Restoring Hope l KGM Stands By Families Fighting Extreme Poverty

  Unlocking Opportunity for KGM Families Battling Poverty in India After the Lockdown

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve seen the widows and families we serve display remarkable courage and tenacity. 

We’ve also seen them face difficult choices: risk disease or poverty; resign or reach out for help.

Earlier you helped us in the lockdown emergency that left millions in India shut-in and starving. Now as the lockdown lifts, our KGM family is facing new obstacles: crushing job loss and skyrocketing food prices. Pastors, widows, and day-laborers alike have watched the life they knew and their future hopes vanish overnight.

We discussed the situation with Pastor Saha. The obvious short-term solution is to send more food relief packages.  But how long would that last? A few weeks or months at best. We wanted a more permanent plan. One that would provide income BUT require little or no training. An opportunity that even a disabled widow could manage. Even to us, that criteria seemed pretty impractical until...

 

Pastor Saha told us about two generations of widows Manga and Durga, who are raising their daughter/ grandchild.

These two widows are also raising chickens and goats in their backyard. 

During the lockdown, the family had plenty of eggs and milk to eat. Now they can sell the leftover eggs and milk to neighbors or at market. The food security and extra income these animals provide are a lifesaver for this family. 

But Manga and Durga know many other families in their community who do not have animals. They are not only struggling to put food on the table, but waging an uphill battle against the return of extreme poverty in India that threatens to destroy their future. According to the Brookings Institution, India ranks number one in countries where poverty is likely to rise the most due to Covid-19.

Manga and Durga's story sounded like a promising solution to the problems facing many KGM believers.  So we did our homework and here's what we found:   

In India, chickens and goats are valuable animals, with a phenomenal ability to change families’ lives. Starting with just one goat or five chickens, a vulnerable widow or needy family can farm food for their tables AND gain additional income for other essentials like medical care, school fees, and more. Giving animals is like giving these families a small business. One that Saha assured us requires no training for the members of our KGM family. 

And the start-up costs are minimal: $25 for five chickens; $100 for one female goat.

This Christmas season, we invite you to discover gifts that both honor your loved ones AND empower families in the wake of COVID-19.

Your gift through Kerusomen shares the love of Christ, celebrates families’ God-given dignity and potential, and equips men and women with supplemental income, restoring hope for the future.

Find Your Gift Now:

Goat

Chickens