International (MNN) – Did you know there are over 87 million children in this world, all under 7 years old, who live in conflict areas either at home or in a war zone?
According to UNICEF, this isn’t only a problem because of the instability and abuse children are subjected to in these situations, but also because the first 7 years of life are the most important for brain development.
(Photo courtesy Compassion International)
During these first years, the brain activates up to 1,000 brain cells every second. These cells, also called neurons, connect with other cells at the rate of 10,000 neurons per second.
What are they doing? They’re creating pathways, linking the neurons together and defining the health, emotional well-being, and ability to learn for the rest of a child’s life.
But when children are constantly exposed to trauma, this puts them at risk for poor cognitive, social, and physical states for the rest of their lives, creating an inability to learn and to be emotional healthy.
In the most basic sense, it prevents these kids from one day pursuing a normal life. Instead, they will carry with them, until the day they die, the consequences of others’ actions, simply because they were helpless children.
Compassion International is working to change these statistics and give kids a better chance at a healthy life. Through child sponsorship, Compassion gives kids the opportunity to learn, to be healthy, and to live outside poverty. In addition, children are introduced to Christ, the source of eternal hope beyond this life.
(Photo courtesy Compassion International)
Compassion provides a number of programs to provide the best life possible for kids facing conflict–whether it’s the conflict of war or of chaos at home.
Through its sponsorship program, kids receive a Christian education, an opportunity to become literate, health care, job and vocational training, recreational activities, protection from poverty and danger, and they’re provided with supplements to defeat malnutrition.
And here’s your opportunity: YOU CAN HELP! All it takes is a monthly donation, costing less than a cup of coffee a day, to change a child’s life and future for the better, and provide eternal hope through Christ.
To learn more about Compassion and what it does, click here!
To sponsor a child, click here!
