I’m in Guatemala with World Help this week watching the words “sustainable transformation” come alive.
Sustainability literally means “The endurance of systems or processes.” So how does that translate to sharing hope in impoverished Guatemalan communities?
Simply put, we can’t afford to give temporary solutions—something that will ultimately devalue and disappoint. No, we believe in the kind of investments that will yield ongoing benefits . . . investments that endure.
We believe this because we know all people matter to God and are worth far more than castoff charity or half-hearted answers.
Walking through the village of El Arco, Guatemala today, I saw sustainable transformation in action and people with hope. And I want to tell you why your investment is worth it.
The children here are sponsored by Christ Community Church in East Taunton, Massachusetts—a body of believers committed to long-term impact. Because of that, the children have clean water, food, medical attention, an education, and the opportunity to learn of the God who created them—the God who cherishes them.
If you’re looking to make a sustainable investment, sponsorship is a great place to start. It’s a gift that will impact a child forever. Lifting them out of abject poverty into stability . . . establishing patterns of health . . . fostering dignity and confidence . . . opening doors to opportunity; that’s an influence that will last.
Clean water is also a transformative solution—bringing true and lasting change. It might even be one of the most underestimated resources we have for ending the cycle of poverty.
Before El Arco had a source of clean water, they would drink, bathe, and cook the water from a small murky stream that flows through their mountainside village. But now, they have a clean-water well and pipeline systems that flow right into their homes. No more parasites, no more water-related sicknesses, no more skin problems. And . . . clean water is here to stay in El Arco.
Livestock is another great example of gifts that provide ongoing benefits. For agricultural communities like El Arco, the impact of animals like goats, chickens, and cows can’t be underestimated. Things like milk, eggs, fertilizer, breeding, and meat are life-changing gifts in Guatemala.
For children, they’re a source of much-needed protein and vitamins. For families, they mean produce to sell and a reliable source of income. For communities, they’re an essential part of the ecosystem and a boost to the local economy.
This week, I’m watching your gifts bring sustainable transformation to some of the most forgotten people on earth, and I know, for a fact, it’s working.
Today, I looked the people of El Arco in the face, and I want you to know . . . they are worth it. They are worth sharing hope with. They are worth finding permanent solutions for. And there are so many others waiting for their opportunity.
For a better idea of how you can cultivate sustainable transformation, I highly encourage you browse through our new Christmas Gifts catalog. Clean water, goats, chickens, school uniforms, Bibles, immunizations—there are so many ways to share long-term hope.
Will you join World Help and others like Christ Community Church this Christmas season by investing in people who matter with solutions that last?