Disability won’t hold an athletics champion back

She’s an athletics champion, has won medals in dance and played music for Ecuador’s Supreme Court of Justice. But what you wouldn’t guess from 14-year-old Naomi’s long list of accomplishments is that she also has Down syndrome.

Thankfully, Naomi also has a determined mum who knows her worth and potential. Despite the challenges of poverty, she’s worked tirelessly as a single parent to find every opportunity she can to help Naomi discover her talents and improve their living conditions. When her daughter was sponsored through Compassion’s programme, it took a weight off the family’s shoulders.

Not only are Naomi’s physical and educational needs met, local staff are also helping her develop spiritually and emotionally by giving her the love she needs to feel accepted. And Naomi loves when staff read her sponsor’s letters to her. She feels special that she has a friend who lives far away.

Did you know… Nearly 70% of Ecuador’s children live in poverty and a quarter of all children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition. Compassion is responding by working alongside 265 church partners to reach more than 97,854 children across the country.