Compassion partners with hundreds of local churches in Kenya to share the hope of the gospel with children in need by providing for their immediate needs.
Local churches are already established in impoverished communities and know the needs of the children around them best.
Through your support, we equip the local church in Kenya to serve 134,585 children (and counting!).
Why Compassion Partners With Local Churches in Kenya
At Compassion, we believe the Church is God’s instrument to advance his kingdom. And in remote communities in Kenya, the church is often the sole support system for impoverished children and their families.
Local churches are already established in these communities, and they know the needs of the children around them best. That’s why we partner exclusively with local churches to offer support tailored to the needs of local children, provided by those who know and love them.
By partnering with the local church, we don’t deliver aid and then leave. Instead, children have consistent support at the Compassion center as their needs change.
How Compassion Partners With the Local Church
Through the help of supporters like you, we equip the local church with the resources they need to share the gospel by providing for children’s immediate needs. Each church houses a Compassion center where children are offered:
An introduction to the gospel.
Safe community.
These churches facilitate Compassion’s programs, including child sponsorship, providing on-going, consistent care to children in need.
3 Inspiring Stories of Life Change in Kenya
It’s through supporters like you that we’re able to equip around 473 local churches in Kenya to love and care for 134,585 children (and counting!). Your yes to serving these little ones has empowered these churches to change countless precious lives.
Jeremiah Receives an Education
In Kenya, the adult literacy rate is 82%. But in 10-year-old Jeremiah’s small community, that rate is only 20%. The nearest schools are 53 kilometers (about 33 miles) away, an impossible distance for most families. Many children go without education, leaving them no choice but to grow up as adults who can’t read or write.
A lack of education makes breaking free from poverty an overwhelming challenge. Without the ability to read or write, many adults can’t find jobs to provide for their families. And this makes obtaining simple necessities like food and clean water a daily struggle.
The local church within Jeremiah’s community is working to change that. At the local Compassion center, children are welcomed into equipped classrooms where trained teachers teach reading, writing and other critical subjects.
Now, Jeremiah and his friends can confidently read and write. And with that knowledge comes the ability to dream of a brighter future beyond poverty. For Jeremiah, that means becoming a teacher so he can help other kids just like him have hope.
Lydia Is Empowered as a Mother
Lydia is a young mother to four children, one of which she just welcomed into the world a short time ago. Life in her impoverished community is marked by challenges, especially for moms. The nearest clinic is 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) away, a distance that keeps moms and babies without reliable transportation from attending routine check-ups.
“Many times, I had to miss my clinic visits because we didn’t have money for transport.” — Lydia
Without a stable income, Lydia and her husband, Silas, also struggle to get the necessities needed for their young family. Diapers, clothes and other essentials are often hard to come by.
The local church is working to support Lydia and other mothers in the community through Compassion’s Survival program. During her last pregnancy, Lydia received visits from the free mobile clinic to ensure she and her baby were healthy.
She was also given a maternity kit full of diapers, newborn clothes, a shawl, bandages, baby powder and other essentials needed to care for her little one.
Mobile clinics, maternity boxes and other interventions provide dignity, peace of mind and hope — three things all moms are deserving of.
‘When I opened the maternity box, I couldn’t believe it was for me. The shawl was so soft, and the baby clothes were perfect. It gave me hope that I could provide for my baby.” — Lydia
Auru Finds Care & Safety
When he was just 10 years old, Auru lost both of his parents in a short amount of time due to illness. This loss left Auru and his four other siblings to fend for themselves. To get money for food, they would pick plastic bottles from the trash in town to sell. But many days, the five went hungry.
The family had nowhere to live but a small shack that was riddled with holes and ready to collapse. Many nights, the children would huddle close on goatskins spread thin on the ground as the cold crept into their bones.
The local church saw the family’s need and stepped in immediately, first building them a new two-bedroom home. The siblings also received mattresses, nutritious food and other necessities, like pots to cook proper meals in.
While loss threatened to steal the siblings’ hope, it’s now restored by the love and care of the local church.
“When I joined the Compassion program, I was unsure what to expect. I was happy to be in a place where people cared about me.” — Auru
Release From Poverty Isn’t Possible Without You
Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. That’s our mission here at Compassion, and we see it in action daily in the lives of thousands of children and their families. But this mission isn’t possible without you.
Because of you, local churches in Kenya are actively working to be the light in the darkness of poverty. Because of you, children are fed, clothed and kept safe. And because of you, the gospel is being shared in word and action to children, not just in Kenya, but around the world.
Let the above true stories of life change be testaments to the difference you’re making around the world. Whether you join us in child sponsorship, donate to a cause or pray for those we serve, we are grateful for your support. Thank you for saying yes to standing up for children in need.
