Stories to Connect You With Compassion & Grow Your Faith

In 9-year-old Derick’s village in eastern Uganda, fathers have passed on poverty to their children for generations. Joseph, Derick’s father, was not going to be any different. It took a gift in the form of livestock to break the cycle.

Games are an important part of Compassion’s holistic child development model. They encourage children to have fun and be active, as well as teach life skills like teamwork, communication, self-confidence, and respect. The games children play at Compassion child development centers across Asia vary from country to country. So let’s look at a few of them.

We hope you’ll smile (but we can’t promise you won’t also get a little choked up) when you watch these children and youth perform a stirring rendition of “O Holy Night.”

Step into the homes of 25 children who live in poverty. Whether it’s a corner of a domed traditional home, a simple hammock, or a private space created by a curtain partition, each of these children’s rooms offers precious insight into their daily lives.

This Compassion center in southern Togo knows how to throw a memorable celebration at Christmastime. This year, however, a shadow of uncertainty is cast over the children and their families. COVID-19 restrictions have been enforced across Togo, prohibiting the center’s traditional Christmas gathering. Kids at the center are still grappling with what this Christmas will look like. Read their words below, and lift up a prayer for children like them around the world who are grieving this year.

Thailand – known as the land of smiles – is a beautiful country found in Southeast Asia. Today we would love to share some fun facts about Thailand with you – facts that will help you understand the culture and traditions of the remarkable country where nearly 60,000 Compassion-assisted children live.

What better way to celebrate Giving Tuesday than with a gift to help families in poverty recover and rebuild? Compassion’s Gift Catalog is full of unique ways to make a big impact in the lives of children and their families. New this year are gifts specifically designed to help families impacted by COVID-19. Here are just a few of the gifts you can give this Giving Tuesday to help families overcome the devastating economic hardships caused by the pandemic.

This year’s Thanksgiving will look a little different. With the changes that COVID-19 has brought, Thanksgiving may not include a large family gathering. But I’m grateful that the pandemic has helped us learn how to celebrate with those we love, without having to be near them. This inspired my family to consider ways to use what we learned to also celebrate with our sponsored children.

Today, on World Children’s Day, while young people across the globe wait for COVID-19 relief, Compassion continues to support nearly 2.2 million children and youths — by equipping 8,000-plus church partners to meet immediate physical, spiritual and educational needs.

Is it actually possible to give thanks in ALL circumstances … even when those circumstances are 2020? Yep … and these grateful children who live in poverty prove it! Find out what these kids around the world are thankful for, despite the circumstances of poverty.

Rwanda is a stunning landlocked country found in East Africa. Known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” Rwanda boasts towering volcanos like Mount Karisimbi, where mountain gorillas live. Learn some interesting facts about Rwanda and the 99,430 Compassion-assisted children who live there.

When I felt the Holy Spirit’s promptings to sponsor a child through Compassion almost two years ago, something held me back. It wasn’t timing, finances or a need to do more research. It was a fear that I wouldn’t know how to interact well with a child, let alone a child halfway across the world. Although I was eager to exchange words of love and encouragement with someone living in poverty, I’d never closely related with children before.