Compassion in the DR

Today is the beginning of a very exciting week for Compassion International. A team of bloggers are in the Dominican Republic ready to visit the child development centers and learn more about the work being done there.

I'm excited about this trip, because our two sponsored children reside in the Dominican Republic. So, I will be searching the pictures looking for our Gabby and Eury. I don't know if I'll recognize them. They're growing so fast and I've never seen a photo of them smiling. They're always so serious in their official Compassion pictures.

You can follow along on this trip by keeping tabs on these different blogs.

Faith Barista
Our Savory Life
Coffee For Your Heart
Journey With Me
Mike Varel
Living Well Spending Less

Or follow them here.

On Twitter? Follow this stream.

On Pinterest? Follow this board.

Share what touches you and moves your heart.

And consider sponsoring a child from the DR. 

Back to school

Around here most of the kiddos have been in school for a week. Some private schools and states have been in session for a few weeks and some haven't started up yet. I guess we sort of fall in the middle. And, my guess is that the majority of us, no matter when we start, take education for granted.

In honor of education and its importance I give you some facts gathered by Compassion International.

• Worldwide, nearly 80 percent of primary-school-age children attend school. In least developed countries, this figure is around 66 percent.
• The largest out-of-school population is in sub-Saharan Africa, where around 45.5 million children of primary school age are out of school.
• Of the 67 million primary-school-age children who do not attend school, 53 percent are girls.
• Worldwide, only 49 percent of children of secondary school age actually attend secondary school.
• Of the 49 percent of secondary age students who do not attend school, 52 percent are girls.
• The world’s functional illiterates include more than 130 million children who do not attend school, 73 million of them girls.

These numbers are heartbreaking. 

 I looked up information about the education system in The Dominican Republic where our Compassion kiddos live. I found out it ranks as one of the worst in the world. Heartbreaking. The article by Katie Manning came out May 12, 2014 for Deutsche Welle and states extremely low pay makes it hard to get qualified teachers. Can you imagine trying to live on less than $350 a month? When I taught for a private school I only made about $6 an hour. Teachers there make even less. Hard to comprehend that's possible. Schools are also extremely overcrowded and dropout rates are high. 

At least I know our kiddos are getting extra attention through the Compassion programs they attend. My hope is that education reform will truly take place in their country. 

You can help a child/children reach for the stars and get the educational help needed by sponsoring he/she/them through Compassion.

Makes my heart smile

I don't sponsor Gabriela so she will write me, but it does make my heart sing when she does.

Read These

Make sure you read Bush's post today. I couldn't agree more.

And make sure you read all of the posts coming in from the Compassion International's Dominican Republic trip. They are already very good.

What Does Your Neighborhood Park Look Like?

What is it like when you stroll through your neighborhood? Does the smell of the sewer waft through your nose? Do you have guards going before you to make sure you are safe?

Help change a life. Give a child the hope they need.

What Does Your Grocery Store Look Like?

Does it look like this?

Compassion International Dominican Republic Festival Video 2 from Shaun Groves on Vimeo.

Can you watch this without your heart breaking? Will this video run through your head during your next trip to the grocery store or when you are reaching for a bag of sugar?