Understanding Poverty
What is Poverty?
Most people don’t understand the concept; POVERTY and it’s effects on human dignity.
Poverty is hunger, Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick, and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school, and not knowing how to read and write. Poverty is not having a job. It is fear for the future. It is living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water, and contaminated food. Poverty is powerlessness, and so on and so forth.
This is what S.SAM has been commissioned and mandated by God to be part of the solution to the menace through spreading of the gospel to various poor communities in Africa through the good will of kind hearted people.
Scriptural Basis for our Mission
“He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him. (Proverbs 19:17 (AMP)
“He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.” (Proverbs 28:27)
“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
“And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42)
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Hebrews 6:10).
SOME AREAS S.SAM WISH TO TACKLE
- IDPs CAMPS.
The acronym; “IDP ”, stands for Internally Displaced Persons. These are “persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters.
IDPs victims are forced to flee or leave their homes – particularly in situations of armed conflict. They are generally subject to heightened vulnerability in a number of areas. They suffer significantly higher rates of mortality than the general population. They also remain at high risk of physical attacks, sexual assault and abduction, and frequently are deprived of adequate shelter, food and health services.
The overwhelming majority of Internally Displaced Persons are women and children who are especially at risk of abuse of their basic rights.
- POVERTY ALLEVIATION.
Our mission is to contribute our litter efforts towards cushioning the effect of lack amongst African people.
Poverty has many faces, changing from place to place and across time, and has been described in many ways. Most often, poverty is a situation people want to escape from. So, poverty is a call for action from the poor and the wealthy alike. A call to change the world so that many more can have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities.
- HELP FOR WIDOWS.
Widows in Africa have often been faced with traumatic experiences in the communities at the instance of losing their husbands which is occasioned by death. The inhuman treatment meted on the widows varies from one culture to the other. Most of the treatments are geared towards dehumanizing them which is always a painful and psychological experience that can affect the individual throughout her lifetime.
- ASSISTANCE TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED.
S.SAM is poised to help restore hope to the hopeless and to make them know that they are valued and loved. Helping the underprivileged guarantees a secure society because the neglected population will turn around to become a threat to the society at large. We are prepared to meet them where they are with our humanitarian services.
One of the ways by which we wish to achieve this, is not to give them FISH, but to teach them how to catch FISH so they can become self dependent through S.SAM’s skills acquisition programs we hope to put in place.
- COLLABORATING WITH CHURCHES.
S.SAM’s Vision is to collaborate and partner with willing local churches and Leaders in communities to help reach out to the needy in their localities.
Most churches in Rural areas are in serious financial distress and as a result, Pastors find it difficult to concentrate on their primary assignment of feeding and tending the flock because, they have to struggle to make ends meet in supporting their families and the have-not members of their congregations, which accounts for why most of them are often distracted from feeding the flock with balanced spiritual diet as it ought to be.
- CONFERENCES AND SEMINAR.
S.SAM is saddled with the responsibility of organizing conferences and Seminars to equip and empower Ministers of the gospel with teaching aids and other materials for Maximum impact of their ministerial work.