3 Creative Church Partners Helping Their Communities

Compassion works with the local church to empower children to break cycles of poverty. Our Frontline Church Partners know their communities personally, so they know how to serve them well. And many of our church partners find clever ways to uplift their communities. Let’s meet some of these creative church partners who are faithfully serving their neighbors!

1. Knitting in Kenya

In Kenya, one church offers knitting classes to empower caregivers in their community to earn steady income. This opportunity was especially helpful for Evalyne, a 29-year-old mother of three. Her family mostly relied on income from her husband’s shop in the market. But when a severe drought wiped out most of their goat herd, he struggled to provide for the family’s needs. That’s when the local Compassion center stepped in.

The church announced that it would offer knitting classes for caregivers, giving them an additional way to earn income. Looking for a way to help her family, Evalyne jumped at the opportunity. It was a challenge at first, but Evalyne was determined, and she eventually grew a passion for knitting. Today, Evalyne has her own sweater-knitting business. Now, she’s able to earn money for her family, and she even mentors other women at her church, helping them to do the same!

2. Catfish Farming in Indonesia

On Java Island in Indonesia, many fishermen have a low and unstable income, which can keep their families stuck in poverty. This could have been the case for Dika, an 18-year-old in Compassion’s program. But his father, Prayinko, started farming catfish to earn a more stable income. Catfish are a popular food in the region and in high demand. The church saw this as an opportunity and asked Prayinko to teach a catfish farming class to the students at the Compassion center.

The center’s catfish farm has been a success, and the profits are evenly split amongst the students. And Dika, who participates in the class with his friends, says, “With this farm we can really hang out whenever we want while doing something positive.” The catfish farm is a way for students to have fun together and learn new skills, all while helping them overcome poverty.

3. Honey in Mexico

In Puebla, Mexico, the community is centered around farming. But staff at the local Compassion center wanted to create a different way for participants to earn money. They decided to invest in beekeeping and started a workshop focused on honey products. Edgar and his sister Estrella joined the workshop, and with the help of other students, they started a business called Bee-Life. They’re able to help support their families by selling products like honey, hand soaps and even spicy salsa.

“We wanted to create a product that had a positive impact on our society and that could be used on a daily basis," says Center Director Isaac. "My intention is to prepare our students as much as possible so that they can become leaders for future generations."

These three church partners show that our mission of fighting poverty requires creative, innovative minds — and can also be fun! These churches are only a glimpse into the unique, life-changing work that is happening all around the world. Compassion works with over 8,600 Frontline Church Partners, which means there are a ton of fun classes and creative projects happening globally every day. And each of these creative projects is a step toward releasing even more children from poverty in Jesus’ name.