How does poverty affect a child?
Poverty is a web so complexly tangled that when one is caught in it; it is hard to get out. It affects every aspect of an individual’s life; and the struggle is constant.
Unfortunately, children are the worst affected and girls are more susceptible because of poverty. Sponsor a child in India through World Vision India to educate a girl child and make poverty a thing of the past.
To help families come out of poverty and sustain themselves, World Vision India assists them with income generation programmes. So that families are able to start small businesses of their own or gain a skill to generate a steady income.
Lalbiaki’s and her children’s lives plunged into poverty when her husband passed away leaving the young family without a source of income. She took upon herself the responsibility of raising her children but life was tough. She wanted to give a better start for her children but things were so bad that she watched her daughter Lalraupuii drop out of school after the 4th standard just like her. Her daughter was sent to live with her grandparents in another village. This was one of the lowest points in Lalbiaki’s life.
“Life is difficult for a widow without a regular income. The situation can be very difficult if I become unwell. Then the family is left with no source of income and without food,” says Lalbiaki.
The breakthrough came in 2017, in the form of World Vision India’s Graduation Model assistance. Graduation Model targets extremely poor households in the community to help them rise from poverty to sustainable livelihoods. The family received 100 chicks in two batches along with three bags of bird’s feed. They were able to raise the chicks and sell them for profit.
Lalbiaki was soon able to send her daughter, Lalraupuii for handloom skill training to make up for the lost education. Today, Lalraupuii is employed in a traditional handloom-weaving workshop and earns a stable income every month. This is a big upgrade for a family that did not have a steady source of income. The family bought ten new chicks and are planning to add ten more in the near future.
“I didn’t know anything about savings before attending World Vision India’s trainings. Now I have opened a savings account and have started saving a little,” says Lalbiaki, who is also a member Self-Help Group started by World Vision India.
Her son, Himnakulhpui is the first from the family to get a shot at education. He continues to carry the family’s dream and hope on his shoulder. He is in the 9th standard and is also part of Children‘s Club. Since 2017, World Vision India has reached 600 beneficiaries through the graduation model. World Vision India works among 33 communities in the two districts of Mizoram.
When you sponsor a child in India through World Vision India, you help families, who are engulfed in poverty and struggling, find a way out. Your support will make a huge difference in the lives of children and their families. Sponsor now and educate a girl child.
