Time and time again at Compassion we see how Christ’s love can profoundly change a child’s life. When local churches are equipped to support a child, amazing things can happen. And it’s all thanks to your generosity.

From protecting children from trafficking to deepening their relationship with Jesus, sponsorship is proven to make a powerful difference. We firmly believe that it’s the most effective way to release children from poverty.

But you needn’t take our word for it. The testimonies of children and young people who have been sponsored are an inspiring witness to the difference that your support makes.

Here are ten reasons why sponsorship transforms lives.

1. Sponsorship makes a meaningful spiritual difference.

Sponsorship creates a spiritually impactful connection between a child and their sponsor. When children realise that someone who doesn’t know them and lives far away cares enough to send them encouragement, they are given a glimpse of God’s love.

The support and resources given to Compassion participants through their local church further encourages them in their spiritual development. In Settathawut’s community in Thailand, owning a Bible is a luxury most families can’t afford. But at the local Compassion project, the children can read age-appropriate Bibles to their heart’s content.

“Every time Settathawut comes home, he tells me about what he learns from the centre, and which story in the Bible he likes,” says Settathawut’s mother, beaming with pride.

2. Sponsorship helps protect children and youth from threats like gangs, trafficking and child marriage

Compassion projects allow local staff to know, love and connect with every child. This means they are well placed to intervene to protect vulnerable children. Children like Marali, from Burkina Faso.

When Marali went looking for a job during the school holidays, he met a man who promised money. But his promises were a trap. Marali was trafficked and taken across borders into the jungles of Guinea, where he worked on a gold mining site in terrible conditions. Thankfully, he managed to hide his phone and contact the Compassion project staff. They were able to work with the authorities to bring Marali home and ensure the trafficking ring was broken.

The project continues to provide support and encouragement to Marali as he recovers from his ordeal. He is now doing well and preparing for his school final exams.

“I am thrilled to be back,” says Marali. “And I am more than grateful to Compassion… and all the people who worked for my return. I would have ended in a grave without their intervention.”

3. Sponsorship supports children’s health and well-being

Keeping children healthy is one of the most effective ways to prevent poverty from stealing their lives. Sponsored children receive yearly medical check-ups and access to recommended immunisations. Further medical care is available when needed thanks to support from Health Interventions.

In Gualey, in the Dominican Republic, Dr Luis volunteers every Saturday to provide medical care to Compassion-sponsored children. He sees between 15 and 30 patients each week.

“It is difficult to see a child in poor health, to see their parents desperate to help them,” Dr Luis tells us. “That is why I love to work here, because God uses me to be part of the integral treatment in the lives of these children and help them move towards a path of development, health, wellness and a much more hopeful life.”

4. Sponsorship helps children stay in school longer

Sponsored children and young people have opportunities to access formal education and vocational training. They are also encouraged to develop goals for their future through a Compassion tool called “My Plan for Tomorrow.”

Inspired by the tutors at her Compassion project and her mother's support, 18-year-old Bedarlin, from the Dominican Republic, discovered a love of learning and became determined to earn a degree. Thanks to a special fund, Compassion was able to cover the costs of her tuition. Bedarlin was awarded a student merit certificate from the President of the Dominican Republic and is on track to achieve her dream.

“I am deeply grateful,” shares Bedarlin. “Because through what I have learned here, I know I will have a better future.”

5. Sponsorship inspires hope

Hope is a powerful thing to give a child. Encouragement and support from sponsors and their local church community helps children and young people believe in a future free from poverty.

Abandoned by her mother, Marjorie and her two-year-old brother Bolivar found a second home and a source of hope at the local church. Enrolled in Compassion sponsorship in Honduras, Marjorie cherished the letters, prayers and photos she received from her sponsor. With a church-provided scholarship, Marjorie was able to return to school.

Today, the fifteen-year-old spends her days studying and volunteering at the Compassion project. "The church is still the place where I find peace, love, joy and hope," she says.

6. Sponsorship increases self-esteem and confidence

Sponsors actively offer love and encouragement, enabling children and youth to understand that poverty does not define their worth.

When Noe's father abandoned him and his mother, Mele, at birth, the nine-year-old developed a mistrust of his surroundings, growing up without his father's love. Sponsorship changed him completely. He felt loved and important.

"The first day I heard from my sponsor," Noe says, "I rolled on the floor with joy. ‘Am I important for someone to think about me this way?' I asked my mother. 'Yes, you are!' she said."

7. Sponsorship equips children and youth to be change-makers in their communities

Encouragement from sponsors, alongside support given to children through their local church, empowers children and youth to not only change the story of poverty in their own lives, but also positively impact those around them.

Despite their father's drug and alcohol addiction, 18-year-old twins Daniel and Daniela found hope through Compassion sponsorship. The program's impact rippled beyond the twins, transforming their father Jose’s life as well. Thanks to the children’s encouragement and prayers, Jose started attending church and eventually gave his life to Jesus – giving up drugs and alcohol in the process.

Today, Jose advocates for the Compassion project in his community, motivating and preaching to the parents of other participants.

8. Sponsorship motivates children and youth to deepen their relationship with Jesus.

The unique nature of one-to-one sponsorship provides opportunities for sponsors to encourage children and youth in their faith.

Josué, an 11-year-old boy from a dangerous community in El Salvador, faces many temptations to make bad decisions. But he finds motivation to make good choices in the frequent letters of encouragement from his sponsors, Tim and Sandra.

“Each of my letters brings me joy,” Josué says. “But there’s a special one that motivates me to follow the principles of the Bible and to work harder in school. In that letter, Tim told me: ‘Maybe sooner than we both think, we will call you ‘Pastor Josué,’ or ‘Doctor Josué,’ or ‘soccer star Josué,’ or even ‘pilot Josué.’

“I appreciate that someone I’ve never met in person believes so much in me.”

9. Sponsorship inspires youth to share the love of Jesus with others

The teaching and programming offered by church-based Compassion projects inspire children and young people to share the gospel with others.

Nicol, 12, credits the activities at her local Compassion project for building her faith, such as Bible teaching, worship and prayer time, colouring pictures of the Bible characters, filling out her Compassion curriculum booklets and receiving her sponsor’s letters.

Today, Nicol is a young preacher in the making, walking the unpaved roads of her community every week with a Bible in hand. She makes home visits to children and teenagers – teaching the gospel and inviting youths like her to join her prayer group and attend church. “The centre director and my tutor are church leaders themselves and they’ve taught me and supported me every step of the way,” Nicol shares.

10. Sponsorship helps ensure supporter donations are stewarded well

At Compassion, we are deeply committed to stewarding every penny of our supporters’ donations wisely. Sponsorship allows us to work with our partners to continually improve the effectiveness of our projects.

There is no permanent, one-size-fits-all solution to poverty, and each child, family and community faces particular challenges to their well-being. Compassion comes alongside our local church partners to listen and offer support. Local church partners then choose the right interventions that will meet the specific needs of their communities. These partners track their challenges and successes, learning along the way.

“Compassion empowered us to write good proposals,’ says Enoch, who leads a project in Uganda. “They also taught us how to manage the money, provide accountability and reports and maintain the partnership once the money has been given.”

Love in action: the difference your support is making

Over the last 70 years, we have seen millions of children released from poverty in Jesus’ name. Each child’s story is unique, yet what unites them is the decision someone like you made to sponsor them and equip a local church to give them opportunities to thrive.

Know that your support is making a real and lasting difference – it is truly the love of Christ in action, proving that if we make the choice to be his hands and feet, God’s kingdom can break through.

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