Hi, neighbour! We’re refreshing our site to make your visit better. As you move around, you may see a mix of old and new designs.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure

Providing safety, dignity and stability for children

Give to improving or replacing inadequate and unsafe structures

keyboard_arrow_left BACK TO DONATE

Living in poverty exposes children to the harshest of circumstances.

Why infrastructure is so important

  860 million people

860 million people worldwide continue to live in slums

Homelessness worldwide

More than 100 million people worldwide are homeless

Inadequate shelter

1.6 billion people live in inadequate shelter around the world; 1 billion of those live in informal settlements

Poor living conditions.. 1 in 4

About one in four people live in conditions that harm their health, safety, prosperity and opportunities.

Sources: UNDP; UN; UN Habitat; Habitat

Many children who are born into poverty live in unsafe and insecure places and environments—homes with no roofs, floors, sewage or electricity. Schools that are overcrowded with no access to toilets, or safe places to play. Such environments make children even more vulnerable, and their development is often affected by their challenging surroundings.

Through generous supporters, Compassion funds initiatives that make the places children go safer and stronger. These could include:

  • Maintenance of the local child development centre
  • Repairs to a child’s home if it is deemed unsafe
  • Classroom upgrades
  • Building safe play areas and playgrounds

Your support enables the improvement or replacement of inadequate and unsafe structures for children and their families. By supporting Infrastructure you are giving a gift that will have an impact for years to come.



See your latest impact through Infrastructure

See how your generosity changed the lives of children this year.
Download our Infrastructure Impact Report.

See my impact

Infrastructure Stories

Feature Story
05 Aug, 2019

Watch this Brave Family's Life Change After Years of Pain

Meet Nachi, a courageous, selfless and cheeky grandma who loves her grandson Collins fiercely. Meet Collins, a young boy who’s brave beyond belief. Together, they’ve endured unimaginable grief and hardship. But you’re about to see their story change... Read more

22 May, 2019

12 Fascinating Photos of Tiny Homes in the Developing World

The 'tiny home' movement is making its way across the world—but tiny homes are nothing new. People have lived in tiny homes for much of human history. Here are 12 fascinating photos of tiny homes from around the world. .. Read more

07 Jan, 2019

“I Can’t Stop Grinning”: Mums Share their Joy at the Gift of New Homes

That new-home feeling is fantastic no matter where you live. But when your previous home was infested by rats, flooded by rain or swept away by storms, it's even better. Meet three mums who can't stop smiling at the thought of moving day... Read more

FAQs

  • Can I sponsor a specific mother and child in Compassion Mums and Babies?

    While you can now sponsor a child from age one through Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program, we cannot offer one-to-one sponsorship of mums and babies before a child's first birthday. Compassion Mums and Babies provides urgent survival support for young families in crisis situations. In a child's first year of life, Compassion staff are focused on helping babies survive and families adjust to life with their new arrival. Once the critical first year is over, Compassion staff can turn their attention to child development and establishing the invaluable one-to-one sponsorship relationships that help children grow in confidence and have hope for their future.

    Donations of any amount to Compassion Mums and Babies are graciously received. You will be providing young families with critical support during the vulnerable prenatal months and first year of life.

    Alternatively, Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program is specifically designed for one-to-one sponsorship, offering children and sponsors the opportunity to benefit from a two-way relationship.

    You can:

    • Give to Mums and Babies
    • Sponsor a child
    • Learn more about the Child Sponsorship Program
  • Why does the cost to support an entire Mums and Babies survival project vary between countries?

    The care that families receive from Mums and Babies is specific to them, and differs between countries based on children’s needs and the availability and accessibility of government or other support services. This means the cost to support an entire Mums and Babies survival project also varies between countries ($15,000 - $25,000 per year), and has been determined by the price of local services, families' specific needs and currency conversions.

    For example, in Thailand, free universal healthcare is available to families—but not always accessible, especially in remote areas. Instead of replacing existing services, your support empowers Compassion staff to assess and meet each family’s individual and most urgent needs. For children in Thailand, this includes providing educational and health support to increase rates of breastfeeding, helping to prevent undernutrition and stunting for newborns.

    You can support Mums and Babies for $12 per month or another amount of your choosing. You can also give through a one-off financial contribution. These contributions are pooled to support mothers and babies all around the world.

    If you are interested in supporting an entire Mums and Babies survival project, please contact us.

    You can:

    • Give to Mums and Babies
    • Contact us for more information
  • How much does it cost to give to Mums and Babies?

    You can give to Mums and Babies for $12 per month or another amount of your choosing. You can also give through a one-off financial contribution. These contributions are pooled to support mothers and babies all around the world. As a Mums and Babies supporter, you will receive updates containing highlights, stories and statistics.

    You can also fund an entire Mums and Babies survival project, or launch a survival project in a new community. The cost to support an entire survival project varies by country, between $15,000 and $25,000 per year. Please contact us to discuss these options further.

    You can:

    • Learn more about Mums and Babies
  • How does Critical Needs work with Child Sponsorship?

    Critical Needs and the Child Sponsorship Program work side-by-side to equip Compassion's local church partners with the resources to provide holistic support and long-term, customised solutions for children, their families and communities. While the Child Sponsorship Program connects one child with one sponsor, Critical Needs giving is not directed to one child, but provides essential support to thousands of Compassion registered children when they need it most. Every child will benefit from Critical Needs during their time in Compassion’s program, as sponsorship funds alone are not sufficient to cover the varied and often urgent needs of the children we support.

    You can choose to support children globally through Critical Needs or fund an entire project in a specific community. These projects are both reactive and proactive and could include water filters to provide safe water to a community, reconstruction of homes after natural disasters, or income generating activities for adolescents and children's caregivers. The right assistance is identified and provided by the local church in partnership with Compassion.

    You can:

    • Give to Critical Needs
    • Sponsor a child
  • If I give to Critical Needs, where will my money go?

    You can choose to donate to one of nine Critical Needs areas: - Water and Sanitation - Health - Infrastructure - Mums and Babies - Disaster Relief - Education and Training - Income Generation - Highly Vulnerable Children - Where Most Needed

    Your donation goes towards addressing that area of need for children in our program globally. For example, should you give to Water and Sanitation, your donation could go towards providing water filters, water tanks or toilets in any of the over 25 countries where Compassion works. Funds are pooled so that children's most urgent needs are met first, as determined by local church partners who know each child and family in Compassion's program. You can also choose to support an entire Critical Needs project. Please contact us if you are interested in discussing this option further. 

    You can:

    • Give to Critical Needs
    • Sponsor a child