We have been supporting our school charity, Compassion, since 2003. Compassion helps children living in poverty around the world, working through the local church to provide child focused support with a particular emphasis on the power of education and how it is through education that lives are changed.
We write regularly to each child and receive letters from them and from their project leaders. Our sponsorship enables each child to attend school, have medical check-ups and nutritional support, explore vocational training, and have a one-to-one relationship with us as their sponsor. There is also support for community projects and the children’s families.
Although Compassion is a Christian charity, they support children and families who come from a variety of different faith backgrounds. In 2003, Bloxham started supporting its first three children Ester, Jomar and Salandeberguer, with the number of children supported rising over the years.
We now sponsor nine children from around the world, with pupils in each House writing to a sponsored child every term. Sponsorship of each child continues throughout their time at school, which often carries on into their early 20s, as progress through school is assessed by academic achievement, not by age.
The writing and receiving of letters is fundamental to building a personal relationship with each child, giving our pupils the chance to get to know them and see them develop over many years. It is a wonderful privilege when they finally graduate from their Compassion project, invariably to enter a trade or apprenticeship type training with the ability to support themselves, their families and others.
I feel good when I think of how you have helped me, and my family is very happy too for everything you are doing for us – Emmanuel, aged 16, Kenya.
If you would like to learn more about the charity, or to donate, please click here.