This article was originally published in Compassion Canada’s Summer 2020 Magazine.
In her article, Allison Alley, President and CEO of Compassion Canada, encourages us to take one faithful step in the ambitious goal to end poverty. We want you to know that the generous steps you take truly help children and families around the world thrive! Here’s how your generosity is helping to achieve some of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
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Goal 2: Zero hunger
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Compassion centres are focused on food security, ensuring the most vulnerable families in their communities are not forgotten and receive essential supplies. We also have ongoing initiatives around the world that tackle hunger, including agricultural production, animal husbandry, crop farming and microenterprise. These initiatives empower families who face malnutrition to produce their own food and generate income to buy food. We also promote the regular consumption of milk and balanced meals and make meal deliveries to young moms, a critical initiative that actively fights malnutrition.
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Goal 3: Good health and well-being
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Targets 3.1 and 3.2: Reduce child and maternal mortality rates. Our Survival initiatives tackle both of these targets, specifically addressing the critical needs that mothers and babies face. This year, we have Survival programs operating in 17 countries that span all four regions where we work. We care for moms and babies living in poverty through strategic pre- and post-natal care initiatives, which include regular medical check-ups and vaccinations, training on breastfeeding, hygiene, healthy self-esteem and healthy homes, and help with home renovations to ensure families have safe shelter.
Target 3.3: End epidemics and fight the spread of disease. We have initiatives all over the world to address both the outbreak and prevention of disease. The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of hygiene training and clean water initiatives—things that have and continue to be a top priority of Compassion’s global programs. We also combat the spread of disease in a wide variety of other ways, including HIV/AIDS awareness and screening, mosquito net distribution and awareness campaigns to prevent the spread of dengue fever, and dental treatments to prevent oral disease.
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Goal 4: Quality education
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Sponsorship enables children to be enrolled in primary education. The generosity of our sponsors ensures that children in Compassion’s programs have the school uniforms, school supplies and fees that are needed for them to attend school. Sponsorship also provides tutoring and extra educational support that make for a robust educational experience to set children up well for life. As a result, Compassion children are up to 40 per cent more likely to attend secondary school.
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Goal 5: Gender Equality
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Many of our initiatives across the globe are specifically designed to empower women in contexts where women and girls are more likely to be marginalized. For example, Compassion centres run workshops for girls, teenagers and young moms that equip them with relevant income-generating skills in their particular context. Training is offered in a wide variety of disciplines, including computers, mechanics, agriculture, baking, music, manual printing, cooking, graphic design, video editing and more.
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