Sponsor a child and change a life

Here at Compassion, our main aim is to improve the lives of children living in poverty across the world. However, we also strive to be advocates for our children and help to raise awareness of the issues and challenges faced by children in the developing world.

Through our resources, magazine, e-news, blog and prayer updates, we help sponsors gain a real insight into what life is like for children living in poverty. We cover all sorts of topics from the major issues facing children such as malnutrition, HIV/Aids and child trafficking to more reflective biblical perspectives on development.

Sponsorship is such a personal way to connect families across the world and is a particularly good way to encourage children to take an interest in the world around them. As they get to know their child through letters, sponsors gain a real insight into their culture and way of life. Many find themselves taking greater notice of what’s happening in the region and country where their sponsored child lives. Without even realising it, their worldview begins to widen.

Sponsored children can move from one Compassion project to another for a number of reasons. Families in poverty are often extremely mobile and a child may move to a new area because a parent is looking for work. Alternatively, sometimes Compassion will need to end a partnership with a church for integrity reasons or because a church no longer needs our help in ministering to children.

When a partnership with a local church ends, Compassion’s field office tries to ensure that as many children as possible are transferred to another project nearby. As Noel Pabiona, country director for the Philippines explains, every effort is made to give each child “a new Compassion home”.

This was the case for the children who were attending Charis Child Development Centre in the Philippines. After nine years of ministering to children, the partnership sadly had to come to an end. This left more than 100 children who were transferred to the nearby Kabalaka Child Development Centre. One of these children was 16-year-old Jhezzo.

Jhezzo is so grateful that she has been able to keep receiving support from the Compassion programme by moving project. She’s thrilled that although she will be given a new child number to reflect the number of her new Compassion project, she can still maintain a relationship with the same sponsor. This consistency has been so reassuring during a time of great change and transition.

“I’m happy to have my sponsor,” Jhezza explains. “She is a big help to me in many ways, including in my spiritual growth. Through sponsorship I can attend camps, special meetings, support groups and Bible studies. Having a sponsor gives opportunities to simple people like me.”

The project workers at Kabalaka Child Development Centre have made every effort to welcome Jhezzo and the other children. They even organised a special service where they sung the hymn “Welcome to the Family” and Reverend Salvador Parpa preached a message explaining ‘We are now one family’.

Sadly, due to COVID-19, we’re unable to facilitate any form of travel or visits at the moment. You’re welcome to register your interest by emailing toursandvisits@compassionuk.org and we’ll be in contact when the situation changes.

What you need to know about visiting your sponsored child

• You will need to have been supporting a child with Compassion for a least a year.
• You need to arrange your visit through our Tours and Visits team. Please get in touch with us at least 6-8 weeks in advance.
• Visits take place at a Compassion project or other suitable location. If possible, you’ll also visit your sponsored child’s home.
• While visiting your sponsored child, you’ll need to pay for any expenses incurred, including transport, visit host, meals and accommodation.
• Visits usually take place Monday – Friday and are between 3 and 6 hours long.