Colombia

Colombia is located in north-western South America. It shares borders with Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. The population is over 45 million people, making it the second most populated country in South America, after Brazil.

Decades of armed conflict between the Colombian government and drug trafficking militia has caused over three million people displaced in the last 15 years. 75% of the displaced people are women and children who, because they have left their homes, they have little access to medical care, education, safe drinking water and basic health services.

Drug trafficking continues to grow, and brings into Colombia an estimated $6 million a year.

1/3 of all Colombian children are anaemic.

6% of infants have low birth weight.

Approx 15% of children under 5 suffer from moderate to severe stunted growth.

Issues children face in Colombia:

• Flu / Fevers / Viruses
• Diarrhoea
• Respiratory Illnesses
• Skin Allergies
• Asthma
• Lice
• Intestinal Infections
• Malnutrition
• Dengue Fever
• HIV/ AIDS
• Contagious illnesses
• Continuing war
• Drug related violence
• Gangs

 

Compassion International began working in Colombia in 1974.  Over 42,300 children participate in around 198 child development centres.  Compassion Australia assists approx 2,200 of these children.  Currently around 83 Colombian students are enrolled in the Leadership Development Program.

Watch: The Disposable Ones DVD

To sponsor a child from Colombia click here

Someone I'd like you to meet

Hola! My name is Jorge. My birthday was in April. I turned 11 years old. I live in a city called Santa Rosa de Copan, which is in the mountains of Honduras. I live with my parents, who love me very much but have to work all the time. My mother sometimes works as a labourer and my father as a mason. When they do work they only get about $40 a week, which isn't much when they have to feed me and my 3 siblings, clothe us, send us to school and repair our home after the storms that come at Christmastime.

I like to play soccer with my friends, but we are too poor to buy a soccer ball of my own. I have to share with all the kids in my neighbourhood.

I will be so happy to have a sponsor. I have waited many months. Please, if you will sponsor me, I promise to write letters, to pray for you and to love you. Until I get a sponsor I will continue to go to the Compassion Project and each day I will cross my fingers and hope that I will get the news that I have been the lucky one, chosen to be sponsored.

If you would like to sponsor Jorge, I have his packet until 30^th June. Sponsorship through Compassion Australia is $44 a month.

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six counties: Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast. Almost half of the country's population lives under the poverty line.

Approx 36% of children in Burkina Faso suffer from stunted growth, malaria, respiratory infection and diarrhoea. The country currently holds the highest infant mortality rate of all of Compassion's field countries, with approx 82 infants dying for every 1,000 born.

Schooling costs about $95 per year which is far more than most families can afford. Boys receive preference in schooling; therefore girls' education and literacy rates are low. The government recognises this and has implemented a policy to make schooling cheaper for girls and is granting scholarships. According to UNICEF, only 81% of students reach the fifth grade. Only about 28% of the entire population is literate.

Issues children in Burkina Faso face:

• Malnutrition
• Illiteracy
• Exploitation / Child Labor
• High Infant Mortality
• Stunted Growth
• Malaria
• Respiratory Illnesses
• Diarrhoea
• Typhoid
• Fevers / Coughs
• Pneumonia
• HIV / AIDS (approx 130,000 people suffer)

Some examples of what a monetary gift can buy in for your sponsor child in Burkina Faso:

$10 and under: bucket, chicken, ball, bench, doll, lamp, pants, shirt, table

$20 and under: blanket, books / dictionary, shoes, toys

$40 and under: clothes, maize (bag), rice (bag), tools

Some examples of what a monetary gift can buy for your sponsor child's family:

$85 and under: bike, mattress

Income generating items:

$85 and under: donkey, goat, plow for farming

$150 and under: water barrel on trailer

$250 and under: cow, sewing machine

$300 and under: cart pulled by a donkey

Compassion International began working in Burkina Faso is 2004.  Over 19,00 children participate in around 93 child development centres.  Compassion Australia assists over 1,900 of these children.

To sponsor a child in Burkina Faso click here

Want to do a little more?

Why not consider sending a financial gift to your sponsor child?

Although your monthly sponsorship cost contributes to many many areas of your sponsor child's life, a financial gift can cover those extra costs.

If there is a natural disaster in your sponsor child's country or if it is the dry season in Africa, financial gifts can be very useful.  They can even be used for repairs or extensions to the family home, clothes and extra food.

The options are either a Child Gift, or a Family Gift. 

Child gifts can be sent for either your child's birthday or general or both.  A minimum of $20 to a maximum of $150 per year.

Examples of what money can buy for a Child Gift depending on the country:

$10 and under: Ball, chickens, doll, food (1kg rice, 1kg lentils, 1kg flour, 1kg beans, 3kg oil, bread, coffee, ) lamp, mostquito lamp, toys, clothes (shirts, pants, shoes), books, bucket, table

$25 and under: Blanket, goat, pig, sheep

$40 and under: Used bicycle, guinea pigs (for breeding)

Often a child gift will be used for items to benefit the entire family, because our dollars go a long way in many countries- you'd be surprsied what can be bought for $30 - the amount we would spend on one t-shirt..

***

This is our child Pras, with his birthday present:  While gift photos are very rare, each child will at least write to you to thank you, and tell you what was purchased.

Family Gifts can be sent upto 4 times a year.  From a minimum of $20 to a maximum of $1500 per year. 

Examples of what money can buy for a Family Gift:

$100 and under: Bike, cow, mattress, donkey

$200 and under: Carpenter's tool box, Rickshaw, sewing machine

$250 and under: Bricklaying tools, street food cart, cart pulled by donkey

***

You are also able to send a Graduation Gift, when you child is graduating the Compassion program, which is a great way to show how proud you are of them, and also give them a positive start to life outside of Compassion.  Given once, from a minimum of $20 to a maximum of $2,000.

***

The other type of gift you can give is a Child Development Centre Gift.  From a minimum of $150 to a maximum of $3,000 per year.  This can be used to purchase much needed items for the Child Centre, such as stationary, desks and chairs, playground, toilets, water system, digital camera etc.

***

To send you sponsor child a financial gift either phone Compassion on 1300 22 44 53 or login to your online account.

Remember Your Manners

Didn't your mother always tell you to remember your manners?

Well, why not say a simple thankyou?  HUNDREDS of letters arrived at each field country office every week, and the translators have to work through them all. 

Some translators get paid per letter, so it doesn't matter if the letter is 3 lines or 3 pages long!  They may work through 40 letters each, per day.  It's not a easy task.  Many words need to be found in the dictionary or 'Googled' to find their real meaning.  Many translators pride themselves in being as accurate with the translation as possible.

Why not consider putting a small card in with your next letter, addressed to the translator, just to say 'Thankyou' and that you appreciate their hard work?  A little recognition goes a long way.

These cute cards are from Pepperpot Stationary, $12.99 for 10 cards

Something Different

I found this cute wrapping paper in a local store for $2 ea, but I also know stores like Chickenfeed, The Reject Shop and Priceline have various wrapping paper for 50c or 3 for $2.

I will be sending this paper to my teenage girls.  They can choose to do many things with it, they may choose to put it on the wall to decorate, or make something from it, etc.

There is so many varieties of paper, something for everyone!

Goodies to Send

Although it is not compulsory to send goodies along with your letters, it is fun for both us, in finding the items, and your sponsor child in receiving them.  A letter is all it takes to share some love, but goodies make it even greater!

Compassion's mailing guide for goodies to send with your letters are:

- Paper items
- No larger than A4
- No thicker than 6mm

Initially, you may thick it's hard to find items to send.  Below is a list that I am always adding to, of items I have bought, or seen, or other Compassion sponsors have told me about.  There is something on the list suitable for either boy or girl, and regardless if they are 3 yrs old, or 20 years old.

- Stickers (cute animal/ vehicles for young kids, or word / Bible verse ones for older kids)
- Bookmarks
- Postcards (where you live, or pick up some when you go on holidays)
- Photos (You, family, friends, pets, holidays, scenery, animals)
- Photo books

- Brochures (local tourist attractions, ones with many photos, the brochure won't get translated)
- Colouring Book / Pages
- Activity Book / Pages
- Mazes / Dot-to-Dot
- Suduku

- Geometric Colouring Pages (Great for older kids)
- Character Bandaids
- Party Loot Bags (thin plastic)
- Temporary Tatoos
- Newspaper articles

- Soccer Trading Cards
- Memory Card games
- Calander
- Drawings / Coloured in pages from your kids

Blue Corner

The blue square in the corner of Compassion's materials debuted in 2007 when Compassion wanted a distinguishable marker to consistently tie together its materials.

According to color theory, the bold cobalt blue symbolizes trust, integrity and spirituality, so choosing cobalt blue for the corner serves as a visual reminder that Compassion is unabashedly Christian and that the staff strive to act with the highest level of integrity at all times.

The proportion of the blue corner is also significant. If you get out a ruler, you will discover that in most cases the length of one side of the corner is about one-tenth of the longest side of the printed material. The word tenth is synonymous with the word tithe and should remind Christians that we are called to give from our abundance.

The location of the square, in the corner of the materials, is a powerful depiction of a verse found in Leviticus.

This verse, along with hundreds of others in the Bible, shows us that God clearly expects us to share our resources and provide for the needs of the poor. We are to leave a corner of what we harvest so those who are going without can have enough to survive.

Who would have thought that the blue square had that much meaning?

This was taken from the Complassion Blog ...

Brazil

Brazil is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both in size and population- with over 190 million people. It is the only Portuguese speaking country in South America.

Poverty in Brazil is visually represented by the many favelas (slums) in the cities, and also remote country regions. Crime is a serious problem in Brazil. Common occurrences include homicides, muggings, robberies, kidnappings, gang violence and police brutality and corruption.

Public education is free, but many children do not attend because of malnutrition. Child labour is common, even though it is against the law for children under the age of 16 to work. Many children are forced to work by their parents to contribute to the family income.

There are 12 million children living in the most impoverished semi-arid regions of Brazil, and the contrast between rich and poor is marked. In these regions, literacy, infant mortality and water facilities are well below the national average and only 37 per cent of people enjoy access to adequate sanitation facilities, compared to 84 per cent in the cities.

Issues children face in Brazil:

• Lack of Schools
• High Infant Mortality
• Lack of Sanitation Facilities
• Employment Opportunities
• Colds / Flus
• Parasites
• Respiratory Illnesses
• Skin diseases
• Health Care Centres
• Asthma

Child prostitution in Brazil is a widespread and serious problem. Brazil is considered to have the worst child sex trafficking record after Thailand. Many tourists travel to Brazil for sex tourism, in particular child prostitution.

Below are some examples of what a monetary gift can purchase for your child in Brazil:

$10 and under: beans (1 kg), bread, coffee (500 g), meat, oil (900 ml), rice (5 kg), sugar (1 kg)

$15 and under: ball, book, clothes (jacket, jeans, pants, shirts, etc.), shoes, toy

$40 and under: blanket (single and full size), dolls, lamp

Below are some examples of what a monetary gift can purchase for your child's family in Brazil:

$100 and under: tools, bicycle

$150 and under: mattress (single size)

$250 and under: mattress (double size)

Compassion International began working in Brazil in 1987. Over 29,000 children participate in around 149 child development centres and Compassion Australia assists over 2600 of these children. Compassion's Leadership Development Program and various Complementary Interventions also operate in Brazil. Currently 59 Brazilian students are enrolled in the Leadership Development Program.

To sponsor a child in Brazil click here



Can't Ask for More!

What a week!

Firstly, both my sister and a friend signed up to sponsor children!! Amazing!

Secondly I received 2 letters from Niki in East Indonesia.  Other than these, we have only received her first intro letter.  Part of what she wrote that touched my heart "Dear Mother Kathryn.  I am so happy to see your face if only through a picture.  I have put your picture where everyone can see."  I was in tears!

Niki is the first child to ever call me "mother", and she is just so special.  She had waited over 18 months for a sponsor, and I found her on the Canadian Compassion site and had her transfered.  Just a beautiful girl.

Then, I received a thankyou card from Pras is Indonesia.  We sponsored him the week after his birthday in January, so I immediately sent him a $30 birthday gift.  Hence, this thankyou card.  He bought good shoes to wear to church, and is saving the rest.  Smart boy!  Inside the card was a photo...

He looks pretty happy with his shoes! When you send a financial gift to your sponsor child, or a family gift, they will write and thank you, and tell you what they purchased.  The money does not go directly to the family, it goes to the project.  Then one of the workers will take the family shopping for what they need most.  In many cases it will be clothes.  Very, very rarely you will get a photo of the child with the items they bought, which is why I am so very please with this photo- because they are hard to get hold of!!

And lastly, this morning I checked my Compassion account.  All the faces were there, except one had changed! Every 2 years you get a updated official photo.  But, these can appear as early as 18 months after the last one.  In January, when I wrote to wish Bridget a happy 6th birthday, I told her she would be getting her photo taken soon, and asked if she could give me a big smile, because she is so beautiful. 

Well, could you get a bigger smile?!

Letters = LOVE

Plain and simple:

letters = love

Compassion children who receive letters regularly are happier, participate more, and are higher achievers rather than those who don't.

No letters = discouraged children.  Some children do not even want to attend the project because they think that their sponsor doesn't care or love them.

Make sure your sponsor child feels loved - have you written to your sponsor child lately?

Bolivia

Bolivia is located in South America, bordering Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. It is one of the poorest countries in South America.

Approx 59% of the population lives in poverty and 24% of the population lives in extreme poverty. Bolivia ranks 104 out of 174 countries in human development.

Rural poverty is related to conditions which include low argicultural productivity, lack of infrastructure and little or no access to markets. In urban areas, poverty is related to low quality employment and reduced income.

Infant morality, illiteracy and malnutrition remains high in rural communities. Approx 800,000 children under 18 yrs of age and working as labourers in areas such as mining, harvesting crops and human trafficking.

Issues the Bolivian people face:

• Respiratory infections
• Diarrhoea
• Malnutrition
• Tuberculosis
• Dental Problems
• Colds and Flu
• Intestinal Parasites
• Anaemia

Bolivia is one of the wettest countries in the world. The annual rainfall is over 5000mm.

The Bolivian military recruit men as young as 14. 40% of the military forces are between the ages of 14 and 18. These young men should be in school.

Some examples pf what a monetary gift can purchase in Bolivia:
$10 and under: 10 chickens
$20 and under: pig, sheeps, five chickens
$40 and under: bicycle (used), guinea pigs
$100 and under: bicycle (new), cow, sewing machine

Income generating activities under $250:
Hot Dog 'carrier'
Hamburger 'carrier'
Bricklaying tools
Carpentry tools

Compassion International began working in Bolivia in 1975. Over 47,000 children participate in around 188 child development centres and Compassion Australia assists over 2,900 of these children. Currently there are around 113 Bolivian students enrolled in the Leadership Development Program and eight Child Survival Programs in operation.

To sponsor a child in Bolivia click here



Photo Effects

Looking for ideas of items to send to sponsor children??

Well, these take only a few minutes to create.  With Loonapix you can put effects on photos, and a assortment of frames also.

Here are some examples.  First, this is what the original photo of Eko looked like:

And then some different effects and frames:

Some of the effects are inappropriate for sending to the children, but there is some fun ones too!! I'm sure the children would love to see these!

Review- Sold by Patricia McCormick

My Rating: 4 Stars

This book is a novel, but, it does a effective job of highlighting the current crisis of slavery, in particular child sex trafficking.
Although parts of the book were quite challening to read, I had to remind myself that this wasn't, in fact a novel, but a very true reality that is happening every day.
It was written in a way that made you keep reading right until the very last page, and I actually read this in 2 days.
Annually, over half a million children are trafficked into the sex trade.  Over 12,000 of these are Nepali girls sold to the brothels of India - which this book is about - one girl's journey.
A great insight into this incredible injustice.

Not just any Ziplock Bag..

When I send items to our Compassion kids, I send them in a ziplock bag, with their name and number, and my name and number on them. I have a variety of bag sizes, and so I choose which bag I use depending on what I am going to send.  All the stickers / bookmarks / photos go in the bag - anything that doesn't need translating.  The letter I leave out of the bag, and paperclip them together.  Only the letter and the bag needs to be labeled, everything inside does not.

I found these sandwich size bags at my local IGA, and I assume they can be found at just about any supermarket, and perhaps even more varieties.
There is Elmo bags and Mr Men.. I thought they were great, and just a bit nicer than sending a plain bag..

Writing Paper

Paper:

You can use other paper than what Compassion gives you.  Just be sure to have your name and sponsor number on each page, along with your sponsor child's name and number too.  Some of the best paper I have found is this A4 Designer Paper, that you can use how it is, or use it in your printer.  $2 for 25 sheets per pack, available in a range of designs from The Reject Shop and Chickenfeed stores.

Hug Cards

Hug Cards:
I found Hug Cards at Australia Post Shop.  You can write on the animal's belly, fold the arms across, peel and stick and little stand on the back, and pop them in the envelope.  Very cute, and 5 different cards per pack.  Cost: $6.99

Photo Books

In Australia, items are limited to paper or cardboard, no larger than A4 size and no thicker than 6mm.


Hotprints Photo Books:
FREE photo books, that you can create online.  Why are they free? - Because they come with a page of advertising in the centre of the book, which can easily be removed.  You just have to pay the shipping- they are printed in the US, and shipping is around $2.90 per book to anywhere in the world.  It took 2 weeks for mine to arrive.  You can create 4 free books a month.  They are a great quality, 16 page book and I am very happy with them.  To create your FREE photo book click here

What To Write About

Sometimes its hard to know what to write.  Particularly when the child doesn't write often.  It's hard to know what to write to a very young child, and also a young adult ready to complete the program.

Here's some questions which I think are great to ask the kids:  By the time you write the question, and your opinion about it, there's a whole paragrah- Easy!

Does your name have a meaning?

Where do you think rain comes from?

Who is your best friend and why?

What do you think God looks like?

If you could invent one thing what would it be?

What does your home look like?

If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?

If you could be a animal what would you be?

What would you like to see that you haven't seen before?

If you could visit one place in the world, where would it be?

What do you want to be most when you grow up?

Out of rainbows, stars and clouds, which do you like most and why?

Do you enjoy sport?

Is there anything that worries you about school?

If you could fly in a aeroplane tomorrow, where would you go?

If plants, flowers and trees could talk, what do you think they would say?

Who is your hero?

If God poured out all his love, what do you think it would fill?

How do you think stars stay up in the sky?

If you were president of your country, what would be the first thing you would do?

What is your favourite time of day?

I'm getting a new pet, what do you think I should name it?

Who do you most love to spend time with?

What do your brothers and sisters names mean?

What common sayings are there in your country? What do they mean?

Do you have a favourite place to pray?

Is there anything that worries you about school?

Letter writing is new to many sponsored children, but by writing, they learn how to put their thoughts and feelings into words. Don’t be discouraged if letters you initially receive are impersonal and formal. I have had many of those.  Your letter writing friendship will improve over time, as they get to know you too.  For some children it takes time for them to learn to trust you.

The Importance of Letter Writing

Letter writing is extremely important.  Not only does it help connect us with our sponsor children, but it gives them a sense of hope, encouragement and love.

Here's some quotes from children in Bolivia about letter writing (Taken from the Compassion Blog) which sums up how important they are.

To hear direct from the children says it all..

“My sponsor is Nancy. She writes to me often, she sends me stickers and letters, and I feel very happy when she writes to me. She tells me that she loves me as a son and I tell her that she is like my second family.” — David

“My sponsor is Cristina and she writes to me often. I feel happy because my sponsor writes to me. Some children don’t even have a sponsor and I feel happy to have one. I thank God for that. When I write to Cristina I tell her about school, church, my family, the development center and about my friends.” — Reina

“My sponsor is Elmer. He is from the U.S. and he writes to me often. He asks me how I am, how I am doing at school and when it’s my birthday he asks me about that. I like it when Elmer writes to me and I love to write to him. I tell him that I am doing well at school, what I did for my birthday and about when I lost a tooth. But I have many mates that never receive letters and they feel sad.” — Lorena

“My sponsors write to me often. I feel happy to receive letters and I like to write to them. I ask them how they are; I tell them that I am fine here.” — Josue

“My sponsors write to me only occasionally. Sometimes I feel bad because I see how my mates receive letters. However there are some children that never receive letters and they also feel bad. I like to write my sponsors and tell them how I am regarding my health, about my school and the things I did, how my family is, or about the activities I do at the development center.” — Leidy

And then the children who dont receive letters:

“My sponsors don’t write to me and I feel sad. I would like to receive letters so I could answer.” — Jazmin

“My sponsor doesn’t write to me very much. Sometimes I feel sad when I don’t receive a letter, but I feel very happy when he writes to me. I would like him to write to me more. I want to tell him about my family, how I am doing at the development center and how I am doing at school.” — Carla

"There is another boy who doesn’t want to come to the development center because he has never received a letter and he feels that his sponsor doesn’t love him. This boy writes letters and asks his sponsor questions but he has never received an answer. " Project Director

This video from Compassion Australia sums it all up:

It shouldn't end at the Beginning..

Today, May 12th is Australia's Compassion Day.  All across Facebook, Twitter, and Christian Radio Stations, listeners are bombarded with the message of Compassion.

This year is the first year that Compassion Day is focusing on the Child Survival Program, rather than individual Child Sponsorship.

The Child Survival Program is from before birth to 3 yrs and the childs mother / father / guardian.

Compassion is asking for people to commit to supporting the Child Survival Program for as little as $29 a month.  You can choose which Program you would like to support in different countries such as Sri Lanka, Kenya, India, Indonesia and Haiti.

To find out more, please visit Compassion Day

22,000 children under 5 die every day from preventable diseases- One every 4 seconds.  Compassion is working to decrease these numbers.  Support Compassion Day 2011- Support Child Survival Program

Websites

Sites worth checking out:

Compassion Australia
Supporting children from birth to 18+ through a variety of programs such as Child Survival Program, Child Sponsorship Program and Leardership Program.  Compassion also provides clean water, disaster relief and disease prevention.  "Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name"

OurCompassion
Connect with other Compassion sponsors across the world.  Share thoughts and ideas.  Connect with others who sponsor a child in the same Project as you.

United With Hope
Feeding, tutoring and loving children in India.  Educating children in Malwai.

Kiva
For $25 you can contribute towards a loan that will change someones life.  Join together with others and empower buiness men and women to expand their business and earn themselves money to release themselves and their families from poverty.

Toms
Not only the most comfortable shoes you will ever wear, but for every pair of shoes purchased, Toms will donate a pair of shoes to a child in a developing country that would otherwise have none.

Oxfam
Support Fair Trade