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Prayer changes things

Through praying, we talk to God and He listens to us and guides us. When you pray for your sponsored child you can ask God to help them. Here are some things you can pray for:

  • For your sponsored child's health. Lots of children living in poverty get ill from things that we could get medicine for in this country. Through the Compassion programme they will have medical care if they need it.
  • For your sponsored child to know how much they are loved by God. As they learn more about God, they can know how He made them to be special and has a wonderful plan for their life.
  • For your sponsored child’s friendships and family. Your sponsored child might have a happy family life or a difficult one, but either way, you can pray for them. Pray that they would have a home where they can feel safe and loved, and that they would have great friends at their school and Compassion project.
  • For your sponsored child’s education and future. Through Compassion they will get schooling, mentoring and training for future jobs. Each child is encouraged to think through what they like doing, what they’re good at and what job they think they would like to have in the future.

Help a child living in poverty

By sponsoring a child through Compassion you can make a massive difference to their life. You will give a child born into poverty the opportunity to become all that God created them to be.

Visit our sponsorship pages now.

Encouragement through letters

Do you get excited when you receive a letter? It’s a lovely feeling when you realise someone has taken time to write to you. Perhaps the letter is full of stories and questions, love and encouragement, or maybe even a drawing.

When you sponsor a child the money you send means that your sponsored child can get all of the wonderful things involved in being part of the Compassion programme, but just as important is your relationship with them that you build through your letters. With each letter, you are helping your sponsored child to realise that they are special.

“If it wasn’t for him, his love, his letters and his sponsorship maintaining me in the project, I’m sure that I would not be who I am today.”

Felipe from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Go to your myCompassion account to write to your sponsored child online, or use some of the writing paper you’ve been sent from us and encourage your sponsored child.

Give a gift

Even a small amount of money can go a long way in your sponsored child’s country. A gift of £10 can buy your sponsored child a new pair of shoes or outfit, or something else which they may never have had as they are so poor. When you send money to your sponsored child, the Compassion project staff will help them decide what would be the best way of using that money. Take a look at our blog about what £10 can buy in different countries. Will you raise money to send to your sponsored child?

If you would like to make your own Compassion money-box to help you fundraise, there are instructions here.

Here are a few fundraising ideas to help get you started, but if you have others, let us know!

  • Make some cakes and sell them at church.
  • Do a car wash at church or for neighbours.
  • As a family, give up one food item a week and save the money.
  • Hold a country lunch or dinner, using recipes and information from your sponsored child’s country, which you can find in the World Explorers section, and charge people to come along.

You can decide if you would like your money to go towards an individual gift for your sponsored child, a family gift or a project gift.

Individual gifts

Project staff members will work with your sponsored child to identify the most suitable way of spending your gift, which might buy new clothes, a goat or even a sewing machine!

You can give your sponsored child an individual gift for their birthday.

Individual gifts can be between £7 and £60 per year with an annual maximum of £60. This includes birthday gifts.

Family gifts

Compassion project workers and church leaders will help a family spend a gift in an appropriate way. For example, a family may spend your money on house repairs or livestock.

Family gifts can be between £15 and £600 per year with an annual maximum of £600.

Project gifts

You can give your sponsored child’s Compassion project a gift. The money will be spent by the project director for the benefit of all the children.

Project gifts can be between £60 and £1,100 per year.

Tell others

Would you introduce your sponsored child to your class or your church?

Maybe you could show their photo and explain where they live. You can find out more information about their country in the World Explorers section and tell people about some of the issues that people living in poverty face there.

Compassion has free resource packs with fantastic films and resources to help you. If you’d like to order a pack, click here.