Season 3, Episode 4: The Truth About What Our Neighbors in Poverty Need (w/ Brian Fikkert)

Poverty alleviation efforts can often feel like putting a Band-Aid on a broken arm. In spite of our best intentions, many of our efforts do little to bring about real, lasting change. Poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes more than donations and handouts to solve it.

Today, we're talking with a guest who is deeply familiar with the topic of poverty, as he wrote one of the most popular books on it. Dr. Brian Fikkert is the co-author of When Helping Hurts, the co-founder of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development, and Professor of Economics and Community Development at Covenant College.

Brian's book reshaped how many approach poverty alleviation—emphasizing a mindset of humility and empowerment.

In this episode, Brian shares why certain charity efforts can unintentionally create pride in the giver and shame in the receiver, how our best intentions may actually be harming those in need, how we can go about ministry in a way that restores dignity and personhood, and much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/brian-fikkert-s3e4/