Compassion UK is working to help parents break free from poverty in Togo where one in every 20 babies dies before their first birthday.
The charity's Different Path Appeal is funding child survival projects in the west African country to give more families financial independence and the best chance of raising happy and healthy children.
Togo is one of the least developed countries in the world, with over half of the population living on less than £1.50 a day.
Thousands of families cannot afford to access medical care or basic nutrition for themselves or their children, resulting in a chronically high child mortality rate.
Although complications in pregnancy, malnutrition and disease are common factors, Compassion says the root cause of the high child mortality rate is poverty.
To mark the UN's Global Day of Parents on June 1, Compassion is asking people to give to the Different Path appeal, with donations being matched by the Department for International Development until 24 June to help more families.
Funds raised will go towards its work through local church partners to support families in need of help.
Afiavi, 21, is one mother to have already received support through Compassion's Child Survival project in Togo.
She had her first child at the age of 18 and her second at 21, with only her husband Koffi's meagre earnings as a street barber to support them.
She came to know of the Child Survival project through her local church and was able to receive antenatal checks and medical care, as well as food and hygiene packs.
Now the project is training her to be a seamstress so that she can earn a living to support the family.
"We now have a workshop where we learn to make local fabric. It makes me happy because now I know at the end of the process I could have a job to meet the needs of my family," she said.
Justin Dowds, CEO of Compassion UK said the support of the community was vital in helping families to raise their children.
He said the church also had a "critical" role to play.
"The mother-child relationship is vital for a child's physical, emotional and spiritual development, and yet poverty can have a devastating impact on their chances of survival," he said.
"This places immense pressure on families, especially when resources are already limited."
In addition to antenatal checkups and nutrition packs, the Child Survival projects give pregnant women access to trained birth attendants, clean water, mentoring and spiritual guidance.
"The personalised support provided by our church partners in our Child Survival projects helps to equip families to be independent and to build stable, healthy, hopeful futures for their children," Mr Dowds added.
