Millions live on less than $1.90 a day. Bluffton exhibit tells the story of 3 of them

Children and adults alike can get a first-hand look at what life is like for families in developing countries when “The Compassion Experience” makes a stop in Bluffton this weekend.

“The Compassion Experience” is an immersive exhibit that replicates the homes and environments of children from Guatemala, Uganda and the Philippines.

The exhibit will be set up at LowCountry Community Church, at 801 Buckwalter Parkway, from Friday through Monday. Visitors will be equipped with headsets that will let them hear the stories of three of the children helped by Compassion International.

“We built ‘The Compassion Experience’ in order to really bring the developing world to America,” Mark Hanlon of Compassion International said in a news release from the organization. “When people think of poverty, they often think of the lack of things, the lack of stuff, the lack of money. Those are all symptoms of poverty. The real issue of poverty is the lack of hope.”

The World Bank estimates that 700 million people live on less than $1.90 a day, the release said.

Tour-goers will be told about Compassion International’s child-sponsorship program in 25 of the world’s most impoverished countries, but the organization’s website says no one will be pressured or asked for a donation.

Admission is free. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is available at https://cts.compassion.com/events/798. The organization says touring all three stories will take about an hour.

Tours will run:

▪  From noon to 7:40 on Friday

▪  From 9:40 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. Saturday

▪  From 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday

▪  From noon to 7:40 p.m. Monday

For more information about “The Compassion Experience,” visit CompassionExperience.com.

Parents can find guides to review before taking children through the exhibit at https://changetour.compassion.com/parents.

This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 7:27 AM with the headline "Millions live on less than $1.90 a day. Bluffton exhibit tells the story of 3 of them."