A child has no power over where they are born. They don’t choose the circumstances of their childhood. In a dire situation of poverty, having a chance to enjoy childhood is rare. Wellbeing and health is replaced with hunger and lack of resource. Hope and opportunities are limited by the reality of hardship.

There are millions of children around the world who are lacking basics such as food, water and shelter. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

  • 18%

    of workers in forced labour exploitation are children.

  • 14,794

    is the average number of children under 5 who die every day.

  • 35,000

    is the number of children around the world who have been sponsored by New Zealanders.

What we’re doing

We believe childhood is a basic human right and that every child on our planet should be known, loved, protected and released from poverty in Jesus’ name. 

We partner with Compassion International's child sponsorship programme, which connects children to their local church family, giving them an education, access to a doctor and safe places to play.  When you sponsor a child you not only provide them with this immediate support, but also build a relationship more powerful than poverty by writing them letters of hope and encouragement. 


Does Sponsorship work? 

Absolutely. And we’ve got independent research to back it up. In 2008, a team of researchers from universities across America, lead by Dr Bruce Wydick conducted independent research* into our Compassion child sponsorship programme.

The findings were published in The Journal of Political Economy in 2013 and, in short, found it to be extremely effective. Children were:

  • 27–40%

    Sponsored children are 27-40% more likely to finish secondary school

  • 50–80%

    Sponsored children are 50-80% more likely to complete a university degree

  • 18%

    Sponsored children are 18% more likely to have salaried employment in their adult life


*The research was conducted in 2008 by a team of researchers led by Dr Bruce Wydick, a professor of economics and international studies at the University of San Francisco. The findings were published in The Journal of Political Economy in 2013.

The Power of Child Sponsorship

Watch the full story



Former sponsored children were asked to write what they wish their sponsors
knew about the difference they made in their lives.