Study Findings: Compassion Alumni Report Transformation and Hope
The new study, focused on a small group of Compassion program participants, shares promising indicators of the long-term positive direct impacts and ripple effects of child development programs led by Compassion International and its partner network of local churches in the Dominican Republic.
Focused on 99 alumni in the Dominican Republic, the research shows that participation in Compassion’s church-based program helps release children from poverty in every dimension.
The impact of Compassion’s program continues into adulthood.
Key findings:
97% said they were released from poverty in Jesus’ name.
95% said the program gave them hope and helped them reach their education goals.
95% credited the Compassion center with building their self-confidence.
93% said their lives were changed because of the program.
Before enrolling, only 6.3% of participants described their lives positively. Many shared stories of emotional and spiritual hardship, but also of hope restored.
Lasting Change Through Compassion
One alumnus said, “In my moments of depression, the center was my escape and my help.” Another reflected, “They loved me and they wanted me just as I am.”
The ripple effects are just as powerful:
92% are now able to give their children a better life.
79% say they have broken the cycle of poverty in their family.
90% now serve in their communities, with 73% doing so at least weekly.
These outcomes echo the words of President Emeritus Wess Stafford:
“The opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is enough.”
To learn more about God’s work through Compassion and our church partners in the Dominican Republic, watch the Ripple Effects documentary.
