What Can Organizations That Help Widows and Orphans Do to Keep Them out of Poverty?
Organizations that help widows and orphans understand the many layers of difficulty that a woman may face after her husband dies. Depending on where she lives, she could become socially outcast, separated from her children or financially destitute. Long-held cultural beliefs can create unfair barriers to a widow moving on with her life. Grief by itself is difficult to overcome. Some widows face the emotional turmoil and much, much more.
Orphans too are afflicted with severe hardships. These children are left without the love and support of their parents, facing a difficult and uncertain path ahead. Widows grapple with social isolation, financial struggles, and cultural barriers, while orphans experience the absence of parental guidance and care. Both groups confront emotional turmoil and the weight of their circumstances. It is essential that we address these profound challenges and provide the necessary support and opportunities for widows and orphans to overcome their hardships and build better lives.
The Loomba Foundation’s World Widows Report lays bare a grave situation in Asia: approximately 46 million widows face the harsh realities of poverty in slums and on the streets, with tragic accounts of despair leading some to contemplate taking their own lives.[1] They reach this desperate situation because their society does not support widows. Many people believe widows had some sort of responsibility in their husband’s death and shun these grieving women.
Creating safe spaces for these women is essential as it provides a nurturing environment where widows can find solace, regain their sense of belonging, and rebuild their shattered lives. Women often lose their social support when they are widowed, and this can happen in any culture or social system. Women are also much more prone to violence because of this lack of support and community.[2]
GFA missionaries know that building strong communities of faith is one way to help widows and provide some semblance of safety. In addition to that sense of safety and community, GFA missionaries know that widows need tangible assistance. This is why GFA World is committed to funding opportunities for widows through generous donations like yours. From items in the GFA World Gift Catalog to specific donations for widows and abandoned children, GFA creates ways for widows to have their own businesses, get the training they need for skilled work, and literacy training to better their lives.
Widows remain one of the most vulnerable groups in many countries of the world, especially economically. Being given the necessary tools or resources can be the difference between life and death for these widows, and sometimes the difference between keeping her children or sending them away because she can’t provide for their needs.
Give a gift today to be the difference in her life. Caring, compassionate GFA missionaries are always on the lookout for those who need this kind of difference in their lives. In addition to the practical assistance, GFA missionaries also offer the Good News of Jesus Christ and often a loving, supportive community. This is can be an essential difference in a widow’s life. To go from being married to widowed to destitute is something no woman should have to experience. But in the midst of such realities, GFA missionaries not only see these women but want to help.
Your gift is part of the hope she needs. A GFA missionary stands ready to deliver your love and care with the compassion of Jesus Christ.
Learn more about charities that help widows[1] “World Widows Report: Statistics.” The Loomba Foundation. https://www.theloombafoundation.org/our-work/research/world-widows-report. Accessed June 2023.
[2] “Explainer: What you should know about widowhood.” UN Women. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2021/6/explainer-what-you-should-know-about-widowhood. June 21, 2021.