Christian child development charity Compassion UK will be able to help save the lives of thousands of vulnerable mums and babies, thanks to donations from generous supporters which will be matched by the UK government.
Compassion’s Different Path Appeal with government aid matched funding raised a total of £2.2m. Thanks to the generosity of the British public and the UK government, Compassion is able to fund a further 50 child survival projects in Togo which will help thousands of mums and babies over the next three years, giving families in this underdeveloped country new hope for the future.
Around the world, complications in pregnancy and childbirth are causing too many women and children to die. However, many lives could be saved if mothers had better access to medical care and greater mental health support. In Togo, where one in 20 babies die before their first birthday, obstacles including disease, malnutrition and limited access to medical care are a barrier to survival, but the root cause of the problem is poverty.
Justin Dowds, CEO of Compassion UK, commented, “We are so thankful for this outpouring of generosity from our supporters and the general public. It is devastating that hundreds of thousands of parents simply can’t afford basic healthcare and nutritional support that could give their families the best start in life. We are devoting ourselves to tackling this injustice.
“The amazing outcome of this appeal, and the generous funding from the UK government, will allow us to provide personalised life-changing support to thousands of mums and their babies, and even their wider families, living in Togo. Excitingly, it will help us to further our mission to see children released from poverty in Jesus’ name.”
Funds raised through Compassion’s Different Path Appeal will see new child survival projects established and delivered in partnership with the local church in Togo. These projects will improve pregnant women’s access to antenatal check-ups and trained birth attendants, offer life-saving assistance including basic healthcare, hygiene, nutritious food and safe water, as well as providing mentoring, support and spiritual guidance for families so they are equipped to monitoring their children’s health and development, and can create a stable home-life.
One family that has already been impacted by Compassion’s child survival projects is that of 35-year-old Ama, whose sixth child Luke was born last November. Ama was registered into the project by her local church. Whilst in previous pregnancies prenatal check-ups were simply not affordable on the family’s income, being part of this project meant Ama has received more support and the anxiety of her previous pregnancies was gone. Just weeks after Luke’s birth Ama admitted she was more hopeful about the future of her youngest son.
Now aged seven months, Luke is growing well, in part due to the hygiene and food kits Ama receives monthly. Ama has also taken part in a business training course run by Compassion and with her new skills has started her own business in her community. Ama said “My life has completely changed because all my needs, including the basic ones of my household, are provided for by Compassion’s child survival project.
“I sell beans for a living and my wish is to develop this petty trader to a larger scale, so that I will be able to provide for the needs of my children in their school education etc. My goal is that they would be successful in life. I am grateful and thank all those who supported this project.”
Compassion supports similar projects in 25 countries. You can help change the lives of mums like Ama, helping more babies to survive the first year of life, by visiting www.compassionuk.org/differentpath
