Breaking The Cycle Of Poverty

4 posted on March 4, 2010

POSTED IN: Blog Posts, Kenya Trip

One of the common questions about Compassion (or any charity for that matter) is, “Where does my money go and what is it used for?” That’s a valid question and one worth exploring.

Let’s suppose you were given a sum of money to help a community who has been caught in the cycle of poverty for generations. What would you do? Sure, you could use the money to buy them food, clothing or medicine (all of which Compassion does) but if you only did that, where would that community be when the clothes wore out and the food was gone?

Compassion goes further than just simple food distribution – they focus on the whole person and give them the tools to help break the cycle of poverty themselves.

I could tell you how they do it…or I could introduce you to Caroline Otwoma.

Caroline lives in a 10′ x 10′ shack with her husband and four children in the congested slums of Kawangware, a place devoid of hope.

And yet in the midst of the poverty and hopelessness that surrounded her she welcomed us into her home with a bright smile on her face. Caroline was part of the Compassion Child Survival Program (CSP) that taught mothers the skills necessary to raise their family. Every week Caroline walks to the Compassion program to learn things like how to fashion a container for water so that she can have access to clean water to wash her hands.

She was excited to show us how she has been able to learn a trade that helps support their family. Through a micro-finance loan she was able to purchase groundnuts to sell at the market.

Caroline showed us how she first sorted through the nuts…

then prepared the fire….

before roasting the nuts in a pot.

She then packages the nuts into little plastic bag and seals them using the heat from a small candle.

She sells the little packages of nuts at the market and is able to make about 80 shillings ($1.05) a day.

As we left her husband proudly told us that his wife was working hard and that together they were changing their situation. He thanked us for coming to visit their house that they lived in “for now.” He said “for now” because he told us that he knew that they wouldn’t be there forever. The tools they had and the skills they learned were helping them break free from the poverty that surrounded them, one bag of nuts at a time.

It is their attitude that gives me hope. They know that their situation isn’t hopeless as long as they have the tools they need to break the cycle of poverty. That is what Compassion does. That is what you do when you sponsor a child or give monthly to the Child Survival Program.

That is how the cycle of poverty is broken.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 12:30 pm and is filed under Blog Posts, Kenya Trip. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

27 Comments

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March 4, 2010

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1 Shawn said:

Thanks for taking us to Kenya with you bro!
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March 4, 2010

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2 Becky said:

Beautiful!
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March 4, 2010

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3 Ryan Sawrie said:

Pretty cool. I love micro-business programs.
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March 4, 2010

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4 Paul Steinbrueck said:

Great story, Brad. Hopefully with mom (and dad?) working, their 4 kids can stay in school which will help to break the cycle of poverty for the next generation.
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March 4, 2010

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5 JD said:

Brad,

It’s through stories like Caroline’s, told through your eyes, that my passion for Compassion is fueled. I’ve been a sponsor for five years, the more I learn, the deeper I want to get involved.

As you were flying to Africa this week, I made the commitment to join Compassion Canada to Honduras in June of this year. I am going to be reading every.single.post.from.Africa prayerfully, knowing I will soon experience it through my own eyes.

I can’t say it enough… Compassion is the most thorough way to break the cycle of poverty, give hope, give Jesus, and in the process, change the world.

PLEASE keep sharing…!! I will pray for your heart, I know that the man you were when you went will not be the same man who returns, but that’s what love through Jesus’ heart does to a person. Life will never be the same.
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March 4, 2010

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6 thegypsymama said:

Thanks for being our walking, talking window into Kenya. We have our heads leaned way out to see it all!

~Lisa-Jo
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March 4, 2010

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7 Robert James said:

Indeed, Compassion is not just a charity, but a way of changing a life. Great look into the combination of Compassion and micro-lending.
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March 4, 2010

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8 Dave Wilson said:

Good stuff Brad! Thanks for keeping us updated on your experience in Kenya.
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March 4, 2010

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9 Daniel said:

Thanks for posting! I look forward to the Kenya updates!
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March 4, 2010

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10 Rebekah said:

Caroline is one of many reasons that we support Compassion…I love the name – the business model – the Jesus I see.

Thank you for taking us to Kenya with you…
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March 4, 2010

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11 Lynn said:

Such a beautiful story! Thanks for sharing your story straight from Kenya! This is my first experience with Compassion and my heart has been broken today. God is gonna lead me where he wants me and thanks to you I’m listening!!
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March 4, 2010

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12 This Is Reverb » First look at Kenya… said:

[...] short of amazing. I’ll show you a few photos of her in action, but you’ve got to read Brad Ruggles account of meeting her for the full [...]
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March 4, 2010

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13 Jason Yarborough said:

Dude, great post on Compassion and the work being done there. Really makes me appreciate the fact that we sponsor a child with Compassion. Thanks for taking us on the inside of the community and the work being done. If you see this kid there, http://jasonyarborough.com/2009/11/16/meet-mulika-junior/, tell him his sponsor says hello!
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March 4, 2010

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14 Terrace Crawford said:

Well done. Compassion should hire you after that post. Just sayin… Dang.

–Terrace Crawford
http://www.terracecrawford.com
http://www.twitter.com/terracecrawford
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March 4, 2010

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15 Los said:

Epic
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March 4, 2010

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16 Roberta Moffatt said:

Thanks for taking us to Kenya with you! I sponsor a child that lives in Kenya and I don’t expect to ever get to meet her. Your blogs help me to get a better picture of where she lives and what her surroundings are like. Thank you so much.
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March 4, 2010

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17 Parke Ladd said:

Love the pics and update on microfinance. As Los Whitaker said above, “Epic.” By the way, did you see that Los Whitaker commented on your blog?
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March 4, 2010

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18 Justin Davis said:

Wow…thanks Brad! I am praying for you and the team!
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March 5, 2010

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19 Prudence said:

Amazing. The hope of God living out in this family. “…for now.” Wow.
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March 5, 2010

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20 Empowering Moms With Charcoal Dust and Dirt | The Just Life said:

[...] in the program. She was excited to show us the income generating activity she was taught. You can read Caroline’s story on Brad Ruggles blog – Learning How to [...]
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March 5, 2010

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21 Susanne Bromke said:

Hi Brad – this is my first ever blog entry! My family sponsors a 14 yr old boy in Kenya named Benard Silo Mitune. If you happen to meet him; please give him our love and tell him we are so proud of him. God is doing great works through Compassion, thanks for sharing your experiences with us.
In Christ, the Bromke family:
Susanne, Keith, Sarah, Wade and Keith Jr.
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March 5, 2010

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22 pete wilson said:

Powerful Brad! So proud of you and the team for bringing attention to what Compassion is doing around the world!
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March 5, 2010

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23 Alison said:

Excellent post- what a beautifully strong woman, and her husband too, this is what compassion is all about.
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April 25, 2010

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24 Getting A Large Effect From A Small Loan | The Internet Marketing Directory said:

[...] Breaking The Cycle Of Poverty | Brad Ruggles [...]
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November 29, 2010

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25 Amanda C said:

I have come across this page while writing a research paper on the Cycle of Poverty and Violence a couple months ago. I had never heard of Compassion before but I was very touched by your post. That same day I became the sponsor of both a child and a child survival program. Since then my boyfriend has become a child sponsor as well as several friends.
Thank you for spreading the word and sharing such magnificent stories.
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November 30, 2010

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26 Doug G said:

What an awesome story! All of that work for $1.05 per day…really puts things into prospective.
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October 2, 2011

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27 Sell Services said:

Sell Services…

[...]Breaking The Cycle Of Poverty | Brad Ruggles[...]…