You can do it!

We all know the feeling. Sweaty palms. A dry mouth. A shaking voice. Jelly legs. Saying anything that challenges the status quo can be a daunting task.

Here, Compassion child sponsorship graduates Ronnie, Peace, Jane and Damaris offer beautiful insights into the power of lifting up our voices in bravery and courage to fight injustice. If anyone knows the value of speaking out against the lies that poverty whispers, it’s the people who, at one point in their lives, have been spoken for. Someone else’s courage has empowered them with a courage of their own.

Be brave. You can do it.

If you think, “My voice is not significant.”

Ronnie from Uganda says: “Your words and your voice truly matter. My sponsor told me he knew what I was going through, that he was there for me and that everything would be OK. That’s how it felt. It changed me from the inside out. It changed how I felt about myself. The sponsorship made me feel like I was part of another world. All because one person used their voice to speak out for me.”

If you think, “Someone else will speak up.”

Peace from Uganda says: “But there’s no-one like you. Ten people may not agree with you, but you only need one person. That’s when change happens. The world knows there is need but it takes an individual to make a difference.”

If you think, “No one will listen to me.”

Ronnie says: “If you’re passionate about something, people will listen. No one listens to children in poverty though; they have no voice, and they do not know how or where to get help from.”

If you think: “I won’t see immediate results or change.”

Peace says: “It doesn’t matter. You may not know how or when, but something will happen. Children are often silent victims but God’s heart is for them. Our love for Him can resonate through our actions on behalf of children. One way we can express that love is by being their voice.”

If you think: “I’m too small to make a difference.”

Jane’ from Asia says: “I was one of those millions of children who lived in extreme poverty. I was born in a slum of 10,000 people with two toilets and one tap. My family could only think of where the next meal would come from. But God had other plans for my life. The hard work and dedication of Compassion, my local church, my parents and my sponsor ensured I received an education, I was well nourished and my family was looked after. As a result, today I have a first class master’s degree in International Business from Manchester University. So from my personal experience I know that Compassion sponsorship works. It changes lives. It releases children from poverty.”

Damaris from Kenya says: “I was brought up in a world where bringing up a girl is risky. It was a place where everything that is unjust for a child seems normal, because that’s what we were used to seeing. Having someone to encourage me, motivate me, and help me grow spiritually and emotionally helped me to understand my self-worth and my self-esteem.”

Ronnie says: “I was a beneficiary of a stranger’s support. My sister Rita was ‘unfortunate’ enough to be born a girl and be the last born child to poor parents. She had no chance! But through the burden being lifted for my parents and an injection of hope to my household through my sponsorship, she’s now a successful adult and proud mother of two beautiful children.”

Peace finishes by saying: “Speaking up for children in poverty is an act of gratitude to God for who we are and what we have. Just believe that your voice will make a difference!”

Speak Up for One Child is all about changing the world for the one. All you need is a desire to see a child lifted out of poverty. It’s really easy to get involved.