Children playing basketball. Looks innocent. Is innocent; yet many of these girls may end up get pregnant early, and boys can become fathers. Both girls and boys here often turn to drugs.
This is the greatest fear of parents here, and sadly, their worst fear often comes true.
Poverty affects a huge portion of the population – 50% of the population considers themselves poor, according to OCTA research. Polls done by the World Bank and other research institutions are sadly reporting a much lower percentage, maybe masking the truth due to government corruption. The truth is, the government does not want to face the reality that much of it’s people are poor.
Programs that are supposed to benefit the poor are rife with corruption – with 50% or more of the money often going to officials or their relatives. The 4 P’s, a program that helps the less fortunate (similar to welfare in the USA) is full of mismanagement or outright thievery. When money does reach families in need, families often don’t use it wisely due to poor planning, and that is due to the lack of adequate education. And free money can cause people to become reliant on handouts.
But education helps – and Jesus changes lives. and this is where Kairos Children’s Fund steps in.
We have testimonies of families who have experienced change, due in a great part to the Kairos opportunity. Kairos, by the way, is the Greek word often translated “time,” but actually means “God’s opportune time”. Chronos is the word that means the sequential time. Kairos Children’s Fund can mean the “opportune time” for these children.