More than a passing grade

Grade 11, right after lunch. The sun has warmed the classroom to nap-inducing temperatures and the staccato clacking of chalk on a dusty blackboard is the only thing keeping you awake—and yet strangely, also lulling you into a stupor. You look over your next assignment without fully understanding it and suddenly find yourself wondering, “Is […]

Back-to-school: 7 Questions with a Canadian teacher

All across the country, parents are pulling out backpacks, replacing too-small running shoes, and wracking their brains for lunchbox combinations that won’t come home rejected. Teachers are setting up lessons and desks, preparing for the rush of noise, questions and energy that will wake their slumbering schoolrooms. It’s back-to-school time. It’s no secret that we […]

Presence: The most effective way to recover in the aftermath of disaster

“The link between poverty and vulnerability to disaster is undeniable. As a result, Compassion staff and church partners are often the first ones on the ground in the wake of an emergency—ready and prepared to respond to the needs of children and their families.” – Compassion International Vulnerability—it’s the common denominator between poverty and natural […]

‘Help me be brave’: COVID-19’s impact on a fishing community in Indonesia

In a small fishing community in Indonesia, 11-year-old Keilah sits cross-legged on her bed, her face silhouetted by the soft glow of a torch. Her hands are clasped tightly together under her chin, eyes closed. Her mouth moves silently. As the pandemic wears on, her prayers have become increasingly urgent. “Please help this to end […]

Haiti: God answers the simple prayers of a child

“I told you God would answer my prayers,” six-year-old Soraya said as she quickly looked through the emergency food box in front of her. Three days after a devastating 7.2 earthquake hit southwestern Haiti on Saturday, August 14, Soraya told her grandmother Ana she had prayed for God to provide her favorite food. To Ana’s […]

Why we need to make a big deal about toilets

There is something in your home that contributes to keeping you healthy more than you would ever give it credit for. What is that life-saving item? Your toilet. Though many of us wouldn’t have our toilet listed at the top of our daily gratitude list, it is something that is absolutely a critical part of […]

Celebrating the world’s Indigenous peoples and partnerships that honour and empower

Worldwide, there are more than 476 million Indigenous people and 5,000 Indigenous people groups spread across at least 90 countries. Although Indigenous peoples make up just 5 per cent of the world’s population, they account for about 15 per cent of the global extreme poor. Indigenous people are nearly three times more likely to be […]

‘We are at a critical juncture in human history’: 5 ways to take action towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations reports that the pandemic has halted or reversed years and even decades of development progress. This is the sobering reality highlighted in the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021. The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. There are […]

Developing life skills through sports: 5 Compassion kids display their sporting activities

Sports is a vital physical activity that propels development, fun and produces valuable skills. The 2021 Olympics is around the corner, so we rounded up five Compassion kids involved in sports in their various countries. Carmen, 16, is a national gymnastics champion who portrays her love for God and sports exceptionally despite facing barriers like […]