Rescuing, nurturing and discipling little ones

PROGRAM

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version.

www.compassion.com.au

Serving

Excellence

Partnership

Prayer

Integrity

Advocacy

OUR VISIONEvery Australian Christian is an advocate for children.

OUR MISSIONTo challenge, partner and equip the church to release children

from spiritual, economic, social, physical and emotional poverty in Jesus’ name.

OUR CORE VALUES

Compassion is an international Christian holistic child development ministry, committed to child advocacy and working in partnership with

local churches to foster the spiritual, economic, social, physical and emotional development of children living in extreme poverty in over

25 developing countries.

CHILD SURVIVAL PROGRAMRescuing, nurturing and discipling little ones

Every year nearly

10 million children

die from preventable causes

before they reach their fifth

birthday. Compassion’s

Child Survival Program

works with the most

vulnerable expectant

mothers and their babies.

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CEO messageHOLDING a miracleINTRODUCTION

Hayley with Fabian, one of the

many Child Survival Program beneficiaries in Ecuador.

very year millions of children are robbed of their God-given potential during pregnancy and in the early

years of life.

Compassion’s Child Survival Program directly addresses the issues of child mortality, malnutrition and preventable disease, which needlessly threaten the lives of young children born into poverty, by providing early interventions and holistic development opportunities.

As you read the moving stories in this booklet and learn more about the Child Survival Program, I hope that you will make the choice to support this crucial and life-saving work. Your support of Compassion’s Child Survival Program will enable Compassion’s church partners around the world to reach out to many more vulnerable babies and infants and set them on a path towards healthy development. It will have a vital and lasting impact on the lives of mothers and little children around the world.

May God richly bless you.

Paul O’Rourke CEO Compassion Australia

s I held four-day-old Innocent, in his makeshift home in rural Kenya, I knew that I was holding a miracle. I never had the chance to meet two of

Innocent’s older siblings because they had passed away from infections that ravaged their HIV-positive bodies. Following the death of her children, Innocent’s mother found out that she too was HIV-positive.

She didn’t want Innocent to face the same fate as his siblings. Thanks to their registration in the Child Survival Program, Innocent has remained HIV-negative. In Innocent’s community, Compassion’s Child Survival Program works hand-in-hand with Compassion’s AIDS Initiative to provide anti-retroviral drugs and birth interventions to help reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The Child Survival Program is quite literally saving lives. It has given Innocent a great start to life.

Your support of the Child Survival Program will help us give at-risk babies, like Innocent, the best start in life. The activities and interventions carried out through this program will stimulate their cognitive development, encourage their emotional and social development and introduce them to the love of Christ. Their mothers, fathers and caregivers will be taught income generating skills and benefit from group sessions that teach them about child health issues, literacy and parenting skills.

I have seen first-hand the amazing work of our program implementers in Kenya and Ecuador, two of the 14 countries where the program is operating, and I would encourage anyone with a heart for mothers and babies to consider supporting this vital work. Your support can begin from as little as a $20-a-month commitment to annually funding the entire cost of an individual Child Survival Program (see page 30).

Hayley White Child Survival Program Manager

Compassion Australia

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Compassion’s HOLISTIC CHILD DEVELOPMENT MODEL

COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTIONS

0-3 years

CHILD SURVIVAL PROGRAM

LEADERSHIPDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM18 years+

3+ yearsCHILD SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

Compassion’s child development programs minister to the spiritual, economic, social, physical and emotional needs of individual children.

Spiritual SocialEmotional

EconomicPhysical

extra support for highly vulnerable children, educational initiatives, vocational training, HIV/AIDS initiatives and income generation programs.

Program activities vary in detail according to the culture, environment and needs of the area where the individual centres are located. However, there are common elements in the programs which ensure that all Compassion assisted children are given the greatest opportunity to be released from poverty.

Our model depends on two key partnerships—the local Christian church and committed supporters.

ompassion’s Holistic Child Development Model touches every aspect of a child’s life through all stages of development:

from the womb to the workforce. Compassion’s child development programs minister to the spiritual, economic, social, physical and emotional needs of individual children.

Compassion empowers and equips local churches to develop and operate its programs towards meeting the specific and individual needs of children in poverty within their communities.

Child Sponsorship Program—links each child with a sponsor and helps to equip children for the future by providing for their core needs.

Child Survival Program—aims to reach the most vulnerable children and prevent premature death, secure good health and enable positive early child development; assists pregnant women, at-risk babies and infants and their mothers and caregivers by providing critical interventions such as medical assistance, pre-natal and post-natal care, as well as nutritious food.

Leadership Development Program—identifies outstanding Child Sponsorship Program graduates and provides them with the opportunity and resources to attend university, receive Christian leadership training and develop their intrinsic leadership skills.

Complementary Interventions—provides activities and initiatives that enhance, improve and complement our child development programs, including: clean water, medical care, additional nutritional assistance, disaster relief, micro-finance,

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WHY a child survival program?

The United Nations Millennium

Development Goal 4 aims to

reduce the global under-five

mortality rate by two thirds

between 1990 and 2015.

Reaching this target

means reducing the number of

child deaths from 9.7 million in

2006 to around 4 million by 2015.

arly childhood is an extremely critical time for children and sets the stage for their future well-being. Without a healthy start,

a child’s chances of normal development are limited. Tragically, in our world today almost 10 million children die every year before their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes.

These preventable causes include:

Pneumonia Diarrhoea Malnutrition Malaria Measles HIV/ AIDS Birth complications

More than one third of these children die during the first month of life, usually at home and without access to essential health services and basic commodities that might save their lives. An underlying factor of

most child deaths, particularly in the developing world, is malnutrition which contributes to around half of all early childhood deaths.

At the service level, poor access to and utilisation of health services, poor quality of care and lack of skilled attendants during delivery and immediately after birth contribute to a large proportion of preventable deaths. Acute respiratory infections and diarrhoea account for about one third of child deaths, while unsafe water and poor sanitation are also contributing factors to child mortality (Compassion addresses these environmental concerns through its Complementary Interventions).

Research shows that significant development takes place during the first five years of life. Therefore, addressing the issues of child mortality, malnutrition, preventable disease and providing healthy early childhood development are critical to releasing children from poverty.

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WHAT IS COMPASSION’S child survival program?

Malnutrition is an underlying

factor for around half of all deaths of children

under five. Adequate nutrition

needs to begin during a

mother’s pregnancy and

continue when a child is born.

ompassion’s ministry to children through the Child Sponsorship Program begins when a child reaches the age of three.

However, as research shows, there are numerous developmental hurdles for a child to overcome before reaching the age of three and sadly, in many cases, waiting until a child turns three can be too late. This is why in 2003 Compassion began its Child Survival Program to reach the most vulnerable children—those under the age of three as well as their mothers and primary caregivers.

The Child Survival Program is designed to identify expectant mothers and young, vulnerable children to help save their lives and set them on the path towards healthy development. We know that prevention is the best cure, which is why Compassion cares for children even before they are born and right through their formative and most vulnerable years of life. In developing nations, it is hard for parents to provide a solid start for their children. Extreme poverty prevents even the most loving parents from providing adequate nutrition, care and learning opportunities that their young children require for healthy growth and development.

The Child Survival Program helps to prevent premature death, secure good health and enable positive early child development. The program assists pregnant women, at-risk babies and infants, and their mothers and caregivers by providing critical interventions such as medical assistance, pre-natal and post-natal care, as well as nutritious food.

The Child Survival Program also educates mothers on how to provide a safe home environment and age-appropriate development opportunities so their babies and infants have greater opportunities for healthy growth. If required, mothers and caregivers are also taught literacy and numeracy skills and many receive support for vocational training and income-generating activities to help improve the long-term economic capacity of their families. Mothers, caregivers and children also receive spiritual nurturing so that they have the opportunity to develop a dynamic lifelong relationship with Christ.

Although the program primarily serves mothers and babies, Compassion also understands the importance of empowering fathers to take an active role in their families. This can be challenging in places where fathers must spend all their time and energy simply trying to provide for each day’s basic needs. In some societies where fathers are often absent both physically and emotionally, the Child Survival Program is teaching men how to become great fathers and positive role models for their children. Sometimes the fathers also learn vocational skills, which enable them to better support their families financially.

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WHO IMPLEMENTS THE child survival program?

In the developing world:

• 25 per cent of pregnant women do not receive even a single visit from a skilled health worker

• Only 59 per cent of births take place with the assistance of a skilled birth attendant

• Just over 50 per cent of births take place in a health facility.

ompassion’s Child Survival Program is the first phase of our Holistic Child Development Model (see page 6). The

program is primarily a home-based early childhood program, offering a holistic approach to ensure that young children survive. The program is run by Compassion’s church partners alongside the Child Sponsorship Program (see pages 14-15). The mother or primary caregiver is critical to effective intervention in the Child Survival Program and therefore the program considers the beneficiary to be a ‘mother-child unit’ with specific outcomes for both the mothers, or primary caregivers, and their children.

Each Child Survival Program provides a minimum of two specialised staff members, known as Child Survival Program implementers. These implementers, employed by the local church and funded by Compassion, carry out regular home visits and facilitate all group activities. All infants registered in a Child Survival Program are eligible to transition into the Child Sponsorship Program from the age of three.

Many children enrolled in Compassion’s programs do not have significant relationships with adults and as a result are not provided with positive role models. Children learn much by following the example of the program implementers and other child development centre staff. Role models are important and Compassion child development centres are careful to select staff whose personal behaviour is a good example to the children.

Children of all ages feel comfortable knowing that the centre represents a safe and secure environment.

In addition to being physically safe, the centres are places where staff focus on the emotional and physical well-being of children. They assure children that they are loved and considered important and they will rapidly intervene on behalf of a child in situations that threaten his or her positive development. Child protection is a key element of staff training and all centre decisions and activities reflect a commitment to child development.

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HOW COMPASSION WORKS- the church-based model

Child Survival Program mothers attend group activities together at least once a month, usually at the church.

Compassion child development centre

Each mother and child in the Child Survival Program receives home visits by a program implementer each month so learning can take place in their own environment. This allows the implementer to assess their individual needs.

Child Survival Program babies transition into the Child Sponsorship Program by their fourth birthday.

Sponsored children attend activities at the church-based child development centre.

Implementing church partner in developing country

Overseen by a pastorDirected by a church committee Managed by a project directorSupported by an accountantFacilitates the Child Sponsorship ProgramFacilitates the Child Survival Program

WorshipPastoral Care

Sunday School

High school graduates from the Child Sponsorship Program can choose to fulfill their dreams to become professionals by attending university and receiving Christian leadership training through the Leadership Development Program.

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DADDY’S little girlFEATURE STORY

An estimated 530,000 children

were newly infected with HIV in 2006, mostly through mother-

to-child transmission.

Without treatment, half of

the infants born with the

virus will die before age two.

hirty-year-old John is a rare but welcomed beneficiary of the Child Survival Program. The only father among 57 mothers in his

program, he is not worried about playing the role of both mother and father to his three-year-old daughter Gloria. Two years ago John arrived home from his father’s funeral to find Gloria’s mother had left Gloria with some neighbours and disappeared with all her belongings. “I was very confused,” says John, “Why did she leave without a word? How would I cope on my own? Whatever her reasons, I knew that I had to do my best to raise Gloria on my own.”

Rachael, a Child Survival Program implementer adds, “When we were looking for children and mothers in our community to register for the Child Survival Program we came to his home and found John with a very sick daughter. We were deeply moved by his circumstances and immediately registered them in our program.”

Gloria and John have been in the program for the last two years. She is now three years old and will soon transition into the Child Sponsorship Program where she will have a sponsor who will help provide her needs. Her future looks bright.

“The group meetings are great because we are taught innovative ways to generate income using the available resources. I bought a piglet to start a small piggery farm (pictured). I know soon I will have many pigs in the compound and these will give me more income to run the home and look after Gloria.”

“We are also taught that children are gifts from God. Our part is to look after them as God looks after them with a lot of love. I pray with Gloria every day and she cannot go to sleep without us praying together.” The bond between Gloria and her father is growing each day.

John admits that raising a child on his own requires a lot of patience, “I now know that it takes patience to bring up a child but I really enjoy caring for her, washing her clothes and playing with her. My experience has given me a greater respect for mothers than ever before. I would not have had this experience if her mother had not left us because many fathers in our community are not very involved in their children’s lives. I wish to encourage fathers that bringing up a child is not a woman’s role alone.”

“I am very grateful to the program implementers and I appreciate how they dedicate their time to us and their love for Gloria. These men and women have great love for our children and they treat them as if they are their own children. I pray that God blesses them and all the people who support the Child Survival Program.”

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WHERE COMPASSION’S child survival program operates

Field countries

Partner countriesCountries where the Child Survival Program operates

Ghana Togo

Ethiopia

IndonesiaKenya

Tanzania

Philippines

El Salvador

Nicaragua

Colombia

Ecuador

Peru

Bolivia

Guatemala

HaitiDominican Republic

Brazil

ThailandBangladesh

India

Uganda

Rwanda

Burkina Faso

Honduras

Mexico

France

Netherlands

UKSouth Korea

New ZealandAustralia

USA

Canada

Switzerland

Italy

Germany

Programs begin in El Salvador, taking the total to 300

Programs start in Bolivia and Tanzania, taking the total to 299

Programs start in Thailand and India, taking the total to 224

Programs start in the Dominican Republic, Indonesia and Ethiopia, taking the total to 174

Programs start in the Philippines, taking the total to 63

Programs start in Kenya and Uganda, taking the total to 34

Child Survival Program piloted in India, Haiti, Peru and Ecuador

The history of the Child Survival Program

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

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4. IMMUNIsATION

Immunisation is an effective way to reduce or eliminate many diseases that cause childhood death and disability. In the least developed countries, only 60 per cent of children have received immunisations against measles, diphtheria, pertussis, polio and tuberculosis. The Child Survival Program provides access to and maintains up-to-date records of children’s age-appropriate immunisations.

5. FEMAlE lITERACy

A mother’s level of education is strongly linked to child survival. A literate mother can benefit from available materials on health and child-rearing practices. The ability to read also makes her more equipped to provide for her child. Child Survival Program implementers encourage female literacy by providing literacy classes for pregnant women and mothers.

6. FOOD

High-quality food is not always available or affordable. In many agricultural communities, fields are used to raise one particular crop for income generation instead of producing the varied food a family needs for a healthy diet. The Child Survival Program provides food supplements to malnourished children, as well as to pregnant and lactating mothers,

along with educational programs on the importance of a balanced diet. Throughout the formative early childhood years, children in the Child Survival Program receive both enough food and the right kind of food, based on their identified nutritional needs, to grow strong and healthy. In addition to food supplies and nutritional supplements, caregivers are taught how to prepare food hygienically, the principles of good nutrition, and how to meet the special nutritional needs of young children.

7. FAMIly PlANNING

When children are born close together, the mother’s body does not have time to fully recover between pregnancies. Also, the older child is more likely to be weaned from breastfeeding at an earlier age, which can lead to impaired growth and increased vulnerability to illness. The Child Survival Program educates parents about family planning and promotes better maternal and child health.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), these child survival strategies have had an impact on child development. Worldwide programs following this strategy have been credited with helping to reduce infant mortality.

THE SEVEN STRATEGIES of child survival

s a result of the International Year of the Child in 1979, the world began to devote more attention to child development

issues. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a joint initiative on child survival, which was captured in the acronym GOBIFFF.

This initiative forms the basis of Compassion’s Child Survival Program:

1. GROWTH MONITORING Program staff monitor children’s growth by maintaining records of each child’s height and weight. Steady growth is a good sign that a child is receiving adequate nutrition and reaching developmental milestones.

2. ORAl REHyDRATION THERAPyGastrointestinal illness and diarrhoea lead to the life-threatening dehydration that causes several million child deaths each year. In most cases Child Survival Program implementers use an inexpensive sugar-salt solution to replace fluids lost during illness, restoring the body’s correct chemical balance.

3. BREAsTFEEDING Breastfeeding promotes infant growth, facilitates bonding with the mother and reduces frequency of illness. It is also inexpensive. Through education sessions, Child Survival Program implementers encourage mothers to breastfeed. In the case of an HIV-positive mother, breastfeeding would most likely be discouraged to prevent the transmission of HIV through the mother’s milk. HIV-positive mothers face an agonising choice when deciding how to feed their infants. Without preventative interventions, such as HIV drugs to reduce viral load, around 5-20 per cent of infants born to HIV-positive mothers will contract the virus through breast milk if breastfed for two years. Every year 200,000 infants become HIV- positive in this way.

At the same time, since breastfeeding assists an infant’s immune system, if a mother does not breastfeed her infant he or she will be six times more likely to die in the first two months of life from infectious diseases such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections. The Child Survival Program provides mothers with options like baby formula which, because of the high cost, would otherwise not be available to them.

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CHILD SURVIVAL PROGRAM outcomes 4 million babies die each year within a month of birth. For each baby who dies, another 20 suffer birth injuries and complications arising from pre-term birth or other neonatal conditions.

ompassion is committed to developing the spiritual, economic, social, physical and emotional potential of children living in

extreme poverty.

As a child focused ministry, Compassion is committed to achieving outcomes for mothers as well as their infants because of the direct implications on the child’s wellbeing, especially during pregnancy.

PHysICAl

Many children in developing countries are never seen at a health facility. It may be because these health services don’t exist or that families lack access to these basic services. Many caregivers do not recognise the warning signs of life-threatening illness.

Because most child deaths and births in developing countries take place at home, Child Survival Program implementers ensure that child health is at the core of their education with mothers. Expectant mums are educated about vital topics such as foetal development, the childbirth process, breastfeeding and infant care. The program monitors the health of infants and mothers and educates mothers on various ways to prevent common childhood diseases, malnutrition and HIV/AIDS.

COGNITIVE

Children need all their senses stimulated: smell, sight, taste, touch and hearing. They also need to be active to develop their motor skills. In the developing world, extreme poverty means that many children under five years of age are exposed to non-stimulating home environments, which can detrimentally affect their cognitive development and ability to learn later in life.

Compassion’s Child Survival Program works to ensure that babies and infants receive age-appropriate learning materials that are high quality and cost-effective, as well as providing opportunities to improve their intellectual development. Mothers and caregivers are taught the importance of play and using toys from an early age. During group sessions at the child development centres, infants have the opportunity to sing, dance, explore and play with toys. Play becomes an important opportunity for young children to use their imaginations and to practise social skills.

Each child development centre is encouraged to have an area designated for group activities that is a colourful and stimulating place, supplied with toys, puzzles, craft supplies and other educational items. The children enjoy age-appropriate activities such as learning how to identify colours and making different shapes from clay. Active games help them improve their physical coordination and develop social skills.

Mothers are also trained on how to provide learning activities for their children at home and the babies and infants are provided with a few simple toys to keep at home. Where appropriate, mothers improve their literacy and income-generating skills through group activities.

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sPIRITUAl

As with all Compassion programs around the world, the Child Survival Program places high priority on sharing the hope of Christ with the mothers, caregivers and infants. It is important that children not only receive a healthy start in life, but also learn at an early age that Jesus loves them. Through the Child Survival Program, mothers and other caregivers are presented with the gospel and encouraged in their spiritual development. They are also taught how to apply Christian values in their child-rearing practices and how to share the love of God with their children through stories, songs, and other age-appropriate activities.

Compassion’s Child Survival Program does not discriminate against people of other faiths. The program assists mothers and babies regardless of their religious affiliation. It is, however, made clear during registration that Compassion is an evangelical Christian organisation and that each mother will be expected to participate in Christian teaching as part of the program. Each mother in the program will hear the gospel message and be encouraged, but never coerced to accept Christ as her personal saviour. Through regular worship time, devotions, Bible study and other spiritual activities, both at home and at the centre, the staff encourage mothers to bring their children up according to biblical principles.

Compassion believes in family as a God-ordained institution and it is under this principal that Compassion’s Child Survival Program also encourages paternal involvement in the program so that fathers, as well as mothers, can become good role models to their children. Compassion also makes a Bible available for each mother or caregiver.

sOCIAl–EMOTIONAl

When children live in a loving, safe environment, surrounded by family, friends and a community of people who love them, believe in them and affirm them, they dare to dream of what they might become.

However, extreme poverty so often robs people of all hope. Many babies are born into extremely violent and depressed communities where there is little or no social support. Many families are dysfunctional and drugs and associated problems often contribute to domestic violence and abuse. There are many single mothers trying to find work and care for their families at the same time. Babies and infants are often left in the care of not much older siblings as mothers try to earn enough money to support their children.

Compassion’s Child Survival Program focuses on providing emotional and social support for both mother and child. There are many mothers in the Child Survival Program who have barely left childhood themselves. Each Child Survival Program works towards providing counselling sessions for mothers and caregivers as appropriate. Social events are organised for both mothers and young children as appropriate.

Program staff try to focus on each child’s individual personality in order to meet their social and emotional needs, thereby encouraging mothers to raise well-rounded children ready for transition into the Child Sponsorship Program.

Mothers in the Child Survival Program learn the importance of

showing affection to their children, of praising them and of spending quality time with them.

CHILD SURVIVAL PROGRAM outcomes

The number of children under five dying as a result of diarrhoea is estimated at almost two million per year. In many countries the proportion of child deaths due primarily to diarrhoea is around 20 per cent.

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Lisbeth loves to help me do the laundry and cook. Here we are making colada, her favourite food, which is a thick drink made from oatmeal.

Lisbeth and I have been in the program

for over a year now. She likes cars,

balls and spends a lot of time playing

with her brother and cousins.

Lorenza, our Child Survival Program

implementer, teaches Lisbeth how to

do puzzles. Lisbeth enjoys these types

of activities and she learns quickly.

I became a Christian after joining the Child Survival Program and we love that Lorenza prays with us whenever she visits. It is very special for us.

Lorenza visits twice a month. She shows

me how to play educational gam

es with

Lisbeth like this one where we taught her

to recognise the parts of the body.

During our group sessions we learn

income-generating skills, study the Bible and learn about health and parenting issues. Lisbeth is very affectionate. She is

a bit timid with strangers but she gets along well with her family.

As part of the program a doctor checks the health of our children regularly. This is my friend’s daughter having a check up.

A TYPICAL HOME VISIT

Visiting Carmen and her daughter Lisbeth IN ECUADOR

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“Our partnership focuses on the Child Survival Program run by the Masaka Full Gospel Church in Masaka, Uganda. It has given us the opportunity to engage first hand in mission. The relationship is not just one way: as we bless them, they bless us in turn. They have helped us with our ministry, mission and outreach to our local community. We now have real stories to share of how we are practically reaching out to the developing world– something quite out of the ordinary.”Geoff Leader, Senior Minister of St Aidan’s Anglican Church in Longueville, NSW

“We are very grateful to St Aidan’s for helping us and standing with us. We are able to minister in a way that we were not able to do before. This ministry has opened doors for evangelism and so created the opportunity to evangelise to our community. I would love to increase the number of mothers in the Child Survival Program because there is a large population of desperate and needy mothers in this community. I would also

love to see the program opening in the other churches in the community–that would be of great impact too.”Kisakye Elijah Paul, Senior Pastor of Masaka Full Gospel Church, Masaka, Uganda

CHURCH partnerships

“Tuggerah Lakes Christian Fellowship has been partnering with a Child Survival Program run by Free Area church in Nakuru, Kenya since 2006.

In this time we have seen first-hand the difference that our partnership has made in the lives of families in Nakuru. Eight people from our church spent a fortnight in Kenya in 2007 (pictured below). During this time we had the privilege to see the physical, relational, medical and spiritual benefits of our church partnership.

We were able to speak with many mothers who encouraged us to ‘please continue the support as it is making a real difference.’ As a congregation we have been blessed in this partnership. Our church appreciates being involved in a mission that has life-giving impact. The church receives regular updates on this Child Survival Program, which continues to keep our focus fresh.”

Pastor Bernie Higgins, Tuggerah Lakes Christian Fellowship, NSW

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CAN I sPONsOR AN INDIVIDUAl MOTHER AND CHIlD?

No. The Child Survival Program by definition does not lend itself well to a sponsorship model or relationship.

As the word ‘survival’ implies, the Child Survival Program is focused on

urgent interventions for mothers and babies in crisis situations. Such participants will not necessarily have an

even level of intervention through the course of their participation in the program, as in child sponsorship. We assume program beneficiary participation will tend to be less stable and often not provide the continuity that’s appropriate for sponsorship. In addition, the promise of the Compassion sponsorship experience is to have a relationship with the sponsored child. The potential of a two-way relationship between sponsor and child is not very realistic as the children in the Child Survival Program are too young.

CAN A FATHER OR PRIMARy CAREGIVER BE CONsIDERED PART OF A ‘MOTHER-CHIlD UNIT’?

Yes, the term ‘mother’ is inter-changeable with ‘primary caregiver’. In most cases, if not the mother, the primary caregiver is the father or a relative or close friend.

ARE FATHERs AND OTHER FAMIly MEMBERs INClUDED IN CHIlD sURVIVAl PROGRAM ACTIVITIEs?

Most program activities are geared to directly benefit the child and mother or primary caregiver to achieve the outcomes used to measure the success of the program. However, some church partners choose to provide interventions and activities beyond those expected by Compassion, which may benefit other family members.

DO MOTHERs AND CHIlDREN IN THE CHIlD sURVIVAl PROGRAM RECEIVE CHRIsTMAs PREsENTs?

Yes. Christmas gifts are provided for all Child Survival Program beneficiaries just as they are for children in the Child Sponsorship Program and students in the Leadership Development Program.

Unfortunately parcels cannot be sent overseas due to possible theft, and high customs charges, but you can donate to the Christmas gift fund at any time throughout the year. All donations are pooled to ensure all Compassion beneficiaries receive a present.

CAN I PROVIDE A FAMIly OR INDIVIDUAl GIFT FOR A PARTICUlAR MOTHER OR CHIlD?

No. Since the Child Survival Program is not a sponsorship program, no provision is made for individual or family gifts.

CAN I PROVIDE A PROjECT GIFT TO A PARTICUlAR CHIlD sURVIVAl PROGRAM?

Yes. You may provide a gift of up to $1200 annually. All project gifts will be used for the benefit of all mothers and children in the program and not an individual mother or child. No gift can be accepted for the purchase of land, vehicles or original construction of a house. Field office and church partner staff will determine developmentally, culturally acceptable and age-appropriate gifts for the mothers and children.

DO MOTHERs HAVE TO BE A CHRIsTIAN TO BE REGIsTERED IN THE CHIlD sURVIVAl PROGRAM?

No. Both non-Christian and Christian families are selected for registration and benefit from the program. Compassion church partners will always prioritise by selecting the most vulnerable in the community.

SUPPORTING THE child survival program

ou can help expand the Child Survival Program’s life-changing ministry to mothers and infants by providing full

support for an entire program in a specific country or through smaller one-off or regular contributions to the Child Survival Program worldwide.

As the supporter of an entire Child Survival Program, you will receive an annual update containing interviews with and photos of: Three mothers and their child/ren The pastor of the Compassion church partner A program director, coordinator or staff member

from your Child Survival Program.

The cost to support an entire program is $36,000 annually, which supports a minimum of 35 mothers and their children. The maximum number of beneficiaries varies from program to program and is determined by the capacity of its corresponding Child

Sponsorship Program into which the infants transition once they are three years old. For a list of programs available for funding, please contact our Donor Relations team: donorrelations@compassion.com.au.

One-off and regular contributions to the Child Survival Program help us meet the needs of mothers and babies in Child Survival Programs that are still waiting to be funded, and assist Compassion to expand the program into additional countries.

Please note that contributions to the Child Survival Program are designated to programs and not to individual mothers or children as the Child Survival Program does not use a sponsorship model.

As a regular contributor to the Child Survival Program, you will receive biannual updates containing highlights, stories and statistics from various Child Survival Programs around the world.

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WHERE DO ONE-OFF OR REGUlAR CONTRIBUTIONs TO THE CHIlD sURVIVAl PROGRAM GO?

Just as the Child Sponsorship Program has children who are registered and receiving program

benefits, but still awaiting sponsorship, there are Child Survival Programs that are not fully funded. Contributions to

the Child Survival Program will be used to help support these programs, as well as for the start-up costs for new programs for things such as stationery, equipment, toys, scales and supplies. As a contributor to the program, you will receive biannual updates containing highlights, stories and statistics from Child Survival Programs around the world.

HOW CAN I sUPPORT AN ENTIRE CHIlD sURVIVAl PROGRAM IN A PARTICUlAR COUNTRy?

Each year Compassion Australia commits to funding a certain number of Child Survival Programs from a number of countries. If you would like to support an entire program and for a list of where these programs are located, please contact our Donor Relations team: donorrelations@compassion.com.au. If your church or school is interested in supporting a Child Survival Program, please contact our Church and Partner Relations team: churchpartnerships@compassion.com.au.

DOEs A CHIlD sURVIVAl PROGRAM AlWAys HAVE TO BE EsTABlIsHED AT A CHURCH WHERE A CHIlD sPONsORsHIP PROGRAM AlREADy ExIsTs?

Yes. Compassion’s Child Survival Program is the first phase of Compassion’s Holistic Child Development Model so it is assumed that most child beneficiaries of the Child Survival Program will transition into the Child Sponsorship Program before they reach the age of four. Exceptions will be made if the Child Survival Program is the primary means to establish programs in a new country or if the church partner plans to add a Child Sponsorship Program by the time the first child in the Child Survival Program reaches his/her fourth birthday.

HOW Is THE CHIlD sURVIVAl PROGRAM CARRIED OUT?

The program is delivered primarily through home-based activities, which are supplemented by church-based group activities to learn and share information about parenting or for staff to train mothers in skills such as income generation and literacy. Please also see pages 14-15 for more details.

WHAT IF A MOTHER GIVEs BIRTH TO TWINs- HOW MANy CHIlDREN CAN BE REGIsTERED WITH A MOTHER?

The children in the Child Survival Program are considered Compassion-registered children and families are limited to having three children concurrently registered in any Compassion child development program. The siblings can be registered in any of the three programs–Child Survival Program, Child Sponsorship Program or the Leadership Development Program. For example, a mother may have twin infants registered in the Child Survival Program along with her, and another child who is part of the Child Sponsorship Program.

HOW DO THE CHURCH PARTNERs sElECT NEW MOTHERs AND CHIlDREN?

Each church partner will have a clearly documented process and criteria for selecting the most vulnerable families in their communities who can benefit from the program. They will seek to register vulnerable children, traumatised children, children with special needs, children affected by HIV/AIDS, or mothers who have miscarried in previous pregnancies.

WHAT INFORMATION CAN I ExPECT TO RECEIVE FROM THE CHIlD sURVIVAl PROGRAM I sUPPORT?

When you support an entire Child Survival Program, an annual report will be provided with information containing interviews and photos of:

Three mothers and their child/ren The pastor of the Compassion church partner A program director, coordinator or staff member.

DOUBLE troubleFEATURE STORY

hen Maida Miculob from the Philippines gave birth to twin boys Cyril and Cyrus on the floor of her one-room home without a

nurse or medical practitioner, the youngest twin Cyrus weighed a terrifying 680 grams. If the boys had been born in a developed country, they would have been immediately shuttled to a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit for around-the-clock care. Tests would have revealed that Cyrus had a life- threatening heart defect. But they weren’t. Their cot was a piece of cardboard on a cold and damp floor.

After a difficult month on her own, vigilantly caring for the twins, Maida and the boys were registered into Compassion’s Child Survival Program run by the local Daius Baptist Church. Once registered, Maida was given food and blankets for her sons, and staff immediately arranged medical care for Cyrus. Through the generosity of Child

Survival Program supporters in Australia and around the world, Cyrus now receives daily medicine to treat his heart condition, as well as regular checkups. He regularly visits his paediatrician and will undergo an operation when he is well enough and old enough to cope with the procedure.

The twin’s grandmother is grateful for the Child Survival Program, “Cyrus is showing positive signs-he eats well and is growing at a good rate. He is not so small anymore compared to Cyril. Maida still needs a lot of support-her husband left her, she has three kids now, and she

doesn’t have a regular income. The program implementers are

always willing to help and share.” Maida adds,“Cyril loves to be hugged and carried. He is always eager for attention and can now sit

and crawl on his own. He’s ahead of Cyrus in his development but they are both doing well.”

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WE BELIEVE the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.

WE BELIEVE that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

WE BELIEVE in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His shed blood for the remission of sins, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father and in His personal return in power and glory.

WE BELIEVE that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.

WE BELIEVE in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

WE BELIEVE in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

WE BELIEVE in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

COMPASSION’S STATEMENT OF FAITH

www.compassion.com.auCompassion’s Privacy Policy: Compassion Australia respects and honours our supporters and their sponsored children, their right to be treated courteously, fairly and have their privacy protected. Compassion is committed to complying with the national Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act of 1988. You can view Compassion’s comprehensive privacy policy on our website www.compassion.com.au, or to obtain a copy please call 1800 22 44 53.

I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A CHILD SURVIVAL PROGRAM SUPPORTER: $20 per month $50 per month $100 per month

I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT AN ENTIRE CHILD SURVIVAL PROGRAM: $3000 monthly, or $36,000 annually

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE MY CONTRIBUTIONS: Monthly Half-yearly Annually

I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE: Bible fund Christmas fund

MY DETAILS Mr Mrs Ms Miss Rev Dr other

First name Last name

Address Suburb

State Postcode Country

Date of Birth Occupation

Email Phone (h) (w/mob) All donations to the Compassion Child Survival Program are tax-deductible. For more information please visit: www.compassion.com.au or to speak to one of our supporter relationship specialists, freecall: 1800 22 44 53.

PAYMENT DETAILS Cheque (Payable to Compassion Australia)

OR please debit my MasterCard Visa AMEX Diners

- - - Name on card Expiry /

Financial institution Card holder’s signature

OR please debit my bank account. Payments by direct debit from Australian bank accounts only.

$100 per month $250 per month Other amount $ per month

To: Compassion Australia

I/We request that the monies due in terms of the arrangements covered by this document, be drawn under the direct debit system from my/our account conducted with: Your financial institution

Branch

My/our account details are:

BSB -

Account number Account holder’s name

I/We acknowledge that this direct debit arrangement is governed by the terms and conditions of the Compassion Australia Automatic Payment Agreement, which I have received and read.

Please sign here

Joint account holder signatory (if applicable)

Date / /

A member of our Donor Relations Team will contact you so you can choose a specific Child Survival Program.

These funds are pooled to ensure all Compassion beneficiaries receive a Bible and a Christmas gift. Bible donations are not tax-deductible.

(6-digit Bank/State/Branch number that precedes your actual account number on your statement)

(Numeric only)

Please send to: Compassion Australia PO Box 1 Hunter Region MC NsW 2310

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pkcs

09

COMPASSION AUSTRALIAPO Box 1 Hunter Region MC NSW 2310

30 Warabrook Boulevard, Warabrook NSW 2304 Phone: 1800 22 44 53 Fax: 02 4935 5099 Email: compassion@compassion.com.au

ABN 67 001 692 566

www.compassion.com.au

Christ-centred Child-focused Church-based