Words that open worlds: 12 books to build compassion in kids

Did you ever have a book that changed your perspective? Stories are powerful, and words open worlds to us. Books let us practice love and concern for people who we may never meet, grow curiosity about others and fuel the emotions that motivate us not just to feel but to do something good. In short, […]

Compassion grad gets PhD to fight food insecurity

We recently had the pleasure of catching up with Collins Bugingo, a former Compassion sponsored child who completed his PhD in Plant Science and Plant Pathology last year. We invited Collins to share his unique perspective on food security—as someone who has experienced food insecurity, studied it and is now working to address it.* Food […]

What role does the family play in child development?

At Compassion, we’re serious about child development and releasing children from poverty in every area of life: physically, cognitively, socially, economically and spiritually. Poverty is far-reaching and multi-faceted, and our approach to fighting it needs to be, too. But a child’s development doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Stability and connectedness are woven into the very […]

Dear parent: What’s the hardest conversation you’ve ever had?

The door clicks shut. You lean against the threshold with the whirlwind of school pick-up, homework, dinner, bath time and bedtime behind you. Whew. Your partner bends over the notice that came in the mail today. And in the space between your exhale and inhale, you step back into the responsibility of parenthood. One, two, […]

How to share stories about poverty with dignity

Have you ever had to choose a photo to represent yourself? If you have, you will know it is not done carelessly or without consideration. Why? Because you want it to represent you well. This is a value that Compassion holds for the children we serve. We want to represent them well—with dignity, honesty and […]

She who hungers: Why global hunger hits women and girls worse

Beaded sweat dripping down her brow, Fransciska breathes deep the dusty air kicked up from her worn sandals. Her sombre one-year-old rests his cheek against her jutted shoulder blade. She carries the weight of his hungry body in a green cloth kanga carrier wrapped around her torso. The weight of her precious baby takes a toll on her tired body during today’s 15-kilometre.

But it is nothing compared to the weight of the world she bears each day, fighting to provide for her six hungry children.

How to talk to kids about the global food crisis

The news can be scary for kids (and grown-ups too)! With so much brokenness in the world, it’s tempting to want to shield our children. Many of us wonder how to make our children aware of complex issues like the global food crisis. Heavy conversations can be intimidating. Right now, a global food crisis is […]

How Compassion is responding to global HIV inequalities

Each year on December 1st, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. It’s a time when people around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to create more awareness and understanding around the epidemic. This World AIDS Day, UNAIDS is urging each of us to address the inequalities […]

Mercy lives: HIV-positive mom finds hope in community amidst stigma

38 million. It’s the number that represents the total population of Canada today. It’s also the number of people who were living with HIV by the end of 2021, according to World Health Organization. This astronomical number is a significant increase from 30.8 million in 2010. 36.7 million of those affected in 2021 were adults […]