The greatest threat to the extreme poor is not the coronavirus itself, but the economic gridlock caused by restrictions meant to slow the virus’ spread. Poor families depend on day-labor jobs, subsistence farming, and small businesses to make ends meet.…
I grew up in a poor village with no electricity. We scrounged for whatever food we could find. We had no bathrooms and showered behind bushes. My parents couldn’t afford school fees so at the beginning of each term, they…
Paulette, Haiti—Water has been an issue in Paulette for a long, long time. Whether drinking from filthy, polluted sources long ago, or drinking from salty wells just earlier this year, the people of Paulette have had a never-ending struggle get…
Bolivia – Lucas, a talkative and jovial senior, lives alone in a rented room. He has family but hasn’t heard from anyone during the quarantine. The money and food he collected from the government were running out. Where would he…
With the possible exception of the Girl Scouts and their cookies, the general public doesn’t hold a very high regard for those trying to make a living by selling us stuff we don’t want, don’t need, or can’t afford. But…
When God began building a nation, He wanted to make sure that no one would get left behind. All throughout the Old Testament, and especially in the first five books, God showed His care for the poor, the foreigner, and…
Are your kids handling the virus situation well? Since the COVID-19 outbreak, I have been asking my friends that question often. I usually get the pat answer, “Yeah, they are fine.” But every so often I get an unexpected answer and we talk about how to help…
What can you and your church, all the way over here in the United States, do to help the extreme poor in developing nations deal with COVID-19? Here are 5 ways you can take action immediately: 1. Pivot your thinking from disease…
This is the continuation of last week’s blog, a profile of Levenson, Bright Hope Haiti’s Operations Manager.* If you missed it, click here. When Levenson was a student, many of his peers dropped out of school along the way. We…
Over two months ago, life as we knew it came to an abrupt halt. People are finally settling into a new normal. Coronavirus quarantine restrictions are loosening. What does this mean for the extreme poor in Haiti, Kenya, Bolivia, Uganda,…