Sponsor with Compassion

Sponsorship means more now than ever before
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child portrait

Roksana 

Bangladesh flag
Bangladesh

Birthday

December 20, 2018

Age

Age: 6

Gender

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Girl

Portrait of Roksana

Meet Roksana

Roksana is 6 years old and lives in Bangladesh.

BD042801023

Country: Bangladesh

Birthday: December 20, 2018 (6 years old)

Gender: Girl

I live with my mother and father in the Jamalpur area. The primary language where I live is Bengali. My father is regularly employed as a day labourer. I like dolls, running, toy cars and walking. My favourite activity at the centre is playing games. I am not attending school because I am too young.

Roksana's Country Details

Bangladesh is a small Asian country off the eastern shoulder of India. This flat, low-lying nation consists mostly of a vast river delta, with a largely marshy jungle along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The country has mild, tropical winters followed by hot, humid summers, with a rainy monsoon season in the late summer and fall.

People in Bangladesh often live on and cultivate flood-prone land, leaving them highly vulnerable to displacement and crop disasters. Nearly half of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector, with rice as the most important crop. Many others have moved into the growing textile industry, which has become the largest manufacturing industry. Most Bangladeshis are Muslims, but Hindus make up a sizable minority. Bengali is the official language, but English is generally spoken in urban areas and used in (higher) education and government.

The area that is now Bangladesh—like India and many of its other neighbours—came under British rule in the 18th century. A mounting clash between Muslims and Hindus led to a nationalistic battle that eventually caused a deep chasm in regional politics. In 1947, British rule came to an end with the creation of Hindu-dominated India and Muslim-dominated Pakistan, of which Bangladesh formed the eastern half. But clashes between Hindus and Muslims continued. On December 16, 1971, Bengali East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan, forming the independent nation of Bangladesh. The new country changed its name to The People's Republic of Bangladesh on January 11, 1972, and became a parliamentary democracy under a constitution. Although its economy has grown rapidly since the late 1990s, political and enviromental instability continues to present serious challenges to its development.

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Compassion’s ministry is focused on what we call holistic child development. This means developing children in all the different aspects of their lives—their minds, bodies and relationships—while giving them the opportunity to hear about and experience the love of Jesus from caring local church staff and volunteers.

How does sponsorship help kids?

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Formal and non-formal educational opportunities Compassion assists children with their primary school education and gives opportunities to attend secondary school, as well as providing vocational training opportunities and extra-curricular activities such as sports, field trips, music and computer training.
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Health care, hygiene training and supplementary food Kids get a healthy snack or meal when they attend program activities, receive regular health check-ups, and learn how to take care of their bodies and form healthy relationships.
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The love and support of a local church and the opportunity to hear about Jesus Because Compassion partners with local churches, children are connected to a local Christian community where they have the opportunity to hear the gospel from caring church staff and volunteers.
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Personal attention, guidance and love Children are cared for and invested in by members of their own communities, who encourage them to discover their unique gifts, passions and abilities. Their sponsors also play an important role in this through their prayers and letters.

Is sponsorship still relevant during and beyond the COVID-19 crisis?

During the pandemic, we saw firsthand the impact of crises on children in poverty. We also saw how powerful sponsorship can be in equipping local churches to respond in specific, effective and life-changing ways. As we continue to see multifaceted crises impacting children around the world, we know that the need for sponsorship remains urgent. We are more confident than ever that your commitment to sponsorship truly allows children, families and communities to be deeply known, loved and protected through it all.

Why do you work with local churches?

Compassion works exclusively with local churches because they know the names and faces of the children in their community and can best understand and respond to their challenges. They are known and trusted by their neighbours and are able to reach those in the greatest need with compassion and through the love of God.

We equip our local church partners with the resources, training and expertise to help children escape poverty. Each church is empowered to implement the program in a way that meets the specific needs of the children they serve. In this way the physical, spiritual, emotional and relational needs for children are met as they are empowered to overcome poverty in all its forms.

Do kids need to be Christian to be in Compassion’s program?

Absolutely not! We encourage children and families of all faiths and backgrounds to register in our programs and would never require or coerce anyone to convert to Christianity.

Learn More

At Compassion, we take financial stewardship seriously.

As certified members of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, Compassion Canada is committed to handling the finances entrusted to us with the utmost integrity. This year, 84.7 per cent of funds were used for program activities benefiting the children we serve, and 15.3 per cent for support services.

Today, children around the world are discovering that poverty doesn’t have to be their future. Help one more do the same by sponsoring with Compassion!