What Problems Does a Poverty Relief Organization Face in Carrying out Its Mission?
A poverty relief organization will face many obstacles in bringing about its mission to help those in the most vulnerable financial situations. From government support to funding, the organization must be prepared to encounter both known and unknown disruptions. A solid foundation of service in the country where the organization serves will help it weather the many trials philanthropic groups face.
One such disruption that took the world by storm was the COVID-19 pandemic. Before it hit, poverty rates worldwide had been steadily dropping for decades. From just 1990 to 2018, worldwide poverty dropped by approximately 1 billion people.1 However, UNICEF and Save the Children reported that the pandemic added an additional 15 percent to the number of children already in crisis.2
Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director said:
“COVID-19 and the lockdown measures imposed to prevent its spread have pushed millions of children deeper into poverty. Families on the cusp of escaping poverty have been pulled back in, while others are experiencing levels of deprivation they have never seen before.”3
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy reports that the pandemic has increased the vulnerability of those in extreme poverty in the areas of medical care, information access and basic life needs, to name just a few. Those already fighting for survival face a whole new set of barriers to overcoming poverty.4
GFA World is uniquely positioned to serve these vulnerable communities because their workers are from the countries where they work. They are already available to serve them with extra food, information on lock downs and quarantine, and much more. Keeping GFA missionaries supplied with resources to help those most susceptible to falling through the cracks is key to this extra difficulty millions are facing worldwide.
Supply chains have been affected even in the most affluent nations in the world. Imagine being the poorest of the poor in the same situation with no reserves. Part of GFA’s mission is to care for these people. With the support of many others, they can continue to provide care for those in extreme poverty.
Not only do GFA missionaries bring much-needed supplies and help, they also bring the eternal hope of Jesus Christ, an anchor for a world in crisis. Meet the missionaries and support one today, whose heart is already aligned with the mission field and who is already making a difference.
Learn more about poverty organizations
1 Max Roser and Esteban Ortiz-Ospina. “Global extreme poverty.” Our World in Data. Last updated in 2019. https://ourworldindata.org/extreme-poverty.
2 “150 Million Additional Children Plunged into Poverty due to COVID-19, UNICEF, Save the Children Say.” UNICEF and Save the Children, press release. September 16, 2020. https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/150-million-additional-children-plunged-poverty-due-covid-19-unicef-save-children.
3 UNICEF and Save the Children, press release “150 million additional children plunged into poverty due to COVID-19, UNICEF, Save the Children say,” September 16, 2020, https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/150-million-additional-children-plunged-poverty-due-covid-19-unicef-save-children.
4 “COVID-19 Coronavirus.” Center for Disaster Philanthropy. March 4, 2022. https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disaster/2019-ncov-coronavirus/?gclid=CjwKCAiA6Y2QBhAtEiwAGHybPdRtOn1mYtO2e26kVZVSUo5sk5XFHinkrrswv1B6OI92VbeyXPP0IxoCCg4QAvD_BwE.