How Do We Teach the Children in Our Programs?
Our holistic child development model is central to our mission of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. And the curriculum standards we have put in place in all of our programs are key to achieving this goal. We have created a global curriculum to help develop children holistically—physically, spiritually, cognitively and socio-emotionally. It is designed to be nonacademic, similar to an after-school enrichment program. For example, instead of learning math, children learn how to apply mathematical skills.
Continue Reading ›What Does My Sponsored Child Learn at the Child Development Center?
By attending classes at his or her child development center your sponsored child receives age-appropriate instruction in four main areas: spiritual, cognitive, physical and socio-emotional.
At KE-630, Good Shepard Isinya Student Center, all the children begin their Saturday at 9 a.m. with spiritual learning.
Continue Reading ›God’s Little Girl Strives for Excellence
Excellence is answering God’s call to the best of our abilities with the gifts and resources He has given us. It is carrying out God’s work with an attitude of enjoyment.
Thanks to the Leadership Development Program* (LDP), Talita is living in the best moment of her life, not only professionally, but also spiritually. Her life story is about striving for excellence. Her dedication makes her an example to be followed by others and a reference of struggle and Christian character.
Petite and delicate, 20-year-old Talita teaches the 5- and 6-year-olds at her former child development center. God, the Father, has made her a great woman.
The public system of education in Brazil is full of contrast. The best universities are public, and to be accepted in to one, the student has to have a good and strong education during high school. But when talking about a young person who’s attended a public school, the odds are small.
Public schools are the worst ones and rarely prepare for the next step. Besides all the hardship and risks children in poverty have to face, their academic and professional path can be compromised due to the lack of good education.
Talita attended a public school in her town, Tauá, a small city about 330 kilometers from Fortaleza – the capital of Ceará state. But different from most of the students of lower class who barely finish their studies in order to get a job and help their families, she devoted herself – and still does – to study. She overcame the statistics and got a vacancy in a public university – the “Universidade Estadual do Ceará” (University of Ceará State). (more…)
Home School, Job Search and Sponsor a Child
Hi, my name is Stephan Archer. I joined Compassion a few months ago as the U.S. Communication Specialist. Although I am in the business of communicating from day to day, this is my first attempt at blogging, so bear with me as I try to figure this out.
My calling to Compassion was really a journey that began at home, and it began with two small children — my own.
You see, my wife and I are homeschoolers. Our two girls, ages three and five, are now in preschool and kindergarten. Like other children this age, they have a million questions, most of which I struggle answering.
- Why is God invisible?
- Where does the sun go to bed at night?
- Why are yummy things bad for you and yucky things good for you?
- Why won’t Bambi see his mother again? (Those of you with young children who have a movie collection that teeters heavily towards the cartoon genre will appreciate this question.)
But while our children ask many things, there are many more things they don’t ask that they need to know.
For example, in such a richly blessed country as America, I don’t suppose too many kids learn on their own what it means to be thankful and content. Yet this is so important for children to understand if they are to grow up and be the adults we want them to be.
Thus, like many homeschoolers in search of ideas, my wife and I turned to the internet and started Googling — using words such as “contentment,” “thankfulness,” and “compassion” for those less fortunate.
We came across Compassion’s website and were so moved by what we saw that we immediately decided to sponsor a little girl named Kimberly in Guatemala.
Sponsorship has been nothing short of a wonderful experience for my entire family, as both my girls pray for Kimberly regularly. My oldest even draws pictures for Kimberly and sends encouraging notes with them.
I went one step further and read Wess Stafford’s book, Too Small to Ignore. After reading his book, I was more motivated than ever to be a part of this ministry.
During this time, God led me on a six-month employment-seeking journey as I communicated with various people at Compassion. I was able to examine my own heart and pray for God’s leading.
Now that I’m here at Compassion, I can say with confidence that this ministry is everything it purports to be.
Like any ministry or church body, the day to day things are managed by human beings, and with that, comes challenges. However, everyone here knows that God is ultimately leading this ministry. I’ve never seen a leadership team more dedicated to God’s will than I’ve seen at Compassion.
I’ve enjoyed reading what all of you think and would love to share with you from time to time what’s on my mind. Sometimes, I’ll jump in on your conversations and share my personal thoughts on the matter as well. Either way, I’m looking forward to being blessed by our discussions, and my hope is that you benefit as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my Compassion child attend school at Compassion’s child development center?