Dear Friend,
My elementary school-aged son has been trying to convince our family on the virtues of composting. Admittedly, it’s been a rough campaign for him to win us over between the bugs and extra work. Today being Earth Day, however, I have to admit he is giving us some important things to think about.
As Christians, we have a shared responsibility to care for creation and for one another. And we are finding devastating consequences of how our lack of stewardship for creation is affecting our care for our brothers and sisters around the world. For the communities Five Talents serves, these two callings are deeply intertwined, especially as climate change increasingly threatens something critically fundamental: access to food.
Around the world, those living in the poorest countries are facing the harshest impacts of a changing climate. While they have contributed the least to global emissions, they are the most vulnerable to its effects. Why? Because their livelihoods depend directly on the natural environment, and they often lack the resources needed to adapt. Many work in small-scale agriculture, without irrigation systems, crop insurance, or financial safety nets. When rains fail or floods come, there is no fallback.
One of the clearest and most urgent consequences is rising hunger. According to the World Economic Forum, climate change could push up to 132 million more people into hunger by 2030. Experts say that by 2050, 216 million climate refugees will have been displaced due to migration forced by livelihoods being affected by the climate. The top region of the world being affected is sub-Saharan Africa.
For the entrepreneurs and families in our programs, this is not a distant projection — it is happening now. Farmers depend on predictable rainfall to grow crops and feed their families. But changing weather patterns bring longer droughts, delayed rains, and sudden floods that destroy harvests. When crops fail, food becomes scarce, prices rise, and families are forced to make impossible choices.
Yet even in the face of these challenges, we see resilience and determination. Through Five Talents programs, participants are building stronger, more secure livelihoods. Savings Groups help provide a safety net when harvests fall short, and we have started to incorporate climate smart training to teach more effective natural resource management practices in many of our Savings Groups. Consequently, communities are finding ways to adapt and support one another through difficult seasons.
Your partnership makes this possible. Thank you for walking with us. Together, we are helping families build lasting resilience through all seasons!
