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

If I give to Critical Needs, where will my money go?
You can choose to donate to one of nine Critical Needs areas: - Water and Sanitation - Health - Infrastructure - Mums and Babies - Disaster Relief - Education and Training - Income Generation - Highly Vulnerable Children - Where Most Needed

Your donation goes towards addressing that area of need for children in our program globally. For example, should you give to Water and Sanitation, your donation could go towards providing water filters, water tanks or toilets in any of the over 25 countries where Compassion works. Funds are pooled so that children's most urgent needs are met first, as determined by local church partners who know each child and family in Compassion's program. You can also choose to support an entire Critical Needs project. Please contact us if you are interested in discussing this option further.

You can:
- Give to Critical Needs
- Sponsor a child
How much does it cost to support Critical Needs?
The recommended amount to give to one Critical Need is $12 per month. However, you can give any amount of your choosing through either options of one-off or monthly giving. The giving options are flexible, so you have the freedom to support the areas you are most passionate about through Critical Needs.

You can:
- Give to Critical Needs
How does Critical Needs work with Child Sponsorship?
Critical Needs and the Child Sponsorship Program work side-by-side to equip Compassion's local church partners with the resources to provide holistic support and long-term, customised solutions for children, their families and communities. While the Child Sponsorship Program connects one child with one sponsor, Critical Needs giving is not directed to one child, but provides essential support to thousands of Compassion registered children when they need it most. Every child will benefit from Critical Needs during their time in Compassion’s program, as sponsorship funds alone are not sufficient to cover the varied and often urgent needs of the children we support.

You can choose to support children globally through Critical Needs or fund an entire project in a specific community. These projects are both reactive and proactive and could include water filters to provide safe water to a community, reconstruction of homes after natural disasters, or income generating activities for adolescents and children's caregivers. The right assistance is identified and provided by the local church in partnership with Compassion.

You can:
- Give to Critical Needs
- Sponsor a child
Why does the cost to support an entire Mums and Babies survival project vary between countries?
The care that families receive from Mums and Babies is specific to them, and differs between countries based on children’s needs and the availability and accessibility of government or other support services. This means the cost to support an entire Mums and Babies survival project also varies between countries ($15,000 - $25,000 per year), and has been determined by the price of local services, families' specific needs and currency conversions.

For example, in Thailand, free universal healthcare is available to families—but not always accessible, especially in remote areas. Instead of replacing existing services, your support empowers Compassion staff to assess and meet each family’s individual and most urgent needs. For children in Thailand, this includes providing educational and health support to increase rates of breastfeeding, helping to prevent undernutrition and stunting for newborns.

You can support 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.

If you are interested in supporting an entire Mums and Babies survival project, please contact us.

You can:
- Give to Mums and Babies
- Contact us for more information
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.