A recent Christianity Today article helps the reader process his/her thinking relative to needed aid as well as sustainable business – especially now in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These quotes hopefully will stimulate you to read the full article. To read it, click here.
- The coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating economic impact on people living in global poverty. We are in a moment that requires immediate, full-scale relief.
- I’ve seen firsthand how charity efforts have not only failed to help but have caused lasting damage in communities around the globe.
- The virus creates a “crisis within the crisis,” where the health emergency exacerbates food insecurity and poverty.
- In his book Toxic Charity, Bob Lupton writes, “When relief does not transition to development in a timely way, compassion becomes toxic.
- As we rally and dispense desperately needed relief, the challenge is to respond to immediate needs while simultaneously preparing for the recovery and rebuilding.
- As Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett share in When Helping Hurts, effective relief is immediate and temporary, but rebuilding is sustainable.
- When economies reopen, entrepreneurs will need capital to restart their businesses and rebuild what has been lost. After a disaster, there is an inescapable need for recovery lending; businesses and economies are unable to start up again without it.
Larry Sharp, Director of Training, IBEC Ventures
larry.sharp@ibecventures.com