The first time I was startled to
see two guys who had completely emptied our
can… taking whatever they could salvage
to eat, use or perhaps sell.
We’ve all heard the term “the
haves and have nots”.
We ask ourselves… “What can I
do”? “How can I help fight this
poverty that forces people to dig through
my trash”?
There are thousands of people in Africa doing
just this – fighting poverty. Billions
of dollars in aid has come into Africa to
fight poverty. There are NGO’s (Non
Government Agencies) everywhere you turn.
Everyone is trying to find the next
best new thing to fight poverty. Why is it
NOT working?
I was talking with someone the other day
about the poverty (and drug use, AIDS, gangs
etc) in Ocean View.
They had asked me what I did there. I told
them we do community development to help alleviate
poverty and other social ills of the township.
I explained that Ocean View was however a
very tough community to work in. The idea
in Ocean View that "life will never change"
is quite common and, in itself, part of the
problem.
I also explained that we do church planting
- we teach people how to have Bible studies
in their homes with the hopes that they turn
into simple house churches.
