From their delicate little fingers to their beautiful first smiles, there’s no question that babies are one of God’s most amazing creations.
Each year 132 million babies are born and begin their childhood journey. It’s a precious time for mothers and a crucial time for babies as they develop and grow.
But tragically many little ones don’t even make it to their third birthday. Poor nutrition, preventable childhood illnesses, a lack of care and protection, all these contribute to a child mortality rate that is still too high.
That’s where Compassion’s Child Survival Program is filling the gap. Even before children are old enough to enter our child development program we reach out to parents in poor communities. We offer them a helping hand so they in turn can enable their babies’ healthy development.
Compassion’s local church partners provide a place for parents to come together and learn how to care for their children. And because the home is the center of these little one’s lives, that’s where the Child Survival Program is primarily implemented.
Workers make regular visits to the homes to check on the children’s development progress and encourage the parents. As well as take things like milk and other baby essentials.
To ensure that they can meet their basic needs mothers are also taught income generating skills.
Jurmawati (CSP Implementer): The mothers have the opportunity to learn and make handicrafts to sell them through the local store. They can also sell them whenever there is a bazaar so they can participate and sell their creation.
We want these mothers to know that their not alone. And so the Child Survival Program also provides them with a community of other mothers.
Eleanora (Mother of 6): Before I joined the program, I felt life had no meaning. But since I joined the program, I met new friends and gave me a new meaning to life.
Merduana (Mother of 2): While I’m in CSP program, I learn new things in how to deal with my daughter.
The Child Survival Program simply put helps children survive and even thrive.