THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR HELPING THE POOR
In 2008, Dr. Bruce Wydick, a professor of economics and international studies at the University of San Francisco, along with two colleagues, conducted a study of our Child Sponsorship Program to determine its impact on the adult life outcomes of formerly sponsored children against those of children who were not part of the ministry’s programs.
Wydick and his colleagues concluded that our Child Sponsorship Program has large and statistically significant impacts on the educational, employment and leadership outcomes of our children. The peer-reviewed research was published in the April 2013 issue of the Journal of Political Economy.
What are the best ways to help the poor in low- and middle-income countries?
To answer the question, Dr. Wydick polled top development economists who specialize in analyzing development programs. He asked them to rate, in terms of impact and cost-effectiveness per donated dollar, some of the most common poverty interventions people donate their money to. Of all the long-term development interventions, child sponsorship received the highest rating.
"Sponsors typically pay $25 to $40 per month, which covers a child’s educational fees, school uniforms, tutoring, health care, and, in faith-based sponsorship organizations, spiritual mentorship. Many development economists today favor interventions like child sponsorship that remove practical constraints to education while building a child’s self-esteem, aspirations and goals. In this way, sponsorship relieves both external and internal poverty constraints."
A child's odds are better with Compassion