How Can I Provide Bridges Out of Poverty for Families?

One of the best ways to provide bridges out of poverty for vulnerable families is to invest in their education. The lack of education has long been identified as one of the leading causes of poverty. Conversely, individuals learning to read, write and do simple math gain the tools need to improve their lives.

Globally, poverty is defined as living on an income of $1.90 or less per day.1 This is nearly incomprehensible for most people living in the United States, where that amount represents a cup of coffee. But for people in many areas of the world, especially South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, this is reality. An estimated 736 million people live at this level of income.

To reach beyond this poverty, a family must have a sustainable source of income. Often the better paying jobs, or even the ability to own your own business, can only be obtained with an education. But there is hope. As the World Bank reported in 2018, “Since 1990, nearly 1.1 billion people have lifted themselves out of extreme poverty.” Specifically, the report noted, “In areas ranging from child survival to primary school enrollment, the improvements to people’s lives have advanced with a momentum that few could have imagined when the World Bank was founded more than 70 years ago.”2

Families often become victims to generations of illiteracy and poverty because of the lack of access or means for education. Sometimes, parents are keenly aware of this dynamic and long for their children to have the education they did not.


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