David and Alex have always been dreamers. As brothers growing up in Esmaraldas, Ecuador, they fantasized about becoming professional soccer players—but the challenges of poverty stood in their way. The boys’ parents, Johnny and Fanny, didn’t have the resources to help the boys make their wishes come true. From a young age, Alex and David set their childhood dreams aside in exchange for finding ways to help support their family.
While the boys knew that their athletic hopes would not be fulfilled, they didn’t stop dreaming about a better life. Their family’s local church served as a second home to the brothers, providing a constant source of encouragement in hard times. Through the church, David and Alex also received support from Compassion International’s child sponsorship program.
Once the boys completed the program, they moved together to the Ecuadorian city of Manta. Their eyes and hearts were open to the possibility of new opportunities and a brighter future. They dreamed of starting something together—something that would build upon the foundation their parents, church, and sponsorship had laid for them.
Rooted and Built Up
As sponsored children in Compassion International’s program, Alex and David had received essential support that included medical care, education assistance, and steady encouragement. They’d also learned about the life-changing message of the gospel, which showed them that their value was secure in Christ and their future was bright in him.
These wonderful outcomes aren’t limited to Alex and David—they’re a documented positive effect of child sponsorship. Research shows that sponsored children complete significantly more education, which helps them secure steadier employment and earn higher wages than their non-sponsored peers in adulthood, ultimately breaking the cycle of poverty.
In addition to educational and economic benefits, child sponsorship correlates to profound psychological improvements. Studies show that sponsorship programs that incorporate mentorship, tutoring, and community support—like Compassion’s program—lead to increased self-esteem, optimism, and aspirations. In other words, as children whose lives are defined by daily survival have their basic needs met, they learn to dream. And as they begin to imagine a better life for themselves and a better world around them, they are taught the values and skills they will need to make their dreams a reality.
This hopeful trajectory rings of the truths found in Colossians 2:6–7 (ESV), which reads, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Sponsored children like David and Alex are invited to receive the gospel, taught to walk in the ways of Jesus, and established in faith that not only saves their souls, but changes their everyday lives. As they carry on in belief and remember what they were taught, expressing gratitude for all that God has done, their adult lives—and the generations to come—are marked by the goodness of God. Life may not be easy or all they’ve ever wished for, but where there was once hopelessness, there is hope.
Setting Out
Alex and David knew that embarking on an entrepreneurial adventure was risky. Their shared experience growing up in poverty had shown them how fragile life could be. Even the best laid plans and most-desired dreams could be dashed by financial hardship or tragedy. Economic pressures had long-forced the young men to make decisions based on survival rather than passion.. And yet, they kept dreaming—largely due to their father’s encouragement.
The brothers learned that Ecuador produces some of the highest-quality cacao in the world. As they considered this fact and what it might mean for them, the brothers found themselves recalling a Bible verse they’d memorized as children.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9, ESV)
Where, the brothers wondered, may “wherever you go” mean for them? What might it look like for them to be strong and courageous, forgoing fear and dismay? Eventually, the brothers settled on an answer: they were going to open a chocolate factory.
This wasn’t going to be just any chocolate factory. Alex and David decided that they would use organic ingredients and follow high-quality standards throughout the entire chocolate-making process, from sourcing cacao to final production. The brothers now draw upon the perseverance, service, and integrity they learned in their family, at church, and through Compassion’s programming as they grow their company, Rulate Premium Chocolate.
“At the Compassion program, we had many activities, classes, and workshops, such as entrepreneurship,” say the brothers. “They always helped us and trained us … Even though we were little, we felt like we were being prepared for the future.”
That future seems bright. The brothers and their parents have worked hard to learn about the chocolate-making process—from caring for the soil and plants to processing the cacao and creating beautiful packaging. Alex and David continue to dream; they hope to provide many people with jobs, compete in The International Chocolate Salon, and export their product in large quantities.
Joining the Journey
David and Alex’s journey is one of many stories that demonstrates how hope can begin when Compassion International enters the lives of children in poverty. 12-year-old Ayun in Indonesia was nearly forced to become a child bride, but Erlik, a Compassion center director, intervened. Now, at 21, Ayun knows Jesus and is studying biology at university—her tuition paid for entirely by a Compassion scholarship. Maureen, who grew up in extreme poverty in Rwanda, was enrolled in Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program when she was seven years old. She became the first person in her family to attend university and went on to found Rehema House, a nonprofit organization that rescues and empowers pregnant girls in crisis in Nairobi, Kenya.
When sponsors support a child in poverty, they are making more than a financial impact. They’re giving that child a chance to dream, plan, and prepare for a life of possibility. The holistic care that children receive through Compassion’s program helps their bodies find health, their hearts find rest, and their minds find a vision for the future. Sponsorship shows how the gospel transforms lives in every way—and in whole families and communities.
“[Through Compassion’s program], not only is a child spiritually nourished, but the blessing is collateral,” explains Johnny. “It reaches the parents, grandparents, uncles—because when Christ transforms your life, He also transforms the space around you.”
To read more stories of sponsored children and learn how you can make a life-changing difference for children and families living in poverty, visit Compassion International.
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