Where Most Needed Fund
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Between North and South America is a colorful and varied region we call Central America and the Caribbean. This area boasts a geophysical variety from rugged mountains and volcanoes to tropical rain forests to palm-lined beaches. The population is primarily a mix between indigenous and African or European peoples.

This part of the world was the focus of European exploration and settlement during the 15th and 16th centuries.

More than 224 million people live in Central America and the Caribbean. The second half of the 20th century saw military dictatorships giving way to democratically elected governments in many Central American countries. However, the rapid rise of external debt and rampant inflation are key problems. In several countries, the desperation resulting from poverty, government neglect, corrupt politics, and limited economic progress has stimulated regional protest movements. In response, a number of governments have turned to brutal repression to end the protests.

Compassion first opened Central American and Caribbean child development centers in 1968 in Haiti. Since then, six more countries have been added to the effort. More than 250,000 children are being served in more than 1,365 child development centers. We're now working in:

Featured Stories from Central America and the Caribbean

Karla lays on the field with a ball
El Salvador Youth Development
An Emerging Soccer Star Begins to Dream
Karla lives in a dangerous community in El Salvador. Poverty made her future unsure. But when Karla began playing soccer at her Compassion center at age 9, everything started to change.
Valeria holds up her gardening tools
Honduras Sponsorship
6 Gardening Tips From 7-Year-Old Valeria
When her Compassion center held a plant-a-garden contest, Valeria set up a sustainable vegetable garden in her backyard. Here are her tips to help you grow your own vegetables!
Crisli works on her homework
Nicaragua Education
I’m the First in My Family to Attend School
My mother never learned to read or write, but she made sure I got the education she couldn’t by enrolling me in the Child Sponsorship Program.
Karina is smiling as she stands at the entrance gate to the field where her cows graze
El Salvador Advocacy Youth Development
How Karina Broke Stereotypes and Launched a Business
On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate women from Compassion’s program like Karina! She always dreamed of raising her own cattle, but in a culture where ranching is considered a man’s job, she had a lot to overcome. Read her remarkable journey from Compassion’s program to cattle rancher.
Delmy and her mother
Guatemala Youth Development
Delmy Finds Hope After Tragedy
After Delmy’s father died in a bus crash, the sponsorship program gave her a place to heal and skills to support a brighter future.

Sponsor a Child in Central America and the Caribbean