Q&A: Lifting Children out of Poverty

For a person whose identity has been marred due to the hard experiences brought about by living in poverty, education brings huge benefits. Education—and, I believe, especially religious education—has a way of opening a person’s heart, mind and eyes. Children open their eyes to see the world of possibilities. As they get jobs and opportunities, they tend to move from being isolated to being brought into the center of life decisions. Education gives them a sense of identity, helps them build a vision and lead their own lives positively. Educating the poor for life means expanding their options in life. However, not all poor people who get access to education end up being helpful in society. Education without good values tends to produce greedy people whose agenda is to acquire more at the expense of the poor. Faith provides the right grounding in producing a generation with values and respect for each other.

In many communities that we serve, we equip churches through Empowered World View, a faith-based approach that addresses not only material poverty, but also the poverty of heart, mindsets and relationships. It reaches deep into people’s core beliefs, transforming their view of the world so that the cycle of chronic poverty and hopelessness can be broken. It helps people find value in their own identity, create a vision for their future and nurture family and community relationships while demonstrating compassion. A richer understanding of their faith changes how they see the world and their ability to have an influence on their own circumstances. With this approach, we move beyond merely meeting physical needs to accompany individuals on journeys of transformation.