Small Things that Matter to Children
Children don’t necessarily need the extraordinary from us. They just need us to spend time with them, know them, love them, and be available for them.
Continue Reading ›Ministry Highlight: Rwanda
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.
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A New Take on a Lifetime of Birthdays
It seems fairly common for those of us with December birthdays to grumble a bit about our birthdays being overshadowed by the holidays. We grumble about birthday presents being wrapped in Christmas paper or being designated for “birthday AND Christmas.”
Planning for the Unforeseeable Future
What happens to a sponsored child when the sponsor passes? Do they go back on the waiting list? How is that child taken care of?
That Letter You Need to Write
The message from Compassion International on my voice mail said, “Call right away.” I had a knot in my stomach. Something was wrong. Compassion does not call sponsors just to chat.
Drought in Africa: Where is Compassion?
You’ve watched as the crisis in East Africa has unfolded, you’ve been praying and now you’re ready to respond. Now the question is, “What is Compassion doing amid this crisis?”
How do Our Programs Help the Poor Begin and Finish Well?
To finish well in life it makes an enormous difference if you have opportunities that allow you to begin well. Our Child Survival and Leadership Development programs help children living in extreme poverty to both begin and finish well.
Every 15 Seconds a Child Dies From Water-Related Diseases
We cannot live without water. It cleanses and nourishes our bodies. Every living creature needs clean water to survive.
Representing the Cheetah Generation
I’m grateful that the man overseeing Compassion’s work in Africa believes in my sponsored children. And, I’m thankful that the church staff will continue to breathe life into them and help them run with the speed of cheetahs.
Sponsorship Makes the Difference Between Life or Death
The Compassion child development center helped Aliane get medical attention, including a test to find out if she was suffering from the same virus that killed her father. She was.
How Can Christian Child Sponsorship Influence a Country’s Politics?
The 1994 genocide destroyed Rwanda’s fragile economic base, severely impoverished the population, particularly women and children, and eroded the country’s ability to attract private and external investment. However, Rwanda has made significant progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy since then.
Continued growth in this area depends on the maintenance of international aid levels, the strengthening of world prices of coffee and tea, and on having strong future leaders with good character — something Compassion Rwanda is in the forefront of helping develop.
In a recent interview, Pastor Matthias, parish priest of Gahanga Anglican Church, expressed his views on how sponsorship can influence the political arena of his country.
Meet Compassion Rwanda’s Eugene Bahire
As birds sing morning songs to begin their days, Eugene Bahire, in charge of Tours and Visits at Compassion’s Rwanda office, starts his day with a morning prayer at 5:30 and prepares himself for work.
He leaves home at 6:30 a.m. and takes 45 minutes to reach his office.
After morning devotions with all Compassion Rwanda staff, which normally start at 8 a.m. and last an hour, he shifts his focus to Tours and Visits communications. 
“I make sure that I have enough relevant information about the child before confirming a visit date for a sponsor or a tour.
“Having gotten the news that a child will be visited on a certain date, the student center social worker visits the child’s home ahead of time to prepare the family members or guardians living with the child, and of course some preparations are made at the student center as well.”
Eugene enjoys his job, which he longed for even while he was still at the university.
“Ever since my university time, my ambitions were to work for a Christian organization, and so this is an absolute answer of prayer to me.
“I am always happy and motivated to advocate for people in times of need, and I enjoy learning about different cultural values.”
Gifted with cultural diversity, mostly resulting from his country’s (Rwanda) history, Eugene was born in Uganda in 1976, where he had his primary education. He later moved to join his brother who was living in Kenya, and from there had his junior secondary education. (more…)
