The goal of any Mission of Mercy program is to equip children in developing nations to reach their God-given potential. Two of our methods for creating opportunities for spiritual, physical, social, and mental development are child development centers and schools.

We wrote yesterday about how child development centers operate differently than formal schools yet provide children with educational support and other necessary benefits. Today we are going to explain more of what your sponsored child receives at our schools.

Over half of Mission of Mercy programs are formal schools recognized by their local governments. Most of our schools are in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Jordan, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal and follow the curriculum set out by the local governments for all major subjects.

On the whole, our schools have found favor within the government systems. Because Mission of Mercy operates in areas that are rural or underserved, we can provide opportunities most government schools cannot.

For example, many of our schools in Sri Lanka are located in fishing villages, and the best time to fish is in the morning. Impoverished parents often rely on their children’s help to catch more fish and consequently pull their children out of school. Working with the local community, we were able to shift the school hours into the afternoon, allowing parents to keep their children in school without putting a hardship on a family’s earnings.

In some areas, we are able to provide preschool or K-12 grades; in other places, we can only go through the primary grades due to government requirements. Children must still take government exams to gain entry into higher education, but we work hard to ensure they have a far better chance at educational success.

For a child in poverty, the obstacles to a solid education are many. Even if schooling is available, the supplies required (uniforms, school supplies, even textbooks) are too costly for most parents. But because of your sponsorship support, our schools can provide these simple items. This eases yet another burden for parents and makes them more likely to favor their child’s academic endeavors.

Education is not the only benefit children receive at our schools. Like a CDC, children enrolled in our schools receive nutritious meals or snacks, health screenings, emotional support, and Christian education. In regions where Christianity is accepted by the government, our schools have morning devotions or assemblies to introduce the children to our loving Savior.

Some countries in which we work have laws against proselytizing. Our staff finds creative ways of sharing the gospel with our children in less formal settings. We do this to avoid drawing attention to much-needed programs and allow our staff to continue ministering to the children and meeting needs.

Yet we have found that even if a parent is Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist, they will often seek to enroll a child in a Mission of Mercy school because of the solid education and loving staff. They know these schools are different but want the best for their child.

We want the best for them, too. Seeing our children excel academically, spiritually, physically, socially, and emotionally is incredibly important to us. Regardless of the type of program your child attends, our goal is to equip children to become lifelong learners who communicate and act with boldness to better their own lives and the lives of others.