Why child survival?
The most vulnerable people in the world are babies.
In their earliest years, children are vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and neglect. Many moms in the poorest countries around the world watch their babies die in their arms because they don’t have access to the care their precious babies need.
When a child’s needs aren’t met in these fragile years, it has a lifelong effect. Malnutrition can lead to stunted growth. Neglect can scar a child socially and emotionally. And a lack of stimulation can choke a child’s cognitive development.
But when children are developed in their earliest years, they are more likely to succeed in school. They have better health as they grow up. And as adults they earn more. Investing in child survival means children can reach their God-given potential.
How does Compassion’s Child Survival Program respond?
Our church partners give pregnant women and new mothers knowledge and resources to ensure their children not only survive but thrive in these most critical years of life. Your gift helps provide:
Pre- and postnatal care for pregnant women, including a skilled birth attendant at each birth
Health checkups, medical care and food for malnourished moms and babies
Education for moms on breastfeeding, family planning, nutrition, hygiene and disease prevention
Skills training and literacy classes so moms can begin to earn an income
Educational resources and experiences to stimulate children’s development
Social and spiritual guidance, including the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ
How does the program work?
At church
Moms attend Child Survival Program activities at a local church at least once a month, where they learn skills to earn an income and how to properly care for their babies. Together, moms participate in Bible study and worship while children engage in age-appropriate stimulation and activities.
At home
Our program implementers visit the moms and babies at home at least once a month, where the children’s health and growth are monitored. They also go through a curriculum together, tailored to the specific challenges mothers face in their country. The implementers counsel moms in the personal challenges they face and often become close and trusted friends of these mothers—many of whom felt they had no one else to turn to!
As mothers and children escape desperate poverty, they can take their first steps toward a life of promise and purpose in Jesus Christ!
