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When Hadi was born, his mother feared for his future. Excluded by other children, he struggled to belong. She never imagined a local church would become the answer to her prayers.
What do you expect from your local church?
A Sunday service? A Bible study? A youth group or prayer meeting?
For Nafisa, a mother living in northern Ghana, the local church also gave practical support in one of the most difficult seasons of her life.
It helped change her son’s future.
A mother praying for a miracle
When Hadi was born, his family immediately knew something was wrong. Facial abnormalities affecting his nose and eye made it difficult for him to breathe and caused deep concern for his parents.
“I remember holding him in my arms and crying, asking God, ‘Why us?’” Nafisa recalls. “Every other parent had welcomed a healthy child, and I just kept pleading for a miracle.”
Living in deep poverty, the expensive specialist treatment Hadi needed was completely beyond the family’s reach.
As he grew older, the challenges became more than physical.
His appearance often left him feeling isolated from other children. While others played together, Hadi was frequently left on the sidelines, leaving both him and his family carrying a burden they felt powerless to change.
For years, Nafisa could only pray that somehow things would be different.
Then the local church stepped in.
Where hope began
Through the local church, Hadi’s family was connected to people who saw more than a medical condition. They saw a child created and loved by God.
Supported through Compassion’s programme, Hadi was able to receive life-changing surgery that his family could never have afforded alone.
For Nafisa, the transformation was extraordinary.
“After the surgery, I was filled with joy,” she says. “He can really smile now, and it’s such a beautiful smile, something I’ll never take for granted.”
Today, Hadi is thriving.
Thanks to Compassion’s local church partner, he receives educational support, healthcare, nutritious meals, encouragement and a safe place to learn and grow.
“Since joining the Compassion programme, Hadi is happy, learning, growing and full of joy,” says Nafisa.
A birthday twin thousands of miles away
Thousands of miles away in the UK, Hadi’s story has transformed another family too.
A few years ago, Gareth and his wife decided to find a birthday twin for their son, Bear. Looking for a child whose birthday fell as close as possible to their son’s, they were introduced to Hadi.
At first, it was simply a way to help Bear understand generosity, faith and God’s love for people across the world.
But over time, Hadi became much more than a profile picture.
His photograph found a permanent place on the family’s fridge. Letters were exchanged. Prayers were prayed.
Before long, Hadi simply felt like part of the family.
“The biggest surprise has been how naturally our boys embraced him,” says Gareth. “I expected sponsorship to be something Mum and Dad cared about, but they genuinely care about Hadi. Watching their hearts grow in compassion has been one of the greatest gifts of this journey.”
When Gareth met Hadi
Then earlier this year, Gareth travelled to Ghana with Compassion.
What he experienced there was something he’ll never forget.
“It was one of those moments I can only describe as a God moment,” he says.
Standing face-to-face with the little boy his family had been praying for was overwhelming. Visiting Hadi’s home, meeting his parents and seeing his community brought the reality of poverty into sharp focus.
“Seeing Hadi’s community firsthand challenged everything I thought I knew about poverty. Around 1,100 people rely on a single borehole for water. Seeing the lack of sanitation and basic infrastructure left a lasting impression and reinforced how much we can do when we choose to step out in faith.”
But what struck Gareth most wasn’t the hardship.
He saw children being encouraged and supported by the local church. He met staff and volunteers investing in young lives and walking alongside families through some of their greatest challenges.
“Seeing the Compassion project first-hand gave me complete confidence that sponsorship genuinely transforms lives.”
What is the local church for?
For Gareth, the experience reinforced something many Christians know in theory but rarely get to see so clearly:
The local church has a unique role to play in overcoming poverty.
Not because it simply meets practical needs.
Because it walks alongside people, restores dignity, nurtures potential and reflects the love of Christ in tangible ways.
For Nafisa, it meant seeing her son smile.
For Hadi, it meant the opportunity to grow up with hope.
And for Gareth’s family, it became a powerful reminder that when the Church moves with compassion, lives change.
Could your birthday twin be waiting?
Through Compassion, local churches around the world are helping children break free from poverty in Jesus’ name.
And every story starts with one child.
