Compassion International is an evangelical Christ-Centered Child
Development NGO that for over sixty years has existed as an
advocate for children, to release them from poverty and enable
them to become responsible and fulfi lled Christian ADULTS.

THIS IS WHO WE ARE

We are advocates for children, committed to Jesus Christ in all that we do.

Jesus is the core of our ministry and his life and teachings shape our programs, reflect the spiritual commitments of our staff, and guide how we love people, respect communities and cooperate with nations.

We are Christ-centered, church-based and child-focused.

That is what makes us distinct from other child sponsorship organizations.

We are the world’s leading authority in holistic child development through sponsorship.

THIS IS WHAT WE DO

We release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. That is our mission.

Through a holistic approach to child development, we carefully blend physical, social, economic and spiritual care together…in Jesus’ name.

Since 1952 when Rev. Everett Swanson first flew to South Korea to minister to American troops fighting in the Korean War and felt compelled to help the orphans he saw on the streets, we have worked to help children realize their full potential and develop into all God intends them to be.

THIS IS HOW WE WORK

We do all of our work through partnerships with thousands of local churches in 25 countries around the world.

We are church-based. This is due to our desire to equip the Church to fulfill its role as salt and light, and because local congregations are catalysts for community change, optimizing the mutual respect, resources and common purpose critical in caring for children.

Local churches are best suited to address the needs of the children in their communities because the churches are already located and involved in the communities.

Our local church partners tailor our holistic child development model to the contextualized needs of the children in their communities to best deliver the whole-life care that the children they serve most need.

Whole-life care is not care for an entire life. Whole-life care is holistic care — comprehensive care — to help children fully develop and become responsible and fulfilled adults. Whole-life care means we begin, in some cases, with prenatal care and go all the way through young adulthood. It means we take a long-term approach to child development and provide opportunities that encourage healthy spiritual, physical, social and economic development.

We work primarily through child sponsorship.

But also have specific initiatives to:

• help babies and mothers in poverty.
• develop future leaders.
• meet critical needs.

Critical needs include opportunities to provide medical assistance (e.g., surgeries, transplants, casts, wheelchairs and canes, cancer treatment, etc.), extra food and nutritional supplements, income-generation training, emergency home repairs and disaster relief, access to clean and safe water, education assistance, and other necessities.

THIS IS HOW OUR CHILD SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM WORKS

We fight poverty personally. We are child-focused. When a child is registered in our program the beneficiary of the support is the specific sponsored child.

We work with the neediest and most vulnerable children that we can reach — the poorest of the poor.

Our Child Sponsorship Program offers:

• medical checkups and health care.
• health and hygiene training.
• ongoing Christian training through a local church.
• educational assistance, including textbooks, school uniforms, post-secondary courses, tutoring, test and lab supplies and even literacy and financial training for caregivers.
• key life skills training, mentoring and vocational programs.
• nutritious food and supplements to protect against malnutrition.
• recreational activities and support to development self-confidence and social skills.
• protection from crime, violence and danger.
• access to special services like surgeries and disaster relief.

The minimum standards for our Child Sponsorship Program dictate that each church-run child development center provide 4-8 hours of programming each week, at least 48 weeks out of the year, and that individual child attendance be taken each time the center is open.

While at the church-based child development centers the children receive life-changing opportunities that would otherwise be out of their reach, and which build on, add to and extend their school lessons.

Find out more on our website: https://www.compassion.com/about/about-us.htm