In the wake of a new national disability insurance scheme in Australia, Compassion Australia's appeal for children with special needs in the developing world has seen Australians give more than $1 million dollars in aid.
Compassion Australia's annual appeal raised more than $1 million dollars for children with special needs living in some of the poorest regions in the world.
The funds raised will go towards providing critical care—like hearing aids, wheelchairs and speech therapy—to children with special needs in Compassion's programs.
CEO of Compassion Australia, Tim Hanna, said that every child is special and should be given the attention they deserve.
“Although Compassion Australia is well respected as one of Australia's largest child sponsorship organisations, this appeal goes above and beyond sponsorship,” Tim said.
“It is about caring for each child and meeting the unique challenges of those with special needs.”
It is estimated that approximately 1 billion people worldwide live with one or more physical, sensory (blindness/deafness), intellectual or mental health impairment. And around 80 per cent of people with special needs live in the developing world. Every child born into poverty is vulnerable but for children born with a disability, the effects of poverty are compounded.
Communications Manager of Compassion Australia, Amy Lanham, said that they had been overwhelmed by the support of Australians.
“It's a life-changing result for these children, who often suffer in silence, as they endure marginalisation and vulnerability to various forms of abuse and exploitation,” Amy said.
“The timing of our appeal wasn't planned to coincide with the new national disability insurance scheme, but it has been wonderful to see the overwhelming concern by Australians for those here in Australia with special needs, and beyond our shores”.
Founded in 1952 Compassion is an international organisation. Compassion Australia was launched in 1977 by locals Laurie and Olive McCowan from their home office, with the sponsorship of a single child.
Compassion is now Australia's second largest child sponsorship organisation and is part of a global network of both funding countries and 26 developing countries.
Around 100,000 children are currently supported by over 73,000 Australian sponsors.