WILLS POINT, TX — Chick-fil-A and Brookshire’s are joining a leading aid agency to deliver Christmas relief to Texas families hit hard by the pandemic. As America experiences another spike in coronavirus cases, one in four children aren’t getting enough food and face a bleak Christmas, says Wills Point-based humanitarian agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World – founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada) according to Feeding Texas statistics.
Feeding Texas — the state’s network of food banks — says hunger in Texas has doubled during the pandemic.
Now Gospel for Asia (GFA World) — an organization that has been helping feed tens of thousands of starving people in Asia — is stepping up efforts to help make sure families on its own doorstep don’t go hungry this Christmas.
The agency — headquartered in Wills Point, 50 miles east of Dallas — will distribute hundreds of holiday food boxes Saturday, Dec. 19, to families struggling with job losses and reduced income.
And Chick-fil-A of Sulphur Springs will help spread the festive cheer, handing out hundreds of free sandwiches, along with Brookshire’s of Wills Point who will distribute water bottles.
Families ‘Loved By God’
“We know many families are struggling this Christmas, and we’re thrilled to join with Chick-fil-A and Brookshire’s to help them,” said Danny Yohannan, GFA World’s vice-president. “We want them to know they’re loved by us and by God.”
Over the past months, regular grocery giveaways hosted by Gospel for Asia (GFA World) and Body of Life have fed thousands of families from Van Zandt and neighboring counties in Texas.
Anyone interested can follow Gospel for Asia / GFA World online to stay in the loop about upcoming local food giveaways and the organization’s humanitarian work overseas.
Headquartered in Wills Point, Texas, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a leading faith-based mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear about the love of God. In GFA’s latest yearly report, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 260,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada – Discussing GFA World’s report citing the lifesaving impact of malaria-fighting efforts across Asia as the world searches for a cure for COVID-19.
The hunt for a cure for COVID-19 draws attention to another “forgotten” health crisis that continues to claim more than 400,000 lives around the world every year — mosquito-borne malaria.
ANOTHER DEADLY SCOURGE: Political leaders and doctors suggest readily available anti-malarial drugs may be beneficial in treating coronavirus patients as Gospel for Asia (GFA World) and other organizations highlight the much-overlooked “deadly scourge” of malaria.
As some political leaders and doctors suggest readily available anti-malarial drugs may be beneficial in treating coronavirus patients, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) and other organizations are highlighting the much-overlooked “deadly scourge” of malaria.
World Malaria Day — an annual awareness event — is April 25 each year, and malaria-fighting organizations like Gospel for Asia (GFA) are eager to see that the ongoing battle against the mosquito-spread menace doesn’t get ignored or forgotten because of COVID-19.
Despite the effectiveness of anti-malarial drugs like chloroquine — recently touted as a treatment for coronavirus — malaria still kills more than 400,000 people worldwide every year, more than double the global coronavirus death toll to date.
Each year, there are more than 200 million reported cases of malaria, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. So far, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide stands at about 2.5 million and rising.
Mosquito Nets: Ten Dollar Lifesavers
Describing malaria as a “deadly scourge,” GFA World’s report is one of a series of in-depth special reports by the Texas-based mission agency examining critical global issues, promoting awareness, and challenging people to respond. A life-saving mosquito net costs as little as $10 — but that’s more than many of Asia’s poorest families, who earn less than $2 a day, can afford.
“For many years. . . teams across South Asia have been engaged in malaria prevention,” said Dr. Daniel, director of Believers Eastern Church’s medical ministry in Asia. “These committed local workers, often trekking miles on foot, distribute free mosquito nets — some 360,000 last year alone – to prevent malaria infection and provide clean water and community sanitation to help reduce mosquito breeding grounds.”
Although malaria has a lower mortality rate than coronavirus, the financial toll of malaria is huge. According to estimates, malaria costs the African economy $12 billion every year through healthcare and loss of productivity and investment.
With much of South Asia currently under COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is supporting outreaches to those most severely impacted — including impoverished day laborers unable to earn money for food. Teams are providing free meals as well as mosquito nets.
“Even in lockdown amid COVID-19, we in the West have the opportunity to pray at home and support local workers in the field to save lives,” said India-born Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founder Dr. K.P. Yohannan, whose mission has served the poor in Asia for 40-plus years and has become one of the biggest mission organizations in the world.
About Gospel for Asia
Gospel for Asia (GFA) is a leading faith-based mission agency, bringing vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear the “good news” of Jesus Christ. In GFA’s latest yearly report, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,000 clean water wells drilled, over 11,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 200,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing the Gospel for Asia workers who care for the least of these amidst the threat of starvation and the COVID 19 pandemic.
Jarbai spent a typical day catching fish and crabs from the local river to sell at market. Her son worked as a daily laborer, supplementing the money from Jarbai’s daily catches. While meager, the earnings they pulled in were just enough to survive—at least until the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers packed food items to give to people, such as Jarbai, to help them get through the pandemic.
Hunger, Starvation Amidst COVID 19 Crisis
To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, many countries imposed a nationwide lockdown. Families already trapped in poverty, including Jarbai’s, could not work, and no work meant no food. Millions went to bed hungry, night after night.
The threat of starvation, mingled with the threat of COVID-19, left cities, villages and communities in fear. However, Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers across Asia did what they could to help combat this double threat of hunger and sickness.
After obtaining the necessary permission from local authorities, Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers in Jarbai’s area sought families particularly at risk of hunger and brought them packets of food. Over the course of several weeks, these faithful workers divided, packaged and distributed thousands of pounds of dry goods, such as rice, potatoes, onions, dal, oil and soap, to families in need.
“My son works as a daily laborer and I catch fish and crabs from the river to sell, but due to the lockdown we cannot do this.,” explained Jarbai. “The food items are a great help for me and my family. I am happy and thankful to [the church] from the bottom of my heart.”
The Grateful and Thankful
Other recipients joined their voices with Jarbai’s, adding their thanks.
“I am happy and thankful that [the church] stood beside me and provided food items for me and my family so we can be sustained during this lockdown,” says 52-year-old Meherbai.
One man, Gajinder, turned down the food package, despite coming from a poor background. He told the workers to give it to a family worse off than him.
“I am happy that my [church] will stand and always be there to help the helpless,” he said.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
GFA pastor Bhaskar hung up the phone after talking to yet another one of the 270 people who regularly attended his church. Coordinating a distribution program during the COVID-19 pandemic took an even greater amount of planning and care than usual, due to the precautions needed. There were definitely people in the area where he served who needed help.
Pastor Bhaskar with two women blessed with food packages.
When the COVID-19 lockdown first went into place, Pastor Bhaskar urged his congregation to look for any ways to help needy families around them. The majority of villagers farm for a living; whether or not they went to bed hungry depended on if they could sell their crops at the market—but the lockdown kept them home. Food was in major demand; rice, tomatoes, potatoes and bottle gourds would be perfect items to distribute.
Pastor Bhaskar and his congregation helped 25 families by providing groceries.
Mohisha, a 48-year-old mother, received a bag of the much-needed groceries.
“I was thinking to whom I shall share my agony that I and my family members are going through,” she said.
“We do not have money to purchase anything that we need. … But today, in the right time, the church provided us vegetables and some other food items. As a family we are deeply grateful to the church pastor and believers for their love and care that they have shown us.”
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing GFA Bridge of Hope centers and GFA Sisters of Compassion teams that minister to the suffering especially to those worst affected by COVID 19 related hunger.
GFA Bridge of Hope centers are serving as community kitchens while workers minister to families worst affected by COVID-19-related hunger.
In Jharkhand, Bridge of Hope staff set up a community kitchen and daily have fed 300 of those hardest hit by the crisis, including street dwellers and daily wage laborers.
Workers at two centers in Bihar identified the most needy in their area. After obtaining proper government permission, they provided food for 200 families, which was a great blessing to the communities. Recipients expressed joy and gratitude to leaders for showing love and remembering them in this difficult situation.
“I am very happy to have the yummy food,” said Abeer. “I and my family have been going through financial crisis for the last two months, but today we feel very happy.”
Another recipient, Ushta, said, “[The church] is the one who always helped us in our difficult situation, and I am so glad to receive the meal from them today.”
Praiksha in Madhya Pradesh had heard of people distributing food to the poor, but no one had reached him. After a Bridge of Hope event, he said, “I am now so happy that [the Bridge of Hope center] has given us essential items that we really needed. Thank you so much.”
Bridge of Hope staff set up “community kitchens” to help those in their communities.
Compassion for Migrant Workers Amid COVID 19
Gospel for Asia (GFA) Sisters of Compassion in Jammu ministered to migrant workers living in tents or one-room homes in the slums. Many workers have been separated from their families because of travel restrictions and have struggled financially because of not being able to work. The sisters gave them packets of groceries and assured them they would pray for each of the families’ needs.
Local police officers accompanied the Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers to ensure people followed the safety guidelines. The head constable also directed workers to a man and his son living beside the station who were in particular need and had sought help at the station just a few days prior. In response to the head constable’s request, this man also received groceries, for which he was very grateful.
Sisters of Compassion distribute groceries in a slum.
After seeing the ministry and care for those in need provided by the pastors and Sisters of Compassion, one police officer offered to help them whenever they needed it.
“Good job,” he told them. “You have done a great effort. Thank you for the compassionate heart of yours.”
Palash, a father of three originally from Bihar, and his wife normally work in a box-manufacturing factory. But since the factory closed, they have been unable to earn an income.
“We had little rice and wheat flour,” Palash says. “Since we are from other states, I do not have a Ration Card to get groceries from the ration shop. I was anxious about the days ahead. But at the right time, you have given the necessary items for our food. … Thank you so much for having concerns about us.”
Jaiman is a widow from Chhattisgarh who works at the nearby pencil factory to provide for herself and her 4-year-old son, but she has been unable to do so with the factory’s closure.
“Thank you for the food items,” Jaiman said. “Almost all my groceries finished, and I was worried about the food, especially for my son. Now we will be able to survive with the grocery items for the next few weeks.”
GFA’s efforts such as those through Bridge of Hope and Sisters of Compassion are present throughout the year and serve as a natural conduit for showing the love of Christ in tangible ways during times of crisis. Click the above links to learn more about these ongoing programs.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
The mask-wearing woman grasped the package of food, smiled and thanked the workers. As she moved on, another took her place in line. Dozens of men and women, keeping six feet apart, patiently waited their turn to receive a package of food.
Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers and volunteers prepare to hand out ration packs to struggling men and women.
Before this, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Alik had seen families going to bed hungry. People were starving, and Pastor Alik knew how to help. After visiting the local authorities and obtaining their permission, the pastor immediately set about organizing and planning a food distribution.
Volunteers from the local church along with some civic workers carefully bundled together hundreds of pounds of rice, beans, biscuits, oil, soap and masks. Once ready, the team spent nearly five hours handing out the packages to those who had come from families in five nearby villages.
Pranjeeta, a 32-year-old widow with two sons under the age of 6, normally works as a maid. She thanked the team for the ration kit, saying,
“I am deeply happy and thankful to [the church] for providing us with the ration kits during this time of crisis.”
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide, issued a Special Report on how the alarming increase of mosquito-blamed cases in U.S. may awaken Westerners to the “deadly scourge” of malaria that still claims thousands of lives worldwide.
Because the deaths came in ones and twos, the mid-summer and early fall 2019 headlines were more local than national in scope. They told of a 70-year-old man in Massachusetts—one of 10 people infected in the state—dying from Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE)s, a virus transmitted through a mosquito bite; two deaths in Connecticut, where officials identified EEE-carrying mosquitoes in a dozen municipalities; and a 68-year-old man in Ohio who died from mosquito-linked West Nile virus.
It is critical that patients everywhere have access to the regimens needed to combat this “deadly scourge.” (Photo by Nothing but Nets)
Before the year ended, more than a dozen fatalities had been recorded. As of mid-November, the Centers for Disease Control reported three dozen cases of EEE in 2019, the highest in 60 years.[1] The annual average for the previous decade: just seven.
Granted, a relative handful of tragic fatalities from EEE doesn’t compare to thousands of deaths attributed each year to malaria, which still vexes health officials centuries after its discovery. Still, this five-fold increase in EEE cases may have helped sensitize Americans to the scourge of mosquito-borne health dangers. Such an awakening was especially timely with the observance of World Malaria Day on April 25, which draws attention to the 400,000 lives per year lost to this deadly disease.
In fact, while the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide (on the date this report was first published) currently stands at 2.5 million and rising, each year there are more than 200 million reported cases of malaria, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
A previous special report on this topic, entitled “Fighting Malaria – A Chilling Disease,” details how mosquito netting and malaria prevention are being used to combat this parasitic genius. This update unfolds the ongoing efforts of the global community to combat mosquito-borne scourges, including malaria, even among developing nations.
Despite advances in recent years, malaria remains a leading cause of death globally.
The latest World Malaria Report, released December 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO), said 405,000 people died from the disease in 2018.
While that is less than the 435,000 fatalities recorded the previous year, the number of cases rose from 220 million to 228 million, a 3.6 percent increase (since 2016, cases are up 5.6 percent). A staggering 93 percent occurred in the African region in 2018, followed by Southeast Asia (3.4 percent) and the eastern Mediterranean (2.1 percent).
There was a mixture of good and bad news in the report.
Globally, malaria’s incident rate declined from 2010 to 2018. Formerly at 71 cases per thousand in population, the rate slowed to 57 in 2014. Yet it remained at similar levels the next four years. The reductions were most encouraging in Southeast Asia, where 17 cases per thousand in 2010 declined to five cases in 2018, a 70 percent decrease. Also on the positive side, the WHO said more countries moved toward zero indigenous cases, with 49 countries reporting less than 10,000 in 2018.
However, between 2015 and 2018, only 31 countries where malaria is still endemic were on track to reduce this rate by 40 percent or more by this year.[2] Without major changes, the WHO’s long-term global strategy for 2015−30 may not reach milestones for morbidity in 2025 and 2030.
Despite advances in recent years, malaria remains a leading cause of death globally.
The latest World Malaria Report, released last December by the World Health Organization (WHO), said 405,000 people died from the disease in 2018.
While that is less than the 435,000 fatalities recorded the previous year, the number of cases rose from 220 million to 228 million, a 3.6 percent increase (since 2016, cases are up 5.6 percent). A staggering 93 percent occurred in the African region in 2018, followed by Southeast Asia (3.4 percent) and the eastern Mediterranean (2.1 percent).
There was a mixture of good and bad news in the report.
Globally, malaria’s incident rate declined from 2010 to 2018. Formerly at 71 cases per thousand in population, the rate slowed to 57 in 2014. Yet it remained at similar levels the next four years. The reductions were most encouraging in Southeast Asia, where 17 cases per thousand in 2010 declined to five cases in 2018, a 70 percent decrease. Also on the positive side, the WHO said more countries moved toward zero indigenous cases, with 49 countries reporting less than 10,000 in 2018.
However, between 2015 and 2018, only 31 countries where malaria is still endemic were on track to reduce this rate by 40 percent or more by this year.[2] Without major changes, the WHO’s long-term global strategy for 2015−30 may not reach milestones for morbidity in 2025 and 2030.
Advancements in the Fight
Thanks to a consortium of governments, foundations and non-governmental organizations, there have been advancements in treatment. In 2015 the WHO announced the global incidence of malaria had finally slowed: Between 2000 and 2015, mortality rates in Africa fell by 66 percent overall and 71 percent among children under 5, the most vulnerable victims.[3]
“The last decade has seen a significant transition in the ways that countries are responding to malaria,” Dr. David Reddy, CEO of the partnership, Medicines for Malaria Venture, said in a 2015 interview. “Significant new international resources (including Global Fund and President’s Malaria Initiative) have been better mobilized in the last 10–15 years to support programmatic strengthening and introduce greatly improved tools to prevent and treat malaria.”[4]
In his foreword to the WHO’s 2019 report, Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus noted that at least 10 countries are on track to reach the 2020 elimination milestone set in its long-term global strategy. In 2015, he said all those countries were malaria endemic, but now have either achieved zero indigenous cases or are nearing that goal.
In 2018, 259 million Rapid Diagnostic Tests for malaria were distributed by National Malaria Programs across the globe. Here Souleman Balde, a 32 year-old-community health worker, tests a child for malaria in a village in the Bafata region of eastern #GuineaBissau. (Photo by @UNDP Guinea Bissau / Gwenn Dubourthoumieu)
More resources are appearing too. Just before the release of the WHO report, the board of the Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria approved increased funding for investments over a three-year period (starting in 2020) to fight these epidemics. The investments total more than $12.9 billion U.S. as of March 2020.
Medical advances are occurring as well. In September of 2019, a paper in Science Translation Medicine described how redesigning molecules first designed to treat a skin disease (psoriasis) could lead to an effective new drug. An international team of researchers described modifying a class of molecules called pantothenamides to increase their stability in humans. In brief, the new compounds stop the malaria parasite from replicating in infected people and are effective against parasites resistant to current drugs.[5]
One of the paper’s authors, Penn State University professor Manuel Llinás, said while pantothenamides are potent against parasites, they become unstable within biological fluids because an enzyme clips them apart before they can act. Changing a chemical bond prevents this from happening.
Significant new international resources … in the last 10–15 years … introduce greatly improved tools to prevent and treat malaria
“By also preventing the transmission of malaria parasites from infected people into mosquitoes, these pantothenamides can reduce the chances that mosquitoes will be infectious to others,” Llinás said. “It is currently widely accepted that next-generation antimalarial drugs must target the parasite at multiple stages to both cure the disease in an infected individual and prevent its spread to others.”
This news came on the heels of a story by Joshua Carroll in The Guardian newspaper about Myanmar becoming an example in the fight against malaria. It chronicled how thousands of volunteers received training and supplies from donors after political reforms opened the door for a flood of aid.
These efforts helped save thousands of lives and turned Myanmar into a leader in the battle to eliminate the disease. Nationwide in 2010 nearly 4,000 people died from malaria, but in 2017 that number dropped to 200.
“Dr. Patricia Graves, a leading specialist on the transmission and control of malaria, is confident Myanmar is on track to be malaria-free by 2030,” Carroll wrote. “The country’s success with village-based health workers ‘is a huge thing that other countries can learn from,’ she says.”[6]
What can we do about mosquito-driven scourges?
One simple way to fight mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, is to consider giving a needy family a simple Mosquito Net. For only $10, Gospel for Asia’s field partners can distribute one of these effective nets to an at-risk family in Asia and provide them with safety from insects during the day and at night.
Read the rest of Gospel for Asia’s Special Report on Mosquito-Driven Scourge Touches Even Developed Nations:Malaria Alone Claims 400,000 Lives Per Year —Part 2
WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide, issued this first part of a Special Report on Child Sponsorship — Does it Lift the Young Out of Poverty?
In existence for many years, child sponsorship has been adapted by Christian ministries and NGOs alike as it provides education, sustenance and other benefits impoverished children might otherwise never have. But does it work? Does sponsoring children really help kids escape a life of poverty? This article is intended to get to the bottom of those questions, and more.
About two years ago, Compassion International joined the billion-dollar charity club. That put it alongside such noted names as United Way, Salvation Army, the Red Cross and the YMCA. Its 2020 fiscal year income topped that mark by $1.2 million, growing 4 percent over the previous year despite its major spring fundraising initiative getting canceled because of COVID-191.
In Rajasthan this pastor and another pastor have taken it upon themselves to help tutor the children in the community each evening between 4:00-5:00 as the children have been having trouble learning in the local classroom.
According to the World Bank, 53 percent of children living in low- and middle-income nation are classified as “in-school non-learners,” meaning they are enrolled in school but do not retain the things they learn.5 The agency found that children in this group cannot read or comprehend a short, age-appropriate story by the time they finish grade school. In poorer countries, the agency says the number can range as high as 80 percent.6 What’s worse, those who fail to finish school can easily join the ranks of the world’s 160 million child laborers.7
This was the kind of bleak situation facing a boy in South Asia named Neale not too long ago. The eight-year-old lives in a rural mountain village with his parents, who are employed in the area’s fertile tea fields. Their meager earnings aren’t enough to cover necessities, meaning Neale sometimes doesn’t have bus fare to make it to school. Because of sporadic attendance, his grades were dropping. This was devastating for the boy as a good education would be instrumental for him to be able to one day get a good job and be able to fulfil his dream of helping his mother.8
Like these children, Neale (not pictured) sat with his peers, receiving guidance and encouragement from Gospel for Asia (GFA World) child sponsorship staff.
“Neale also received a nutritious meal, tips on proper hygiene and school supplies—greatly relieving his mother of additional financial expenses,” Gospel for Asia (GFA World) reported. “The staff saw to his every need, wanting to help Neale achieve his dream. They offered all sorts of guidance, instilling within him the discipline he needed to advance his education and grow as an individual. Little by little, as Neale’s grades rose, so did his hope. That good job he wanted didn’t seem so distant now; helping his mother didn’t seem so impossible now.”9
The letters from their sponsors tell children they are loved, they are remembered, and they are important. These letters are often some of the most treasured possessions these children have. Photo by WorldVision.org
Approaches Vary When it Comes to Sponsoring a Child
Through Unbound, not only did Hannah receive sponsorship, but after their home was destroyed by a fire, the organization provided funds for Hannah and her mother, Estrella’s house to be rebuilt. Photo by Unbound, Coping in the Pandemic
Originally the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, the organization says most sponsored children have representation through small parent/guardian groups that direct how the funds are allocated. They commonly go toward food, education and skills training, health care, improved living conditions, and seed capital for a farm or small business.13
One 25-year-old woman, who is now a nurse in South Asia, said without sponsorship, it would have been impossible to achieve her goals. President and CEO Scott Wasserman said the number of lives Unbound has helped in its history is “humbling,” with the $2 billion marking a milestone in providing sponsorees with dignity and a path out of poverty.14
“The World Bank estimates 120 million more people will fall below the poverty line because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wasserman said. “[That] just strengthens our resolve to continue helping marginalized people around the world emerge from poverty as happier, healthier, contributing members of their communities.”15
Unbound’s approach shows the difficulty of trying to place sponsorship in a neat box. This is further illustrated by one of the larger sponsorship organizations, World Vision. The Seattle ministry, which takes in more than $1 billion annually, tweaked its sponsorship model in 2019. World Vision’s “Chosen” program allows children to select their donors instead of donors choosing them.16
“The World Bank estimates 120 million more people will fall below the poverty line because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [That] just strengthens our resolve to continue helping marginalized people around the world emerge from poverty as happier, healthier, contributing members of their communities.”
Initially done through a pilot project with seven churches across the U.S., the following year World Vision expanded the system to 22 countries, potentially affecting 180,000 children. The move came partially in reaction to criticism that allowing sponsors to choose children gave them a sense of power while diminishing that of poor children.
Still, whether the child picks the sponsor or vice versa, Hillary Kaell—an associate professor at Montreal-based McGill University and the author of a book about child sponsorship in the U.S.—said that the ministry sees God at work in either direction.
In a unique twist on the normal sponsorship process, World Vision began their Chosen program which allows the child to pick their own sponsor. Photo by World Vision, Chosen
“In promotional videos for its Chosen program, World Vision makes it clear that God is still the guiding force…” wrote Kaell. “Sponsors say, ‘There are so many things that are bigger than us. … Through God we’re intertwined.’ Or they marvel at how a child across the world is serving as God’s ‘mouthpiece’ by choosing them. [Sponsor] Nichole feels it, too. After watching a video of [child] Junayet choosing her, she told me, ‘I could see God in the moment. Junayet came up with all of the joy in the world. He literally ran to my photo. God’s hand is in all those moments.’”17
Not all child sponsors, or sponsorship programs, come from a religious perspective. One example is Children International, a secular nonprofit formed in 1936 to provide food baskets for women and children in two Israeli cities. Over the next two decades, it expanded to an orphanage, a medical clinic and an orthopedic hospital.18
In the 1970s the organization experienced expansion and growth, with the Kansas City-based charity making a gradual shift to a sponsorship model that helped children in Asia and Latin America. Today it maintains 67 community centers in 10 nations (including the U.S.) on five continents. According to the organization’s website, “As a secular organization, we respect and honor the religions, cultures and languages of all our children and families. Sponsored children and our staff work together to achieve our goal of ending poverty for good through programs that focus on health, education, empowerment and employment.”19
You can be part of the solution that is setting children free from a life of poverty. Simply visit the GFA World website: https://www.gfa.org/sponsorachild/. You can sponsor a child living in South Asia or Africa. You can also find a child who shares your birthday or pick a child to sponsor who has a specific age or gender. Your decision to sponsor can make a substantial difference in the life of an impoverished or underprivileged child.
About GFA World
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Asia and Africa, and sharing the love of God. In a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in more than 880 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 163,000 needy families, and teaching to provide hope and encouragement in 110 languages in 14 nations through broadcast ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.
Read the rest of this GFA World Special Report: Child Sponsorship — Does it Lift the Young Out of Poverty?—Part 2, Part 3
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide, discussing the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal in 2015, the devastation and tragedy it dealt, and the Gospel for Asia (GFA World) workers that brought relief, help and hope to the victims.
On April 25, 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal, taking around 9,000 lives, injuring more than 23,000 people, and damaging or destroying more than 700,000 homes.[1] The disaster caused widespread devastation.
One village hit hard by this tragedy was in desperate need of food and supplies. Nearly all the houses had been destroyed. The residents’ belongings, food, clothes and livestock—all essential to their livelihood—were buried, destroyed or damaged. To make matters worse, the road into the village was blocked by a landslide, making it nearly impossible for the villagers to access outside food or materials. They were in dire need of help and hope.
Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Manja knew the desperate needs of his fellow villagers and yearned to help them in their time of need. He organized a relief distribution in cooperation with the local church. The distribution workers distributed 11,352 pounds of rice and 378 pounds of salt to the disaster victims, which they received with gratitude and joy.
“Thank you for your support to us in our need,” said 54-year-old recipient Radamés. “We are very happy to see you. Though we are not familiar with one another, you remembered us and helped us. Thank you again.”
Balandis, another recipient, also expressed his gratitude to the relief team.
“Many, many thanks to you,” Balandis said. “This is the best work. To help the needy people is holier work than any other work. I am [grateful] to you all.”
The relief team also assisted Gaerwn, the oldest surviving villager, and their kindness touched his heart.
“Thank you so much for supporting us,” Gaerwn said. “[Others] forgot us; you remembered us. May God bless you in each of your steps in life!”
Through the work and ministry of Pastor Manja and the local church, these village residents were able to experience God’s love and care for them in their time of need. Though they felt forgotten after the tragedy of the earthquake, they were encouraged and uplifted by the support of the relief team, which brought both the help and the hope they so greatly needed.
Partner with GFA World and continue to help bring relief in the face of disasters like flooding and COVID-19.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia World stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
Learn more about the need for Disaster Relief Work, Gospel for Asia’s “Compassion Services” with relief teams who love the Lord who are focused to help victims of natural disasters find a firm foundation.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide, discussing the impoverished communities that Gospel for Asia (GFA World) national missionaries reach, helping protect lives through hand-washing and sanitation.
“Clean hands save lives.” It’s a slogan that sounds like a simple solution to an enormous problem, but according to the Center for Disease Control, clean hands do indeed save lives by helping prevent the spread of disease and infection.[1] For impoverished communities, prevention may be better than seeking treatment when infections or diseases do come, especially because treatment may not be affordable or available.
In Defense of Health
Annually, on October 15, organizations around the world celebrate Global Hand-washing Day to highlight the importance of hand-washing in preventing the spread of disease. Gospel for Asia (GFA World) missionaries, pastors and workers also organize programs that aim to inform and teach the communities they serve how to protect themselves from sicknesses that are spread through unclean hands, knowledge that is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The area where Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Reinhard serves is particularly rife with diseases, including typhoid. Because the village is devoid of proper medical facilities, the villagers must either make a long and expensive trip or let infections take their toll. Many villagers, a field correspondent reported, were losing their lives to these sicknesses at a young age.
Seeing the great need in his area to help people stay healthy, Pastor Reinhard and other volunteers organized a Global Handwashing Day program to teach people how they can protect themselves from disease by washing their hands. At the program, the workers demonstrated handwashing techniques and shared about the increased risk of becoming sick when people do not properly wash their hands.
Bringing Help Where It’s Needed
Like Pastor Reinhard, hundreds of other Gospel for Asia (GFA) workers serving in impoverished areas brought the same message to those who need it most. In one region, more than 400 men, women and children across dozens of villages were taught how to protect themselves from disease through proper handwashing.
Addressing the gathered families in his village, Pastor Reinhard summed up the message he and thousands of workers like him brought to many:
“Wash your hands properly … and it will help you to keep yourself physically sound and healthy, by washing away germs that can cause preventable diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea and [typhoid]. On the occasion of Global Hand-washing Day, we should help others by teaching them about [how] ‘clean hands save lives.’”
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia World stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
Learn more about the need for medical ministry — Prevention is better than cure. But what if you can’t access either? GFA World medical ministry is helping thousands who are in need of medical attention, all while displaying the love of Christ.
“The last decade has seen a significant transition in the ways that countries are responding to malaria,” Dr. David Reddy, CEO of the partnership, Medicines for Malaria Venture, said in a 2015 interview. “Significant new international resources (including Global Fund and President’s Malaria Initiative) have been better mobilized in the last 10–15 years to support programmatic strengthening and introduce greatly improved tools to prevent and treat malaria.”[
This news came on the heels of a story by Joshua Carroll in The Guardian newspaper about Myanmar becoming an example in the fight against malaria. It chronicled how thousands of volunteers received training and supplies from donors after political reforms opened the door for a flood of aid.
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