Children growing up in poverty face many tough challenges. Little or no access to basic necessities like clean water, a safe and sturdy home and a good education are just a few. The circumstances can change based on factors like culture, location and the economic environment of the country.
Without having visited one of these countries firsthand, it can be tough to envision the world a child in poverty lives in. As a sponsor, you have the life-changing opportunity to visit your child and see the impact you’re making. Sponsors that are able to visit always return with a better understanding of their child’s world and often, a changed perspective of their own lives.
Our vision is ambitious, yet fairly simple — bring people together to end poverty for good. Along with your help, we can make it happen. Working in communities with the most need, we build healthy environments and help empower children to create lasting change that continues for generations. Our programs focus on health, education, empowerment and employment to provide children a path out of poverty and a chance to envision a future they never thought possible. Our research shows that focusing on these four interconnected areas enables children to make an impact on a global level and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families.
Around the world, every community has distinct needs and suffers from its own set of obstacles. Our team assesses the conditions in every country we serve to create specific, proven programs that help children overcome the unique challenges of their communities and free themselves from a life in poverty.
Our programs are built around a concept called “adolescent prevention theory,” which looks at both accumulated risk and adolescent onset risk. The early interventions offered through our programs help children meet critical developmental milestones and give them a chance to create lasting change in their lives.
Children living in poverty often have greater health problems and are more likely to suffer from preventable diseases because of a lack of proper treatment. Health issues are often the main factor plunging families further into poverty. Poor health keeps children from school for weeks or even years at a time, leaving them falling behind without the support or resources to catch up. Our programs teach healthy behaviors, including good hygiene and proper nutrition, and provide access to health care and dental clinics at our life-changing community centers.
Living in poverty, many children fall behind and don’t have the resources or support to catch up. Without proper education, children and youth are more likely to turn to drugs or gangs, or become pregnant at a young age. Education is essential to giving children a chance to break the cycle of poverty for good. Our tutoring programs help fill the gaps for children who have fallen behind and are at risk for dropping out. We also provide uniforms, scholarships and computer classes to help children reach graduation day and create lasting change in their lives.
Can you imagine growing up and never seeing someone graduate from high school or find a life outside the poverty of your community? For children in our programs, creating change begins by helping them envision a future they never thought possible. It’s why we focus on empowerment, to help children and youth gain the hope and confidence they need to end poverty for good. Our programs foster social responsibility through leadership, life skills and employment-training workshops, so children are empowered to make an impact in their communities.
Many children and youth in our communities can’t envision a life free from poverty because they’ve never seen an example of success or been given the tools to find employment. How can you apply for a job if you can’t complete a résumé? How do you secure stable employment if you don’t know where to look for work? Providing youth in our communities the confidence and job skills they need to contribute to their local economy is crucial to helping them end generational poverty. Our programs help youth gain marketable skills through continuing education courses, vocational classes, employment prep courses and more to put them on track to a better future.
We are changing lives in 10 countries around the world for 200K children. What makes the most impact in everything we do? You and the support you give a deserving child in need of sponsorship.
For 80+ years, we have been helping children in poverty. In FY 2020, 85% of our total operating expenses supported programs for children and youth.
Have questions or need some help? Good news: We’d love to talk with you!
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Our live chat isn’t available right now (check out our hours below). But you can send us an email at children@children.org. Or you can check out our Frequently Asked Questions section to find a quick answer.
