What is Children International

Children International (CI) a top‑rated humanitarian organization focused on helping children break the cycle of poverty. From toddler to young adulthood, CI surrounds kids with a caring team, a safe place and a clear path out of poverty through programs focused on health, education, empowerment and employment.

CI has more than 35 years of child sponsorship programs. It is serving 260,000 children in 10 countries; including Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, the USA and Zambia. Spread out in these countries are 70+ community centers with over 9,000 local volunteers to help kids. These centers provide a safe haven for these kids and deliver life-changing programs.

These programs focus on 4 cornerstones:

• Health - CI helps children develop healthy habits and connecting them with services when they need it.

• Education - CI provides school fees, supplies, uniforms, computer labs, tutoring and scholarships.
• Empowerment - CI teaches leadership, teamwork and confidence. CI encourages youth to give back to their communities.
• Employment - CI connects youth with jobs or helps them earn scholarships for college or vocational training.

In 2014, I got the chance to visit CI in Guatemala. It was an amazing experience to see CI’s Youth Council in action. The council is comprised of CI-sponsored teens who are democratically elected to solve a problem in their community. They identify an issue, figure out a solution and put in the work. In Guatemala, I saw the council plant gardens for schools and families. They sold the produce to local residents and donated to CI’s nutrition program. What a success! Learn more about the gardens and these 5 Inspiring CI Youth Projects. This is my favorite part of CI because it gives teens control to invest in projects they consider important and fill a need in their community.