If we truly believe that every person is made in the image of God, then we must also believe that each person has the right to live with dignity and to have access to basic necessities like food and shelter, clean drinking water, and work opportunities.
Without these necessities, a person can’t live with dignity — or, really, live at all. And unfortunately, there are people all over the globe who have little to no access to these necessities. As the hands and feet of Jesus, we have a responsibility to champion the cause of those in need.
Read on to learn about how you can join global efforts to ensure everyone has access to the basic human rights of ethical work, food and shelter, and clean drinking water.
The Problem: Human Rights Are Being Denied
According to the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), every person has the right to:
- “Life, liberty, and security of person” (Article 3)
- “Work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment” (Article 23)
- “A standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services” (Article 25)
Yet all too often, these very basic rights are violated or denied — yes, even in the 21st century! Studies have shown that nearly 700 million people worldwide live in extreme poverty — a statistic that has only been exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic — and that one-third of the world’s population does not have access to clean drinking water.
The Solution: Providing Access for All
While the reports of world unemployment, hunger, and lack of clean drinking water are staggering, we have the power to stand together and make a practical difference in our world.
Effective action begins with knowledge. Our first step is to educate ourselves and our communities about the rights that are being violated in our world and what we can do to improve the global situation. Then we can join hands with those who are already taking concrete action.
At Anchored Purpose Box, we also believe that the rights to work opportunities, food and shelter, and clean drinking water are universal. That’s why a portion of our proceeds go to support initiatives that are working to empower more people to gain access to these rights:
Clean Drinking Water
Lack of clean drinking water, as one might expect, leads to myriad problems related to sanitation, health, and even the time and ability to work. charity: water is committed to making sure every community has access to safe, clean drinking water. Since 2006, charity: water has brought clean drinking water to over 13 million people around the world.
Work Opportunities
Many people living in poverty have no opportunity to improve their own situation due to unlivable wages or unemployment. Hope International is a Christ-centered organization that helps underprivileged people to rise out of poverty and stand (figuratively) with dignity on their own two feet. This organization thoroughly trains future business owners, then gives them the loans and other resources necessary to start their businesses.
Food & Shelter
Yes, people living in poverty need food, but they also need that food to be nutritious. Feed My Starving Children works to fight world hunger and supply impoverished children around the world with the nutrition they need. This organization has partnered with scientists and nutritionists to create the MannaPack®: an inexpensive and easily-distributed meal designed to reduce and reverse malnutrition.
Together, We Can Provide Food, Shelter, & Clean Drinking Water
Although there is much work to do, even small actions add up fast when we all rally together behind a common cause.
As humans and as followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to care for our fellow humans and treat each person with dignity and honor. The longer we allow our global brothers and sisters to go without access to work opportunities, food and shelter, and clean drinking water, the more our complicity in their suffering grows. But, getting involved doesn’t have to be a massive burden.
By blending our regular, every-day purchasing habits wit