This article was written by Compassion International. It was originally published on their website and used with permission.
Have you wondered what your sponsored child’s home might be like? Children from each of the seven countries where we work in Central America and the Caribbean took us on a tour of their homes! We hope having a glimpse into the homes of typical sponsored children in this region will help you know how you can pray for them—and how very much your support means!
Nahomy in Guatemala
Nahomy lives on the top of a hill in Flores, Guatemala. She climbs 96 steps to reach her house every day! She turns it into a game and counts each step as she climbs, sometimes pretending to be a frog, jumping from step to step.
At the top of the hill, she lives with her mom and little brother Fernando. Their home is 20 square meters and is made from wood and corrugated metal sheets. They have one lightbulb that illuminates their home, and one bed, which Nahomy received from Compassion.
Recently during a routine medical checkup, Nahomy was found to be underweight. She immediately started receiving extra help each month with groceries. The family doesn’t have a kitchen in their home, so they go down the hill to cook in Nahomy’s grandmother’s kitchen.
“I don’t see any bad things about my house,” says Nahomy. “I love it because I have trees and water. I have a house and, thanks to the Compassion center, I now have a new bed where we sleep.”
Yaretzi and Julieth in Honduras
Yaretzi and Julieth from Honduras lost everything when gang members threw them out of their home, along with their grandmother and grandfather. The violent men said they would kill the entire family if they didn’t find another place to live. They were forced to move to a community near the city dump where their grandfather built a simple wood home.
In their new home, they don’t have access to electricity, potable water, a sewage system or a health care center. On hot, humid days, the pollution and stench of the city dump is unbearable.
Their favorite place in their home is their bed where they lie together and read the Bible and their sponsors’ letters with their grandma, Maria.
“The registration of my grandchildren in the Compassion center has made a huge difference in their lives,” says Maria. “They eat healthy meals, have medical checkups twice a year and receive school supplies and Bible teaching. We were hopeless when we moved here, but the staff became our new family.”
Dodson in Haiti
Dodson lives with his mom and three siblings in a one-room concrete brick home in rural Haiti. Their home is surrounded by braided coconut leaf fences, which is common in this area. They don’t have electricity, so light comes into their home through the door and one small window.
The family doesn’t have dressers, so they store their clothes in a suitcase. To sleep, Dodson’s mother lays several layers of clothing on the floor to make a mattress. They cook once a day in their outdoor kitchen, because one meal a day is the norm. Dodson likes to be outside. After doing his homework, he plays soccer with a makeshift ball made from several pairs of socks.
Although this family does not have much materially, they do have love and dreams.
“When I lie on the ground during the night, I smile because I get to dream that one day I will become a great doctor,” says Dodson.
