health services.

• Nutritional Support
  Caregivers and children are provided with nutritional supplements during all regular meetings at the Child Survival Program. They also receive training on healthy eating and the use of inexpensive healthy fruits and vegetables. Additionally, we encourage kitchen gardens to improve their nutritional intake at home.



• Involvement of Fathers
  A variety of activities are offered for fathers to encourage their participation in the Child Survival Program including special meetings to discuss the role of fathers in the family, awareness programs on alcohol and substance abuse, family retreats that focus on family dynamics and healthy relationships, and counseling, if needed, during the regular home visits.
• Transitioning Out of the Child Survival Program
  When a child reaches the age of transition from the Child Survival Program to the Child Sponsorship Program, Child Survival staff meet with the parents to inform them of the criteria and guidelines of the Child Sponsorship Program.

  Mothers are asked to attend the monthly parents’ meetings for the Child Sponsorship Program, and once the child is registered into the program, the Implementing Church Partner staff conduct regular home visits to inform the mothers of their child’s progress.

• Areas of Expansion the Child Survival Program
  We plan to expand into northern and southern India based on infant mortality rates.

Child Sponsorship Program

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

The schools and Implementing Church Partners are in close proximity to each other, so children are able to spend a good amount of time at the child development center. They enjoy coming to the child development center because their needs are met there.

• Meeting Times:
• 3 to 5 year olds: 3 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 6 to 8 year olds: 3 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 9 to 11 year olds: 3 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 12 to 14 year olds: 3 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 15 to 18 year olds: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 19 +: 6 hours on Saturday and public holidays



• Nutritional Support
  Most child development centers provide one nutritional meal per day to the children. A typical meal consists of locally available grains, cereal, vegetables and eggs; meat and fruit are sometimes provided once or twice a week.

  We provide meals because many children only receive one or two meals a day at home, and those meals are often not nutritious. We also provide special food for children who are malnourished.



• Vaccinations
  The Indian government provides certain vaccinations to all children free of charge, and if there are other vaccinations that are needed, our ministry covers the cost. The Implementing Church Partners have good relationships with the medical staff in their communities, so they are sometimes able to negotiate with the local hospitals to receive the needed vaccinations at a discounted price.
• Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
  Children participate in sports, camps and outreach programs. Some children are given the opportunity to visit nursing homes where they spend time with elderly people.
• Vocational Activities
  The child development centers network with other organizations to offer vocational training. Students who excel in academics are encouraged to pursue higher education. Some Implementing Church Partners conduct a “multiple intelligence” test to prepare the students to make decisions about their future.

  All adolescent children receive some type of vocational training in addition to life skills and English education. Vocational skills offered include carpentry, welding, electronics repair, mechanics, driving, plumbing and electrical work.

• Child Sponsorship Program Alumni Activities
  Some Child Sponsorship Program alumni volunteer at their former child development centers, encouraging the registered children through their own testimonies. Some even sponsor beneficiary siblings, meaning they support siblings of sponsored children at the child development center. They also participate in outreach and evangelism together.
• Parent Involvement
  Parent meetings are held on a monthly basis and cover topics such as parenting, social issues and the importance of education.

  Most Implementing Church Partners also have self-help groups, which are small groups of parents organized for various activities such as income-generating projects.



• Areas of Expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
  We plan to expand into the north, tribal belts, city slums and areas with high numbers of highly vulnerable children. Much of the development in India is focused on the south, and tribal areas are the last to be considered. Development is also focused on urban areas, resulting in over-population and poor conditions in the city slums.

Leadership Development Program

• Universities Attended
  Most students attend government universities, but a few attend private Christian universities.
• Location of Universities
  Universities are spread throughout the country.
• Working Students
  Students do not work while attending university.
• Service Opportunities
  Students have the opportunity to join a national organization that has branches on all college campuses, encouraging them to participate in community service activities.

  They also join service clubs at their university; some students, such as nursing students, are required to do some type of service in their field of study.



• Leadership Development Program Meetings
  The larger Leadership Development Program group meets twice a year to cover curriculum. They also meet every summer to participate in a six-day work camp where they attend special training sessions focused on spiritual outcomes and other country-specific topics. The students hold a two-day outreach campaign as well.
• Specialty Curriculum Topics or Resources
  We cover abstinence, sex and sexuality, friendship, courtship, dating and marriage. We also bring in qualified people to discuss health issues, such as HIV/AIDS.
• Mentors
  We network with program alumni, existing mentors and Implementing Church Partners to assist students in finding mentors.
• Career Placement Assistance
  We work with prominent Christians who are in human resources positions as well as placement agencies to train the students on job placement skills. This helps guide the students and inform them of any job openings.
• Leadership Development Program Alumni Group
  The alumni group meets at least once a year to revisit their mission and vision. The group is divided into chapters by region since they are spread throughout the country.

  Each chapter participates in advocacy activities at the child development centers, mentoring and encouraging children at the centers by sharing their own success stories. The alumni also participate in Leadership Development Program care groups, engaging with the current Leadership Development Program students and, in some cases, serving as mentors.

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.

Complementary Interventions in India include:

• Livelihood opportunities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, skills training
• Access to clean, potable drinking water within 1⁄2 kilometer from the child’s home
• Sanitation, including proper sewage and drainage, disinfecting the environment weekly, segregation of animals, networking with local health organizations in the area of sanitation and community involvement
• Malaria awareness training and mosquito net distribution
• Disaster relief including food supplies, clothing, shelter, tarpaulin sheets, clean drinking water and medicines

Highly Vulnerable Children

The primary Highly Vulnerable Children needs are orphans and semi-orphaned children who are affected by HIV. Our strategy to meet these needs is to focus on home-based care and only consider replacement care in extreme circumstances, to provide for housing needs on a case-by-case basis for child-headed households, and to provide vocational training for beneficiaries to increase their ability to become employed.

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

Meet Arun. Arun grew up in the slums of Bangalore, India, packed in a little one-room house with his father, mother, brother and sister.

Arun woke up each morning not knowing whether there would food for the day. The effects of poverty were very real in his life.

Arun’s father, Chellakannan, worked as an auto driver and struggled to provide food for the family. Stretching the budget to meet their daily needs seemed hard enough, let alone educating the children!

The family was forced to survive on less than Rs. 2,500 per month (U.S.$50). Adding to the struggles, Arun’s father was an alcoholic. He seldom gave money to provide for the family needs. Oftentimes, he didn’t go to work. This resulted in frequent quarrels between Arun’s parents, destroying the family’s peace.

To make ends meet, Arun’s mother, Pushpalatha, sold old newspapers in exchange for a plate of food. She went without her own meals to feed her children, but at times all of them went to bed with hungry stomachs.

It was at this time that Arun was fortunate enough to be registered at one of our child development centers. Arun tells us,

“Initially I attended the development center just for a plate of food, hunger was so fierce.”

Arun’s future seemed gloomy. Despite scoring 82 percent in 12th grade, his parents’ income was barely sufficient to provide for their daily needs, let alone his education.

However, to his astonishment, Arun was selected for the Leadership Development Program. He was assured of attending university and earning his bachelor’s degree in business management. His entire fees were taken care by our Leadership Development Program.

Arun completed his degree and was named the best student of Baldwin Methodist College. Today, Arun is working at a reputable company while simultaneously pursuing a post-graduate certificate in management.

The Leadership Development Program taught Arun a great number of things. He learned about time management, Christian discipline and social awareness. Most importantly, Arun learned how a Christian must respond to contemporary issues…issues like corruption.

Speaking Out Against Corruption

Corruption is an issue that is at the forefront of India’s national poverty concerns. In some places in India, people are forced to bribe officers in the government office to get a death certificate. Among politicians, corruption is an everyday phenomenon.

Arun has given several speeches regarding corruption, and his thoughts on this issue are inspiring. He challenges others to stand up against corruption and make a difference in India.

“Many of us complain and blame corruption as a reason for poverty in India. But I want to ask a question – who is actually responsible for this?

“We simply cannot keep blaming others all through our life. We need to change ourselves. Stop bribing so that people will stop taking bribes. These days, many people doubt that you can succeed in life if you do not give bribes. But you can be the change you want in this world.”

As Christians, Arun believes that we need to witness Jesus through our lives. He reflects on his thoughts on curbing corruption and proclaims,

“Let my life speak and not just with words!”

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

We began our ministry in East India in 2002 with the Child Sponsorship Program. In 2006, the Child Survival Program began, and the Leadership Development Program followed in 2009.

In just eight years of ministry, we have had a great impact on impoverished urban areas and poverty belts in East India. We have also networked with other agencies to bring together resources and raised awareness about child issues in the local churches.

Country Director

D.G. Jebaraj joined us as the East India Country Director in 2004. Before coming to the ministry, Jebaraj worked in various positions at World Vision for 13 years.

His last position there was as National Tuberculosis Coordinator.

Jebaraj holds a bachelo’rs degree in English and a master’s degree in social work from Madras Christian College and a master’s of philosophy from Annamalai University.

He is currently pursuing research on the effect of sibling rivalry in sponsorship programs toward community transformation. This research is being done through the Oxford Center for Mission Studies under the University of Wales.

Implementing Church Partners

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

• Spiritual Climate
  East India is dominated by Hindus and Muslims. Throughout history Christians have been persecuted in India. In spite of this, Christian mission work continues to be carried out by committed missionaries. There are laws that exist that were created to provide support to minorities, but churches in India do not get adequate support from them.
• Unique Challenges
  There are many challenges we face in East India including anti-Christian movements, civic unrest, lack of qualified and committed staff, poor infrastructure, health issues, natural disasters, and Naxalism (a Maoist Communist group that has been categorized as a terrorist organization).

  Naxalism is an antisocial movement that is well-established throughout Eastern India. The government is constantly working to try to curb these rebels and bring peace and security. Naxalism creates terror among people and inflicts injuries, death and damage to public property.

  To ensure the safety and security of our children and to ensure visitors are not threatened, we must conduct our activities sensitively. The Naxalites do not harm our child development centers; however, due to disturbances they cause in the region where our centers are located, we occasionally have to put activities on hold for a day or two.

  Natural disasters such as flash floods, drought and hail storms are also a challenge. These disasters put our development efforts at risk as well as make our children and their families extremely vulnerable to migration, displacement and loss of livelihood, assets, and even their lives.

  We experience high numbers of departures due to natural disasters, which poses a challenge to achieving our outcomes as well as to the quality of the program implemented by our partners.



• Contributions
  Implementing Church Partners provide the infrastructure for the child development centers. They also take care of most of the spiritual development activities which are led by church volunteers. Some Implementing Church Partners provide curriculum modules as well.
• Partner Development Activities
  We develop partners through training, focused capacity building, timely support, and conferences designed to equip them with the knowledge needed for holistic child development, child advocacy and other child-related issues. Partnership Facilitators visit child development centers to analyze and better understand unique challenges.

Child Survival Program

• Caregiver Literacy
  We use material from the government-sponsored National Adult Literacy Program to teach mothers in our Child Survival Program. This program includes vernacular language learning, small stories and simple mathematics.

  Literacy classes are held weekly in most Child Survival Programs, but in others they are held twice a week. The Implementing Church Partners receive training from non-governmental organizations such as Child in Need India.



• Income-Generating Skills
  Two to three times per week we teach skills such as tailoring, embroidery, craft items, food processing, candle making and soap making.
• Health Care
  We connect mothers to the local primary health center to ensure they receive prenatal care, health screening, immunizations and delivery assistance.

  If there is no primary health center in the vicinity, the ministry pays for monthly checkups for pregnant mothers and children as well as costs for labor and delivery. We work to raise awareness of health issues such as hygiene, immunizations, nutrition, common illnesses, disease prevention, family planning, and HIV and AIDS. We also provide hygiene items.

• Nutritional Support
  Child Survival Program beneficiaries are provided with a nutritious meal during every visit. Dry food is provided at home. They also receive regular teaching on nutrition.
• Involvement of Fathers
  Fathers are expected to attend the parents’ meetings, which are held either bimonthly or quarterly. They are also expected to be at home during the home visit with the Child Survival Program Implementer.

Sometimes special programs such as a couple’s get-together or a family day are organized. Fathers are also encouraged to attend Christmas programs and graduation.



• Transitioning Out of the Child Survival Program
  Because of quota limitations, not every child in the Child Survival Program will be transitioned into the Child Sponsorship Program.

  Mothers are informed about this beforehand and no assurance is given that their children will be immediately transitioned into the Child Sponsorship Program upon graduation from Child Survival Program.

• Areas of Expansion for the Child Survival Program
  We will open additional Child Survival Programs in Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.

  Due to high rates of illiteracy in these areas, the general population has extremely low awareness of proper prenatal and postnatal care.

Child Development Through Sponsorship

Your sponsorship of a child in East India provides a variety of benefits.

Children come to the child development centers either before or after school depending on their school schedules. Saturdays are set aside for service opportunities as well as clubs such as prayer, music and dance.

• Meeting Times:
• 3 to 5 year olds: 2 hours a day, from Monday through Friday, and 4 to 6 hours on Saturday
• 6 to 8 year olds: 2 hours a day, from Monday through Friday, and 4 to 6 hours on Saturday
• 9 to 11 year olds: 2 hours a day, from Monday through Friday, and 4 to 6 hours on Saturday
• 12 to 14 year olds: 2 hours a day, from Monday through Friday, 4 to 6 hours on Saturday, and 2 additional hours for special tutoring
• 15 to 18 year olds: 2 hours a day, from Monday through Friday, 4 to 6 hours on Saturday, and 2 additional hours for special coaching
• 19 +: 4 to 6 hours a week, the days and/or times vary depending on the students’ schedules, and 4 to 6 hours on Saturday
• Nutritional Support
  Each child receives one nutritious meal every day. The menu usually consists of rice, beans and vegetables. Eggs and meat are provided once a week.

  We hope to counter the children’s nutritional deficiencies by providing this food.



• Vaccinations
  Medical checkups are conducted twice a year by medical professionals at the child development centers. Vaccines are administered at the centers when needed. If a child has an emergency medical situation, he or she is sent to a nearby public health center.

  Hepatitis vaccinations are given in the areas that have the highest incidence of hepatitis.

• Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
  Children are given several opportunities for extracurricular activities and community service, the most common being dance, music, art, sports tournaments, and cleaning at the development center and in their villages. We also conduct awareness programs on malaria, alcoholism and adult literacy.
• Vocational Activities
  Vocational training programs are selected based on each child’s interests and capacity to learn. The intention of vocational training is not to undermine the value of formal education, but to help those children who are not doing well in formal education. This training helps these youth earn an income for their families.

  Activities such as soft toy making, quilting and embroidery are offered at the development center. Certified courses such as computer training, motor vehicle repair and electrician training are offered at nearby recognized institutes.

• Child Sponsorship Program Alumni Activities
  The Alumni Association meets twice a year to focus on spiritual development and to reconnect the students with one another.
• Parent Involvement
  Parent meetings are held either monthly or bimonthly depending on the center. We have programs on subjects such as child rearing, alcoholism, HIV and AIDS, malaria, adult literacy and income generation.

  Because many parents are day laborers, we schedule these meetings according to their availability.



• Areas of expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
  We plan to expand into northeast India, because this is a needy area, there are potential church partners, and the region fits our strategic growth plan.

Leadership Development Program

• Universities Attended
  Leadership Development Program students attend government, private or Christian universities.
• Location of Universities
  The universities are located mostly in the state capitals.
• Service Opportunities
  The students are given many opportunities to participate in community service activities. They can participate in awareness programs, blood donation drives, university functions, church activities and university business fairs. They are also given the opportunity to visit nursing homes, teach children at their child development centers, help clean up the centers and teach children who live in the slums.
• Leadership Development Program Meetings
  The larger Leadership Development Program group meets for training programs, summer camps and Christmas programs.

  They cover their program curriculum, have individual health screenings, participate in cultural programs and morning exercise, have sharing and worship times and complete their program requirements such as My Plan for Tomorrow.



• Mentors
  It is the responsibility of the students to find mentors; however, if they are having difficulty, then the Leadership Development Program Specialist will help.

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.

Typical Complementary Interventions in East India include:

• Water
  Tube/bore wells provide drinking water for children. We also provide water storage tanks, rain water harvesting and water supply for toilets.
• Malaria Prevention
  We provide awareness training, insecticide-treated mosquito nets for Child Survival and Child Sponsorship children and their families.
• Disaster/Crisis Relief
  We provide assistance to churches who experience persecution in Orissa. We will also provide assistance in Aila-West Bengal floods, droughts and food crises.
• Solar Power
  Many of the child development centers in remote areas are using solar power provided by our ministry in collaboration with the West Bengal Renewable Development Agency.

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

In episode 17 of Missions in Action we meet former Leadership Development Program student, Blesslin. At 23-years-old, Blesslin has started her own company and plans to give back to her community as her business grows.

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

I love superheroes. Not sure why, but since I was a kid I’ve been enthralled by Superman, Spiderman, Batman and the like. I have a collection of old comic books, action figures (don’t call them dolls!) and other superhero related knick-knacks in my office and at home.

But as I’ve grown older, I’ve learned that not all heroes wear capes. Nor do they fly through the air, spin webs, leap tall buildings or race trains. Heroes look like you and me. And our super power isn’t some phenomenal feat of strength. It’s compassion.

It’s caring enough about our fellow human beings that we are willing to do whatever it takes to end suffering.

On Jan. 12, 2010, the earth violently shook in Haiti. It destroyed cities, claimed lives, and separated families. We watched the harrowing images on our televisions. We read about it in the newspapers and listened to the story unfold on radio programs.

And, like heroes, we responded.

Money. Prayers. Mission trips. Donated goods. We saw needs and met them.

Sometimes, heroes rise up from the rubble. Our staff in Haiti and volunteers spent tireless hours caring for and reaching out to victims — even as they, themselves, lost so much in the quake.

They tracked down sponsored children and their families. They provided shelter, clean water, medicines and food. Our church partners became safe havens for families whose homes were destroyed.

One of the heroes in Haiti is a former sponsored child. His name is Sony Fleurancier.

Sony was not only a sponsored child; he was also a Leadership Development Program student who received a degree in Civil Engineering. Now, he’s using those skills to help Compassion rebuild schools in Haiti. The quake wiped out much of the nation’s infrastructure, including its schools.

As you know, our program takes place in church-based schools. Without them, most of our sponsored children would not be able to receive an education at all. By the end of this year, we hope to have six new schools built, with a long-term plan to construct 30 schools in all.

And yes, because of Sony’s expertise and that of others, those buildings will be built to international seismic standards, providing safe facilities for children while meeting the needs of our church partners.

Sony is a hero. No cape. No flying. Just answering the call. Meeting the need. And while he’s not leaping tall buildings, he’s definitely helping us build stronger ones to keep our kids safe.

Here’s to the heroes who are helping rebuild a devastated country. Rebuilding an entire country. Now that does sound superhero-ish, doesn’t it?

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

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

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.

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