What Are Some Examples of People Who Are Breaking the Poverty Mentality?
A poverty mentality contributes to the hopelessness of poverty and perpetuates the cycle from generation to generation. Major life events can drastically change a person’s mindset.
When Neela’s husband died, she became the sole provider for herself and her five children. In some cultures, widows face incredible challenges. Through GFA, Neela was invited to attend a tailoring class where she learned how to sew. After completing her class, she was given a sewing machine as a Christmas gift. It was a great gift and provided a way out of poverty. Neela began a sewing business in her home and can now see hope for her family’s future.
Bhrithi became a widow at just 28 years old. She sold vegetables on the side of the road, but never earned quite enough to meet her needs and the needs of her children. When the city decided to expand the road, she was no longer able to sell her vegetables nearby. She struggled to find a new location close enough to her home. She felt hopeless. A GFA worker learned of her situation and enabled her to be gifted with a pull cart so she could transport and sell her vegetables in a new location. What a blessing for this woman and her family.
“With the pull cart, I can travel around and sell onions and potatoes,” Bhrithi said. “Wherever I find a suitable place, I stand and sell. My earnings have also increased. I can go to different places for the sale.”
Bhrithi has started attending church, eager to learn about the God who provided such a wonderful gift to her.
Kalapi and Mudit, members of a marginalized community in rural Asia, couldn’t feed their children more than flatbread. The children lacked nutrition and were sick frequently. A local Pastor noticed the malnutrition in the children and sought to help them. The family was gifted a cow and a calf! The cow provides milk for the family and the calf will soon be able to plow their fields.
Kalapi says, “I thank God who has . . . blessed us with a cow that provides milk. Now my children are able to eat [flatbread] with milk. I praise God . . . for helping such families as mine.”
These are three examples of people who are breaking the poverty mentality. Their children are growing up in a family where they are able to dream of the future. They are surrounded by a pastor and adults who help them grow and learn that there is a way out of poverty.
*Names of people and places have been changed for privacy and security reasons