I’ve been a fan of Compassion International for a long time. Before Kenya, my wife and I sponsored a girl in India. I know Compassion does good work.

However, I am ashamed to admit that before Kenya I was detached from our sponsored girl in India. My wife would write her letters, but I seldom would read any of the correspondence. I thought that giving money and my wife’s letters were enough. I didn’t see the opportunity or realize the power of writing letters to my sponsored child.

I do now.

After just a few days in Kenya, it is plain to see that investing in a child through Compassion International is far more than giving money. These children are human with a real need for relationships. As a sponsor, you are their hero, so they desperately want to hear from you. Your words, no matter how simple, are an encouragement, a motivator, and giver of hope.

Your words are statistically proven to boost your child’s performance. They are statistically proven to improve the odds of breaking the cycle of poverty.

Let us not forget the humanity in humanitarian. If you sponsor a child, write them often. If you don’t sponsor a child, consider taking the journey that will change your life and a child’s life.

Photos by Keely Marie Scott.

Yesterday we visited one of Compassion International’s Child Survival Programs in Kenya. It provides prenatal care, food, supplements, health care, motherhood training, education, encouragement, spiritual training, and income generating opportunities (including microfinance).

Globally, 24,000 children under 5 die every day from preventable diseases, most within their first hours or days of life.

In Kenya, 22 million people (55% of population) live on less than $1.25 per day. And those with a job often support 10+ people financially. The Child Survival Program is designed to reach these mothers and some households earn as little as $10 per month.

MEET SCOLA

We met Scola, a mother of four who joined the Child Survival Program and found a new way of life. Not only did she learn a better way to raise her children, but through microfinance, she was also taught how to make and sell soap. Spending $7 on supplies, Scola could make $20 worth of soap. The $13 profits let her buy more soap and pay her $6 monthly rent.

Cloth drapes the walls to add beauty to her small one room shack. The family shares one bed. The roof is corrugated tin and the floor is cement. A sewage trench runs almost stagnate outside her home. Her husband struggles to find odd jobs. Scola is full of joy. The Child Survival Program has changed her life. It has enabled her.

MEET EUNICE

We also met Eunice. She makes necklaces since joining the Child Survival Program. She rolls slivers of old posters, calendars, and scrap paper into beads coated with varnish. Her smile was overwhelming. Her joy was contagious. She had dignity and humility. When asked about her dream for her son Stanley, she said:

I want him to do well in school… to go to university. I’d like him to become a doctor… and support others in the community.

GOBSMACKED

The people I met work incredibly hard to survive. The Child Survival Program and Child Sponsorship Program give these families a boost of hope and the rare opportunity to break the poverty cycle.  Think about Eunice’s hope for Stanley.

I want my child to be successful so that he can financially support others.

Compared to almost everyone in the United States, these people have nothing. But when they get something, they are looking to help others. Think about that. Get gobsmacked.

Currently, Kenya has 3,000 kids waited to be sponsored. The model is entirely scalable. They are just waiting on your support.

Here is a recap of Day #1 at Compassion International Kenya.

Photos by Ryan Detzel.

Photos by Kent Shaffer.

Photos by Keely Marie Scott.