How do I choose a child?

With thousands of children currently on the Compassion website waiting for sponsors, it can be a daunting task to choose the one that is right for you. How can you possibly choose when all of them need help?

One way is to pray and ask God to show you who he wants you to help, or the region you are called to help, or the type of children God wants you to impact. That can be one place to start. Here is a guide to finding a child on the Compassion website.

When you click on Sponsor a Child Today, it will provide you with 16 random children and from there you can narrow your search.

1. Youngest to Oldest - have a heart for the very young? (A note, younger children are more likely to find sponsors than older children because people gravitate to the cute little kids).

2. Oldest to Youngest - want to impact someone that is older and less likely to find a sponsor? (Different countries have different ages as to when the child will graduate from the program so depending on the age you may not be sponsoring the child for long but you will still completely change their life.

3. Longest Waiting - This is where I go first. These children have all been waiting for a sponsor for over six months! They stand out because they have this symbol on their picture.


4.  Birthday Today - Make a child's birthday their best ever by giving them the greatest gift! They have this symbol on their picture.


5. Lives in an AIDS infected area - These children are at an increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. They have the following symbol on their pictures.


6. Lives in an area prone to exploitation or abuse - There is not a specific page for these children but be looking for their symbol.


7. Orphaned children - There are currently no children that fit this criteria (so I can't get a picture...) but they are identified with a blue O

8. Mentally or physically handicapped children - These children are commonly looked over and forgotten in developing countries and they need extra help. There are currently no children that fit this criteria (so no picture...) but they are identified with a pink hand.

You can also look for children depending on a specific country. As a reminder, Compassion works in the following countries:
Africa: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda
Asia: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Central America/Caribbean: Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua
South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru

Choose a child by gender, age, or birthday (find one that has the same birthday as you!)

Bottom line: all of these children need help and any one of them will bless and change your life. Let God point you in the right direction and choose one that speaks to your heart. But if you're completely overwhelmed, ask and Compassion will choose one for you.

Questions about finding a child or sponsorship? Feel free to ask!

Love & Peace