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September 2024

Poverty and Philanthropy: Understanding the Church’s Initiatives towards Poverty Reduction

1Oluwabusayo Olayinka OLUSOLA-ILORI, 2Adebayo Ola AFOLARANMI, PhD
1,2Department of Politics and International Relations, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Global poverty is one of the world’s most pressing contemporary problems. Different scholars define poverty in different ways. According to the United Nations (1995) and the World Bank (1990), poverty can take different forms like homelessness, an inadequate, unsafe, and degraded environment; hunger and malnutrition; poor health; limited or no access to education and other essential services; increased morbidity and mortality from illness; and social exclusion and discrimination. In all these, the African continent is not exempted. Faith-based organisations, including the church, have always played a central role in supporting those experiencing poverty. The objectives of this study are to examine the causes and effects of poverty and its prevalence in contemporary Nigerian society. The study will also ascertain the roles some churches are playing in poverty reduction. Interviews with some selected Christians were conducted. The researcher also interacted with some secondary sources like related literature, newspapers and internet sources. Findings revealed that some churches in Ilorin West L.G.A employ different methods like setting up welfare committees; organizing workshops and vocational training and empowerment; free education and scholarship to the indigents; securing jobs for the people; and providing free transportation to relieve members of the financial burden of transporting themselves to church. These findings and implications were discussed within the purview of divine command theory towards the reduction of poverty. The following recommendations were made at the end of the paper: The Church must have an interest in or concern for the poor and demonstrate philanthropic gestures to them; involvement in advocacy for poverty reduction in public spaces; organization of training in proper income management and growth.

Keywords:

Church, Divine Command Theory, Philanthropy, Poverty, Poverty Reduction

References:


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