PovertySwap was established after an inspirational trip to Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa in March 2010. However it represents a lifetime of personal interest in missions work, community development and alleviation of poverty.
During the early 1990s, following harrowing television reports of Romania’s orphans, we drove in convoys to that country several times a year with teams of ordinary people eager to help in any way they could. From those first trips, which established lifelong friendships and transformed us and our entire family, we came to believe “Give me 2 weeks of your life and it will change you forever”. Since our first 2 weeks stepping apprehensively into the unknown we have been privileged to visit projects in India, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Nepal and Ethiopia as well as the UK and Europe.
In every situation we witnessed the courageous work carried out by passionate, sincere individuals and groups who want to see practical change in the lives of those who suffer the deepest poverty in their communities. Lives are transformed, schools, health and social care are provided, churches, food programmes and women’s learning groups flourish. Great works!
But we have also seen that consuming, relentless poverty is experienced by those with a million great ideas and not enough skills, resources, knowledge or time to carry them out! Such lack in the workforce increases poverty in communities, with unbearable results.
We believe there is a simple solution to this poverty. We want to help people to get connected.
If we share with each other the much or little that we have we can get the job done! Together, we can really make dreams happen.
Helen and Ian Faulds
Founder and Directors of PovertySwap
