Gospel for Asia

Solutions to extreme poverty start with meeting the basic needs of those living on less than $1.90 a day. Clean water and proper sanitation are fundamental to health and, therefore, to solutions to poverty. Sanitation About 4.2 billion people worldwide lack sanitation services, which could prevent the spread of debilitating and deadly diseases (from dysentery to polio and hepatitis A). [1] Proper sanitation also means that women and girls do not have to risk their safety by relieving themselves in fields, in the streets, or behind bushes. GFA has built more than 32,000 outdoor toilet facilities in many countries in Asia. The privacy and safety these facilities provide have saved countless lives. Between 2000 and 2016, improved sanitation contributed to a 15% decrease just in diarrheal deaths alone in Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania. [2] Water Likewise, clean drinking water can prevent a large percentage of the 2.2 billion people who don’t have safely managed water [3] from cont...

There are a variety of solutions to the poverty cycle. The cycle begins when children are born into poor families and is passed onto their children when they don’t have opportunities to overcome poverty. Different levels of poverty exist, from malnutrition due to the inability to afford food to lack of education. Illnesses caused from contaminated water and poor sanitation and inadequate healthcare fuel the cycle of poverty. It’s difficult to earn income or concentrate in school when you’re constantly battling illness. GFA World addresses solutions to the poverty cycle, including solutions to extreme poverty. Education About 53% of children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read by the age of 10. [1] This fact alone keeps them in the cycle of poverty. “Illiterate people lack the power and knowledge to compete in the marketplace, and they are unable to develop economically,” according to WorldAtlas. [2] Teaching children and adults to read, write and do basic math can change l...

How does poverty affect society? Poverty has far-reaching consequences. It doesn’t just paralyze individuals and families; it paralyzes entire societies. Social poverty Poverty negatively effects people’s relationships with friends and families. It often excludes people from participating in society, including decision making in civil, social and cultural life. This leads to withdrawal and shame as a result of not being able to fit in. “Those who are poor have worse social relationships and participate less in political life and in organizations,” according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. [1] “… In short, low incomes prevent the poor from living a life in ‘decency.’” Poor health Both children and adults who suffer from poverty have higher rates of mortality and illness, as well as increased mental health conditions. [2] Infants born into poverty often have low birth weight, which contributes to preventable physical and mental disabilities; they also tend to be m...

Finding poverty solutions is more important than ever. For the last 25 years leading up to the pandemic, global poverty had declined steadily and significantly. But COVID-19, changing weather patterns and conflict has reversed that trend. Extreme poverty increased more from 2019 to 2020 than at any other time since the World Bank started tracking global poverty. [1] The economic fallout from these issues could increase global poverty by as many as a half a billion people—8% of the world’s population. This is in addition to the 10% of the population, or well over 700 million, who already live on less than $1.90 a day. [2] Even before the pandemic, extreme poverty rates went from dropping an average of 1 percentage point a year from 1990 to 2015 to less than half a percentage point annually between 2015 and 2017. [3] Violent conflict, which affects more than 40% of people living in poverty, has increased, ruining people’s livelihood, homes and natural resources. It has also discouraged d...

It is harder to answer the question “how many children are in poverty” than you might think. For example, UNICEF estimates that 356 million children live in extreme poverty while over 1 billion children are multidimensionally poor, meaning they lack necessities like nutrition or clean water. [1] According to the World Bank, 1 in 6 children live in extreme poverty. [2] Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for two-thirds of children in poverty. A fifth of these children live in South Asia. [3] This is why GFA World is working diligently in South Asia and now parts of Africa. We have a proven track record of working with children and their families, helping them break free from the cycle of poverty that may have been happening for generations. GFA World helps children in poverty in a variety of ways. First, we have a child sponsorship program that has been an effective solution for many years. Children are helped with key needs such as nutritious food, tuition assistance, tutoring, clean water, ...

Children living in poverty can be a regular topic in our prayers. God says in His Word, “Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9). God loves the poor. Here are some ways you can pray for children who live in extreme poverty. Pray for: Tangible needs – People living in poverty need help with tangible resources. Pray for God to meet their needs for food and supplies. Pray for God to give them consistent income and employment. Emotional needs – Poverty is difficult on a person’s mental health, including children. A hopelessness and a feeling of worthlessness often come with poverty. Pray that GFA missionaries would be able to share encouragement and hope in Christ. Environmental needs – When drought occurs, water is scarce and sometimes impossible to find. Pray for God to bring water to areas with drought. Pray for God to bring clean water wells to ...

UNICEF reports, “Children are more likely to live in poverty than adults. They’re also more vulnerable to its effects.” [1] Children in poverty are impactedly differently than adults. Why is this? There are several factors to consider: Poverty can stunt children’s growth and hinder their social and emotional development . [2] Physical challenges often accompany poverty, such as unhealthy nutrition, unsafe habits, low birthrate, tooth decay, unintentional injuries and poor general heath. [3] The threat of child labor and human trafficking increases among poor children . Sometimes the threat comes from the parents when there is no other way to feed their family. [4] For example, if a family can not afford to feed all their children, they are tempted by the idea of sending one of their children off to work. This means one less mouth to feed and sometimes a little income coming in from an additional source. Child traffickers often prey on street children, orphans or those in poverty. Ch...

How many children are in poverty ? UNICEF estimates more than 1 billion children are multidimensionally poor, lacking the necessities like nutrition or clean water, and it’s estimated that 356 million children live in extreme poverty worldwide. [1]   There are various types of poverty and all of them are key factors in the fight against child poverty. Education Poverty is perhaps the most detrimental because education and literacy are essential to breaking out of poverty. In fact, literacy has been named a miracle cure to poverty, and education provides doors for children to break through the cycles of poverty. [2] Generational Poverty is when a family lives in poverty for two generations or more. Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to bring poverty into adulthood. [3] Unless something breaks through that cycle of poverty, generational poverty will continue into the future. Environmental Poverty revolves around water supply, disease from insects, drought and other e...

You can! We need people who are passionate about helping churches in developing countries provide access to clean water to those in their communities. In many developing countries, people walk miles to access clean water. Even then, sometimes the water is contaminated, causing many to succumb to waterborne illnesses. That’s why GFA World is committed to providing clean water wells to communities in South Asia and in Rwanda. A donation of $1400 provides a well for a community up to 300 people, providing easily accessible water for drinking, cooking, and other household needs. When you provide a well, you help to: Rescue people from the risk of serious waterborne diseases. Release women and children from water collection, which allows them to spend those hours working, raising their family, or going to school. Improve people’s health as they stay hydrated. Provide clean drinking water for approximately 20 years, the average life of the well. Help a church minister in a tangible way to th...

GFA World can provide safe, clean drinking water to approximately 300 people per day for at least 10 years at a cost of $1400 per well, which means a donor can supply clean water for a decade for an entire family of six for $30! When you research the various organizations and ask how much to drill a well, it is very important to ask some important questions: Who drills the well? How long is the well expected to last? Is the well deep enough to still produce water in the driest of seasons? Who will maintain the well? Is the well available to all people—no matter their race, tribe, ethnicity, religion, etc.? Who pays for major repairs? GFA wells are drilled by locals. Why? It is cost-effective and supports the local economy of the region. The wells are drilled as deep as necessary to be a reliable source of water, even in a drought or dry season. While each well is expected to last 20 years, it needs to be maintained regularly. Each well provided to a community by GFA is maintained by a ...

Water well drilling in Asia is paramount to helping the poverty crisis in the continent. More than 150 million people in South Asia do not have clean water. They only have access to polluted water to drink or no water at all. These people regularly face waterborne illnesses, a direct result of drinking contaminated water. Over two decades, GFA World has drilled more than 30,000 wells in needy villages across Asia, and we continue to drill around 4,000 new wells each year . The strategy is simple: Use locals to drill the well as a way to keep costs down and stimulate the local economy. Drill the well deep enough to allow water usage in the driest of months. Maintain the well regularly using locals. In our case, a local church maintains the well. Ensure that all people, regardless of race, religion, caste, etc., have access to the water well. GFA’s wells are called Jesus Wells because they allow local churches to share Jesus’ love with their communities in a tangible way . They are also ...

Water—it’s a commodity we don’t think about often. We simply turn on the tap, fill up our glass and begin enjoying the liquid goodness. We seldom contemplate the well drilling that took place for that clean, fresh water to magically flow out of that faucet. For many around the world, that magic faucet does not exist. In fact, clean water isn’t accessible for miles. Especially during seasons of drought, many water wells and other sources of water run dry. This is especially true in areas of Africa and Asia. The World Health Organization estimates that 785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service . 1 That means they do not have a clean drinking water source within a round trip walk of 30 minutes. They often resort to drinking water that has been contaminated with feces or other pollutants, which gives them a high chance of contracting water-borne illnesses. The World Health Organization forecasts that by 2025 half of the world’s people will be living in water-stressed are...

Here is the list of the five largest slums in the world. Contrary to popular belief, India is neither home to the world’s largest slum nor is it or any other South Asian nation among the top 15 countries where urban residents are most likely to live in slums. 1 Mumbai’s Dharavi slum has been cited by some, with an unexpected hint of pride, as the largest in the world. Even with 1,000,000 residents, it is reportedly outsized by at least four others: 2 Mogadishu, Somalia , with 1,500,000 Manshiet, Egypt , with 1,500,000 Orangi Town, Pakistan , with 2,400,000 3 Kiberia, Kenya , with 2,500,000 Yet another source 4 identified Manila, Philippines , as home to 4,000,000 slum dwellers. On the other hand, the Borgen Project claims that Neza-Chalco-Itza near Mexico City also has a population of 4,000,000. Measuring the population of a slum area can be nearly impossible. This is especially true when attempting to capture the number of people living in informal or unregistered settlements. The ...

Most descriptions of slum areas, regardless of where you look, primarily address the spaces and the services. Science Direct, however, has added a human element that, I believe, is essential to grasp a more robust understanding of slums, slum conditions, and slum dwellers. “A slum is a residential area with substandard housing that is poorly serviced and/or overcrowded, and therefore unhealthy, unsafe, and socially undesirable . . . The term slum is culturally defined and pejorative, with social as well as physical connotations. It is usually applied by outsiders.” 1 The Science Direct definition exposes the true nature of slums and slum life when it explains that the term is usually applied by people outside of the slum area and is almost always used in a pejorative, social, and cultural sense. That insight will serve us well later in this report as we seek to understand better the people who live in the slums. Click here , to read more about this article. Click here , to read more bl...

Because the World Urban Campaign has focused on improving the living conditions of slum dwellers through UN Habitat’s Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP), it has published five distinct living conditions present in nearly all slums, along with much more specific representations of those conditions. I believe their observations are worthy of our perusal and that they may also unveil our eyes to the plight of the people who live in the areas called slums. Lack of access to an improved drinking water source and sanitation facilities. Improved facilities include flush/pour-flush toilets or latrines connected to a sewer, septic tank, or pit; ventilated improved pit latrines; pit latrines with a slab or platform which covers the pit entirely; and composting toilets/latrines. Unimproved facilities include public or shared facilities of an otherwise acceptable type; flush/pour-flush toilets or latrines which discharge directly into an open sewer or ditch; pit latrines without a slab;...

From continent to continent and from country to country, whether they are called barrios, chawls, shantytowns, ghettos, or favelas, another word for slums are urban areas where the impoverished reside. While the geopolitical culture of slum areas may differ, the social context is often quite similar. Below is an overview of the world of slums and the people who live in them. Our flight had been descending through the dark, moonless night over the Southern Caribbean. During an earlier conversation, the gentleman seated next to me had already ascertained that this was my first trip to Caracas. As the plane banked slightly, he directed my attention toward the window, adding, “You need to see this.” I was awestruck at the sight of thousands of brilliant, shining stars suspended in the blackness. I realized that my seatmate had been waiting for this moment to break the news that what I thought were stars were not. “Everyone arriving here for the first time thinks they are stars,” he told me...

The global poverty rate is a little difficult to identify, as it is somewhat culturally determined. Merriam-Webster defines poverty as “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.” [1] Each culture’s socially acceptable money level is slightly different. Statisticians with The Borgen Project consider living on less than $1.90 a day as living in extreme poverty, and about 702 million people in the world fall into this category. [2] GFA World works closely with people most affected by poverty and its symptoms like limited access to clean water, food, healthcare or education. That is why GFA has such a clear focus on helping communities develop and ending the cycle of poverty, all done in the name of Christ. This work is carried out in many ways, including child sponsorship, income-generating gifts, literacy training, free medical care, clean water, and more. Raina is one example of someone helped through a GFA World national mission...

Around the world, poverty affects many people in more ways than we think. It means more than just not having enough money; poverty includes a lack of access to food, water and education. It means social discrimination and exclusion. In 2015, 10 percent of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty, butSouthern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are expected to experience the largest increases in extreme poverty, with millions more people falling below the international poverty line. [1] Asia and Africa are two areas in the world where GFA World focuses its efforts. With growing numbers of people falling into poverty in those areas, GFA’s work is more important than ever. GFA trains national missionaries to serve those in need in their own countries. They can help provide practical assistance for the poor such as income-generating gifts, literacy training, clean water, vocational training and more. GFA works to combat the alarming statistics. This work is changing lives, Sahlma is one exa...

Each country has its unique challenges and problems, but the following seem to be especially difficult for people in countries of South Asia; poverty, illiteracy, and a lack of access to basic needs. Poverty and the other issues facing countries in South Asia go hand-in-hand because the poor have less access to clean water, food, healthcare and education, which makes it very difficult for those living in poverty to break out of it. GFA World seek to address these issues through programs like provision of income-generating gifts, vocational training, literacy training, clean water and more. Leena is one example of someone helped through vocational training. Leena was a young mother of three children. Her husband’s small income was not enough to consistently provide enough food to eat each day. Leena wanted to earn extra money through sewing, but the cost to take such a course was astronomical for her family. Leena’s oldest daughter was part of GFA’s Child Sponsorship Program however, an...

Millions of people are stuck in a cycle of global poverty with no access to necessities like food, water, education, medical care or jobs. Poverty affects individuals, families and whole communities that are stuck without hope for their future. Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are two areas where extreme poverty is expected to increase, with an additional 32 million and 26 million people respectively falling below the global poverty line. [1] GFA World has missionaries in both Asia and Africa, giving them a stable foothold in these extremely poor areas, and these alarming statistics show just how vital its mission is. There are national missionaries in many countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar. Among the world’s poorest nations is one country in South Asia; of those in poverty worldwide, a third lives there. [2] GFA missionaries serve people, families and communities, helping them to break out of the cycles of extreme poverty and sharing hope in Christ. National missionaries ...

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase generational poverty mindset, or something similar, and are curious what the phrase refers to. What is its meaning? First, let’s consider “generational poverty.” This phrase typically refers to a cycle of poverty that perpetuates through at least two generations of the same family. Such a cycle frequently persists because of factors related to poverty that can be difficult to overcome. With this cycle of poverty is often ingrained a poverty mindset that is passed down from one generation to the next. This mindset commonly includes a resignation to a life of poverty, with no dreams or plans for a better life. 1 These individuals may consider poverty their family’s lot in life, with no alternative in their purview. It’s how life was for their parents and grandparents before them; why should it be any different for them or their children? According to the Science of Learning Blog, “Children growing up in poverty often experience life as a series of volati...

Poverty is often passed down from one generation to the next. Here are some examples of generational poverty. Sumana’s parents struggled to provide for their seven children . 1 They even uprooted their family and moved to the city in search of better wages to give their children a better future. Her parents worked long hours in a carpet factory, but it still wasn’t enough. As one of the eldest, Sumana dropped out of school to help provide for her younger siblings. It was one less tuition fee and one more income as Sumana joined her parents at the carpet factory, giving up her dream of gaining an education and attaining a better future for herself. Sadly, it’s a choice many impoverished families, especially in developing countries, are forced to make. According to a GFA World special report, many such families “are so poor and often in so much debt that they are not likely to recover from either without enlisting their children as breadwinners. They can see no way out of their poverty,...

In considering generational poverty, one definition would be a cycle of poverty that perpetuates through at least two generations of the same family. This cycle typically continues because of factors related to one’s poverty and can persist for many generations. There are numerous reasons why poverty may pass from one generation to the next. Consider the following: Those entrenched in cyclical poverty often have a poverty mindset that they pass on to their children through their examples and perspectives. This mentality offers little hope for a change in one’s circumstances and causes individuals to focus on immediate needs, such as food, rather than invest in the future. According to the Association for Psychological Science, “Part of the fuel for poverty’s unending cycle is its suppressing effects on individuals’ cognitive development, executive functioning, and attention.” 1 In developing regions, children in poverty may be pushed into the workforce, their families desperate for any...

The cycle of generational poverty can seem impossible to break. Children inherit what their parents teach and show them. a joint report from Ascend: The Aspen Institute and Bernard van Leer Foundation affirms this. “What young children learn from the adults who raise and care for them lays the foundation for future social, emotional, language, and cognitive growth,” the report says. 1 Children raised in a generational poverty mindset often lack the tools they need to succeed or achieve a better life than that of their parents. As adults, these individuals often then raise their children in poverty similar to that of their own childhoods, and the cycle perpetuates. It’s a cycle not worth repeating, yet it does time and time again. For the 736 million people worldwide living below the poverty line, earning $1.90 a day or less, the focus is frequently on mere survival. 2 Children are disproportionately affected by extreme poverty, says UNICEF, as “children who grow up impoverished often...

Those who have lived with the effects of poverty for generations typically have the hardest time changing the poverty mentality that often accompanies generational poverty. The United Nations defines poverty as living at or below $1.90 per day, the equivalent of a cup of coffee in the United States. 1 Some families have lived this way from generation to generation. The mentality of poverty is defined differently depending on where you live. You can be in an affluent country, like the United States, and still have a mindset that only allows you to see the lack of something and makes you constantly alert to not spending money. 2 This mindset, though similar, is different than someone living in sub-Saharan Africa whose family subsists on less than $2 a day and has been doing so for generations. For the most vulnerable in the world, having a mind trapped by poverty means that repeated circumstances, hardships and despair result in stunted motivation, lethargy and hopelessness . If someon...

In some parts of the world, breaking the cycle of poverty for widows can be one of the most difficult issues to uproot. For centuries, widows have been one of the most vulnerable groups for a variety of reasons, including cultural norms, lack of marketable skills and routine marginalization of the unrepresented. For instance, even a young mother in South Asia who is widowed is likely to be shunned by the general community. There is a common belief that she is responsible for her husband’s death, and she is often viewed as cursed. 1 If her family was already living near the poverty line prior to her husband’s death, a widow’s circumstances become immediately more difficult without the support of others. She is most likely not educated or skilled as while her husband was living, she likely would have been focused on caring for the children at home rather than on earning an income. Widows are at a serious disadvantage to finding a way forward in these circumstances. Their immediate, thou...