Sponsor with Compassion

Sponsorship means more now than ever before
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child portrait

Riyad 

Ethiopia flag
Ethiopia

Birthday

November 5, 2019

Age

Age: 5

Gender

gender-icon

Boy

child portrait

Angeline 

Honduras flag
Honduras

Birthday

September 8, 2019

Age

Age: 5

Gender

gender-icon

Girl

child portrait

Sem 

Nicaragua flag
Nicaragua

Birthday

January 4, 2019

Age

Age: 5

Gender

gender-icon

Boy

child portrait

Tirtho 

Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh

Birthday

July 19, 2020

Age

Age: 4

Gender

gender-icon

Boy

Portrait of Riyad

Meet Riyad

Riyad is 5 years old and lives in Ethiopia.

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Country: Ethiopia

Birthday: November 5, 2019 (5 years old)

Gender: Boy

Global food crisis icon showing a globe with plants growing within it.

Ethiopia has been identified as country that is highly vulnerable to food shortages during the global food crisis. Sponsorship can help Riyad and his family get the nourishment they need.

I live with my mother and father in the Shebe area. The primary language where I live is Oromiffa. My father is sometimes employed as a day labourer. I like group games and hide and seek. My favourite activity at church is Sunday school. I am not attending school because I am too young.

Riyad's Country Details

Ethiopia, a republic in the horn of Africa, sits near the eastern edge of the continent. Its vast central highlands are dominated by temperate plateaus that are divided in half by the Great Rift Valley. Lowland deserts surround the plateaus, which are mostly given to savannahs and farming. Deforestation and unpredictable rainfall have had a harsh impact on this land, which has lost much of its native wildlife.

Ethiopia's population is large and diverse, the second largest in Africa, with more than 70 different ethnic groups. Most people support themselves through subsistence farming in the plateau region, and coffee is one of the most important cash crops. Christianity is widespread in Ethiopia and has been for over a thousand years. Some people practise Indigenous religions or Islam.

Ethiopia is home to the ancient kingdom of Aksum, whose kings were said to be descended from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Aksum was succeeded around 300 BC by the kingdom of Abyssinia. Connections to the prosperous sea trade of the Mediterranean were cut off by the Arabs around the 7th century, dividing Abyssinia from Europe and the Middle East for many centuries. By the time contact resumed in the 15th century, Abyssina had divided into many smaller kingdoms that were not reunited until the late 1800s, when Emperor Menilek II rose to power. After his son, Haile Salassie, was dethroned in 1974, the country experienced political instability and several forms of government. In 1995 the country became the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

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 opportunities Compassion 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 food Kids 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 love Children 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.

Is sponsorship still relevant during and beyond the COVID-19 crisis?

During the pandemic, we saw firsthand the impact of crises on children in poverty. We also saw how powerful sponsorship can be in equipping local churches to respond in specific, effective and life-changing ways. As we continue to see multifaceted crises impacting children around the world, we know that the need for sponsorship remains urgent. We are more confident than ever that your commitment to sponsorship truly allows children, families and communities to be deeply known, loved and protected through it all.

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!