WILLS POINT, TX — India’s devastating “second wave” of COVID-19 is overshadowing another deadly tsunami of suffering — rampant hunger. GFA World (Gospel for Asia) reported growing desperation across India as we support efforts to feed those facing starvation amid the pandemic’s continuing onslaught. We have helped feed hundreds of thousands since the pandemic began.
HUNGER’S DEEP SILENCE: On World Hunger Day, May 28, Texas-based humanitarian agency Gospel for Asia (GFA World) reports growing desperation in India as it supports efforts to help thousands starving in “deep silence” amid the pandemic’s continuing onslaught.
“As COVID-19 ravages India, we’re seeing hunger on a massive scale,” said Bishop Danny Punnose, vice president of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), spotlighting the accelerating crisis on World Hunger Day, May 28.
In the nation’s pandemic hotspots, so-called “corona curfews” and lockdowns make it very difficult to get groceries — even if people have cash to spend.
‘Deep Silence’ Everywhere
“Markets are closed… no shopkeepers are willing to open their shops. People are struggling to get grocery items. (There’s) deep silence at all places,” local relief workers reported.
In India’s densely populated Uttar Pradesh state, local church members are going door-to-door, delivering free meals to COVID-impacted families in strict quarantine.
Many day laborers — among the poorest of the poor — have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, have no source of income, and no other way to get food.
Fear Grows
“The fear of going hungry, for many, is as great as the fear of the virus,” said Bishop Punnose. “Working alongside the government of India, we’re doing all we can to help relieve suffering and show people the love of God.”
Heartbroken parents were watching their children “starving to death before their eyes,” he said.
World Hunger Day — an annual awareness event — says 690 million people worldwide face chronic hunger, reportedly killing more than malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis combined.
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 GFA World’s latest yearly report, this included thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their 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 teaching providing hope and encouragement available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide – Discussing Seafra, the sickness and suffering brought by poverty and mosquito borne sickness, and the mosquito net gift distributions through GFA World church that brought blessing in the midst of tragedy.
Gift distributions for mosquito nets, like the one pictured and the one Seafra attended, are organized to bless and uplift families at risk from malaria and other vector-borne diseases.
The mosquitoes that buzzed outdoors brought no comfort to Seafra’s family. For the 50-year-old father of four who farmed for a living, he knew that he had two options: He could use what little earnings he made to feed his family, or he could risk temporary starvation to purchase a mosquito net they desperately needed. If he didn’t purchase a net, sickness would continue to ravage his family. The weights on the scale of importance never seemed to balance.
The Burden of Disease
Seafra and many other of his fellow villagers faced the same problem: mosquitoes. The tiny insects carried numerous harmful, and sometimes fatal, diseases. Malaria, and tyhpoid took turns infecting the villagers. The WHO estimates that 409,000 people worldwide died from malaria in 2019, with more than 229 million cases across the globe.[1]
Seafra and his family members had already fallen ill to many of the mosquito-borne maladies. And if one or more of his family were to become infected again, he knew their funds would not be enough to pay for the subsequent medical bills.
But then Seafra and his family were invited to a local church led by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Kedrik. At the church, the family received insecticide-treated nets to ward off mosquitoes. These special nets have proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent transmission of malaria over the past 20 years.[2] Together with other prevention programs, these nets have prevented an estimated 7.6 million malaria deaths.[3]
After receiving the net, the family confided in Pastor Kedrik the struggles they faced. While the nets would provide ample protection against further disease transmission, the trauma of past illnesses caught from mosquitoes still lingered. Pastor Kedrik continued to visit the family once a month, praying for them and encouraging them.
GFA Pastor Brings Gift of a Mosquito Net Amidst Tragedy
Four years later, the threat of becoming ill from a vector-borne disease had vanished. Seafra and his family spent their nights in peace under the mosquito net’s protection. But then a crippling medical crisis struck the family when Seafra began experiencing severe knee pain. Unable to properly tend to his farm, Seafra was taken to various doctors, and the family performed various traditional rituals.
After exhausting nearly every avenue and selling most of their farm to pay for them, Seafra’s family asked Pastor Kedrik to pray for Seafra’s healing. They knew Pastor Kedrik cared for them; he had shown it through the surprise gift of a mosquito net and through his friendship throughout the years.
Then, after a period of continuous prayer, the pain in Seafra’s knees vanished. He could walk properly again; he could provide for his family again. So touched by his healing, Seafra and his entire family began attending Pastor Kedrik’s church, desiring to continue experiencing the tangible love of God.
*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 how to save families from the sickening agony or death from malaria through the gift of Mosquito Nets that offer protection from the sting of an infected mosquito and help to give their owner a restful nights sleep.
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 – Discussing Hajime, his struggle with disability and poverty, and the Gospel for Asia gift distribution that provides freedom through the gift of a wheelchair.
A wheelchair, like this one, met Hajime’s need and inspired his faith.
Hajime longed for a wheelchair. His independence had been stripped away from him after becoming paralyzed from the waist down. He needed people to carry him whenever he needed or wanted to go somewhere. He was bound to whatever place he sat. And now he watched as his wife took on the role he once had as provider.
A wheelchair would give him back some sense of freedom. It would help him to be able to care for himself and to function on his own without worrying about becoming a burden to his family. But Hajime knew that his dream of having a wheelchair was just that—a dream—and that his wife’s meager income could never produce enough money to purchase one.
A Man in Need
Before Hajime’s paralysis, he and his wife, Aafje, struggled to meet their daily needs. Despite the small, government-provided room they lived in, their finances were strained, and the couple often went without necessary things.
After Hajime’s paralysis, their financial situation worsened, and Aafje was forced to work to keep the family afloat. The couple’s three sons worked but kept their earnings to themselves, unwilling to help their parents in their time of need.
Gifting Hope
Hajime had been attending a small church near their home led by Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Mariano. Hajime and Aafje enjoyed learning about Jesus and getting to know Pastor Mariano and the other church members. As Hajime and Aafje continued attending the church, Pastor Mariano’s heart ached for Hajime and his struggle, and he desired to help his new friend obtain a wheelchair.
Later that year, Pastor Mariano’s church held a couple of gift distributions, providing 215 families in the area with essential items, and Hajime was one of the recipients. With the help of Pastor Mariano, Hajime was brought to the church to pick up his new wheelchair. Hajime’s face radiated joy and his hands trembled with emotion as he received his most-longed-for gift.
“I am grateful to you for providing me a wheelchair,” Hajime expressed from the seat of his new wheelchair. “I have not been able to walk for a long time due to the disability of my physical body, but after receiving the wheelchair at least I can go around and do my work. I thank you for providing me this wheelchair.”
Hajime was so grateful to the church for meeting his need and helping to give him back the independence he had longed for. Now he can get from place to place without having to ask for help, and he can visit his relatives. He continues to attend Pastor Mariano’s church and grow in his knowledge of Jesus. Hajime tells everyone he meets of how the church provided him with his wheelchair and gifted him with newfound hope.
*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.
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 – Discussing GFA World celebrating 42 years of showing the love of Christ by meeting practical needs of impoverished communities across Asia.
The Lord has been using GFA World to share Good News, to send indigenous workers to provide help to needy communities, and to grow Bible-believing churches over the past 42 years. We’ve enjoyed global recognition as a major faith-based humanitarian organization. However, our primary mission remains to represent Jesus Christ and His love through word and deed across Asia.
The humanitarian aid aspects of our ministry includes:
Disaster relief during earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and pandemics
And yet, there is so much more.
Many may not realize the marvelous ways the Lord has used Gospel for Asia (GFA World) to minister to the millions of people in Asia. Reaching out to those who have never experienced God’s love is just the beginning of the process it takes to establish local churches that not only serve their immediate communities but endeavor to provide help and hope to outlying villages.
Sharing
The humanitarian ministries listed above highlight the different ways we share help and hope with the hopeless, and transforming communities in despair through practical ways that help them escape persistent poverty.
These specific Gospel for Asia (GFA) ministries address practical, everyday needs that communities have, like the need for clean water, sanitation, food, basic health care, education and vocational support. They are provided with a generous dose of local loving-kindness to express the heart of Christ and his love for all people.
Sending
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) also supports national workers who share the love of Christ with their neighbors. As these relationships deepen, more and more people experience God’s love, and a new fellowship is born as new believers gather together for fellowship and discipleship.
The national worker often takes on the role of pastoring this congregation and will also continue ministering to surrounding villages where the name of Jesus is still unknown.
Growing
Generous and faithful donors provide a portion of the funding for the construction of places of worship. However, we believe that a healthy church is a self-supporting church. In fact, there are many churches that are now self-supporting, meaning they are a full-fledged church with land, a building, and believers who are giving enough via their tithes and offerings to sustain their church and its various ministries to help their community.
Local believers are taught how to do their part – and they are quite willing to do so. For example, in one year, the believers in one country financed 70 percent of the construction of 48 new church buildings. More than 400 self-supporting churches have been established with the support of Gospel for Asia (GFA World) in this nation. The believers there are poor, yet they have personally sent and supported 75 national workers in their own nation and have constructed about 280 churches.
Sharing God’s love and message of new life remains at the heart of all of GFA World’s ministry. It is wonderful to see so many churches established that are self-governing, self-financed, and self-propagating after 42 years of prayer and faithful service.
Gospel for Asia (GFA World) is committed to continuing its faithful support of indigenous believers who are sharing Christ’s love, providing hope and help to impoverished communities in practical ways, and fostering new congregations.
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 – Discussing Nadajay, a 45 year old widow, her family’s struggle with poverty and sickness, and the Gospel for Asia distribution of a goat that took care of their medical needs.
One dollar and thirty-eight cents—that was all Nadajay made per day working in the mines. The 45-year-old widow needed to provide for her two sons, but her daily income barely covered living and school expenses, leaving hardly any extra.
But when Nadajay’s 10-year-old son, Adeon, fell ill with a kidney stone, she spared no expense. She wouldn’t lose another son; she couldn’t lose another son.
A Tragic Past, a Region in Need
Goats, like those pictured above, provide much-needed income as families in need can sell their offspring.
Nadajay had already lost her husband and five sons to sickness in the past. Their poverty meant they could not seek proper medical attention—an all-too-common occurrence in Nadajay’s region. People suffered with malaria, jaundice and typhoid, and many could not afford proper treatment.
When Adeon fell ill, Nadajay’s fear and heartache from the past surged to the present. Any spare money she had saved up went to finding relief for her son’s pain. Doctor visits and traditional rituals brought no healing. What if she would lose him, too?
When Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor Macalay first arrived in Nadajay’s region, he saw families stricken by poverty and devastated by sickness. He saw the mental and emotional strain on the locals’ faces. He saw the hopelessness and the pain. Pastor Macalay knew these men and women needed love, so he sought to be a beacon of hope for those trapped in destitution and despair.
When Pastor Macalay met Nadajay, she shared with the pastor her grief and troubles. She told him of the tragic passing of her husband and children. Now another son—her youngest, Adeon—lay ill, and nothing she’d done had worked. Please, she asked, pray for my son.
Pastor Macalay did. For the next two weeks, he visited Nadajay’s home, praying for her sick son. And after two weeks of constant prayer, Adeon’s pain vanished. He had been healed.
Blessings for a Widow from Gospel for Asia Distribution
Enormous relief settled in Nadajay’s heart. For nearly a year, worry for Adeon, combined with the pain of the past, had ruled Nadajay’s thoughts. Her attempts had not healed her son, but Pastor Macalay’s prayers did. Why? What was different about the pastor’s prayers that enabled her son to be healed?
She realized it was Christ and His love that had brought healing for Adeon’s body—and to Nadajay’s heart.
She began attending worship services held by Pastor Macalay with other villagers. Together, as one congregation, they grew in the knowledge of Christ’s love and the power of prayer.
A year later, Nadajay received a pair of goats through a Christmas gift distribution. They provided the widow with much-needed income, especially as the number of goats steadily increased from two to 24. Through selling the offspring, she could take care of any medical needs that arose—and get her sons through school and repair a leaky roof.
Nadajay no longer feared for her sons’ survival. Thanks to the faithful prayers of Pastor Macalay, Nadajay now rejoices in the comforting embrace of God’s provision and love.
*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.
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by KP Yohannan, issued this Special Report on the massive challenge of reducing extreme poverty worldwide, mainly through providing education, transmitting values.
Chain Reaction
One individual whose values have enabled him to rise from poverty and whose children are benefiting from his foundation can make an impact that expands his society.
Integrity is one of the qualities employers look for most. Billionaire Warren Buffett explains,
“Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you. You think about it; it’s true. If you hire somebody without [integrity], you really want them to be dumb and lazy.”
The workplace quickly turns dark when negative ideologies are present. But on the flipside, business benefits mankind in beautiful ways when positive values define the scene.
A business owner’s upright values will dictate the way he treats his employees. He will not stop exploiting any of the world’s 24.9 million forced laborers
or 152 million child laborers.
On the other hand, an employee with positive values will not take advantage of his boss. His honesty will strengthen the company, which in turn will strengthen their local economy.
Values also determine whether a person will be marked by crime. Education alone helps people to respect justice, and their values will only solidify that position.
A report examining the correlation of education rates and crime reduction in the U.S. revealed that increasing the male high school graduation rate by just five percent would:
“By selling the piglets, we have bought a goat and chickens, which will be another source of income for our family. We do not have any problems now paying the school fees for our children. We also purchased roofing sheets to construct our house. I thank God for all the blessings this pig has brought.” —Kanal from Arunachal Pradesh
Kanal, a father in Asia, experienced this very thing.
After years of desperately struggling with poverty, he received a piglet at a Gospel for Asia (GFA)gift distribution organized by the local church. Later, the pig had a litter of eight piglets. He sold seven of them for a sizable profit and finally had the financial breakthrough he needed to start rising out of poverty.
Over the following months, Kanal’s pig bore another 10 piglets. Each one propelled the family farther out of poverty.
Kanal’s children saw how one person’s generosity changed their family—and then they saw their father do the same thing. Even though his family had many needs, Kanal’s gratitude for his amazing gift led him to donate one piglet back to the church so another family could receive a life-changing gift. Then Kanal approached one of his neighbors who also struggled with poverty and gave them a piglet as well. His neighbor would raise the piglet, and when it was ready to go to market, they would share the profits. Kanal is on his way out of poverty, and he plans to bring others out with him, too.
Ashima, a young girl in Asia, received help much as Kanal did. Her help, however, came in the form of tutoring, moral lessons, food and school supplies through GFA World’s Bridge of Hope Program.
Bridge of Hope teachers, like this gentleman in West Bengal, typically serve children from impoverished situations, including those kids whose parents are affected by leprosy. They provide their students with a quality education, a daily nutritious meal, loving care and practical supplies like soap, schoolbags, and school uniforms.
“Before coming to the Bridge of Hope,” Ashima said, “I was not able to study seriously because of the problem and inconvenience at home, and the financial problem that we are going through.”
But then through Bridge of Hope, Ashima received the guidance she needed to develop positive character traits and values, which enabled her to excel in her studies—and in life. Less than a year later, Ashima’s story was quite different.
A person looking for ways to fight extreme poverty will find countless organizations to partner with through donations. That is the easy part.
But each person must, in addition, consider the following: What values are they promoting? What are their children and co-workers learning from them? Do their daily activities uplift others? Or are they reinforcing negative values, even if those values are a few steps removed?
In recent years, more people have become aware of the human rights issues present throughout many supply chains. And because people are choosing to live in accordance with positive values, they are supporting the companies that reflect those same values, such as treating employees well and paying them an honest wage. Taking steps as simple as supporting companies with ethical supply chain practices can diminish the world’s poverty.
Zaid Adil Sultan, a manager at a refugee camp in Iraq, relates a sobering example. When a militant group gained control of the region, its leaders inserted new teachers and programs into schools. The ideologies held by the group infiltrated curriculums, teaching children as young as 6 or 7 to use weapons.
“They gave them ‘courses’ that encouraged violence,” Sultan said. “In math, instead of teaching them that one plus one equals two, they taught them that one bullet plus one bullet equals two bullets.”
Education transmits values. As individuals and nations, we bear the responsibility to teach the next generation the ideas and values that will promote upward movement, not deeper poverty. This Bride of Hope teacher in Karnataka is assisting this student to improve in his studies and in building his character.
He went on to explain how children have been severely scared by indoctrination. Specialized workshops have opened to help children recover, but removing the damaging ideologies from young minds has proved difficult.
“The hardest age to treat is boys from 14 years old to 17,” Sultan said. “People have told me that before their sons went to those schools, they were okay, but after they went, they were coming home hitting their siblings and threatening to kill them.”
Education transmits values. As individuals and nations, we bear the responsibility to teach the next generation the ideas and values that will promote upward movement, not deeper poverty. Amazing teachers and professors around the world are helping children learn the skills and values necessary to thrive in life—and we thank them for their dedication. Yet many children live in places where negative values dominate ways of thinking, even among educational staff, and where poverty abounds.
Every culture is susceptible to damaging ideologies and to the poverty those ideas can generate. But great change is possible as individuals examine what values they are reinforcing and partner with educators who promote the positive values every child, family and community needs to rise out of extreme poverty.
“Education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals…
The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate.”
Provide a Values-centric Education to Children at Risk in Asia
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.
Read the rest of Gospel for Asia’s Special Report: Fighting Global Poverty with Ideas — Uprooting poverty requires education that transmits values —Part 1
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by KP Yohannan, issued this Special Report on the massive challenge of reducing extreme poverty worldwide, mainly through providing education, transmitting values.
Reducing extreme poverty is a massive challenge. Groups around the globe approach the issue in a variety of ways, the most common of which is by providing education. A strong, multifaceted link bonds poverty and lack of education, so experts around the globe are attempting to bring education into poverty-stricken areas.
But even with academic lessons and increased school attendance among low-income families, children will be short-changed if in the end they don’t gain the ultimate endowment: ideas and values that empower them to thrive.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” According to Aristotle, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
E.F. Schumacher writes in his influential economics book Small Is Beautiful, “The task of education would be, first and foremost, the transmission of ideas of value, of what to do with our lives. There is no doubt also the need to transmit know-how, but this must take second place, for it is obviously somewhat foolhardy to put great powers into the hands of people without making sure that they have a reasonable idea of what to do with them.”
“When people ask for education,” Schumacher continues, “they normally mean something more than mere training. … I think what they are really looking for is ideas that would make the world, and their own lives, intelligible to them.”
Why do ideas and values matter so much? Because they have the power to transform the world—to uproot global poverty.
Concepts like honesty, diligence, respect, compassion and valuing human life are widely acknowledged as good—yet in many communities around the world these values are not being demonstrated or taught to children. When one individual has a foundation of beneficial values like these, he or she can impact other lives, from their own family to the entire world. For the sake of simplicity, our individual will be referred to as “he,” although both males and females are able to make incredible changes to the world around them.
The staff at this Bridge of Hope Project Center in West Bengal provide their children with an ongoing education and transmit positive values with utmost care and responsibility.
Personal Impact of Ideas, Education
Schumacher defined education’s primary purpose as being the transmission of values. Positive values and ideas make a significant impact on one individual, and global change is impossible without changed individuals. The story of a young boy in Asia exemplifies the life-changing power of education plus ideas.
Where this GFA Bridge of Hope center is located, around 40-50 percent of children drop out of school after fifth or sixth grade. Thankfully, these children pictured will have a higher success rate because of the help and encouragement that Bridge of Hope is to them and their families.
Even though Bir’s family lived in poverty, the young boy still had the gift of attending school. But he floundered in the classroom. His books were filled with valuable information, and his teachers taught lessons that had the potential to change Bir’s life, but Bir lacked the discipline of listening and didn’t know how to get the knowledge from his books into his mind. The shame from his terrible grades stamped out the little boy’s motivation. Education was in his hands, but it wasn’t enough.
Then a GFA World Bridge of Hope center opened in his village. Bir and dozens of other kids in the village enrolled, eager to receive free tutoring and supplemental education.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” According to Aristotle, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
Through these foundational teachings at his Bridge of Hope center, Bir changed. He saw his potential and diligently applied himself to his studies—and to his chores at home. He learned to honor his parents, and he worked hard. By the time Bir completed 10th grade, he stood at the top of his class. Armed with impressive grades and strong values undergirding his choices and habits, Bir could pursue a college education with every reason to hope for continued success in life.
Education changed Bir’s life, but it wasn’t through academics alone. The right values enabled Bir—and thousands of other children like him—to succeed in schooling and find a better way of life. For the rest of their lives, Bridge of Hope children like Bir will know they, along with every other person, have worth and purpose. They will have the know-how to pursue their goals and to help those around them. They will become promising citizens any nation would be proud to claim as their own.
At the center, Bridge of Hope teachers have fun with the children to compliment their studies. In addition, BOH staff periodically visit their children and their families at their homes, which helps strengthen their relationship further. The children enjoy talking and interacting with BOH teachers whenever they visit, and the values of love and kindness get transmitted beyond their school life into their home life as well.
Ideas’ Impact on the Family
Thanks to quality, value-centered education, children become well-rounded, capable, confident adults. They know how to implement knowledge to better themselves and others, and they have a sense of participation in the world around them.
How will they impact their future families?
Parents play an undeniably important role in children’s lives. According to an article on parenting skills from Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, “Many of the skills children acquire during the early years are fundamentally dependent on the quality of their interactions with their parents. For instance, parents play an important role in fostering children’s early learning (e.g., language and problem-solving abilities) and in shaping their social-emotional skills (e.g., emotion regulation, reactivity to stress and self-esteem).”
The article goes on to state how the parents’ involvement with their child heavily influences the future success of the child’s cognitive potential, social skills and behavioral functioning.
“In most studies, parental education has been identified as the single strongest correlate of children’s success…” —Anna J. Egalite Photo by @annaegalite
Anna J. Egalite, assistant professor of education at North Carolina State University, reaffirms the impact of parents’ education on a child’s success. She writes, “In most studies, parental education has been identified as the single strongest correlate of children’s success in school, the number of years they attend school, and their success later in life.”
Values are always passed along from one generation to the next—but they can be beneficial or detrimental. A parent who values the rights and dignity of others will teach their children to do likewise, even if they live in poverty and their society mistreats them because of their low status. A parent whose diligence and integrity enabled them to overcome financial and societal obstacles will encourage their child to press on in the same way. Their message to their children will be, “You can do it!” Conversely, a parent who doubts their worth and that of others, or who was discouraged from rising above “their station” will likely pass a dooming message to their children, squelching aspirations for a better life.
In this village in Meghalaya where not one person was literate, a Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastor is teaching these little children how to read and write, and showing the love of God in the process.
Ideas’ Impact on Society
History provides ample examples, some inspiring and some horrifying, of how ideas and values impact society and poverty.
Assam: In many parts of Asia, when a mother is widowed, she is often shunned by her community, friends and family, leaving her and her children in a pressing state of survival, with often no hope for a better future.
Some values led to the formation of the slave trade, while other values led to its abolition. Some ideologies spurred violence, while others prompted the construction of relief camps and orphanages. The ideas propelling men like Stalin and Hitler left behind a wake of death and poverty. These examples reveal the importance of having positive guiding values.
The plight of the world’s 258 million widows, and hundreds of thousands of people with leprosy, reveals how harmful ideas actively reinforce poverty in our time.
Widows and leprosy patients in Asia typically live in positions of great need. Misfortune has made their lives very challenging, yet very few people around them consider them worthy of generosity.
Despite living where honor is a key fiber of the culture, widows of any age may be cast out of the home, abandoned to fend for themselves or easily taken advantage of. Many cultures hold the idea that a husband’s death is the fault of the wife; thus, when the husband dies, the widow “deserves” to be shunned. Over the decades, that idea has irreparably harmed the lives of countless widows and their young children, who also suffer the consequences of their mother’s rejection and subsequent poverty.
Similarly, leprosy patients are commonly expelled from their homes, disowned by their family members and even divorced on the grounds of their diagnosis. Poverty quickly fills the void created by retreating family members.
Neither a husband’s death nor a disfiguring disease justifies neglecting a human being. But in many societies in Asia and other parts of the world, this neglect is the norm and is even supported through legislation.
When individuals have the unique experience of rising out of poverty, they know what others in poverty around them need. When they have the chance to be a help to others or a voice for poverty alleviation, their firsthand experience will serve them well.
But look at what happens when positive values enter a widow’s life and replace damaging ones.
Last year, Gospel for Asia (GFA World) shared the story of a woman in Asia named Prina. When her two sons had grown, she discovered she had leprosy. Not long after her diagnosis, her husband was murdered during a land dispute. Prina now bore the double burden of leprosy and widowhood, both of which brought great ostracism from her community.
People with leprosy, like Prina, are often shunned, banished or ostracized in Asia and are often transformed when treated with respect and given unconditional love and compassion.
Prina was not forced to make her own way in the world, as many others have been, nor did she fall into extreme poverty as a result. But her son’s family, with whom she lived, banished her to one room in the house. None dared enter it. They brought her food once a day but only stood at the door. Prina was alone.
Then one day, some women from a local GFA Women’s Fellowship came to Prina’s home. Unlike most others in their culture, they did not fear Prina’s status as a widow or her disease. The women treated Prina with respect and love—something Prina had not experienced for many years.
The Women’s Fellowship team explained that Jesus loved her. Hearing this, Prina’s heart lifted. She mustered her courage and ventured out of her home to attend a worship service with her new friends. There, she received love and acceptance. And soon, after much prayer, Prina received healing from the physical pain her disease caused.
Prina’s son and the entire community witnessed a better way to treat widows and leprosy patients, and it left an impression. The values of unconditional love and compassion, lived out by a few women in the name of Christ, transformed Prina’s situation. And these values can transform so many more.
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.
Read the rest of Gospel for Asia’s Special Report: Fighting Global Poverty with Ideas — Uprooting poverty requires education that transmits values —Part 2
Learn more by reading these Special Reports from Gospel for Asia:
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 second part of a Special Report update on Malaria making a comeback amid the worldwide impact of the COVID 19 Pandemic.
Progress Ebbs and Flows in the Fight to Beat Malaria
Recent developments in the fight against Malaria have placed a heightened spotlight on World Malaria Day, observed on April 25. Fortunately, despite the high death toll and other troublesome signs lately, not all the news about malaria treatment is bad. There are gains amid the setbacks.
This woman in West Bengal was very grateful to Believers Eastern Church and its leaders for providing her with a mosquito net to protect herself and her family from vector borne diseases like malaria.
One positive example is Myanmar, where the annual malaria death toll of 3,800 a decade ago has decreased to approximately 170. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria credits the efforts of 17,000 community volunteers who provide rapid testing and treatment, with serious cases referred to health facilities. Volunteers also educate the public through national antimalaria campaigns.14 Unfortunately, it’s unknown if the recent military coup in Myanmar will adversely impact the recent progress it’s achieved in the prevention of malaria.
News of another positive development appeared last October in Legion. About the same time the United States revealed a COVID-19 vaccine would be ready by the end of 2020, the Canadian magazine reported that a noted medical journal announced a new approach to fighting malaria.
Legion reported a clinical researcher for the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has developed a vaccine for mosquito-borne diseases, based on mosquito spit. It causes the immune system to recognize mosquito saliva proteins and produce antibodies. The antibodies promote immunity by binding to pathogens to prevent them from damaging cells, plus coating pathogens and alerting other immune cells to attack and remove them.
“Those antibodies recognize the proteins the next time they’re encountered, sparking an immune response that goes into action to impair or prevent infection—and not just to malaria, it turns out,” wrote author Sharon Adams. “In animal studies, saliva vaccines impaired development of mosquito-borne Zika virus and sandfly-borne leishmaniasis.”15
In the first human trial of this vaccine in 2017, Adams said a strong immune response was observed among 49 volunteers, with only minor side effects. Next it will be tested on larger groups; if clinical trials continue to prove successful, the first effective malaria vaccine may be just around the corner.
Maya from a village in Uttar Pradesh was given a mosquito net as a Christmas gift by Gospel for Asia. She can now protect her family from mosquito bites that transmit vector-borne diseases like malaria, Zika, dengue, encephalitis and more.
In addition to this promising development, a European magazine carried a report from a healthcare company official saying there are antimalaria positives to be gained from the COVID-19 fight. Hogan Bassey, a Nigerian native who experienced several bouts with malaria as a child, noted that the pandemic highlighted system failings in global healthcare. He said if we are able to address those problems, the world will be better positioned to eradicate malaria and other diseases.
The chief innovation officer and founder of LivFul said his company is working with others—including nonprofits—to develop a repellent that it hopes will prove an efficient control tool. It has been working on a project in Ghana with a pharmaceutical company to improve one of the repellant’s ingredients, using LivFul’s technology to drive access.
After moving to the USA from Nigeria, Hogan Bassey began to work on an insect repellent formula to change the world. The true breakthrough for his new company, LivFul, came after partnering with a physical chemist to create a brand-new technology which allows insect repellent to remain on top of the applicant’s skin for 14 hours at a time. Photo by Terry News
“When we developed a revolutionary family-friendly insect repellent to halt the transmission of diseases like malaria and Dengue fever, we knew we could have a significant impact on insect-borne disease,” Bassey wrote in EPM Magazine. “If people in malaria-prone areas can purchase and use our repellent, these diseases can be stopped before they destroy lives, families, communities and industries.”16
Such a product won’t be the first tool developed. National Geographic recently reported hundreds of thousands of children across Kenya, Malawai and Ghana have been receiving the RTS,S vaccine, whose development has taken 35 years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. While some African health professionals have asked if the expense and logistics of multiple vaccinations are worth it, the magazine said some Chinese scientists have been utilizing a new approach: preventing malaria from even occurring.
It goes back to 1972, when the Chinese discovered Artemisinin, a drug used to treat malaria. Now, scientists there believe Artemisinin Combination Therapies (ACTs) can be delivered to an entire community simultaneously, through Mass Drug Administrations. The goal is to reduce levels of the malaria parasite in human blood, so mosquitoes won’t contract it and spread it.
“The life cycle for a mosquito is 30 days,” explains Ethan Peng, senior manager in Kenya for the Chinese company New South, which manufactures ACTs. “So by mass medication, we can clear the source from all human beings (so) the mosquitoes cannot pick up on the malaria parasite again with their short lifespan.”17
People in rural villages in West Bengal often suffer from malaria, but these folk were very happy to receive mosquito nets for their families. Over eight hundred mosquito nets were gifted to the villagers who come from economically poor backgrounds, and might not have been able to afford to buy them on their own.
Mosquito Nets Still the Leading Tool for Protection
Vandana and Vaibhav are sleeping peacefully on their bed in Maharashtra under their mosquito net which protects them from mosquito bites. They received their bed nets from a Christmas gift distribution from Gospel for Asia.
When it comes to fighting malaria, the bed net still appears to be the leading tool. When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, WHO malaria scientist Pedro Alonso expected the biggest malaria disaster in 20 years after African countries temporarily suspended bed net campaigns.
That didn’t seem to be happening, the scientist said five months later. He credited lobbying by WHO’s Global Malaria Programme and its partners, which persuaded countries to resume their net distribution campaigns. Despite concerns over continuing COVID-19 problems, Alonso said, “We probably stopped the first big blow.”18
Among the many non-governmental organizations doing their part to distribute mosquito nets is Gospel for Asia (GFA).
Since 2010, GFA has distributed more than 1.3 million nets to at-risk residents in mosquito-prone areas, including 380,000 in 2019 (many are treated with insecticide, with availability depending on local conditions).
These efforts are augmented by distribution of malaria pills at GFA’s medical camps. In 2019 the organization hosted nearly 1,300 camps, which are free to attendees.
The difference net distributions make can be seen in the stories of people like Baharupa, a 55-year-old farmer and father of three who felt pressured to drink alcohol at many village-wide events. Not only did he often wind up drunk, he developed an addiction. That all changed after Satyam, a GFA worker, organized a distribution of 4,000 nets.
After 71 years, Bhranti, a widow, no longer has to worry about mosquitoes biting her in the night thanks to the new bed net she received from a distribution event.
“Who can give us mosquito nets without money?” Baharupa wondered. “This shows [the believers’] love towards us.”19This experience so touched Baharupa that it began a transformation in his life.
Another story of relief involves a 71-year-old widow whose husband had died more than a decade prior. With four daughters all married, Bhranti spent evenings alone, worried about the tattered net providing her only protection from mosquitoes. She received a new net through a distribution organized by a GFA worker.
“I am so grateful to the [GFA workers] for their love and care and for providing a mosquito net,” Bhranti says. “Now I do not need to worry about buying a mosquito net as I have been provided a new one.”20
Even amid the problems COVID-19 has caused in poorer parts of the world, GFA’s supporters have been able to help local workers in the field save lives and prevent more tragedies during the pandemic, says Gospel for Asia (GFA) founder, Dr. K.P. Yohannan.
Dr. K.P. Yohannan, GFA World Founder
“Without proper prevention or treatment, the consequences of a simple mosquito bite are very serious in many places of the world,” Yohannan says. “But for just $10, we can protect numerous lives, one net at a time.”
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.
GFA World (formerly known as Gospel for Asia) 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 GFA World’s latest yearly report, this included thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their 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 teaching providing hope and encouragement available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. In the years ahead, GFA World expects to launch programs in numerous African nations, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
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 update on Malaria making a comeback amid the worldwide impact of the COVID 19 Pandemic.
It’s a back-and-forth battle growing tougher in the face of COVID-19, with mosquitoes responsible for spreading the disease taking on the appearance of brass-helmeted warriors immune to nearly every device aimed in their direction. Malaria, humanity’s most deadly infectious disease, is making a comeback while our primary defense—net distribution—is being handicapped by the disruptions to normal life caused by the worldwide pandemic.
Insecticidal Nets a Mainstay, but Declining to Protect in Some Cases
Niger: Demilla and her children now sleep under the safety of a bed net, which protects them from malaria-carrying mosquitoes, which have regularly affected many of her close family members, including her two children. Photo by Nothing But Nets, Instagram
That news appeared last summer in Nature Communications, which published research showing insecticide-treated mosquito nets—considered a mainstay in combating malaria—are not providing the protection they once did.1
According to another report in ScienceDaily, scientists say that’s cause for concern in tropical and subtropical countries. Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) were credited with saving 6.8 million lives over a recent 15-year period.2
Dr. Stephen Carl, a malaria researcher in Australia, said LLINs add a community-level protective effect by significantly decreasing the mosquito population, which benefits even people not using nets. In Papua New Guinea, their introduction in 2006 led to a significant decline in cases, but between 2013–14 and 2016–17, the rate of infections rebounded from less than 1 percent to 7.1 percent.3
“[LLINs] are the only tools used at present in the national campaign against the mosquitoes that can carry malaria,” said study co-author Dr. Moses Laman.
“Malaria kills around half a million people worldwide each year, so any suggestion that the nets are not working is cause for grave concern.”4
While conclusions are still being formed on the news reported in Nature Communications, it appears diminished bioefficacy at the manufacturing level may be contributing to the problem of resurgence in malaria incidents.
Mosquito bites will result in more than 700,000 malaria deaths around the world this coming year — wiping out the equivalent of the entire population of Washington, D.C., says a recent report by Gospel for Asia. The report — Winning the Ancient Conflict Between Man and Mosquito — coincided with World Mosquito Day, Aug. 20, 2020.
Debating Treated Nets vs Untreated Nets
But not everyone agrees that treated nets are necessary. Research published just prior to the ScienceDaily report questioned if their cost makes the fight harder. One report in Malaria Journal said although more than 90 percent of the burden occurs in Africa, most prequalified nets approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) are manufactured elsewhere. The publication said many local manufacturers lack the capacity to produce insecticidal nets at a competitive scale and pricing.5
Fredros Okumu is a Kenyan parasitologist and entomologist, who developed a synthetic mosquito lure which was 3-5 times more potent than natural human odor. Photo by Fredros Okumu, Twitter
By relaxing conditions, it is conceivable that non-insecticidal but durable—and possibly biodegradable—nets could be readily manufactured locally, wrote author Fredros Okumu. While not aiming to discredit treated nets, he said he wanted to illustrate how a singular focus on insecticides can hinder innovation and sustainability.6
“The public health value of nets is increasingly driven by bite prevention, and decreasingly by lethality to mosquitoes,” Okumu said. “For context-appropriate solutions, it is necessary to acknowledge and evaluate the potential and cost-effectiveness of durable untreated nets across different settings.”
In his lengthy report, he also observed that developers should, instead of overemphasizing the need for new insecticides, ensure that bed nets are accessible, durable and properly used, even if non-insecticidal.
“New insecticides can then be developed for other forms of vector control,” Okumu said. “It has been demonstrated that resistant mosquitoes can survive up to 1,000-times the concentration of insecticides that kill susceptible populations. Such strongly resistant mosquitoes may naturally incur major survival and fitness costs in nature but are unlikely to be killed directly by insecticidal nets.”7
Malaria caused by mosquitos is one of the main killers in West Bengal, India, as the villages in these areas are surrounded by tea plantations and forests with lots of insects. On World Mosquito Day, August 17th, 2016 the local Believers Eastern Church distributed over eight hundred mosquito nets to villagers from economically poor backgrounds, who would be unable to afford to purchase their own.
Fighting a Coronavirus that Hampers Bed Net Distribution
However one looks at the necessity of treated nets, distribution of any nets—treated or untreated—has been a cause for concern during the coronavirus outbreak.
Writing in Nature Medicine, researchers forecast the possibility of 779,000 deaths in sub-Saharan Africa over a 12-month period, culminating in the summer of 2021.8 That compares to a WHO worst-case estimate of 769,000 malaria deaths this year, a mortality rate not seen in two decades.9
In the face of COVID-19, Okefu Oyale Okoko, deputy director of the National Malaria Elimination Programme in Nigeria, said it would still be important to ensure continuing deployment of vector control interventions to not only sustain gains in malaria elimination, but ensure against its resurgence.
According to a report in The (London) Telegraph, researchers concluded that treating children with fever as if they have malaria, even if not diagnosed with the disease, could save nearly 200,000 lives. And, of course, prompt distribution of bed nets could prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths.
When final statistics are available, researchers from the Imperial College of London predict if control programs were halted due to COVID-19, the number of cases during 2020 could double compared to 2019. In Nigeria alone, they said cutting treatment and delaying the distribution of bed nets could result in 81,000 additional deaths.
James Whiting, Chief Executive at Malaria No More UK, whose goal is to end deaths and suffering from malaria. Since 2000 deaths of the biggest killer disease in human history have been reduced by 60%, saving 7 million lives. But in the last few years malaria has started to rise again per WHO World Malaria Reports. Photo by Hope and Homes for Children
Typically distributed at community meetings, such gatherings to distribute bed nets faced interruptions over the last year because of event cancellations or poor attendance because of coronavirus fears.
Telegraph correspondent Anne Gulland wrote that researchers’ modeling found that provision of bed nets is critical since those treated with long-lasting insecticide have effects that continue for three years. More than half of the 47 countries most badly affected by the disease were due bed net distributions in 2020, with 228 million nets due to be handed out. That would have been the largest number ever.
James Whiting, executive director of Malaria No More UK, told the newspaper: “This important modelling is a reminder that efforts to end malaria sit on a knife edge. Protecting people against COVID-19 cannot be pursued in isolation. Governments must see maintaining efforts against malaria as a core part of pandemic preparedness or risk a catastrophic domino effect.”10
Soon after the Telegraph article, computer magnate turned philanthropist Bill Gates echoed the necessity of not allowing the pandemic to distract attention from the fight against mosquito-borne disease. The pesky insects are out infecting millions with a disease that kills a child every other minute daily, he wrote in his online blog.11
In his lengthy report, [Okumu] observed that developers should, instead of overemphasizing the need for new insecticides, ensure that bed nets are accessible, durable and properly used, even if non-insecticidal.
Gates—head of the Gates Foundation, a key non-governmental organization fighting malaria’s spread—said lockdowns and other regulations made it difficult for health workers to provide prevention and treatment across Africa. He said there were also interruptions to supplies of essential malaria tools like bed nets and anti-malaria medicines. Instrumental in reducing malaria deaths by more than half since 2000, he said interruption of these services could mean mortality levels not seen since the turn of the century.
“There is not a choice between saving lives from COVID-19 versus saving lives from malaria,” Gates wrote. “The world must enable these countries to do both. Health officials urgently need to step up to the challenge of controlling the pandemic while also making sure that malaria, as well as other diseases like HIV and tuberculosis, are not neglected.”12
Dr. Pedro Alonso, director of the World Health Organization’s Global Malaria Program. Photo by ISGlobal
“The world has changed in ways we could never imagine,” observed Dr. Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO’s Global Malaria Programme, in a letter to malaria partners six months after lockdowns began. “As COVID-19 began its rapid spread earlier this year from China to Italy, and beyond, alarm bells began ringing across the malaria community. After taking such a devastating toll on countries with robust health systems, how would malaria-endemic countries in Africa prevail? Among colleagues at WHO, there was deep concern that the coronavirus had the potential to upend years—perhaps decades—of progress in malaria control.”13
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.
GFA World (formerly known as Gospel for Asia) 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 GFA World’s latest yearly report, this included thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their 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 teaching providing hope and encouragement available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. In the years ahead, GFA World expects to launch programs in numerous African nations, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit our Press Room at https://press.gfa.org/news.
Acenath’s life changed drastically at the young age of 3 when her father died of a heart attack. Her mother—grieving the loss of her husband—spiraled into a mental illness that kept her from caring for her family, which left Acenath and her older sister, Eilise, dependent on their aging grandmother and the kindness of their uncle and aunt for survival.
Barely Surviving
Like this young girl, Acenath is grateful for every blessing she’s received since she began attending GFA’s Bridge of Hope program, and she takes great care of her belongings.
Before his death, Acenath’s father worked the family’s farmland to provide for his family’s needs. With his passing and the incapacity of Acenath’s mother, Acenath’s uncle and aunt took over the farm. While they gave a portion of the farm’s produce to Acenath’s family, they kept much of the food for themselves in payment for their work. The small portion left over was not enough for Acenath’s family’s survival. The girl’s grandmother, Taran, worked long hours in neighboring fields to help provide for her granddaughters’ needs. Acenath and her sister were surviving, but barely.
Besides her nutritional needs, Acenath desperately needed the love of her parents. Unfortunately, her mother was emotionally and physically unavailable. She often kept to herself and did not speak. At times, the distressed mother couldn’t even recognize her daughters, and when she did speak, she treated them harshly. Acenath could no longer remember her father’s face.
When Acenath was in fourth grade, staff members from GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program came to visit their students in her neighborhood. Upon seeing the staff members, Taran hurried out to meet them, begging for an opportunity for her granddaughters to attend Bridge of Hope, which she knew could provide the help she needed to take care of Acenath and Eilise. The tears streaming down her cheeks reinforced the desperation of her cries.
The center provided her with a school uniform, shoes and school supplies. Acenath also received toiletries for proper hygiene, medical checkups and nutritious meals. Her health, studies and hope for a better life all improved rapidly. The bright look on her face, the high grades in her studies and the evidence of her budding personality all bore testimony to the positive impact of Bridge of Hope on Acenath’s life.
Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Brings Hope for the Future
Acenath wasn’t the only one who benefited from Bridge of Hope. She shared the resources she received from the center with her older sister, Eilise. Together, they began to cook and care for their grandmother as she grew older. Sometimes, the three attended the local church together and welcomed the continued prayers of the pastor for their family.
“Even if Eilise did not get admission, she gets some help through Acenath, which is very much enough for me,” Taran said. “My grandchild’s life is settled. I [don’t have enough words] to express my thanks for the love and kind hearts of the staff here. … My children will always be grateful to this institution.”
While Acenath is still concerned for her mother and saddened by the passing of her father, she is grateful for the love she’s received from her family, her tutors at Bridge of Hope and God.
Acenath now looks to the future with hope. She dreams of becoming a teacher and providing children with the education she has been blessed to receive.
*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 GFA World Bridge of Hope program and how you can make an incredible difference in the lives of children, bringing hope to their lives and their families, transforming communities.
Thanks to quality, value-centered education, children become well-rounded, capable, confident adults. They know how to implement knowledge to better themselves and others, and they have a sense of participation in the world around them.
Since 2010, GFA has distributed more than 1.3 million nets to at-risk residents in mosquito-prone areas, including 380,000 in 2019 (many are treated with insecticide, with availability depending on local conditions).
These efforts are augmented by distribution of malaria pills at GFA’s medical camps. In 2019 the organization hosted nearly 1,300 camps, which are free to attendees.
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