One of our most challenging goals in working with the extreme poor is helping the vulnerable provide for themselves and attain financial freedom. Raising incomes can involve many facets, including psychological hurdles. There are cases where individuals are unable to…
I once, maybe I still do, considered myself a romantic. Before my wife and I were engaged, I loved writing her romantic letters. I would spend hours crafting the perfect sentence or thinking about what part of her personality I loved…
Jesus Met the Physical Needs of the Poor When Jesus walked the Earth, his ministry was very tangible and holistic. He laid hands on people; some were blind or disabled and healed others who faced physical challenges, including death. Most of the people who came to Jesus did so because they had a…
Bright Hope’s goal is to build a self-sustaining system that lifts the poor out of poverty and keeps them from slipping back into deep poverty. So, what are the forces that work against building a pathway out of poverty? What makes helping the poor so challenging? Lack…
Like a slow torturesome death, extreme poverty is hard to watch, even harder to go through. But, unfortunately, in the developed world (USA, Canada, Australia, Western Europe, etc.), we are so far removed from the extreme poor it is easy not to look for it or think about it. Unless we are…
I didn’t count, but I read that there are over 2,000 Bible verses about helping the poor. That speaks volumes—literally. How close it must be to God’s heart if the Creator of the Universe encourages and instructs us so many…
I sat in the vehicle roughly bumping along the dirt road as we crept through the Kenyan slum. Not wanting to forget anything, I pulled out my notebook and scribbled notes as Dotun, our Kenya country director, explained how life…
Nancy was born and raised in a Kenyan village known as “gold.” The village stood along the Lodwar Kakuma road, where the occupants mined, you guessed it, gold. Despite living in what sounds like a lucrative community, Nancy’s family was poor. They were so poor that she had to drop out of school because her parents couldn’t…
“How can we best help the poorest people on earth?” I get this question whenever I speak about the poor to a church or corporation. No Simple Answers It is a deep question and not one with simple answers. The…
As COVID-19 has crept into almost every country across the globe, much of the same prevention advice can be heard regardless of what country you call home—whether it’s the United States, Germany, or Kenya. Stay home, practice social distancing, and…