A university degree and the development of Christian leadership skills are the primary goals of Compassion's Leadership Development Program (LDP), but it doesn't stop there. Jean-Jacques Elissaint of Haiti says the benefits go much deeper.

"I have integrity and confidence. My behavior is different as a Christian," says the 30-year-old Leadership Development Program graduate and resident of Port-au-Prince, adding that the new world view he gained as a Leadership Development Program student gives him the strength to tackle difficult topics of discussion.

Now an accountant studying for his license (equivalent of Certified Public Account status), Jean-Jacques has already held numerous positions of leadership, ranging from editor-in-chief of his church youth group's magazine to church treasurer. And he is taking another leadership role by sponsoring two of his younger siblings through Compassion so they can finish school, too.

Each year, like Jean-Jacques, hundreds of students graduate from our traditional child sponsorship program. And though many have demonstrated outstanding academic and social abilities, their extreme poverty is usually an impassable obstacle to their college education.

Through the Leadership Development Program, nearly a thousand students each year are educated, trained and discipled to take their place of leadership in their families, churches, communities and even their nations.

LDP Curriculum: On the track to growth
The Leadership Development Program gives students the opportunity to attend a university and be participants rather than bystanders. Their education includes:

• A full college curriculum 
• Courses in Christian leadership training 
  • Christian worldview and leadership development 
  • Discipleship training 
  • World mission studies 
  • Inductive Bible study methods 
  • Effective interpersonal skills 
  • Personal life-skills development (time management, study skills and a Christian view of sexuality) 
• Compassion-taught seminars, workshops and retreats on the development of Christian character and leadership potential

LDP Outcome: The fruits of leadership training
The intense gratitude these students feel upon being accepted into the Leadership Development Program is typically followed by a personal commitment to spiritual and professional success. It is not uncommon to see LDP graduates become:

• Doctors
• Lawyers
• Social workers
• Teachers
• Accountants
• Architects
• Nurses
• Pastors
• And many other exciting careers

LDP Benefits: What's included? Where does it happen?

The Leadership Development Program provides the following benefits:

• Tuition fees to attend an approved university full time 
• Textbooks and other school-related expenses paid 
• Room, board and transportation expenses, if necessary
• One-to-one mentoring with a Christian professional
• Christian leadership training

Today, the Leadership Development Program provides this critical training to nearly 500 promising young people in the following countries:

• Bolivia 
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador 
• Ethiopia
• Guatemala 
• Haiti 
• India
• Indonesia
• Kenya
• Peru 
• Philippines 
• Thailand 
• Uganda 

LDP: Making it a reality
There are two ways to become involved in the program:

Sponsor an LDP student: Your sponsorship of $300 per month will help a promising young person continue down the road to professional Christian leadership. Using the form below, you can request the country, gender and area of emphasis of your student, or Compassion can choose a student for you.

Make a one-time contribution: This contribution provides the benefits of a sponsorship to students who are waiting for a sponsor.

With your monthly Leadership Development Program sponsorship, you will receive a packet in the mail with a student's photo and brief personal bio.

The greatest reward of your sponsorship, however, will be the personal relationship you develop with him or her through letter writing. Your correspondence will provide much-needed encouragement to your student as he or she progresses through the program. And your heart will overflow because of the difference you make in the life of an exceptional student.