DAVID ADAMS reports on how how the Philippines has become just the second country where Compassion’s child development programs have been run to start its own fundraising efforts in support of them…
Geelong, Australia
Long a recipient of Compassion programs aimed at releasing children from poverty, the Philippines has become just the second country to flip the script and start raising its owns funds in support of the aid organisation’s work.
Some of the thousands of children Compassion supports in The Philippines. PICTURE: Courtesy of Compassion Australia
“Historically, traditionally, Compassion…has raised fuinds in the wealthy West, if you want to put it that way, and we’ve sent it to areas in need,” explained Tony Broughton, chief operations officer at Compassion Australia which describes itself as a “Christian international holistic child development organisation”. But he said that with a rising middle class in many Asian countries coupled with a growing and vibrant church has meant that they’re looking to support such work through their own fundraising.
A critical factor in the Philippines – where Compassion has been working for some 51 years – has been the many adults who were once supported via Compassion’s child sponsorship programs.
“[They] now want to give back…They are so thankful for what God’s done in their life and for the role Compassion played alongside that.”
– Tony Broughton, chief operations officer at Compassion Australia.
“[They] now want to give back…” said Broughton. “They are so thankful for what God’s done in their life and for the role Compassion played alongside that.”
More than 100,000 children in the Philippines have graduated from Compassions programs during the past half century and many of what are referred to by the organisation as ‘alumni’ – some 8,500 in fact – have already organised into fund-raising groups on social media.
“So what we in Australia are doing is just coming alongside them and equipping them and enabling them…and just formalising, in a sense, what they are doing,” he said, describing it as a “start-up” or “support” role which could include raising some venture capital to fund the new work.
The new fundraising efforts, which were officially launched last November in the Philippines, are operating side-by-side its existing aid and development efforts which involves some 450 church partners who deliver its programs to children. All the funds raised in the Phillippines – where the need, according to Broughton, remains “significant” – will at present be used to support its child development programs in the country.
“At some point in the future that may change but for now the principle is raising money in the Philippines for Filipinos,” said Broughton.
Interestingly, as Broughton noted, it was 51 years after Compassion first commenced its founding work in Korea back in 1952 that it was able to start fundraising in South Korea – the same amount of time it’s taken for that change to come to The Philippines.
“So is there something about the year after the half-centenary that is sigificant? We don’t know but it’s a really special moment for the people in The Philippines.”
Former sponsored children are also becoming involved in the organisation in other ways. Randy Ortega, an alumni of the organisation’s programs, was recently appointed chair of the Compassion Philippines board.
Tony Broughton, chief operating officer of Compassion Australia, speaking at the launch of alumni fundraising efforts in The Philippines in November. PICTURE: Courtesy of Compassion Australia
Broughton said that, encouraged by what’s happened in South Korea and the Philippines, Compassion hope to see other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America follow suit down the track.
“So we’re doing some very early exploration in Uganda at the moment and Kenya and we’re also doing some early exploration in Brazil.”
Compassion, which currently runs programs in 30 countries, are also looking to fundraise in some countries and territories where they don’t curretntly do so and where they don’t run child sponsorship programs including Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Noting a recent story about how a former sponsored child became a pastor and now wants his church to become a financial supporter of Compassion’s work, Broughton said it was “really beautiful to see the sort of closing of the circle”.
