Sponsor with Compassion

Sponsorship means more now than ever before
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441
Days Waiting
child portrait

Shirley

  • Country: Ecuador
  • D.O.B: November 23, 2014
  • Age: 6

  • Gender: Girl
436
Days Waiting
child portrait

Edilzon

  • Country: Bolivia
  • D.O.B: May 30, 2017
  • Age: 3

  • Gender: Boy
435
Days Waiting
child portrait

Aritri

  • Country: Bangladesh
  • D.O.B: July 29, 2018
  • Age: 2

  • Gender: Girl
435
Days Waiting
child portrait

David

  • Country: Colombia
  • D.O.B: December 24, 2013
  • Age: 7

  • Gender: Boy
Portrait of Shirley
Meet Shirley
Shirley is 6 years old and lives in Ecuador.
EC048000682 | Days Waiting: 441
Country: Ecuador
Birthday: November 23, 2014 (6 years old)
Gender: Girl

Shirley lives with her mother and father. Shirley's mother is Sometimes Employed. Her occupation is Merchant / Seller. Shirley's father is Sometimes Employed. Shirley has 3 siblings living in the household. Shirley helps with the following duties at home: Cleaning and Making Beds. Shirley's favourite activities and interests include: Art or Drawing and Jump Rope. Activities that Shirley enjoys through the church are: Sunday School/Church. At the compassion centre Shirley's favourite activities are: Learning about God and Singing Songs. Shirley attends school. She is in the equivalent of kindergarten. Shirley's favourite subject is Reading. Her performance in school is Average. Shirley's family lives in the area of Huachi Loreto in Ecuador.

Shirley's Country Details

Straddling the equator, Ecuador is home to two Andes mountain ranges that split the country into three zones. The lowlands are hot and humid and the highlands temperate. To the east are tropical rain forests and river valleys.

The Ecuadorian population is more urban than rural, and mostly Indian or of mixed ancestry. Spanish is the official language, but many Indians speak Quechua, the language of the Incas, and practice traditional religions.

Spanish conquistador Pizarro invaded Ecuador in 1532 and soon controlled it. In 1830, the county won sole independence and is now one of the continent's more stable democracies. In 1972, oil exports began providing foreign exchange funds, which fueled inflation and widened the gap between rich and poor. With the decline of oil production, Ecuador has increased tourism and mining ventures. In the 1990s, governmental and social reforms were attempted but lacked popular support. A border dispute with Peru broke out into skirmishes in 1995; a cease-fire was signed, but tensions still remain.

African children playing

Compassion’s ministry is focused on what we call holistic child development. This means developing children in all the different aspects of their lives—their minds, bodies and relationships—while giving them the opportunity to hear about and experience the love of Jesus from caring local church staff and volunteers.

How does sponsorship help kids?

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Formal and non-formal educational opportunitiesCompassion assists children with their primary school education and gives opportunities to attend secondary school, as well as providing vocational training opportunities and extra-curricular activities such as sports, field trips, music and computer training.
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Health care, hygiene training and supplementary foodKids get a healthy snack or meal when they attend program activities, receive regular health check-ups, and learn how to take care of their bodies and form healthy relationships.
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The love and support of a local church and the opportunity to hear about Jesus Because Compassion partners with local churches, children are connected to a local Christian community where they have the opportunity to hear the gospel from caring church staff and volunteers.
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Personal attention, guidance and loveChildren are cared for and invested in by members of their own communities, who encourage them to discover their unique gifts, passions and abilities. Their sponsors also play an important role in this through their prayers and letters.

How is sponsorship impacted during the COVID-19 crisis?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are empowering the local church to use your sponsorship donations to meet urgent and critical needs of families with children/youth registered in the program.

Funds previously used at the child development centres can now be directed as needed to children and their families for necessities like food, clean water, shelter, clothing, household items, and even medical care and trauma counselling. You can learn more about the impact of the pandemic on our program and how our staff are responding to the crisis with great faith and creativity here.

Is sponsorship still relevant during the COVID-19 crisis?

It is! In fact, sponsorship during COVID-19 is needed now more than ever as it enables us to meet the very real and urgent needs of children and their families.

Sponsorship empowers the church to serve the children we love, ensuring they have the hygiene, medication and health supplies they need to make it through the pandemic. It ensures sponsored children have the food and housing security they need as their country deals with the ongoing impact of COVID-19. And it also enables our local partners to share encouragement from the Bible, tutor and deliver programming and deliver trauma counselling in these unprecedented times.

Why do you work with local churches?

Compassion works exclusively with local churches because they know the names and faces of the children in their community and can best understand and respond to their challenges. They are known and trusted by their neighbours and are able to reach those in the greatest need with compassion and through the love of God.

We equip our local church partners with the resources, training and expertise to help children escape poverty. Each church is empowered to implement the program in a way that meets the specific needs of the children they serve. In this way the physical, spiritual, emotional and relational needs for children are met as they are empowered to overcome poverty in all its forms.

Do kids need to be Christian to be in Compassion’s program?

Absolutely not! We encourage children and families of all faiths and backgrounds to register in our programs and would never require or coerce anyone to convert to Christianity.

Learn More

At Compassion, we take financial stewardship seriously.

As certified members of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, Compassion Canada is committed to handling the finances entrusted to us with the utmost integrity. This year, 84.7 per cent of funds were used for program activities benefiting the children we serve, and 15.3 per cent for support services.

Today, children around the world are discovering that poverty doesn’t have to be their future. Help one more do the same by sponsoring with Compassion!

Children running and smiling