Valerie’s First Christmas
I was about 3 years old in my earliest Christmas memory. I had chickenpox, and because I was quarantined, my stepfather dressed as Santa to cheer me up. I don’t remember the gifts I got that year, but I remember feeling so special that Santa had made a house call to visit me. That memory surfaced recently when I read the story of Valerie, a little girl in Togo. Valerie’s first Christmas memory happened last year — because it was the first time she ever celebrated Christmas.
Continue Reading ›Ebola Outbreak in Africa: Our Response
With the recent outbreak of Ebola in West African countries, many sponsors have been asking if their children are safe. No Compassion children or staff have been directly affected. Still, we are taking precautionary measures to protect our children and staff should the outbreak spread into the countries where we work.
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Spiritual Development of Children in Poverty
One of the objectives of our Child Sponsorship Program is to help children become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults. To do this, our holistic development strategy includes four domains: physical, socio-emotional, cognitive and spiritual.
Safe Water Means Better Health
In Togo, national statistics indicate that 39 percent of the population do not have access to an improved drinking water source. A quarter of the Togolese population do not have, within a 30 minute walk, a source of drinking water.
No More Fear
When Eyram did not take all of her medication, she had seizures. She lived in total fear.
A New Home for Emile
Emile faces great challenges in life. He lives in a hut, in the heart of the bush, far from the nearest village. His room has palm branch walls and a straw roof, which leaks during rainy season.
What Happens When a Child Isn’t Sponsored?
When someone stops sponsoring a child, the Unsponsored Children’s fund fills the gap so that children can continue to receive support until a new sponsor is found. For 9-year-old Happy, this fund helped save her life.
Epilepsy Is Not a Curse From the Gods
Gertrude* has epilepsy. Her family initially rejoiced when she was born, but that soon changed. Three months after her birth, Gertrude started having epileptic seizures.
When her family realized her condition, they abandoned her and her mother because in their village, epilepsy is considered a curse.
In Adaboukope, Togo, where they live, nearly 80 percent of the population is animist.
They love Voodoo statues made with their own hands. When people there are overwhelmed, they resort to these gods.
Many times, Gertrude’s grandmother brought her to the sanctuary of these gods for ceremonies, yet she was not healed. Her grandmother almost gave up.
When the Assemblies of God Church Adaboukope opened, Gertrude was one of the first children to join the center.
A few months after registration, Gertrude began treatment for the epilepsy, and gradually her seizures have reduced.
Her family members started visiting her and no longer consider her a curse. She spends time with her family without being rejected.
Gertrude is overjoyed at starting school this year.
Voodoo is a major part of Togo’s culture. The Akodessewa Fetish Market is world’s largest fetish market and can be found in Lome, the capital of Togo.
You can also view The World’s Largest Voodoo Market on YouTube.
*Not her real name.
A Different Kind of Compassion Sunday
This Compassion Sunday in Togo is a very different kind of Compassion Sunday than we are used to in the United States.
Love Changes a Life
When Pierre’s sponsor came to visit him for the second time, he immediately noticed a difference in his sponsored child.
Why I Do Something Good
Life went from very easy to incredibly hard for I Won’t Watch founder E. J. Swanson. He has known what it’s like to live with and to live without.
Sponsor Letters: Gifts From the Heart
For children in Togo and around the world, a letter from a sponsor is a source of great joy. Most children see letters as gifts from the hearts of their sponsors.
