Ministry helping spread gospel to kids, preventing child exploitation

Child Care International (CCI) appreciates all their sponsors in Canada as it means children in destitute situations can see hope through the care and love of Jesus. 

"Child sponsorship is one of the most effective ways to address the root causes of poverty," says Jose Prem, the Executive Director of Child Care International (CCI). "We partner with sponsors in Canada in order to train and equip children so they can make good decisions regarding their life."

The main focus of CCI is providing Christian education and holistic child development.  

"Basically the children are taught that they are created in the image of God, having all the gifts and abilities to make the right decisions."

CCI blesses children in 10 different developing countries. Four in the Central American range, three countries in Africa, and three countries in Asia. 

"We join with partners in those 10 countries to reach children in some of the poorest areas so that we can get them that Christian education and basic needs," says Renee Barclay, the Sponsorship Representative for CCI in Manitoba. "We go where larger organizations choose not to go."

Barclay shares that it's the local partner organizations in the countries that choose which children get sponsored, rather than their staff in Canada. The staff on the ground know best who needs what. 

"The countries we serve have serious problems," says Barclay. "With poverty but also social issues and health issues like HIV in Africa and child exploitation in Asia as well as malnutrition in Latin America. We're just trying to reach where there's the greatest need."

CCI offers Christian education for every child sponsored that is helped run by the local churches. 

"The ethos of the school is evangelistic," says Prem. "It's at the core of the missions of the school to not only provide good quality education but also communicate the gospel. They do this through daily devotionals, spiritual retreats, camps, and the senior pastor comes to the school and shares the word of God on a constant basis."

The gospel is then shared with the parents of the children as well, either through the child sharing or through parental activities through the school.  

"When you travel there and see the school staff investing their life, how they cherish, they care and protect the children, that's extremely encouraging. Sometimes in our western culture, we have lost our sense of joy, being spontaneous, and just laughing. Those children physically and economically, they don't have anything, but they have that joy and that laughter, and they want to share that moment."

Monthly donations of $40 help children through some of the toughest obstacles which also providing emergency services, basic necessities, and Christian education. Sponsorship begins here.