poverty Archives - Cross International

Katya’s Story – New World Christian School Ecuador

September 21, 2022 by Cross International

Pursuing Her Dreams: A Young Mom Continues Her Education in Ecuador

Getting a quality education can be a challenge for many young people in the developing world. For 18-year-old Katya from Riobamba, Ecuador, becoming a mother made that challenge all the more daunting. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Katya and her husband moved to the city of Sangolqui in search of work. In Ecuador, and in many developing countries, it’s all too common for young people like Katya and her husband to leave school early in order to find whatever work they can, foregoing the long-term benefits of completing their studies.

With the urgent needs of supporting her family and taking care of her five-month-old son, Katya wasn’t sure how she would be able to continue her education and pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. Then she and her husband found Cross International partner New World Christian School. Thanks to the school’s unique schedule, Katya is able to care for her baby during the day and attend classes at night. Katya’s husband is also a student at New World Christian School and is able to continue his education while working to support their family.

New World Christian School was founded specifically to ensure that students like Katya and her husband don’t have to drop out of school just to make ends meet. In addition to strong academics, the school also focuses on the Gospel and Biblical studies. And, with support from Cross International, New World Christian School holds weekly church services and offers Christian counsel for their students.

Thanks to Cross International and New World Christian School, Katya will soon finish her degree and she looks forward becoming a nurse one day. Without the kindness and compassion of generous Cross supporters like you, the future would not be nearly so bright for Katya and her young family. Thank you for making it possible for them to receive a quality, Christian education in Ecuador.

A Summer Without Hunger

August 18, 2022 by Cross International

School Feeding Program Makes Sure Hungry Kids Get the Food They Need

Summer can be an extremely difficult time for children in the developing world. During the school year, many boys and girls depend on daily school lunches to meet their nutritional needs. For some, school lunches are the only food they can rely on. Then when summer “vacation” comes the meals suddenly stop. Without consistent meals, these children can begin slipping into malnutrition. In the more extreme cases, malnutrition can lead to stunted growth, and even impaired cognitive development, which may impact the child for the rest of their life.

For hardworking parents who, try as they might, simply lack the resources they need to ensure that their kids get enough food, the summer months can be heartbreaking. In Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, lack of nutrition during summer remains a major problem. That’s why Cross International has partnered with Divine Shelter Schools (DSS) to implement a summer feeding program for at-risk children in Haiti.

Serving well over 200 children in multiple locations, the Cross International and DSS summer feeding program includes a morning devotion, Bible lesson, art class, math and grammar tutoring, sports, hygiene education and, of course, nutritious meals! To ensure that each child is getting the food they need, the DSS staff also make sure to track the weight of each child throughout the summer.

It’s only because of the generous support of kind Cross International partners like you that these precious girls and boys are enjoying daily, healthy meals this summer. Thank you for showing them God’s love through their fully bellies!

Meet the DSS Summer Feeding Program Students

Claudine

Claudine is a rising 4^th grader attending the summer feeding program at the Divine Shelter School of Bellanger. Claudine’s father works in a factory that produces ice and her mother sells cookies to help provide for Claudine and her three siblings. Claudine is thankful for the food and fun she enjoys at DSS.

Jessica

Sadly, Jessica’s parents are separated so she and her three siblings live with their father in a rented hut. Jessica will be in 4^th grade when school begins again at DSS Bellanger. The daily meals Jessica receives at the summer feeding program are helping her grow healthy and strong!

A Young Woman and Her Family Rise Out of Poverty

May 26, 2022 by Cross International

Josefina was stuck. With four children to care for, Josefina and her husband, Santos, were struggling to find enough work to put food on the table. The pair mainly worked as day laborers in their hometown of El Milagro, Guatemala. Working for others, it was difficult for Josefina and Santos to get ahead. They wondered if they would ever break free of the cycle of poverty.

Little did they know God was about to bless them with a new opportunity.

Josefina was chosen by local Cross International partner, Hope of Life, to receive help starting a new business raising chickens for eggs. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of Cross International donors like you, Josefina and her family received training on how to care for and maintain a flock as well as 40 hens and a coop of their own. Because Josefina is not literate, field staff enlisted the help of her eldest daughter to help with keeping track of egg production and sales.

In the first year of the business, Josefina and her family worked diligently to make the most out of their new opportunity. Not only did they start earning a daily income, they were able to reinvest some of the profits in replenishing and expanding their flock. For Christmas, Josefina was able to purchase and raise a small flock of broiler chickens, and they all sold out!

Josefina and her family feel blessed by God to be a part of this Cross International poultry project and they are very proud to have their own business and to be able to support their children.

Thank you for making family agriculture projects like this one possible. You are giving hard-working people like Josefina the dignity and hope that comes from being able to reap the fruits of their labors and build a future for themselves and their kids.

If you want to support other families like Josefina’s, you can donate to the animal and agricultural fund or provide economic empowerment for small businesses in other communities in need.

Raising Chickens: Moving Beyond Poverty in Guatemala

February 17, 2022 by Cross International

Escaping Poverty in Guatemala

Argelia never had the chance to go to school in Guatemala. Now 52 years old, she still cannot read or write. Even so, Argelia worked hard to provide for her children as best as she could, but with little opportunity the cards were stacked against her. Then, thanks to the faithfulness of Cross supporters, Argelia got connected with Hope of Life, Cross International’s partner in Guatemala. With the support of CI donors like you, Hope of Life is in the midst of a three-year community transformation project in Argelia’s village of El Milagro.

One of the core components of this community transformation project is to help individuals build thriving agriculture businesses in order to provide for their families and increase the availability of nutritious food in the village.

Raising Chickens

Because of her hard work, Argelia was chosen to receive help starting a chicken raising business. Argelia has been diligent in attending training sessions and now she has her own chicken coop and is able to harvest eggs for her family to eat and to sell at the market for extra income. Argelia is incredibly thankful to have been able to be a part of this Cross International poultry project in Guatemala. “No one receives if God does not give,” Argelia said. “God is great and powerful and I am so grateful for the benefit of these projects.”

Thank you for blessing hard-working people like Argelia with the means to build a better life for themselves and their children!

If you want to support other families like Argelia’s, you can donate to the animal and agricultural fund or provide economic empowerment for small businesses in other communities in need.

A Song for Safe Water

January 28, 2022 by Cross International

Young musicians take the stage to bring clean water in Africa

14-year-old Hugh and his younger brother, 13-year-old Liam, are committed to the cause of clean water—they’re also talented musicians. Hugh and Liam’s family has been partnering with Cross International for a number of years to reach those in need around the world. That’s how Hugh and Liam discovered the dire need for clean water in Africa, and the Chipata district of Zambia in particular. In this region, 76-percent of households lack access to clean, safe water. The consequences for this lack of water can be heartbreaking.

Unsafe water can cause chronic sickness, diarrhea, and even death. Not having easy access to the water they need for drinking, washing, cooking, and cleaning can also lead to back-breaking work for women and children especially. All too often children are forced to miss school in order to make the long and treacherous journey to a distant water source to retrieve heavy buckets of water for their families.

Hugh and Liam want to change this sad reality by bringing clean water in Zambia.

Raising Money for Clean Water

After learning about the clean water problems in Africa, Hugh and Liam’s hearts were moved to help. They decided to use their musical talents to raise money to build a well in Zambia. The brothers began taking their guitars to local restaurants and coffee shops and using their music to spread awareness for the plight of Zambians and encourage donations towards building a well. Check out their donation page

Building Wells in Zambia

Cross International is in the midst of a three-year initiative with the Kachere Development Program (KDP), our long-time partner in Zambia, to construct wells in the Chipata district. One well can provide water for 600 people. The goal of the initiative is to build hand-pump wells in 14 communities across the region. Some of these wells have already been constructed bringing the blessing of clean water to villages that were in desperate need. “I used to suffer a lot by covering a long distance with a bucket of water on my head,” said Naomi, a well beneficiary. “With the new well in my village, I have time to rest, I can attend church services and other social activities in the village. My children are able to go to school and attend classes regularly. May God bless Cross International!”

Hugh and Liam want to make Naomi’s story a reality for more people desperate for clean water. “That’s what we want to do,” they said, “to use our love of music to provide clean water to a village in Zambia.”