Children are a wonderful gift from God.
They’re a source of great joy and represent our hopes for
the future. Yet for parents trapped in desperate poverty and
unable to properly care for their babies, those hopes are ripped
away as millions of children die from preventable diseases and
malnutrition before their fifth birthday.
Compassion’s Child Survival Program exists
to give the most vulnerable mothers and children the skills
they need to thrive in these most critical years of life. With the
financial support of donors like you, our local church partners
around the world are helping to rescue moms and babies from
desperate poverty and offer them hope through the gospel.
As you read on, it’s my hope that you will choose to support
this amazing program and help prepare babies, toddlers and
their mothers to take their first steps toward a life of promise
and purpose in Jesus Christ.
May God bless you,
If anyone has material possessions
and sees his brother in need but has no
pity on him, how can the love of God be
in him? Dear children, let us not love
with words or tongue but with actions
and in truth. 1 John 3:17-18
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Dr. Barry Slauenwhite
President and CEO
Compassion Canada
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Poverty seems too big for anyone
—let alone one person—to really make a difference. But
a difference is possible. An eternal solution to poverty
exists. It’s only by the gospel of Jesus Christ that
poverty can end and lives be forever changed.
That’s why Compassion and its supporters from more
than 13 nations partner with the local church in 26
of the world’s poorest countries to help children get
an education, stay healthy, learn how to build strong
relationships and discover God’s love for them in the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
To meet these goals, we’ve developed four
programs that work together to care for the specific
developmental and spiritual needs of children,
from the womb all the way to the workforce—
the Child Survival, Child Sponsorship,
Leadership Development and
Response programs.
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In their earliest years, children are at their most
vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and neglect.
The Child Survival Program rescues moms and
babies from desperate poverty, providing food for
malnourished children, teaching moms how to
take care of their children and preparing them to
take their first steps toward a life of promise and
purpose—all through the local church.
The Leadership Development Program gives
students with exceptional academic ability and
leadership potential the chance to use those
skills to help their families, communities and
nations escape the despair of poverty. Students
receive a university education, participate in
leadership training and are discipled in the
Christian faith through their active involvement
in the local church.
The Child Sponsorship Program connects
sponsors and the local church to end poverty
in the life of a child. The program gives
opportunities to go to school to those who
can’t, provides regular health check-ups and
supplemental food when needed, and teaches
children life skills like proper hygiene and how
to build healthy friendships. Most importantly,
they get to hear the gospel as volunteers from
their community teach them about God’s love.
Working together with all of these is Compassion’s
Response Program. These initiatives address the
unique needs of Compassion-assisted children,
making sure that children aren’t living without the
basic necessities of life—things like clean drinking
water, job training, secure housing and dozens
of other practical needs. As we respond with
compassion, we get to see the gospel shine forth
as our church partners address the unique needs
of Compassion-assisted children and see hearts
transformed as God works through the actions
of His people.
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Why focus on
CHILD SURVIVAL?
Early childhood is an extremely critical time for children and sets the stage
for their future well-being. Without a healthy start, a child’s chances of normal
development are limited. Tragically, in our world today more than 8 million
children die every year before their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes.
These include:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Pneumonia
Diarrhea
Malnutrition
Malaria
Measles
HIV/ AIDS
Birth complications
More than one third of these children die during the first
month of life, usually at home and without access to essential
health services and basic commodities that might save their
lives. An underlying factor of most child deaths, particularly
in the developing world, is malnutrition which contributes to
around half of all early childhood deaths.
Many of these early deaths are preventable with access to
proper health services and the assistance of skilled attendants
during delivery and immediately after a child’s birth. Acute
respiratory infections and diarrhea account for about one third
of child deaths, while unsafe water and poor sanitation are also
contributing factors to child mortality.
Significant development takes place during a child’s first
five years of life—and if we are to see children flourish, we
need to remove as many obstacles to healthy early childhood
development as possible.
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What is Compassion’s
CHILD SURVIVAL
PROGRAM?
Since its inception in 2003,
the Child Survival Program has been removing the obstacles that
prevent healthy early childhood development by bringing practical
care to mothers and their young children. Program workers and
volunteers from the local church identify mothers-to-be and
mothers of young children to help them get a healthy start in life
by providing life-saving activities like prenatal and postnatal care,
medical assistance and nutritious food.
Because prevention is always the best
cure, education also plays a critical role in the success of the
Child Survival Program. Mothers are taught how to provide a safe
home environment for their children, along with age-appropriate
development activities that encourage their child’s healthy growth.
When needed, moms are also taught how to read and write, add
and subtract, and given the opportunity to learn a trade that will
help them provide for their children. Through the local church,
mothers are ministered to with the gospel of Jesus Christ, hearing
the good news of salvation—and encouraged in their faith by fellow
believers as they raise their children with hope for the future. After
completing the Child Survival Program, children are eligible to
transition into the Child Sponsorship Program at age three.
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With the healthy start
provided by the Child Survival
Program, families are better equipped to overcome the obstacles standing
in the way of escaping poverty—and have the opportunity to take a
first step into a life of promise and purpose in Jesus Christ.
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Who implements the
CHILD SURVIVAL
PROGRAM?
Like all of Compassion’s programs, the Child Survival Program
is implemented by Compassion’s church partners alongside the
Child Sponsorship Program. Each Child Survival Program provides
a minimum of two specialized staff members, known as Child
Survival Program implementers. These implementers, employed
by the local church and funded by Compassion, carry out regular
home visits and facilitate all group activities.
Many children enrolled in Compassion’s
programs do not have significant relationships with
adults and as a result are not provided with positive
role models. Children (and their mothers) learn much by
following the example of the program implementers and other
child development centre staff. Role models are important, and
Compassion child development centres are careful to select staff
whose personal behaviour is a good example to the children.
Children of all ages feel comfortable
knowing that the church represents a safe and secure
environment.
In addition to providing a physically safe environment, our
church partners focus on the emotional and physical wellbeing of children. They assure children that they are loved and
sheltered from harm. Child protection is a key element
of staff training and all decisions and activities reflect an
uncompromising commitment to child safety and security.
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Child Survival Program mothers
attend group activities together
at least once a month, usually
at the church.
COMPASSION CHILD
DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
Implementing
Church Partner
in developing country
Worship
Pastoral Care
Sunday School
Child Survival Program babies
transition into the Child Sponsorship
Program by their fourth birthday.
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Sponsored children attend
activities at the church-based
child development centre.
Each centre:
Is overseen by a pastor
Is directed by a church committee
Is managed by a project director
Is supported by an accountant
Facilitates the Child Sponsorship Program
Facilitates the Child Survival Program
Each mother and child in the Child
Survival Program receives home visits
by a program implementer each month
so learning can take place in their
own environment. This allows the
implementer to assess their
individual needs.
High school graduates from the Child
Sponsorship Program can choose
to fulfill their dreams to become
professionals by attending university
and receiving Christian leadership
training through the Leadership
Development Program.
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Feature Story
DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL
Thirty-year-old John is a rare but welcomed beneficiary of
the Child Survival Program. The only father among 57 mothers in his program,
he is not worried about playing the role of both mother and father to his
three-year-old daughter Gloria. Two years ago John arrived home from his
father’s funeral to find Gloria’s mother had left Gloria with some neighbours and
disappeared with all her belongings. “I was very confused,” says John, “Why did she
leave without a word? How would I cope on my own? Whatever her reasons, I knew
that I had to do my best to raise Gloria on my own.”
Rachael, a Child Survival Program implementer adds, “When we were looking for
children and mothers in our community to register for the Child Survival Program we
came to his home and found John with a very sick daughter. We were deeply moved
by his circumstances and immediately registered them in our program.”
Gloria and John have been in the program for the last two
years. She is now three years old and will soon transition into the Child
Sponsorship Program where she will have a sponsor who will help provide
her needs. Her future looks bright.
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“The group meetings are great because we are taught innovative ways to generate
income using the available resources. I bought a piglet to start a small piggery farm
(pictured). I know soon I will have many pigs in the compound and these will give
me more income to run the home and look after Gloria.” “We are also taught
that children are gifts from God. Our part is to look after them as God
looks after them with a lot of love. I pray with Gloria every day and
she cannot go to sleep without us praying together.” The bond between
Gloria and her father is growing each day.
John admits that raising a child on his own requires a lot of patience, “I now know
that it takes patience to bring up a child, but I really enjoy caring for her, washing
her clothes and playing with her. My experience has given me a greater respect
had not left us because many fathers in our community are not very involved in
I appreciate how they dedicate their time to us and their love for
Gloria. These men and women have great love for our children and they treat them
their children’s lives. I wish to encourage fathers that bringing up a child is not a
as if they are their own children. I pray that God blesses them and all the people
woman’s role alone.”
who support the Child Survival Program.”
for mothers than ever before. I would not have had this experience if her mother
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“I am very grateful to the program implementers and
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THE
STRATEGIES OF
As a result of the International Year of the Child in 1979, the
world began to devote more attention to child development
issues. The United Nations Children’s Fund in collaboration
with the World Health Organization launched a joint
initiative on child survival which forms the basis of the
Child Survival Program:
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GROWTH MONITORING
Program staff monitor children’s growth by maintaining records of each
child’s height and weight. Steady growth is a good sign that a child is
receiving adequate nutrition and reaching developmental milestones.
Oral rehydration therapy
Gastrointestinal illness and diarrhea lead to the life-threatening dehydration that causes several million child deaths each year. Child Survival Program implementers use an inexpensive sugar-salt solution to replace fluids lost during illness and teach moms how to prepare the solution at home.
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Breastfeeding
In many of the countries where the Child Survival Program works, breastfeeding
is not the norm. But breastfeeding promotes infant growth, facilitates bonding
with the mother and reduces frequency of illness. Breastfeeding assists an
infant’s immune system—if a mother does not breastfeed her infant, he or she
will be six times more likely to die in the first two months of life from infectious
diseases such as diarrhea and respiratory infections. Breastfeeding is also
inexpensive. Through education sessions, Child Survival Program implementers
encourage mothers to breastfeed.
The Child Survival Program also provides mothers who are not able to
breastfeed with options like baby formula which, because of the high cost,
would otherwise not be available to them.
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Immunization
Immunization is an effective way to reduce or eliminate many diseases that
cause childhood death and disability. In the least developed countries, only 60
percent of children have received immunizations against measles, diphtheria,
pertussis, polio and tuberculosis. The Child Survival Program provides access to
and maintains up-to-date records of children’s immunizations.
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Female literacy
A mother’s level of education is strongly linked to child survival. A literate
mother can benefit from available materials on health and child-rearing
practices. The ability to read also makes her more equipped to provide for
her child. Child Survival Program implementers encourage female literacy by
providing literacy classes for pregnant women and mothers.
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Food
High-quality food is not always available or affordable. In many agricultural
communities, fields are used to raise one particular crop for income generation
instead of producing the varied food a family needs for a healthy diet. The
Child Survival Program provides food supplements to malnourished children,
as well as to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Throughout the formative
early childhood years, children in the Child Survival Program receive both
enough food and the right kind of food, based on their identified nutritional
needs, to grow strong and healthy. In addition to food supplies and nutritional
supplements, mothers are taught how to prepare food hygienically, the
principles of good nutrition, and how to meet the special nutritional needs
of young children.
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Family planning
When children are born close together, the mother’s body does not have time
to fully recover between pregnancies. Also, the older child is more likely to
be weaned from breastfeeding at an earlier age, which can lead to impaired
growth and increased vulnerability to illness. The Child Survival Program
educates parents about family planning and promotes better maternal
and child health.
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At Compassion, we don’t focus on just
the physical needs of children. We are
committed to developing all aspects
of a child’s life—their minds, bodies,
relationships and spiritual lives. As a
child focused ministry, Compassion is
committed to achieving outcomes for
mothers as well as their babies because
of the direct implications on the child’s
well-being, especially during pregnancy.
Healthy Bodies
Many children in developing countries
are never seen at a health facility, often
because these health services don’t
exist or because families lack access to
or knowledge of these basic services.
Many mothers do not recognize the
warning signs of life-threatening illness.
Because most child deaths and births in
developing countries take place at home,
Child Survival Program implementers
ensure that child health is at the
core of their education with mothers.
Expectant moms are educated about
vital topics such as fetal development,
the childbirth process, breastfeeding
and infant care. The program monitors
the health of babies and mothers and
educates mothers on various ways to
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prevent common childhood diseases,
malnutrition and HIV/AIDS.
Healthy Minds
Children need all their senses
stimulated: smell, sight, taste, touch
and hearing. They also need to be
active to develop their motor skills.
In the developing world, extreme
poverty means that many children are
left alone and have little interaction
with others. This is detrimental to their
cognitive development and ability to
learn later in life.
Compassion’s Child Survival Program
works to ensure that babies receive ageappropriate learning materials that are
high quality and cost effective, as well
as providing opportunities to improve
their intellectual development. Mothers
are taught the importance of play and
using toys from an early age. During
group sessions at the child development
centres, babies have the opportunity to
sing, dance, explore and play with toys.
Play becomes an important opportunity
for young children to use their
imaginations and to practice social skills.
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Each child development centre is
encouraged to have an area designated
for group activities that is a colourful
and stimulating place, supplied with
toys, puzzles, craft supplies and other
educational items. The children enjoy ageappropriate activities such as learning how
to identify colours and making different
shapes from clay. Active games help
them improve their physical coordination
and develop social skills. Mothers are
also trained on how to provide learning
activities for their children at home and
are provided with a few simple toys to
keep at home.
Healthy Relationships
When children live in a loving, safe
environment, surrounded by family,
friends and a community of people who
affirm them, they dare to dream of what
they might become.
However, extreme poverty so often robs
people of all hope. Many babies are born
into extremely violent and depressed
communities where there is little or
no social support. Many families are
dysfunctional. Alcohol and drugs often
contribute to domestic violence and
abuse. There are many single mothers
trying to find work and care for their
families at the same time. Babies are
often left in the care of young siblings
as mothers try to earn enough money to
support their children.
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As a response to these problems,
Compassion’s Child Survival Program
focuses on providing emotional and
social support for both mother and child.
Children learn an alternative to the
negative relationships they see modelled
in their communities, as they receive love
and care from both the implementers
and their mothers. Mothers learn the
importance of showing affection to
their children, of praising them and of
spending quality time with them.
Many mothers are used to being isolated
at home and are painfully shy, having
been treated as the lowest echelon of
society their entire lives. Mothers are
offered counselling as needed, and
their self-esteem is improved as they
are taught their God-given value. Social
events, like baby showers and Christmas
parties, are organized for both mothers
and children as they learn to
build friendships.
Faith in Jesus Christ
As with all Compassion programs around
the world, the Child Survival Program
places high priority on sharing the
hope of Christ with the mothers and
children. It is important that children
not only receive a healthy start in life,
but also learn at an early age that Jesus
loves them. Mothers are presented with
the gospel and encouraged in their
spiritual development. They are also
taught how to apply Christian values in
their parenting and how to share the
love of God with their children through
stories, songs, and other age-appropriate
activities. Through regular worship
time, devotions, Bible study and other
spiritual activities, both at home and at
the centre, the staff encourage mothers
to bring their children up according to
biblical principles.
Compassion’s Child Survival Program
does not discriminate against people
of other faiths. The program assists
mothers and babies regardless of their
religious affiliation. It is, however, made
clear during registration that Compassion
is an evangelical Christian organization
and that mothers will participate
in Christian teaching as part of the
program. Each mother in the program
will hear the gospel and be encouraged,
but never coerced, to accept Christ as her
personal Saviour.
Compassion believes in family as a
God-ordained institution, and it is
under this principal that Compassion’s
Child Survival Program also encourages
paternal involvement in the program
so that fathers, as well as mothers,
can become good role models to their
children. Compassion also makes a Bible
available for each mother.
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to make sure she is healthy.
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You can help expand the Child Survival Program’s life-changing
ministry to mothers and babies by providing full support for an entire program
in a specific country. Each year, you will receive updates about what is
happening at your Child Survival Program.
provide support
You can also
through smaller annual or monthly
contributions to the Child Survival Program that help us meet the needs of
mothers and babies in Child Survival Programs that are still waiting to be
funded. You will receive updates from one of the Child Survival Programs that
your donation has helped to support.
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CHILD SURVIVAL
PROGRAM Q&A
Can a father or other caregiver be a beneficiary of the program?
Yes. If the mother is not the primary caregiver of a child, the father, relative
or close friend who is taking care of the child will be registered.
Are fathers and other family members included in Child Survival
Program activities? Yes. Most program activities are geared to directly
benefit the child and mother or primary caregiver. However, some church
partners choose to provide interventions and activities that benefit other
family members as well.
Do mothers and children in the Child Survival Program receive
Christmas presents? Yes. Christmas gifts are provided for all Child
Survival Program beneficiaries just as they are for children in the Child
Sponsorship Program and students in the Leadership Development
Program. Unfortunately packages cannot be sent overseas due to possible
theft and high customs charges, but you can donate to the Christmas gift
fund at any time throughout the year. All donations are pooled to ensure all
Compassion beneficiaries receive a present.
Can I provide a family or individual gift for a particular mother
or child? Although you cannot specify a particular mother or child for a
gift, you can give a gift of up to $1000 designated to go to the neediest
family in a particular Child Survival Program, as determined by the Child
Survival Program implementers.
Can I provide a project gift to a particular Child Survival
Program? Yes. You may provide a gift of up to $2000 annually. All project
gifts will be used for the benefit of all mothers and children in the program
and not an individual mother or child. Field office and church partner staff
will determine developmentally and culturally appropriate gifts for the
mothers and children.
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Do mothers have to be Christian to be registered in the Child
Survival Program? No. Both non-Christian and Christian families are
selected for the program. Compassion church partners will always prioritize by
selecting the most vulnerable in the community.
Where do annual or monthly contributions to the Child Survival
Program go? Just as the Child Sponsorship Program has children who are
registered and receiving program benefits, but still awaiting sponsorship, there
are Child Survival Programs that are not fully funded. Contributions to the
Child Survival Program will be used to help support these programs, as well
as for the start-up costs for new programs for things such as equipment, toys,
scales and supplies.
How can I support an entire Child Survival Program in a particular
country? Each year Compassion Canada commits to funding a certain
number of Child Survival Programs from a number of countries. If you would
like to support an entire program and for a list of where these programs are
located, please contact your Compassion representative.
How do the church partners select new mothers and children? Each
church partner has a clearly documented process and criteria for selecting the
most vulnerable families in their communities who can benefit from the program.
They seek to register vulnerable children, traumatized children, children with
special needs, children affected by HIV/AIDS or mothers who have miscarried
in previous pregnancies.
What information can I expect to receive from the Child Survival
Program I support? As the supporter of an entire Child Survival Program, you
will receive updates containing photos, messages from mothers, the pastor and
a Child Survival Program implementer, along with updates of what’s going on at
that Child Survival Program. If you choose to give annual or monthly contributions
to the Child Survival Program, you will receive updates from one of the partially
funded Child Survival Programs that your donation has helped to support.
Does a Child Survival Program always have to be established at a
church where a Child Sponsorship Program already exists? Yes.
Compassion’s Child Survival Program is the first phase of Compassion’s Holistic
Child Development Model, so it is assumed that most child beneficiaries of
the Child Survival Program will transition into the Child Sponsorship Program
before they reach the age of four. Exceptions will be made if the Child Survival
Program is the primary means to establish programs in a new country or if the
church partner plans to add a Child Sponsorship Program by the time the first
child in the Child Survival Program reaches his or her fourth birthday.
What if a mother gives birth to twins; how many children can be
registered with a mother? The children in the Child Survival Program are
considered Compassion-registered children and families are limited to having
three children concurrently registered in any Compassion child development
program. The siblings can be registered in any of the three programs–Child
Survival Program, Child Sponsorship Program or the Leadership Development
Program. For example, a mother may have twins registered in the Child
Survival Program and another child who is part of the Child Sponsorship
Program.
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Feature Story
FROM HOMELESS
TO FULL OF HOPE
Jesula was 40 years old. She was homeless.
And she was pregnant.
During the day, she would walk the
streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, or visit
some old friends in the hope of getting
something to eat. But usually she got
nothing. In the evening, she would head
to the New Jerusalem Church where she
would sleep using a pew as bed and rags
as blankets.
Jesula had become pregnant by a man
who abandoned her, and she couldn’t
afford to visit the doctor. She felt
desperate, but she could find no way out.
When the Child Survival Program staff
saw how much help she needed, Jesula
was registered when she was seven
months pregnant. Jesula was not a
Christian, but she was convinced that
God had heard her cry.
The program staff found a place for
Jesula to live. She received home visits
and regular medical checkups. Two
months later, she gave birth to a healthy
baby boy named Slenth.
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A few months after his birth, Slenth
suffered from malnutrition. She brought
him every morning to the centre to
receive appropriate nutrition. Jesula also
received food to take home, including
rice, oil, milk, spaghetti and sugar. Slenth
is now 2-years-old and is in good health.
Now Jesula is learning how to read and
write at the Child Survival Program.
She also attends cooking classes and
hopes to use this skill to earn money
in the future.
But Jesula and Slenth have gained
in even greater ways. Through the
Bible teachings at the program, Jesula
accepted Jesus into her life as her
personal Saviour. She has committed
herself to the church and to pursuing a
Christ-like life.
Where once there was only
desperation, Jesula and her
baby now have a new hope
and life.
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Compassion connects you and the church in the developing
world to end poverty in the life of a child. We work with the
church in 26 countries to help children get an education, stay
healthy, learn how to build strong relationships and discover
God’s love for them in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International
Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan.
All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are
trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
www.compassion.ca
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COMPASSION CANADA, Box 5591, London, ON N6A 5G8
TEL: 519.668.0224 TOLL FREE: 1.800.563.5437 FAX: 519.685.1107
EMAIL: [email protected] www.compassion.ca
CSP007