Vitoria was the first child I sponsored with Compassion. In her photo, she had pigtails and a shy smile. I wrote letters to her where we talked about the grades she made in school and her dreams to be a veterinarian. I watched her grow up through letters and photos for over a decade. She graduated from the Compassion program in 2015, and I never got to meet her.

There are a lot of opinions about sponsorship — from your pastor encouraging you to sponsor a child, to your co-worker who thinks it’s a scam, to our invitations to sponsor, and everything in between!

But what do those who were sponsored as children think of child sponsorship? We caught up with five alumni of Compassion’s program to get their reflections on the impact of sponsorship.

We know child sponsorship works, but don’t just take our word for it. Meet these inspiring and successful Compassion alumni as they share about life after sponsorship. They are tangible proof that the cycle of poverty can be broken…one empowered youth at a time.

These alumni didn’t have to worry about what not to wear when they were in the Compassion program. Listen in on their favorite memories about the clothes from their childhood.

In extreme poverty, the basic human longing to be loved is often trumped by the need to survive. Enter the local Compassion program staff.

They were selected for our program when they were young, they were sponsored, they successfully graduated…and now, they are fulfilled and responsible adults. Watch this candid conversation with a few alumni as they reflect on their shared experiences growing up around the world.

As our Alumni scholarship initiative comes to an end, we celebrate our final two scholarship recipients, Daniel Njenga Maina and Anthony Njoroge Wanjiru. Each graduate shares about the ways that God has impacted their lives through Compassion’s ministry.

People love and respect David. Almost everyone calls him when they need veterinary services for their animals. Neighboring villages also seek out his help.

Compassion’s work is changing lives around the world. Read inspiring stories of transformation from Compassion kids and alumni.