08 Nov Child Sponsorship: A Long-Term Solution to Poverty
by Dakota Nowell
It doesn’t take long to see firsthand the effects that poverty has on over 60% of Hondurans. Just minutes outside the airport you see street vendors using makeshift stands and carts to sell food to the employees. An hour down the road you begin to see entire communities of houses made from mud, sticks, and scrap metal. Even in our beautiful town of Santa Rosa, the lack of high paying jobs keeps the majority of its citizens living in small dwellings shared by multiple family members. While poverty effects people of all ages, we believe that focusing on child poverty will provide us an opportunity to solve the problem at its root.
With an un-employment rate of over 20% and under-employment at 50%, it’s no wonder that poverty has plagued Honduras for generations. “The poverty that exists in Honduras limits the choices or options that you have to live an abundant life” says Dr. Scott Bedichek. As a Deacon over Benevolence and Missions with Southside Church of Christ and also a Board Member with Mission UpReach, Dr. Bedichek is well versed on the effects of poverty and has recently published a research paper on the impact of Medical Missions. In 2017, Dr. Bedichek and his family decided to support a little girl in Honduras named Iris who had a degenerative neurological disorder. The simple act of buying her some Ensure each month improved her quality of life drastically. This inspired us to do more. We’ve seen from examples like World Vision and Compassion International that a Child Sponsorship program, when done right, is incredibly effective. That’s why, after months of planning, we’ve decided to launch a new Child Sponsorship program, the DESEO Project.
The DESEO Project continues the bible-based morals and values education that we are already providing to over 2500 kids and goes above and beyond by also providing Medical Care, Education Assistance, and Spiritual Development. By matching one Sponsor to one child, we hope to create a genuine connection and show the love of Christ to countless children across Honduras. Check out our website, deseoproject.org to learn more or to sponsor a child today. If you believe your congregation would be willing to promote this program to members, contact us at [email protected]. Through the DESEO Project, we’re offering a long-term solution to poverty by ensuring the child receives the care, attention, and education needed to live an “Abundant Life”.
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