A review of When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself
When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert is a compelling and transformative book that challenges the traditional ways we think about poverty alleviation. It emphasizes that poverty is not merely a lack of material resources but is deeply rooted in broken relationships—relationships with God, oneself, others, and creation. This book redefines what it means to truly help those in need, arguing that well-intentioned charity efforts can sometimes do more harm than good.
The authors advocate for a holistic approach to poverty alleviation, where the focus is not on giving handouts but on empowering individuals and communities to restore their dignity and self-sufficiency. Through a biblical lens, they encourage readers to recognize that we are all broken in some way and that helping the poor should be about walking alongside them rather than “fixing” them.
The book is filled with practical insights and real-life examples that are both educational and thought-provoking, making it a must-read for anyone involved in missions, church ministries, or charitable organizations. Whether you’re working locally or globally, When Helping Hurts provides a framework for developing more effective and sustainable poverty alleviation strategies.
For those passionate about making a genuine difference, this book will shift your mindset, helping you to focus on empowering the poor in a way that promotes lasting change and avoids perpetuating dependency or feelings of inferiority(
This is a must read for anyone considering the problem of poverty in our world.
You must be logged in to post a comment.