Sponsor with Compassion

Sponsorship means more now than ever before
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Gaspar 

Indonesia flag
Indonesia

Birthday

September 10, 2016

Age

Age: 8

Gender

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Boy

child portrait

Ayunda 

Indonesia flag
Indonesia

Birthday

April 27, 2015

Age

Age: 9

Gender

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Girl

child portrait

Briseyda 

El Salvador flag
El Salvador

Birthday

June 7, 2014

Age

Age: 10

Gender

gender-icon

Girl

child portrait

Benjamin 

Togo flag
Togo

Birthday

December 31, 2018

Age

Age: 5

Gender

gender-icon

Boy

Portrait of Gaspar

Meet Gaspar

Gaspar is 8 years old and lives in Indonesia.

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Country: Indonesia

Birthday: September 10, 2016 (8 years old)

Gender: Boy

I live with my mother and father in the Timor Tengah Selatan area. The primary language where I live is Indonesian. My father is sometimes employed as a farmer. At home, the chores and duties I'm responsible for are animal care and gathering firewood. I like ball games, group games and toy cars. My favourite activity at church is Sunday school. My favourite activities at the centre are learning about God, listening to Bible stories and playing sports. I am in the equivalent of grade 3. My favourite subjects are Art, Math and Reading.

Gaspar's Country Details

Indonesia consists of a vast chain of 17,000 islands along the equator between Australia and Asia. Rugged volcanic mountains descend to dense jungles, fertile lowlands and warm tropical beaches along the coasts of this 5,000 km long archipelago. Some of the largest islands are Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Bali and New Guinea.

With the fourth largest population in the world, Indonesia is a diverse nation with over 300 different ethnic groups. More than 700 languages are spoken, but the most common tongue is Bahasa Indonesia. Most (87 per cent) of Indonesians are Muslim; however, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and animism are also followed. More than half of all Indonesians live on the island of java.

When Columbus sailed from Spain in 1492, he was seeking a new route to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century but were soon outnumbered by the Dutch, who, beginning in 1602, slowly gained control of the islands. Following the Japanese occupation during World War II, the country proclaimed its independence in 1945. The first president, Sukarno, was ousted by a military coup in 1965. General Suharto held power until he was deposed in 1998 when a collapsing economy fueled riots and demands for reforms.

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!