Lawrence, who once was so shy he was considered a “cry baby,” now bursts with confidence at Makerere University Business School in Uganda.

The first day he went to the university, with support from our Leadership Development Program, he could not believe it. He marveled at the expanse of the campus, gaped at the beautiful buildings and thanked God for this opportunity of a lifetime. He was determined to achieve his dreams — among them a passion for leadership.

Lawrence had grown up a very shy boy. In fact, many times he was a victim of false accusations but he never defended himself. He simply cried. He grew up with his parents and three brothers. They struggled through life. His father, a fisherman and sole earner in the home, contracted cancer and painfully passed away when Lawrence was 10.

Life was tough. Lawrence’s mother did not have a job but depended on peasant farming. The family had little food. They skipped breakfast, had a cup of porridge for lunch, and usually ate posho (mingled maize flour) with avocado or greens for supper. On a good day they would eat beans and posho.

This was their routine. The boys grew thinner each day and often fell sick.

“Whenever we fell sick, Mum bathed us with herbs and told us to sleep and cover ourselves till we were warm. She could not afford medication.”

When Lawrence joined the Lugazi Child Development Center, it was a great relief for his family. The first thing he did was seek treatment for a terrible toothache that had bothered him for more than seven months because of lack of medication.

He received lots of love at the child development center and anticipated going back every Saturday.

At the center, children were given milk, eggs, bread and bananas for breakfast. At lunch they received rice and meat or matooke (plantain), beans and peas. Sometimes they enjoyed sodas. It was like he was experiencing a whole new life.

“Our director, staff and volunteers at the center loved me very much. The director treated me like his own child.

When I was in primary grade 2, they taught us about Jesus and the things He did when He was our age. I liked Jesus very much and I gave my life to Him.”

With support and love from our staff, Lawrence discovered his God-given potential and self worth. Little by little he gained confidence in himself and stopped being so shy. He joined the school choir and always stood in front.

Lawrence also learned at an early age to take on leadership positions and to always act with integrity. Later, when he joined the university, he believed he was the leader the students needed. Today he perceives himself as a leader of integrity who adds value to his followers.

In his first year at the university Lawrence became the representative for Baganda Nkobaza Mbogo Student Association. In his second year he was elected as the speaker; now in his third year he is the chairman and leads more than 500 students in the association.

The Baganda Nkobaza Mbogo Student Association is a national association aimed at preserving the culture of the Baganda, a people group living in central Uganda.

It is not an easy thing to balance culture and the teachings of Jesus Christ. And not many people understood how Lawrence could say he was chairman of this association and yet confess Christ as his Lord and Savior.

“I believe that as Christians we should take up all positions. Perhaps if someone who is deeply rooted in the culture was chairman, many evil practices would be encouraged. But I bring change and I can influence fellow students. They see my walk in Christ and I believe I influence them a lot.”

Lawrence is also the chairperson for the Family of Christ Ministry, where he leads 53 students. On top of that, he leads the Leadership Development Program fellowship at his university and is the treasurer of the gents ministry called Men of the Original Image.

He is grateful to all of his sponsors and to his church because, without this support, it would have been hard for him to make it in life. Lawrence is excited at what God is doing and once he is out of university he hopes to start his own businesses in coffee and dairy.

He also aspires to join national politics. His initial target is the seat for Member of Parliament for his home area, Buikwe West, in 2016.

Lawrence is grateful to Compassion and to his church for loving him.

“I have seen Compassion International struggle to see that I reach where I am today. They have given me so much support and so many things. From the time I joined the ministry, I felt like there was an invisible hand holding me up. I was so happy!

I am in the Leadership Development Program and I feel you are really investing in me. You want me to be the best leader, the best future parent, and an honest and compassionate person.

The Leadership Development Program has shaped me well and I am very grateful. Now I feel ready to face the world and contribute to it.”

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

In Matthew 11, John the Baptist is in prison, about to be beheaded. He sends messengers to ask Jesus a very important question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3).

In a very compelling answer, Jesus points to the miracles He performed: “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”

In a sense, Jesus was saying, “Yes, I am He. I am the One. The scriptures said I would do these things. Go tell John that you’ve seen me fulfill these prophecies.”

What amazes me about this list is the last miracle. It stands out to me more than any other. You see, today mankind cannot do the first five miracles. Even with our latest medical advances, technology and breakthroughs, we cannot restore sight to the blind.

There are millions who are confined to wheelchairs without our ability to help them walk again. Leprosy still exists today, but perhaps more importantly, we have yet to cure the leprosy of our age, AIDS. While some advances have helped those with poor hearing differentiate some sounds, for millions, the world is a silent place. And despite our best efforts, we cannot raise the dead.

But then there’s the last miracle: “And the good news is preached to the poor.” Wait a minute; we can do that! In fact, we are doing that! I think this is one way we can all be Christlike.

At Compassion, we have one thing in common: We are all miracle workers because we are all part of this ministry that, around the globe, is preaching the good news to the poor.

You. A miracle worker. Who would’ve known, huh?

“Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.’” –Matthew 11:4–5, NIV

Prayer: Lord, thank You for giving us this one miracle we can perform — to preach the gospel to the poor! May we always cherish this opportunity to be Christlike. Thank You for allowing us to be part of a ministry that is one — on purpose, with a unified heart for children trapped in poverty.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals. 

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Ahaziah, king of Israel, had just died. His mother, Athaliah, rose up to usurp the throne. Their story is similar to those we hear today, complete with abuse of power, deception and family violence. Athaliah ordered that all of her grandchildren and descendants be killed. She destroyed her own family.

However, a child of the king had been hidden when he was just a toddler. Where was he hidden? The temple, the house of the Jehovah.

And who was there to protect him for six years? A bold priest and some helpers who took care of this little one until he was ready to face the reality of his enemy.

But most important of all was the presence of God, giving strategies to the priest to prepare, teach and assist this little one and mobilize an army to care for him until he was ready. That time came when he was only 7 years old. He bravely stood up to Athaliah, and the Bible says that afterward, “The city was quiet.”

What a great responsibility we have as people of God!

In our positions as priests, servants or soldiers in the army of God, we can protect our children from the reality of violence, poverty and abuse — if we have the presence of God with us. Only then will the children see what is good and right in God’s eyes.

“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered.

“She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years.” — 2 Kings 11:1–3, NIV

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the opportunity to care for Your children. Your sweet presence is always with us. In moments of weakness, help us remember that we are part of the army of God. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Martha Morales is a Complementary Interventions Administrator in our
Colombia office.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

After taking a trip to Guatemala with Compassion, as a sponsor but more importantly as a ministry advocate, I felt a responsibility to protect all other sponsors from what I experienced.

You amazing sponsors out there who put your heart and soul into writing letters. I didn’t want anyone to hear this story and have it stop them from writing their sponsored child again. Let me explain …

I had been to Haiti to do medical missionary work and I thought I had seen poverty. I was confident after that experience I would not be affected by anything I saw in Guatemala. God didn’t agree and set me straight.

The home we visited was no home but two pitch-dark wood sheds. It was pouring that day and the rain seemed to just add to the feeling of despair that surrounded us. What hit me more than the physical structures the people were living in was the emotional wreckage I saw and heard as we asked them about their lives.

The mother was unable to speak after being raped by guerrilla soldiers years ago, two of her children had gone to gangs never to return again (or they would themselves be killed for leaving), and three small children looked up at us with such hollow eyes and empty hearts.

I always make a point to ask Compassion children I meet anywhere if they receive letters from their sponsors. I think this question is important for many reasons. To hear their feedback helps me to know what I need to do to get the word out to others that they must write more. And, it is good to hear out of their precious mouths why it’s so special.

So, I asked my question to this family as well. The response hit me like a knife going through my heart … literally.

I guess that’s just one of the reasons I burst into tears and felt so completely foolish. What right did I have to cry when they were the ones living like this?

The oldest little guy still at home, was — I’m guessing — maybe 8 or 9 years old. He responded.

“Yes, I have sponsors.”

He showed me only one letter. I asked him,

“Only one letter?”

He replied,

“This one is newer. I did have more but not now.”

Now? Why not now I’m wondering?

“They did send me letters, but my dad was an alcoholic. He died. After that, my mom had no money, no food. So we had to burn my letters to stay warm.”

I felt this rush of pain traveling from my brain down every nerve ending to my heart. It was so profound. At first, I just couldn’t stop the emotions as I hugged him and he was crying. We cried together.

But then, my own selfish fears kicked into gear silently like a train hitting me at full speed. What did he just REALLY say? Wait … what about my letters to all my children. What if?…

I have thought and thought about what I saw and heard, not sure if I should share. Thinking it could be so irresponsible of me as an advocate to tell sponsors this, knowing how wrapped up into letters everyone gets, including me.

A boy in Guatemala shows off a letter from his sponsor.

After awhile, we begin to crave those beautiful cream envelopes. Think of them so often, almost wanting to tackle the mail people before they even fill our mailboxes! We are sincere in our love, truly giving to our children that which brings us closer together when distance separates us.

The question I kept asking myself was, how can I relay this in a way that others can see the much, much more important message in this, rather than focusing on how the letters were burned and what if that happened to mine or yours.

Just as in our own families we treasure photos and letters of our time together, ultimately it is the memories of those events that no one can ever take away from us. When we receive a letter from a loved one, sponsored child, friend, we don’t forget … ever.

We hold the memories inside us like a time capsule and nothing can change that, not even a fire to stay warm.

What the sponsor family of that sweet little boy don’t know won’t hurt them. You know why? Because not only have they been supporting their little boy each month, but they also provide something they never could have guessed. They sent survival for a family, literally.

God protects and God provides, always. We really have no idea how much we are doing each and every time we send small gifts in our envelopes, letters and photos.

I never, ever, ever want what I have shared to deter anyone from writing more. Instead, I pray that it will in fact do just the opposite. When you send a letter, realize that you are doing so much more than simply writing because you are sharing your life with your child.

We cannot control what God plans and shouldn’t even try to. What we can do though is understand and allow God to use what we give of ourselves to help our children in ways we could never imagine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Julie Berger sponsors seven children and is a correspondent sponsor to three additional children. She lives with her family in Pennsylvania where she works as a medical missions coordinator.

If you’re interested in writing a guest blog post, we are happy to consider publishing it. Read our guest blog post guidelines.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark highlights some of the disciples and describes some of Jesus’ miracles of healing and driving out of demons.

We all know it is essential to make our best efforts to have knowledge and education and to obtain more skills. It is also essential that we have plans and attitudes of perseverance in reaching them. Achieving these goals sometimes puts us in “positions of authority.”

However, the Bible teaches us that “to humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue” (Proverbs 16:1).

There is something that strengthens all our skills and gives direction to all our plans: to conform them to the Lord’s will, the authority that comes from above. The word “authority” is mentioned twice in this chapter, referring to the way Jesus taught and performed miracles.

It is not enough for us to acquire knowledge and skills or to make plans that look good in our eyes. It is not even sufficient for us to know the Bible, to go to church and Sunday school, or to work in ministry, whether with a church or through organizations such as Compassion. We must have the authority that comes from above, obtained only through a life dedicated to God, a life willing to surrender self to the Lord’s will.

Without authority from God, we live and work as people who chase after the wind.

“The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law…They asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.’” –Mark 1:22, 27, NIV

Prayer: Lord, help us to live our days so that we achieve the authority that comes from above, because only then will the Lord’s deeds be accomplished through our lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Eduardo Idalgo works as a Ministry Services Manager in our office in
Brazil.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals. 
 

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I love that I don’t always know why I write what I write to my sponsored children.

At first glance, words on pages may seem as though they are merely words, but an 11-year-old boy named Sam from Ghana provided a powerful reminder that words prayed over and led by the Spirit have a power and a purpose all their own.

I received such words from Sam many times, and the impact of those words has changed more lives than I will ever know.

The first time I realized Sam was truly receiving his words from the Holy Spirit was when he wrote to me on September 14th, 2010 and shared that his prayer for me was that God would give me a double portion of health.

He had no way of knowing how dangerously sick I had been. I didn’t tell him because I hadn’t wanted to frighten him.

Sam also had no way of knowing that as he was writing, his prayers were being answered halfway across the world. September 14th, 2010 was the day that God brought me from barely walking, to running for the first time. It was the day God helped me begin to miraculously outrun sickness – going from sick to healed literally overnight after months of illness.

It led me to wonder what else God would do through our letters.

I shared with Sam that I had traveled to Honduras with Compassion and that my best friend Tia had been on two mission trips to Africa.

In light of his prayer about my health, I took note when Sam responded that when he had heard I had been to Honduras and that Tia had been to Africa twice, he prayed God would bless us for our work, and he also prayed we would come to Ghana to meet face to face.

Sam shared that he had prayed and God would “let it come to pass, Amen!”

The words were simple, but it’s how the Holy Spirit translated them to my heart that caused a ripple effect that would soon reach further than either of us could ever have imagined.

Unable to shake the feeling that God had shared this through Sam for a purpose beyond meeting our beloved Compassion child face to face, Tia and I began to research the needs of children in Ghana. We were horrified to learn that child slavery is still practiced in parts of this country.

Children as young as 4 years old are sold into a life of bondage that perpetuates the cycle of poverty and destroys lives.

In fact, there are more slaves worldwide today than there have ever been, and at least 50 percent of them are vulnerable, precious children.

We launched a fundraising initiative to raise funds to provide expanded resources for children rescued from slavery in Ghana, which would in turn help facilitate the rescue of more children. Having raised $30,000 in mere months to provide for these children, we set out for Ghana in November of 2011.

That is when Sam’s prayer, which had been answered all along, was answered “face to face” when I, along with my 13-year-old son Joshua, my best friend Tia, and our friend Debra met him face to face.

Together, we celebrated the impact his letters had made not only in our lives and in the lives of our families and friends, but in the lives of children in his country who would be rescued from slavery — all because of words the Holy Spirit led him to share in what seemed like a simple letter from a child.

I used to think that when sponsors chose not to write to their children, it was simply the children and the sponsors who lost the opportunity to affect each other’s lives in beautiful ways. Now I can’t help but ask myself what we’re robbing the world of when we don’t take a moment to write to these precious children.

The words on the pages don’t have to be perfect. The Holy Spirit will make them so.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JD Richardson gave up housework for lent years ago and never looked back. God filled all the free time she acquired by shaping her into a writer, photographer, Compassion Advocate and sponsor of 16 Compassion children from around the world.

If you’re interested in writing a guest blog post, we are happy to consider publishing it. Read our guest blog post guidelines.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

As with every Shabat, friends were enjoying the shade under a lemon tree, talking about the latest news from their village, Capernaum. A fourth friend arrived with news of the arrival of a “prophet” who healed the sick.

The informer explained that the crowd was moving toward a wealthy merchant’s home. The youngest in the team, quiet until then, had an idea: “Shall we bring him our lame friend?” They met regularly at his home to read the Torah and wondered, “Could he be healed, too?” But there were a few questions to discuss first.

They had to know where to find Jesus and have the consent of their friend. They also had to be:

• In agreement to do it together
• Coordinated
• Determined
• Creative to find a way to bring him there and imagine alternate plans
• Ready to ask for help
• Courageous to uncover the roof
• Responsible for their friend
• Loving to do so much to help their friend

They had often read Isaiah 58 and knew that God asks His people to care for the poor, the needy, and the oppressed. If this was the Messiah, they had to jump into action now! We know the story. Jesus saw the four friends’ faith.

Many of the acts of Jesus were never recorded, but this event is found in three of the four Gospels. The friends were praised for not just sitting in the comfort of their homes but for getting up, reaching out, and daring to challenge the impossible situation.

The end of the story? The lame friend goes home praising God, and all were amazed, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Our determination to join forces with one mind and one resolve to care for the poor and the oppressed will create around us a loud concert of praise to God. Many will marvel at the incredible things He will do through us as determined friends of the poor!

“Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” — Mark 2:4–5, NIV

Prayer: Lord, please help us understand the precious calling You have given to Your church to worship in words and in deeds. Help us reach out to the poor and the needy so that the world may see that You are truly a loving and gracious God. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Daniel Bretscher is the Executive Director of Compassion Italy.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals. 

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

While the Bible doesn’t use the word partnership, we see examples in the Bible of churches partnering together from the earliest history of the Church. And the principles we learn from the Bible about humility, equality and mutuality should guide how we work in partnership.

At Compassion, we highly value our relationships with local churches in the countries where we work. They minister on the front lines to the children we serve. They also minister to us.

As Compassion Latin America and Caribbean regional vice president Edouard Lassegue writes,

“Though these congregations may be under-resourced financially, often they are spiritually rich and vibrant and able to contribute in an authentic two-way relationship.”

Much of the Christian Church today has been blessed with significant resources, financial and otherwise. Other parts of the global body of believers struggle with tremendous limitations of resources yet have incredible opportunities for ministry.

Partnering between the resource-rich part of the Church and the resource-poor part of the Church is not something particularly new or noble. It is just what we should do. It is simply what Paul asked the early Church to do.

It is only right and practical for churches in various parts of the world to partner together to care for each other and to advance the gospel and the kingdom of God.

When the Body of Christ comes together in partnership, we honor and obey Jesus’ mandate that His followers act as one. But it takes time to develop a partnership — especially the relational aspects of partnership.

Relationship is central to partnership. In the countries where we work, partnerships are perceived as being primarily relational. But often in North America and many of our sponsoring countries, partnerships tend to be contractual in nature.

True partnership requires the ability to set aside tasks and agendas long enough for the partners to listen to each other, identify their common mission and understand what each partner can contribute.

Edouard Lassegue says:

“Many times we rush through the process of partnership without taking the time to recognize and put in place the necessary building blocks of partnership. We jump into action without developing the foundation of true partnership — solid relationship.

“On one hand, lack of relationship causes a church in [a developing country] to see its relationship with a parachurch organization or congregation [in a developed nation] as a funding mechanism and not as true partnership that demonstrates equality in Christ, mutual benefits, and sharing resources and lessons together.

“On the other hand, lack of relationship causes the church or parachurch organization from [the developed nation] to want to solve problems for the local church in a paternalistic way, treating that church as a child needing direction, provision and supervision. … True partnership is based on solid relationship.”

At Compassion, we seek healthy relationships in spite of these potential obstacles. We intentionally hire national staff in every country in which we serve. Our front-line relationship manager with every church partner (the partnership facilitator) is selected as one who is as close to the partner’s culture as possible to encourage relationship and communication.

We must walk together, talk together, and have tea together before we will be effective in working together. Real partnership is an ongoing journey, and it takes time.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

We began our ministry in the Dominican Republic in 1970 as a relief program donating food, medicine and money for children selected by the local churches.

This relief program transitioned into a school program in the 1980s. In this program, children in the Dominican Republic gained access to education through the local church. In 1994, we started our Child Sponsorship Program. The Leadership Development Program started in 2004, followed by the Child Survival Program in 2006.

In the Dominican Republic we have a strategic partnership with the Evangelical National University to offer higher education to our staff, Implementing Church Partner staff and church members in holistic child development and child advocacy in order to train leaders to be child advocates.

Country Director

Kleber Isaias Lora Bautista joined us as Country Director in 2005.

Prior to coming to our ministry he held various positions including Child Sponsorship Program Manager at Food for the Hungry and a consultant for the Institutional Strength Project.

Kleber graduated with a degree in computer engineering from INTEC Technological Institute of Santo Domingo in 1990. He also earned a masters of business administration from the University of Quebec, Montreal in 2004.

As a young person, Kleber was the founder of the Christian Church in his community and later became the youth pastor and a staff member of their Bible seminary.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches in the Dominican Republic with whom we work to deliver child development programs and frontline ministry in the field.

• Spiritual Climate
  The Dominican Republic is very open to the gospel and the church has a strong voice in the community. Youth delinquency is a major challenge in many communities; because of that the church is widely accepted and welcomed in the hope that the church will encourage and embrace the youth.

  As a result, the church in the Dominican Republic is experiencing numerical growth.



• Unique Challenges
  It can be challenging for churches to find and train professional staff as the quality of education in the Dominican Republic is quite low. Once they are trained, the market often offers better salaries and benefits than Implementing Church Partners can offer. Also, most churches must rent their space because land is expensive and neighborhoods are very crowded.
• Contributions
  Implementing Church Partners provide construction and labor for the facilities as well as volunteers who offer their time and service in their specific field of expertise, such as medicine or social work.
• Partner Development Activities
  We develop partners in the Dominican Republic through training in accountability and sponsorship processes as well as leadership meetings with pastors and project directors.

Child Survival Program

• Caregiver Literacy
  Literacy is taught at the caregiver meetings once a week using an adult literacy method by ALFALIT. ALFALIT is an international Christian non-profit organization that specializes in eliminating literacy and offering education and development opportunities with the purpose of strengthening families in need.
• Income-generating Skills
  We offer a workshop once a week on various topics such as baking, jewelry making, hair dressing and beautician’s skills, and making pajamas and undergarments.

  These are skills that the caregivers can use in their homes while also taking care of their children.



• Health Care
  For vaccinations, medical consultations and follow-ups, mothers and babies go to public or private health centers that are located in their communities or nearby. We reimburse the Implementing Church Partners at various rates depending on whether the beneficiaries received care at a public hospital, semiprivate center or a private center.
• Nutritional Support
  Each month we assess which families are in need of nutritional support, then we deliver food and micronutrients for those families. Usually we do not deliver to the same families month after month, but occasionally that is needed for families living in very difficult conditions.

  We also provide an orientation on nutrition and subsequent follow-ups.

• Involvement of Fathers
  We encourage fathers to participate in group meetings and home visits. At the group meetings, we will often have a counseling professional come and talk to the couples about parenting and family dynamics.

  Implementing Church Partners also organize yearly retreats for Child Survival Program mothers and their husbands where they go away for three days and enjoy being together, meet new people and hear speakers teach on various topics.



• Transitioning Out of the Child Survival Program
  When children reach the age of 2, the Child Survival Program Implementers organize group activities where the children sit together around tables, draw and paint and have a nutritional meal together to help them get acquainted with the Child Sponsorship Program classroom and activities.
• Areas of Expansion for the Child Survival Program
  We would like to expand into the southern region of the Dominican Republic because that is the poorest area of the country.

Child Development Through Sponsorship

Your sponsorship of a child in the Dominican Republic provides a variety of benefits.

Based on our curriculum, this has been the most appropriate schedule for the children.

• Meeting Times:
• 3 to 5 year olds: 8 hours a week spread out over 2 to 3 days
• 6 to 8 year olds: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week
• 9 to 11 year olds: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week
• 12 to 14 year olds: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week
• 15 to 18 year olds: 2 hours a day, 2 days a week
• 19 +: 2 hours a day, 2 days a week



• Nutritional Support
  Each child receives a meal every day that they attend the child development center, which is about three times a week. A typical meal consists of rice and milk, wheat flour and milk, rice and chicken, oatmeal with bread, fruit juice and cookies, or cornflakes and milk.

  We give a meal or snack each time they attend the center because although the government schools do sometimes offer food, it is not consistent nor is it always safe and clean.



• Vaccinations
  Development center staff advises all parents to vaccinate their children. A health professional does an annual checkup and checks that these vaccines have been completed.

  In some cases, Implementing Church Partners have agreements with other non-governmental organizations or governmental agencies that provide vaccinations when needed.



• Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
  Children are able to participate regularly in sports, camps, arts, field days, museum visits, book fairs and field trips to historic sites, various companies and recreational places.
• Vocational Activities
  Vocational training in skills such as computers, handicrafts, driving, beauty, English, cooking, baking, welding, carpentry and sewing are offered depending on the local community. Many of the vocational training courses are certified, allowing the students to grow professionally in a given technical professional field.

  We also offer spiritual guidance and support, counseling, and opportunities for long-term development such as “My Plan for the Future” which is completed by each student.



• Parent Involvement
  We offer quarterly parenting classes on topics such as healthy parenting, family violence prevention, nutrition, literacy, vocational training and health.
• Areas of Expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
  We would like to expand into the south and northeast regions of the Dominican Republic. The south is the most impoverished area in the country, and the northeast is a region where we do not currently have any church partners.

Leadership Development Program

• Universities Attended
  Leadership Development Program students attend governmental, private or Christian universities.
• Location of Universities
  Most of the universities are located in the capital city or in other large cities. There are several regional campuses spread throughout the country that offer a limited choice of degrees.
• Working Students
  There are a few Leadership Development Program students who do work, but generally these students are about to graduate.
• Service Opportunities
  Many students go back to their child development centers and churches to serve, while others serve at orphanages, nursing homes and schools or by doing community evangelism and missions.
• Leadership Development Program Meetings
  Leadership Development Program students hold an annual Advocacy Conference and an annual Youth Forum. The Advocacy Conference is a large meeting in which the students invite child development centers from various regions to bring their children and adolescents so the Leadership Development Program students can speak to them on specific topics related to child development.

  The Youth Forum is a forum where students invite leaders and professionals in various fields of social service to speak to them and other youth. They also meet quarterly in their Leadership Development Program care groups, which are smaller groups divided up by region; this is when they usually meet with the program specialist.



• Specialty Curriculum Topics or Resources
  When students enter the Leadership Development Program, they are required to complete the “Leadership Development Program Academy.” This is a one-month training program with specialized teachers in subjects such as math, writing, speed reading, and Christian worldview.
• Mentors
  Some of our staff members in the Dominican Republic are mentors for the students. They also assist other students in finding mentors through their connections with leaders from their churches.
• Career Placement Assistance
  We offer workshops to help the Leadership Development Program students choose their careers based on their interests and the labor market demands. We also give a vocational test administered by a psychologist to every student.

Complementary Interventions

Compassion’s core Child Sponsorship Program, while comprehensive, cannot address all obstacles to a child’s healthy development. Compassion’s Complementary Interventions program works in harmony with the holistic child development model to provide additional services as needed, such as the AIDS Initiative, Bibles for All Children, disaster relief and water projects.

Typical Complementary Interventions in the Dominican Republic include vocational training, reliable water using water purification systems, dental care, promotion of sports practices and major medical interventions

Highly Vulnerable Children

The primary needs in our Highly Vulnerable Children population are nutrition, hygiene and reliable water. It has been shown that focusing on prevention is the most efficient way to address the needs of Highly Vulnerable Children.

As a result, we concentrate our efforts within the Child Survival Program to improve and promote care and hygiene in newborns, infants and mothers. Child Survival and Child Sponsorship Program beneficiaries are eligible for medical support through Complementary Interventions.

In some cases of severe malnutrition, help and food is provided regularly. Funds are also used for adult literacy and nutrition/health education. In the event of a disaster, food, water and other resources are available for Highly Vulnerable Children.

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