Breaking the cycle
April 20, 2008
What does it really mean when we talk about breaking the poverty cycle?
It’s the kind of phrase that we often use when we’re talking about helping those in the developing world but do we really understand what it means in practical terms?
Look at the man in the photo in this post. That’s what it means to break the cycle.
When we talk about the cycle we’re talking about those living in poverty having children who live in poverty with their poor lifestyle being handed down from generation to generation. When someone has little money they’re unable to create a foundation for their children to build a better life. Unless someone is prepared to step in, desperate poverty will be handed down through each generation.
The guy in the picture above came from a poor background and was sponsored through Compassion.
Something exciting has happened through the sponsorship of this young man. He is now the accountant for one of the Compassion projects we visited in Dominican Republic. He’s no longer relying on the support of others, he’s working and earning money for his family.
Now here’s the exciting bit … his son isn’t part of a Compassion project. He doesn’t need to be. Thanks to the generous support of this man’s sponsor, the cycle has been broken. Not only is he able to take on meaningful, paid employment, his son doesn’t have to rely on sponsorship to give him a hand up and he won’t have to pass down a life of poverty to his children.
As I saw time and time again during my trip to Haiti and Dominican Republic, sponsoring just one child does far more than touch just one life. Sponsoring just one child may effect generations of his or her family. What an amazing oppoprtunity we have to break the poverty cycle.
Posted in Life
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April 20th, 2008 at 3:04 am
April 20th, 2008 at 3:59 am
[...] Olsen recently returned from a Compassion International trip to the Dominican Republic, and has a post about breaking the cycle of poverty. Rodney’s group was supposed to go to Haiti, but food riots there forced them back to Miami, [...]
April 20th, 2008 at 9:58 am
April 20th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
blessings on ya!
April 20th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Welcome back home!
I would love to visit my child in Brazil. I pray that Compassion is helping him and his family to get out of that poverty circle. Igor is my third child and the first one was from Dominican Republic as well.
April 21st, 2008 at 1:14 pm
April 21st, 2008 at 3:14 pm
April 21st, 2008 at 5:08 pm
We love equipping, empowering and enriching the lives of the Cambodian people and seeing that change come about!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:35 pm
We managed to escape some fairly dangerous situations but it’s heart breaking to think of the millions of people still facing such a struggle to simply survive.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:36 pm
There’s so much each of us can do when we take our eyes off ourselves and look around to see those in need.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
It is so good to feel safe at home but I’m now even more determined to do what I can to help those who don’t feel safe in their communities and homes.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:46 pm
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Our family has sponsored children through World Vision for many years.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
You do such a great work in Cambodia and I guess it’s up to those of us who’ve seen how easy it is to make a difference to keep spreading the word so that more people can catch the vision.