Meet Lisa, Named After Her Father’s Sponsor

A father holds his daughter, who is holding a photo of a woman

Though a popular name in the Western world, Lisa is an unusual name for an Ethiopian girl. But even before his wife became pregnant, 29-year-old Sintayehu had this name picked out!

“When my wife and I decided to have a child, I told her if it is a girl, we would name her Lisa, after my sponsor,” Sintayehu says.

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10 Talented Young Entrepreneurs Who Dreamed Beyond Poverty

The impact of sponsors’ generosity on children multiplies far beyond their childhood years. Compassion centers at local churches offer them safe spaces to discover and lessons on how to steward their God-given talents. Access to resources and exposure to various activities, coupled with vocational and financial training, allow children to dream big — beyond their circumstances.

Check out these incredible stories of talented young entrepreneurs!

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A young woman wearing a white chef's hat, white shirt and apron smiles at the camera, standing in a bakery.

This Baker Is Proving That You Can Rise Out of Poverty

Guatemala has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition the world. Many young people like Connie are forced to drop out of school to start helping feed their families. But something as simple as baking can change this story. Read how sponsorship and vocational training are bringing hope and opportunities to a small community in Guatemala!

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A group of 12 children sit on the ground in a line, smiling. They sit on concrete ground, in front of a corrugated metal sheet and wood wall.

How Does Compassion Prevent Child Departures?

When a sponsored child has to depart our program early, It can be heartbreaking for the Compassion center staff and sponsors who have invested so much love into their lives. Read how our church partners across Honduras are responding to the unique struggles the families they serve face in order to keep children in the program.

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Lucerito Has The Best Tools To Build furniture and Her Bright Future

She Has the Best Tools to Build Her Bright Future

In Lucerito’s community, professions like carpentry and making furniture were often considered to be only for men. Then, she grabbed a hammer and impressed everyone.

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3 Things Paving My Way to Be an Aviation Mechanic

3 Things Paving My Way to Be an Aviation Mechanic

I’m Gabriela and I’m 17 years old. I am currently studying for a technical high school degree in aviation mechanics. I never thought this could be possible. Where I’m from, becoming an aviation mechanic is known as a career for men instead of women, and technical courses aren’t normally affordable for families like mine.

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The Making of a Role Model

“I remember the day my mother brought me to my aunt’s house in Addis. She cried so much when she said goodbye and left. For a long time, I always believed she would come back for me. But she never did,” says Sameson. That was the day Sameson lost his mother.

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Entrepreneur Enock

The Making of an Entrepreneur

When a teenage entrepreneur is given the right opportunities to develop, his microenterprise changes the futures of both his family and his community.

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vocational training sales

The Value of Vocational Training

Enock always shares with his siblings that he is the one who will take over from his father as breadwinner. He says that he always feels uncomfortable when he sees his mom crying when there is nothing at home for them to eat.

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young woman holding handmade jewelry

How Can Jewelry Making Provide Hope and an Education?

While we want every child to attain the highest possible level of formal education, not all children are meant to be academicians. This is why our staff in Ghana expose children to extracurricular activities that often lead to income-generating ventures.

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young boy on a surfboard

How Is Creativity in Education Changing Young Lives?

For us, education is as diverse as our children. From Taekwondo to bead making to surfing, our children do more than sit at a desk.

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family standing outside home

Child Survival Program: A Mom’s Life in Rwanda

Clementine lives with her husband and four children in a small house made of mud in Kigali, Rwanda. When she was six months pregnant, she’d spend the day at the health center, volunteering to clean so she could take food home to her family.

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