What Impact Comes from a Bridge Builders Community Partnership?

Entire communities are impacted by community-based gifts. Some examples are:

• Outdoor Toilets – Over 2.4 million deaths a year could be prevented if communities had reliable sanitation and hygiene facilities. Over 20 percent of the world’s population uses open defecation. Private outdoor toilets safeguard families from disease and protect the dignity of men, women and children. When community toilets are installed, an entire neighborhood is drastically changed.[1]

• Vocational Training – When day laborers are trained in more lucrative vocations, it can provide lasting impact to a whole community. People may learn vocations like candle making or tailoring. These new jobs help people break the cycle of poverty.

• Church Building – Gifts in this category are used to build church buildings and repair existing ones. This helps provide safe places for people to worship and gather.

• Women’s Literacy – GFA’s women missionaries help empower women to earn a sustainable income and climb out of the poverty that entrenches them through literacy classes. With reading, writing and basic math skills, they can help their children learn, read contracts, shop at the market without getting taken advantage of, and be qualified for more vocations.

• Water Wells – Jesus Wells are drilled near GFA churches to provide clean water to entire communities. Without these wells, the people must either drink contaminated water, which may give them waterborne illness, or walk hours to a clean water source. The Jesus wells are maintained by a local GFA church or missionary, giving them a tangible outlet to serve their community.