“In the centre, the volunteers are kind and patient with us. They are interested in what we have to say and always encourage us in our dreams.” Lucas, 10, Brazil

Lucas from Brazil plays in front of graffiti

My name is Lucas. I’m 10, and I live in Recife, Brazil. I live with my mother and my two siblings, Luan, 11, and Lucyerica, 12. My siblings are my best friends in the world.

Our community has a lot of hills. When it rains heavily, the streets and houses at the bottom of the hill flood. On these days, we can’t go to school or to the Compassion centre. The waters rise to our knees. Since the streets don’t have proper sanitation, the rainwater floods the sewer, and it can result in many diseases for us.

My mum doesn’t have a formal job. She works at anything she can: a manicurist, caregiver for the elderly, a housemaid. Everything got worse after the pandemic. Now, people are afraid of having my mother in their homes. She has lost most of her job opportunities. I know that everything is harder for her now.

She says that sometimes she feels sorry because she can’t give us everything we want, but I’m grateful for having her as my mum. During the pandemic, the Compassion centre supported us with food baskets, school activities, and phone calls. They always call to ask my mum how we are doing and if we need something. I think that’s the most important thing for her: knowing we’re not forgotten.

The Compassion centre is one of my favourite places. The centre is the only place in the community where I’m able to learn music, sports, and arts. My mum doesn’t have money to pay for private classes for my siblings and me, so we’d never have the opportunity to learn these things without the centre.

I like going to the centre more than going to school. At school, our classrooms are always too crowded and noisy, and the teachers are impatient. It’s hard to learn things there. In the centre, the volunteers are kind and patient with us. They are interested in what we have to say and always encourage us in our dreams. It’d be great also to have a sponsor to send me letters. I’d love to know someone from far away.

I want to be a football player when I grow up. Messi is my favourite football player. Then, I want to buy a big blue house for my mum, so she won’t need to pay rent anymore.

My mum always says that we’re very blessed to have the centre in our lives. We don’t have to pay anything to them or give anything in exchange—they’re just willing and committed to helping us. I’d be very happy if all the other children and I had a sponsor.

Clear the bench and help a child reach their goals

“That’s the most important thing for her: knowing we’re not forgotten,” says Lucas in Brazil. His words capture one of the challenges facing a child in poverty: feeling invisible. When you’ve done as much as you can, and it’s still not enough, knowing there are people looking out for you means everything.

Compassion’s programme surrounds a child with a caring team to support them and their family, including a local church and a loving sponsor. You can help children just like Lucas reach their goals by becoming a sponsor.

As Angel in Mexico says, “All children deserve to have an education, to receive God’s Word, and to have the same rights as everyone else.”

Level the playing field by sponsoring a child today.

Clear The Bench: Why These 3 Children Will Not Be Side-lined

3 football mad boys share why they will not be side-lined by poverty, with support from Compassion, their local church and their sponsors.

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