Written by Alyssa Esparaz

Compassion Generation

This series is about youth who strive to make this generation one of compassion. They are responding to the brokenness in the world by taking action with Compassion Canada. We hope these stories inspire and encourage you!

As we celebrate parents, these ones show us that some aspects of parenthood are universal

In May and June, we celebrate our moms and dads! It’s important to acknowledge that for some, family can be a painful part of our stories—and that is true for many children living in poverty around the world. But the love of a parent can also be an immense anchor for a child living in poverty, and that’s what we want to celebrate today!

Meet Tigist, David, José and Julissa. They are parenting in contexts that most of us couldn’t even imagine. Yet, some things about parenthood—like perseverance, dedication and hope—can be found no matter where in the world you are.

We hope you are inspired by these incredible moms and dads!

Tigist, Ethiopia

Tigist and baby Amen are part of Compassion’s Survival Program at their local church.

“I’m so glad that I am able to take care of my children. I am grateful that God chose me to be a mom. Being a mom is beautiful, but it is also really difficult. But since I am a mom, I won’t give up. It is difficult, but as a mother, I would go through these things for my children.”

David, Dominican Republic

David’s son is part of the Compassion child development program at their local church. In their community, only about 35% of fathers are involved in their children’s lives.

“I do not remember my dad telling me he loved me. When my children were born, I decided not to be the same. I participate in every activity of the program and church. My son is part of this amazing program, so the least I can do is to attend the events and motivate other parents to get involved. If I had all the fathers of the world in front of me, I would tell them to take care of their children, play with them, hug them and be aware of what is going on in their lives.”

José and Julissa, Peru

The Complementary Interventions fund provided training for 150 parents in job skills such as bakery, textiles and hairdressing through six different Child Survival Programs in Piura city. The result: stability and a better future for children. Jose, Julissa and Ariana sit at the front doorway of their home playing together. Other homes are seen in the background.

José, Julissa and their daughter Ariana are part of Compassion’s Survival Program at their local church. José participated in income generation workshops focused on baking.

“This has been the first time that we have learned to set a vision and mission for our family. Thanks to the Survival Program, we are learning to become better parents and providers. Our main goal is to open our own bakery.” –José

“Thanks to the support of the Survival Program, I am learning to dream bigger for my daughter. I would like her to become an engineer. I want her to be better than me. We haven’t finished our studies, but we are working hard to provide the best for her.” –Julissa

You can help provide hope and support for new parents living in poverty by donating to Compassion’s Survival Fund. Learn more at www.compassion.ca/survival.