About
About Hope Starts Here
Poverty is a thief. It deprives children of what they need to live, grow and thrive. But worse, it prevents a child from having dreams and aspirations for a better future. It steals their hope.
But hope starts with the message of the Gospel. Hope starts with a relationship with Jesus. Hope starts with the loving support of the local church. And Hope Starts Here with a sponsor like you.
Hope Starts Here is a Compassion Experience inviting you to witness the harsh realities of life for children living in extreme poverty and the local church’s incredible response. And to celebrate the hope that Jesus brings in even the most difficult of circumstances.
Be taken on a journey through a series of interactive experiences. Meet a real child named Blessing and her family as they confront the daily realities of poverty. Learn more about them as you move through each experience, and see what a typical day holds – with all its challenges and choices.
It’s a chance to see life from a completely different perspective.
- Be challenged as you hear the story of a family’s struggle, sacrifice and generosity.
- See how the local church is igniting hope in the lives of children living in extreme poverty.
- Witness firsthand the life-transforming impact of child sponsorship.
- Be moved to respond as you see that for a child in desperate need, Hope Starts Here with you.
The Experience ignites conversations around justice, the Great Commission, poverty and the opportunity we all have to help children around the world. For parents, this can be an invaluable teaching moment with your children. For church leaders, this gives your congregation an incredible glimpse of how the Gospel is transforming lives "to the ends of the earth" and brings an opportunity to renew your church's heart for discipleship, generosity, and global missions.
It’s our hope that the perspective you’ll gain through Hope Starts Here will raise awareness about poverty around the world and the opportunity we all have to make a tangible difference for children stuck in the devastating cycle of poverty.
About Compassion International
Hope Starts Here, a Compassion Experience, is a project of Compassion International.
For over 70 years, Compassion International has been making a difference in the lives of children growing up in some of the most impoverished places on earth. Though the statistics on poverty have greatly improved over the past 25 years, the reality is that there are still 385 million children living in extreme poverty (defined as less than $2.15/day by World Bank, 2022). This type of poverty stands in direct opposition to children growing up healthy, educated and with every opportunity to achieve their God-given potential.
Our core strategy for combating child poverty is one-to-one sponsorship. Sponsors are individually connected with a child who will get to know them personally through exchanged letters. A regular financial contribution provides life-changing opportunities including:
- An opportunity to experience the love of God.
- Monitoring for malnutrition and supplemental nutrition when needed.
- Preventative medical care and check-ups.
- Educational support which can include school uniforms or advocating for identification papers and other documents that help children access local schooling.
- Participation in a healthy and encouraging community of peers and adults.
- Tutoring and vocational training.
At the end of your Experience, you will have an opportunity to allow hope to start here for a child living in extreme poverty through sponsorship.
It’s an invitation to enter the life of a child and invest directly into their future. Rooted in our Christian faith, we operate exclusively in partnership with the local church, and you can trust our financial integrity. Your support of and relationship with that child matters for eternity.
Your interest in learning more about poverty, the hope of Jesus and the local church’s work in the developing world is so encouraging. We are determined to never raise a white flag to the terror of poverty.
We believe that every child is worth every effort to live a life released from poverty. We hope you share that passion and can join us soon at an event to make Hope Start Here.