Infrastructure

Providing safety, dignity and stability for children

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Living in poverty exposes children to the harshest of circumstances.

Why infrastructure is so important

860 million people worldwide continue to live in slums

More than 100 million people worldwide are homeless

1.6 billion people live in inadequate shelter around the world; 1 billion of those live in informal settlements

About one in four people live in conditions that harm their health, safety, prosperity and opportunities.

Sources: UNDP; UN; UN Habitat; Habitat

Many children who are born into poverty live in unsafe and insecure places and environments—homes with no roofs, floors, sewage or electricity. Schools that are overcrowded with no access to toilets, or safe places to play. Such environments make children even more vulnerable, and their development is often affected by their challenging surroundings.

Through generous supporters, Compassion funds initiatives that make the places children go safer and stronger. These could include:

Maintenance of the local child development centre
Repairs to a child’s home if it is deemed unsafe
Classroom upgrades
Building safe play areas and playgrounds

Your support enables the improvement or replacement of inadequate and unsafe structures for children and their families. By supporting Infrastructure you are giving a gift that will have an impact for years to come.

For every $1 donated

80% goes to program, 20% to administration

80%

Program development and delivery

20%

Administration and fundraising costs

See exactly where your money goes

Infrastructure Stories

Feature Story

05 Aug, 2019

Watch this Brave Family's Life Change After Years of Pain

Meet Nachi, a courageous, selfless and cheeky grandma who loves her grandson Collins fiercely. Meet Collins, a young boy who’s brave beyond belief. Together, they’ve endured unimaginable grief and hardship. But you’re about to see their story change... Read more

22 May, 2019

12 Fascinating Photos of Tiny Homes in the Developing World

The 'tiny home' movement is making its way across the world—but tiny homes are nothing new. People have lived in tiny homes for much of human history. Here are 12 fascinating photos of tiny homes from around the world. .. Read more

07 Jan, 2019

“I Can’t Stop Grinning”: Mums Share their Joy at the Gift of New Homes

That new-home feeling is fantastic no matter where you live. But when your previous home was infested by rats, flooded by rain or swept away by storms, it's even better. Meet three mums who can't stop smiling at the thought of moving day... Read more

FAQs

Can I give to Critical Needs if I do not sponsor a child?
Yes, you can give to Critical Needs if you do not sponsor a child. Critical Needs is essential to overcoming obstacles for children living in poverty and your donation to Critical Needs will go towards helping thousands of children. Choose an area of need that you are most passionate about meeting, and then all you need to do is decide whether your donation is a once-only or a recurring gift. Thank you for your partnership to share a hope more powerful than poverty!

You can:
- Give to Critical Needs
- Sponsor a child
How much does it cost to give to Mums and Babies?
You can give to Mums and Babies for $12 per month or another amount of your choosing. You can also give through a one-off financial contribution. These contributions are pooled to support mothers and babies all around the world. As a Mums and Babies supporter, you will receive updates containing highlights, stories and statistics.

You can also fund an entire Mums and Babies survival project, or launch a survival project in a new community. The cost to support an entire survival project varies by country, between $15,000 and $25,000 per year. Please contact us to discuss these options further.

You can:
- Learn more about Mums and Babies
What is Critical Needs?
The effects of poverty are devastating and affect every area of a child's life. Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program sets the foundation for life-changing opportunities for every registered child. But every child will, at some point, require help beyond sponsorship's reach.

Critical Needs provides the additional support necessary for Compassion assisted children to be released from poverty in Jesus' name. Through Critical Needs, supporters like you who are passionate about particular issues, such as safe water, or caring for mothers and babies, can help children most in need worldwide, or support specific projects in vulnerable communities. There are nine Critical Needs areas that you can choose to support, each area addressing an essential aspect of a child's health and development.

The nine Critical Needs are:
Because we believe that poverty is best addressed through the transformation of the individual child, Critical Needs provides support alongside Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program, not as stand-alone community development activities.
Where does Compassion Mums and Babies operate?
Compassion Mums and Babies works in over 25 developing countries to prevent premature death, secure good health and enable positive development in the youngest, most vulnerable children.

Mums and Babies always operates through a survival project at the Compassion centre in local communities. It is the first phase of our holistic child development model. From age one, children will transition from Mums and Babies into the Child Sponsorship Program.

You can
- Give to Mums and Babies
- Learn more about the Child Sponsorship Program
What is Compassion's Highly Vulnerable Children fund?

Compassion's Highly Vulnerable Children fund offers a lifeline to children in Compassion's programs facing unthinkable hardship and living in high-risk situations.

This includes: children who have been orphaned (or youth-headed households), children whose primary caregiver is incapacitated, children who have suffered abuse or exploitation, and children with special needs.

Together with the local church, Compassion identifies children in highly vulnerable situations and provide them with specialised care and assistance to ensure they are stabilised and can continue to participate in Compassion's program.

Examples of help given to these children can include: immediate housing arrangements, trauma counselling, nutritional support and provision of every day needs, legal assistance and renovations to structures and shelters.

The Highly Vulnerable Children fund goes beyond the response of sponsorship to ensure children are kept safe and continue to be given opportunities to grow and develop without facing immediate risks to their safety and well-being.