Generational Poverty: What FFF Is Doing To Help

Generational poverty is a significant challenge faced by numerous developing countries in the world today, posing a serious threat to the well-being of millions of children. This inequality in society has long-lasting effects on future generations, and it is an issue that Finding Freedom Through Friendship (FFF) works diligently to address. Those most at risk are households headed by widows.

The impact of poverty on children’s lives is complex and multifaceted.

According to recent estimates, more than 600 million children who live in developing countries survive on less than one US dollar a day and experience significant challenges in accessing basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare. These challenges have far-reaching effects on the physical, social, and emotional development of children. We see this daily in our work in emerging countries.

The impact of poverty on children’s lives is complex and multifaceted. Research indicates that early childhood experiences have a significant impact on the future development and health trajectories of children: the future leaders of our planet.

The detrimental impact of poverty on children in developing countries is not restricted to their physical well-being alone. Children living in generational poverty are more susceptible to social exclusion and may have lower self-esteem, low self-efficacy, and low self-regulation. It is crucial to understand that the effects of poverty on children are cumulative, and the longer a child or youth experiences disparity, the greater the risks. Economic deprivation not only affects children through the provision of educational resources available to them but also has detrimental psychological effects on their parents and caregivers. It is essential to address the root cause of child poverty in developing countries and focus on implementing effective strategies that can mitigate its negative impact.

Finding Freedom Through Friendship is a personal witness to these effects; we are daily visitors to houses without assets, kitchens without food, and bedrooms lacking beds. Children without access to education roam the streets in the countries we serve; girls born into families without hope are forced to marry early; and the cycle continues ad infinitum.

Finding Freedom Through Friendship spent over $90,000 in 2022 to directly alleviate the poverty of our widow’s program participants. Kitchens are now equipped with basic items, beds are in place, donated food staples are on the table, and most importantly, widowed mothers are learning business skills. Children and their mothers are being educated; leading to economic self-sufficiency and a break in the generational illiteracy and poverty that has been the hallmark of the women and children in these photos for too long.