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When

do we eat?
Understanding World Hunger
and Doing Something About It

A teaching guide
for grades 1-3
Copyright © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

Editorial Director: Milana McLead


Editor-in-Chief: Jane Sutton-Redner
Project Editor: Laurie Delgatto
Project Coordinator: Ryan Smith
Copyediting and Design: Creative Solutions
Sales and Distribution Manager: Jojo Palmer

When Do We Eat? may be reproduced only with the written permission of World Vision
United States, Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716.
Fax: 253.815.3340 • E-mail: wvresources@worldvision.org

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-09819235-6-7

The Scripture in this resource is from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL
VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

During the preparation of this resource, all citations, facts, figures, names, addresses, telephone numbers, Internet URLs, and other pieces
of information cited within were verified for accuracy. World Vision Resources has made every attempt to reference current and valid
sources, but we cannot guarantee the content of any source and we are not responsible for any changes that may have occurred since our
verification. If you find an error in, or have a question or concern about, any of the information or sources listed within, please contact
World Vision Resources.

2
Getting Started
“When do we eat?” These words are common to the vocabulary of almost every child.
When we’re hungry, we expect to have quick access to food. But in many parts of the
world, hunger is a constant companion. Children growing up in impoverished countries
get sick—and many even die—because they don’t have enough food.

Your students can relate to what it is like to be hungry. As Christians, they can be
equipped to respond with love to people around the world who don’t have enough food
to keep them healthy. This curriculum is designed to guide you through the process of
teaching young people to understand the causes of world hunger, to know they can make
a difference in the lives of hungry children, and to take some easy steps to help others.

These materials are intended to provide


hands-on opportunities for participants to Through this curriculum,
understand the issues surrounding world
participants will learn:
hunger. Since these are not always “happy”
subjects, we encourage you to remind • What it means to be hungry
participants each week that God loves all
• Why millions of children their age
people and that God uses us to take care
are hungry
of others, even people we do not know.
• How they can make a difference
To make this study flexible, we designed the
by helping people who are hungry
curriculum so you can integrate individual
parts into a regular Sunday school or Bible
class curriculum, or use the entire lesson to
fill a complete hour. Each session will take
approximately 55 minutes, leaving five
minutes for start-up and dismissal. A map or
globe will be useful for each session; other
items needed are listed at the beginning of
each session. Also, optional completion cer-
tificates are included at the end of this study.

Your group will get the most from this curric-


ulum if you incorporate a giving component
into the activities. A suggestion for creating
“giving jars” is included in the first lesson.

May you and the young people you serve


be blessed as you learn about and care for
hungry people!

3
session one

Food Feast  Colored permanent markers, enough for each



participant to have a few
 Copies of “Meet Hope A. Potamus” and “Meet Binja,”

Objectives found on pages 7-8
 Participants will explore the role food plays in their
  Copies of Lesson One coloring page, found on page 9,

lives, and understand that not all people have one for each participant
enough food to eat.
Preparation
Needed materials Before the session begins, estimate how many participants

 A slice of bread and a small cup of water for
 you will have. Place enough jelly beans in the jar so that one-
each participant quarter of the group gets six jelly beans each and one-half
 Large bag of jelly beans or some other type of
 of the group gets two jelly beans each. The other quarter of
small candy the group will take their jelly beans from others.
 A jar large enough to place the jelly beans in Using the construction paper, make three signs: one that says
“rich,” one that says “poor,” and one that says “poorest.”
 Three sheets of construction paper
Post the images of Hope A. Potamus and Binja somewhere
 Small jars or containers (large enough to decorate),

in the front of the room.
one for each participant; another option is small
paper lunch bags

1 4
Open with prayer. Say It: For millions of children in the world, what you
just ate—a slice of bread and a glass of clean water—
is a wonderful treat. These children come from families

2
Do It: Give each participant a slice of bread who are poor and live in countries that are poor. Sometimes
(no butter or other spreads) and a cup of water. they have to skip meals because there isn’t enough to eat.
Thank God for the food He provides for us; Sometimes they have no food at all.
pray for people who don’t have enough food. Now, I’d like you to meet Hope A. Potamus and Binja. (Refer

3
Invite participants to eat their snack. As they to the images you have posted.) Hope is a happy photog-
are doing so, pose the following questions rapher hippo, and Binja is her reporter friend. Hope and Binja
for discussion: have traveled around the world to bring us pictures and stories
about kids in need. We’ll be hearing these stories and seeing
• How do you like your snack? some of these pictures each time we gather for a lesson.
• How often do you eat plain bread and
water for a snack? Now, let’s talk about the food we have to eat and begin to see
• What else would you have liked to have? what millions of other children in the world have to eat.
4
5
Ask the participants to name all of the foods they can
remember eating yesterday and today. Make a list of
these foods. Then ask and discuss the following questions:

• Have you ever been really hungry? What did it feel like?
• W
 hat do you think it would feel like if you didn’t eat for
four or five days?
• H
 ave you ever been worried that your family wouldn’t

© 2008 Margo Sabella/World Vision


have a meal because there wasn’t enough food?

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Say It: At some time you may have been hungry, but
there are millions of children in the world who go so long In the Jerusalem/West Bank/G
aza region, families
without eating that their bodies become damaged. They are hun gry because of war. All
these children have
have so little food to eat that they run out of energy and their to eat for lunch is bits of brea
d with oil.
bodies don’t grow the way God planned them to. And because they
have so little food, they spend a lot of their time trying to find or
grow food. There are lots of reasons people don’t have food, and
we’ll talk about those in our next lesson.

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Ask and discuss the following questions:
It may be hard for us to understand that while we have lots of food,
other people don’t. That’s because the food in the world isn’t evenly • H
 ow did you feel about the number of jelly
divided among all the people in the world. beans you got? (Allow members from each
group to answer.)

• D
 id the way I gave out the jelly beans seem fair?

7
Do It: Divide the participants into two equal groups, and Why? How could it have been fairer?
then divide one of the groups in half again. Give one of the
smaller groups the “rich” sign, the other smaller group the • W
 hat do you think this shows about how food is
“poorest” sign, and the larger group the “poor” sign. available in the world?

Explain that these groups represent all the people in the world. • Where do we get food?
Show them the jelly beans you have placed in a jar, and tell them
• If we can get food from a store, a restaurant, or a
that the jelly beans represent all the food in the world. Tell them
garden, why do you think those who are poor can’t
you will divide the jelly beans according to how much food each
get food at these places too?
group gets in real life.

Give the “rich” group three-quarters of the jelly beans. (This


group consumes 75 percent of the world’s food.) From the
remaining jelly beans, pick out enough so that 1 out of every 6
children in the “poorest” group receive one jelly bean. Give the
rest of the jelly beans to the “poor” group. (The poor group
consumes 23 percent of the world’s food, while the poorest
consume only 2 percent.)

Once each group gets their jelly beans, tell them to divide the
beans among the members of their groups. Note: There will not
be enough for all members of the poorest group to eat without
dividing a jelly bean.
© 2006 David duChemin/World Vision

5
9 12
Say It: Most people who are poor don’t have Do It: Give each child a jar (or lunch bag) and
money to buy food. Many others live in areas where a few permanent markers. Invite everyone to use
there are no stores, electricity for refrigerators, the markers to decorate their jar in whatever way
or restaurants. They can try to grow food themselves, they choose, instructing them to include the words “Giving Jar”
but often the food will not grow or the amount of food is somewhere in their design. Allow ample time for them
not enough. to decorate.

Invite participants to take their jars home and to put money in

10
Write the following verse on a sheet of them each day for the next four weeks. They can use earnings
poster paper or on a blackboard: from chores or their allowance and invite other family mem-
bers to contribute as well. You might even suggest that they
Give us each day our select a dollar amount (goal) to work toward. Remind them
that all people need food to eat. In providing help to those
daily bread. —Luke 11:3 who are hungry by collecting money with their giving jar, they
are part of God’s answer to prayer by giving food to people

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who need it.
Say It: We began our time together by eating
bread. Now let’s take a few minutes to study a Close with prayer. Remember to thank God for using your
Bible verse about bread. This verse is part of the group to answer the prayers of those in need.
prayer often called “the Lord’s Prayer.” Jesus gave this prayer
Give each participant a copy of the Lesson One
to His followers when they asked Him how they should pray.
coloring page (page 9) to take home.
Let’s talk about what this verse means, and how we can
apply it to our lives.

When we think about the bread we ate today, was it:

• Good or bad for our bodies? Why?


•  Fancy, like a pastry with whipped cream?
Or was it simple?

In Jesus’ time, like today, bread was a very important part


of the food that people ate. It is a simple food that gives
our bodies some of what they need to keep us healthy. Jesus
instructed His followers (that includes us!) to pray this verse
to God. When we do this, what are we asking God for?
(Answer: We are asking God to give us what we
need—not necessarily what we want.)

© 2009 Amio Ascension/World Vision

6
meet
Hope A .
Potamus

7
Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.
meet Binja

8
Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.
Give us each day
our daily bread.
—Luke 11:3

Say hello to two new friends!


Hope A. Potamus is a happy
photographer hippo. Binja,
her constant companion, is a
news reporter. Together, these
explorers will take you around
the world to learn how you
can help kids in need.

9
Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.
session two

When the Cupboards Are Bare


Objectives  Copies of Resource 1, “Hunger cards,” found

on page 15 (you will need to create one set
 Participants will explore what causes more than
 of cards)
1 billion people around the world to be hungry.
 Copies of Resource 2, “Who Will Eat? cards,” found

on pages 16 and 17 (you will need to
Needed materials
create one set of cards)
 Masking tape

 Copies of Lesson Two coloring page, found on page

 Poster board or poster paper, one sheet for every
 18, one for each participant
three or four participants
 Crayons, markers, or other drawing tools Preparation
  opies of Handout 1, “Not Enough to Eat,” found
C Mark off the floor with 11 parallel strips of masking tape

on page 14, one for each participant about 18 inches apart.

1 3
Open with prayer. Say It: During our time today we will look at some of
the reasons why people who are poor are often hungry.
Do you know what the word “famine” means? When
a group of people in one place don’t have enough food over
a long period of time, we call this “famine.” Famine is caused

2
Review It: Review what the participants learned by “drought,” which means there has not been enough rain to
in the last session: grow food.
• When we are hungry, where do we get food?
People who are poor can be hungry for many reasons other
(Answers: store, restaurant, garden)
than famine. In fact, Hope and Binja have a story to tell us of
• Is the world’s food divided evenly among all one child. As we read, pay close attention to why Kak Da, the
people? Who gets more? (Answer: Rich countries.) boy in the story, is hungry.
Who gets less? (Answer: Poor countries.)

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• Last week’s verse was Luke 11:3, “Give us each day Do It: Give each participant a copy of Handout 1,
our daily bread.” When you put money in your “Not Enough to Eat,” and invite someone to read the
giving jar, how are you being part of God’s answer story aloud to everyone. (If your group is too young
to prayer for those who are hungry? to read well, read the story aloud to them yourself.)

10
5 8
Say It: Children growing up in poor countries are Ask the participants to line up on the middle
often hungry because their families don’t have things strip of masking tape (see “Preparation” on page
like money and jobs to make sure there is enough food. 10; there should be five strips in front of them
and five strips behind them). Show the participants the
• Why was Kak Da hungry? stack of “Who Will Eat?” cards that you created from
pages 16 and 17. Tell them that each strip is a “step”
forward or backward, depending upon the card a

6
Do It: Distribute each of the cards from the player draws.
“Hunger cards” resource to the participants. Then

9
ask each participant to come forward and post the Allow each participant to draw a card from the
cards on the chalkboard or a nearby wall. pile. Have the participants take turns reading
their cards aloud and then moving according to
the direction on the card. Then have each participant

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draw another card and move again. When you run out
Ask the participants to name four things from the cards of cards, shuffle the deck and start over. If a participant
that cause hunger. The correct choices are no educa- moves behind the last strip in back, he or she is out.
tion, no farming tools, no seeds, and flooding. Then spend The first participant to move ahead of the very first
some time discussing these causes as noted below: strip wins.
• No education: When we get a good education, we When the game is over, have participants go back to
learn skills to get a job and make money. People who their seats.
are poor often haven’t had the chance to go to school
or learn skills to get a job, so they must try to grow
enough food to feed themselves.

• No farm tools or seeds: People who are poor often


don’t have good seeds or the right tools, or know the
best way to raise good crops.

• No water: Without faucets in their homes, people


who are poor often have to walk a long way to a well
or stream. It can take a long time to carry water back

© 2008 Sopheak Kong/World Vision


to their houses.

• Disaster: Disasters like floods, hurricanes, or a long


time without rain can destroy crops. When a disaster
happens here in the United States, we have ways to
make sure we still have food. When a disaster happens
in a poor country and crops are destroyed, people
often have no way to replace their lost food.

11
10
Say It: Each of these cards [point to the Hunger
cards] shows something that causes those who are poor
to be without food. If you were poor, could you control
any of these things that happened to you? (Answer: No. If
a participant says something like “I’d move out of that country,”
challenge their idea by asking how they would do so without any
money, any job skills, or a place to live. Many poor countries are
surrounded by other countries that are also poor.)

11
Do It: Divide participants into groups of three or
four. Provide each group with a sheet of poster board
or poster paper and some markers. Ask them to
create a poster that shows what keeps people in poor countries
from being able to get enough to eat.

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Say It: Before we start our assignment, let’s learn
a bit more about what life is like for people in poor
countries.
Remember, there are no restaurants or supermarkets. There might
be a small local market of people selling whatever extra food they
have grown in their gardens—potatoes, beans, or fruit, for example.
Gardens often don’t produce enough food. This could be because
the soil is very bad, or because people do not have tools, seeds, or
water. People who are poor often have no way to learn how to grow
food better.
Disasters like floods or too little rain can also ruin garden crops,
leaving people with no food.
Wars can force people to run from their homes, leaving them
without any land to grow food.

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Allow ample time for the groups to create their posters,
then ask each group to present to the larger group.

© 2006 Jon Warren/World Vision


Revisit the conversation you began last week about the
giving jars. Ask participants to share with one another how things are
going in their daily collection of money. Discuss some of the various
items that poor children might need.

12
14 16
Say It: People in many other countries have Say It: Today we talked about some
a lot less food than we do. We might not be reasons why people are hungry.
able to send them our food, but we can share
some of what we have. That’s what you will be doing with • What does this verse say God is asking us to do?
the donations you put into your giving jars.
• What does “sacrifice” mean? Does this means it’s
always easy to help others?

15
Write the following verse on a sheet of poster God loves all the people in the world, including people who
paper or on a blackboard: are hungry. That’s why God gives us opportunities to share
with others—and to show them that God loves them too.
Do not forget to do good Close with prayer. Pray that more people who are hungry
and to share with others, will get the basic things to grow or buy the food they need.

for with such sacrifices Give each participant a copy of the Lesson Two coloring
page (page 18) to take home.
God is pleased.
—Hebrews 13:16

© 2008 Albert Yu/World Vision

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handout 1

Not Enough to Eat


Almost every day, 10-year-old Kak Da and his cousin walk to
the murky stream near their home and wade ankle-deep in
mud to search for tiny fish. But the boys are not playing a
game. They are hoping to find food for their families.

Kak Da lives in the country of Cambodia. His parents are farm-


ers who grow and sell rice. Lately, they have not been able to
© 2009 Katie Chalk/World Vision

make enough money to buy food for Kak Da and his younger
sister. In Cambodia, some of the farmland has been ruined by
floods and long periods without rain. Because so much food
has been destroyed, the food that is left costs twice as much
ia. The little fish
Kak Da (abo ve) lives in Cambod as it did just two years ago.
his house are his
he catches in the stream near
. Some days, Kak Da goes without breakfast because there is
family«s only source of protein
not enough food for three meals. Lunch is usually very simple.
“Sometimes it’s just rice with salt,” he says. If his fishing has
been successful, then they get to add small fish, snails, or
crabs. Dinner is usually very similar.

Kak Da also works as a cattle herder to earn money for his


family. His father gets paid to help the harvesters and is rarely
home. Even with the money his father makes, Kak Da and his
family struggle to stay alive. If they get sick, they cannot afford
both food and medicine. As food gets even more expensive,
Kak Da’s mother worries that he will have to leave school to
work longer days.

Where is Cambodia?
Mongolia

China
Japan

India

Philippines

Cambodia
Indonesia

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their
full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a
demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

14 Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.


resource 1 Hunger cards

no no farm
education tools

flooding no
telephones

no toys animals

babies no seeds

trees leaky roof

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

15
resource 2 Who Will Eat? cards
Your part of the Your family has no
country has had no tools to prepare your
rain for six months. soil for planting.
Go back Go back
2 steps 1 step

Last year’s harvest was terrible and Your family has never learned how
you had to eat the seeds you were to grow good crops, so there is
going to save for this year. Now not enough in your garden
you have no seeds to plant. to feed everyone.

Go back Go back
1 step 1 step
Bugs eat your crops
Your village is
and you have no way
flooded by rain.
to stop them.
Go back Go back
1 step 1 step

Your house is destroyed You move to a big city so your parents


by an earthquake and can look for work. But there are
you have no food. no jobs—and now you have
no land to grow food.
Go back
2 steps Go back
2 steps
Soldiers come to your
You live in a cardboard house on the edge
village and fighting starts.
of a garbage dump, where you spend all
You must run to safety.
day picking through garbage to
Go back find food and scraps to sell.
1 step Go back
1 step
Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

16
You live in an area where Someone gives
the land is bad and doesn’t you some corn.
produce good crops.
Go back Go forward
2 steps 1 step

Your dad is sick, can’t afford


medicine, and doesn’t have Generous people give
enough energy to plant money to provide new
your garden. farming tools for you.

Go back Go forward
1 step 1 step
Someone gives you
some bananas. Generous people give
money to provide you
Go forward with better seeds.
1 step Go forward
2 steps
Someone gives
you some beans.

Go forward Generous people give


1 step money to provide food
for you during a drought.

Someone gives you Go forward


some tomatoes. 1 step
Go forward
1 step World Vision helps you build
a better way to water your
garden. It uses less water
Someone gives
and grows better vegetables!
you some rice.
Go forward Go forward
1 step 2 steps
Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

17
Do not forget to do good and
to share with others, for with
such sacrifices God is pleased.
—Hebrews 13:16

18 Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.


session three

Hungry for Change


Objectives   opies of Handout 2, “When There Is No Food,”
C
found on page 23, one for each participant
 Participants will understand that people who are

 Copies of Resource 3, “What We Need photos,”

hungry and living in impoverished countries have few
found on pages 24-28
resources to help them break the cycle of poverty
that is passed on from parents to children—unless  Copy of Resource 4, “Cycle of Poverty cards,” found

others take action to help them break this cycle. on page 29 (you will need to create enough cards
for each participant to have one)
Needed materials  Copies of Lesson Three coloring page, found on

 A ball of yarn page 30, one for each participant
 One pair of children’s scissors


1
Open with prayer. Uganda on a map or globe.) Julius’s mother died when
he was only 2 years old. His father could not take care
of him alone. Even though Julius’s uncle already had five

2
Review It: Review what the participants children to provide for, he said that he would take care
learned in the last session: of Julius. Today, Julius lives with his uncle and aunt and
thinks of his cousins as brothers and sisters.
• Last week we learned about some reasons
why people are hungry. What reasons can Life in Uganda is very different from life in the United
you think of now? (Possible answers States. The home that Julius lives in is much simpler than
include: No farming tools or seeds, no water, most of our homes. The windows are covered with
disasters, war.) wooden shutters and do not have glass to keep out
• Last week’s verse was Hebrews 13:16, “Do not wind and bugs. When Julius goes to bed at night, he
forget to do good and to share with others, for sleeps under a special net to keep mosquitoes from
with such sacrifices God is pleased.” How can we biting him.
“do good” and share with people who are hungry? Julius and his family do not have a television. In fact, they

3
don’t have electricity at all. This means that there is no
Say It: Today Hope and Binja introduce us to Julius. refrigerator to keep food cold and no microwave to
Julius’s Story cook things. Clothes and dishes must be washed by hand.

Julius is a 14-year-old boy who lives in a village In Uganda, many families are hungry because crops will
called Kayunga in the African country of Uganda. (Locate not grow and food prices keep going up. Julius’s uncle
19
4
Say It: Let’s imagine what it would be like to be poor
and not have enough food. Close your eyes and think
about your house.

Now:
• T
 urn off your electricity—now you have no lights,
refrigerator, television, computer, radio, or anything
else that runs on electricity.
© 2009 Sylvia Nabanoba/World Vision

• G
 ive away all the food in your cupboards except a
small amount of flour, sugar, and salt, and a few cups
of dried beans.
• Take away your telephone.
Julius (secon d from left), his uncle, and several
of his cousin s stand outside their home in Uganda. • Remove your car.
Julius hopes to become a doctor when he is older. • Turn off your heat and air-conditioning.
• Get rid of all your furniture except two chairs.
and aunt are farmers who work hard to give Julius and his • Replace your bed with a mat.
cousins enough to eat. They also run a small grocery store
• G
 ive away all your clothes except your two oldest
where they sell salt, biscuits, cooking oil, and spices to earn
outfits.
extra money.
• Shut off the running water.
Every day, Julius walks almost two miles to go to school at
• Remove all medicine.
Kakuuto Church of Uganda Primary School. There are no
school buses to pick children up. Until recently, Julius and his Now your house looks like the house Julius and his family
friends had to sit on the floor while they were learning. live in.
Though Julius’s life is very different from yours, there are Note: You can make the above exercise more realistic by
also things that are similar. Julius has dreams for the future, setting up a “house” in the room where you are meet-
just like you. When he grows up, he wants to be a doctor, ing. This can be done by using masking tape to outline the
just like the doctors who helped him when he had measles. house, then adding various objects to represent the items
Julius also likes sports. His favorite sport is football, which taken away. Instead of asking the participants to imagine
is played like American soccer. Julius plays football with his removing the items, allow them to remove those objects
friends after school. from the “house.”
Today Julius has a better chance of reaching his dream of

5
becoming a doctor. World Vision now works in Julius’s Do It: Give participants a copy of Handout 2,
community, and he is able to go to school. People in the “When There Is No Food.” Invite someone to read
United States give money that helps Julius and other children the story aloud. (If your group is too young to read
to get: well, read the story aloud to them yourself.)

• School supplies, school fees, and new classrooms.


• A water tank so that children can get clean drinking water
without walking long distances to streams or wells.
• Farming, training, tools, and seeds so that people like
Julius’s uncle can grow better food.
• Training on how to stay healthy by eating nutritious
foods and cleaning things like hands and food.

20
8
Say It: People who are poor want to work hard
to have better lives. But often they do not have the
basic things we’ve just talked about to improve the
way they live.

6
Parents who are poor do not have ways to make life better
Say It: Take a minute to think about the things you
for either themselves or their children. They usually do not
need to live. You know we need food. Can you guess
have enough money to make sure their families have enough
what our other needs might be? Invite some responses.
food, medical care, education, and work skills that can help
them earn enough money. When parents who are poor raise

7
children who are poor, it is likely that the children will grow up
Do It: Hold up copies of the photos from
to be poor too, and then they will raise more children who are
Resource 3, “What We Need,” one at a time.
poor. This is called the “cycle of poverty,” and it goes on and
As you do so, ask the participants to name the
on—unless someone like one of us is willing to help those who
other basic needs depicted in the photographs. Then
are poor to break the cycle.
discuss how they get each of these basic needs met in
their own community. Let’s talk about this “cycle of poverty.” Do you know what
“poverty” means? (Answer: Being poor.) Now, think of a
• When you need water, where do you go? What
wheel on your bicycle. When you ride your bike, what are the
would you do if there were no faucets?
wheels doing? (Answer: Going around and around.) Being
• When you are sick, where do you go? What would poor is like this wheel. Hunger and poverty go around from
you do if there were no doctors or hospitals? parents to children, and when those children grow up, it goes
to their children.
• When you need shelter, where do you go? What

9
would you do if you didn’t have a house?
Do It: Invite the participants to sit in a circle on
• When you need education, where do you go? What the floor. Give each participant one of the cards you
would you do if you didn’t have a school? created from Resource 4, “Cycle of Poverty cards.”
Tell them they are going to list the things that often make
• When you want to earn money, what do you do?
people poor. Give the ball of yarn to the first participant;
What would you do if you had no way to earn money?
ask him or her to read what is on their card and then hand
the ball of yarn to the next participant. Instruct each
participant to hold onto the unrolling piece of yarn when
they pass the ball. Tell the participants to stop when the
ball has gone around the entire circle once and the yarn
has returned to the participant who started.
© 2008 Amio Ascension/World Vision

21
10
Say It: When we use the word “bicycle” or
“tricycle,” the “cycle” part of the word refers
to the wheels. What did we decide earlier that
wheels do? (Answer: They go around and around.)

The cycle of poverty is like that—it keeps going from parents


to children until someone stops the cycle. In the game we’re
playing right now, this circle of yarn stands for the cycle of
poverty, and each of you stands for the cause of poverty you
read from your cards. Remembering that a cycle goes around
and around, what do you think will happen to the children
if they don’t get any help? (Answer: The cycle will begin
again because neither the parents nor the children have
the things they need to break the cycle themselves.)

11 13
Say It: What kind of help have you learned Say It: The Bible tells us many times
people need to break the cycle of poverty? that we are to care for people in need. Why
do you think God wants us to care about
As participants answer, hand them the scissors people we don’t even know? (Answer: Because God
and ask them to carefully cut the yarn in front of them. loves all people.)
The cycle of poverty has been broken!
This verse tells us that God is honored when we are kind to
those in need. What do you think it means to honor God?

12
(Answer: To put God ahead of what we want.)
Write the following verse on a sheet

14
of poster paper or on a blackboard: Ask the participants to share with one
another how things are going in their
Whoever is kind to the daily collection of money. Discuss some of
needy honors God … the various items that can be provided to children in need.
Remind participants that they have only one week left in
—Proverbs 14:31 their efforts. Remind them to stay focused during these
final days.

Close with prayer. Pray that God will continue to use


your group to break the cycle of poverty.

Give each participant a copy of the Lesson Three


coloring page (page 30) to take home.

22
handout 2

When There
Is No Food
Mugiraneza lives in the African country of Rwanda. Even
though he is 5 years old, he is only about as tall as a
1-1/2-year-old boy. Most boys his age would be in school
or playing. But Mugiraneza has no energy. Like many other
children who live in this part of Rwanda, he nearly starved
to death.
© 2007 Jon Warren/ World Vision

His father has brought him to a local health clinic that helps
children who are near starvation. He is slowly recovering—
but it could take months.
He received so
Mug iran eza is small for his age.
tha t his bod y Mugiraneza’s family is very poor. Just the year before, his
little foo d when he was younger
mother got sick and died because they did not have money
stopped grow ing.
for doctors or medicine. His father is a farmer, but most
of what he plants does not grow. Many other people in
Rwanda are having the same problem, because there has
not been enough rain.

Mugiraneza and his sister often go hungry. “It depends on


what is available,” says his father. “Some days, they don’t
have any food.”

Mugiraneza went so long without enough to eat that he


stopped growing. Because his body was missing many impor-
tant vitamins, his hair turned orange and his skin became
yellow. He stopped playing and even stopped talking.
Where is Now the nurses at the clinic are giving Mugiraneza food to
Rwanda? help him get stronger. But it could be months before he
is well enough to go home, and his father can’t go back to
farming while his son is in the hospital. This will only make
things worse.

“When I don’t farm, we don’t have food,” explains the


boy’s father. But he hopes that things will change. “I wish he
Africa would get better,” he says. “I want to farm for him so he
has enough to eat. I want him to go to school … and have a
better standard of living.”

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their
full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a
demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc. 23


resource 3

What We Need photos

© 2009 Amio Ascension/World Vision

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

24
resource 3

What We Need photos

© 2009 Vanhlee Lattana/World Vision

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

25
resource 3

What We Need photos

© 2009 Lucy Murunga/World Vision

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

26
resource 3

What We Need photos

© 2009 Armenuhi Sahakyan/World Vision

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

27
resource 3

What We Need photos

© 2008 Jon Warren/World Vision

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

28
resource 4 Cycle of Poverty cards

no seeds
no schools
to plant

no tools no school
for farming supplies

dirty water no school


to drink uniforms

no no skills to
medical earn money
care

man-made
natural
disasters
disasters
like war
Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

29
Whoever is kind
to the needy
honors God …
—Proverbs 14:31

30 Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.


session four

Sharing God’s Blessings


Objectives  Copies of Resource 7, “Certificate of completion,” found

on page 37, one for each participant
 Participants will understand that they can make a

 Copies of Handout 4, “How You Can Help,” found on

difference in helping people who are poor and will learn
page 38, one for each participant
specific ways they can continue to do so even after this
study is over. Preparation
Needed materials   sing copies of Resource 6, “Bookmark template,” cut
U
out enough bookmarks so that you have one for each
  rayons, glitter, and other craft items for decorating a
C
participant. Punch a hole in the top of each.
bookmark
 Fill out a “Certificate of completion” for each

 Yarn or string to make a “tassel” for each bookmark

participant.
  opies of Handout 3, “A Better Future,” found on page
C
  he lesson includes a short drama which is found on
T
34, one for each participant
page 35. You will want to review the drama, determine
 F our copies of Resource 5, “Skit: Count Pennies—Pennies how you will conduct it (role playing or puppet show, for
Count!” found on page 35 example), assign necessary roles, and practice a few times.
 Copies of Resource 6, “Bookmark template,” found on

page 36, one bookmark for each participant
(copy this page onto heavy paper such as cardstock)

1
Open with prayer. food, get medical care, go to school, and learn job skills to
earn money.)

• Last week’s verse was Proverbs 14:31, “Whoever is

2
Review It: Review what the participants learned kind to the needy honors God …”
in the last session:
• Why do you think God wants us to care for people
• When people are hungry and poor, they have who we don’t even know? (Answer: Because God loves
few ways to make their lives better. They often all people.)
don’t have a way to find clean water or grow

3
more food. They may not have been to school Say It: Last time we were together, we talked about
or learned job skills, so they have no way to the cycle of poverty and how it is difficult for people who
earn money. They are often sick, but they have are poor to get even the basics without help. It’s hard to
no way to get medical care. believe, but one of every two people in the world has less than
• How can we help them break the cycle of poverty? $2 every day for everything they need—including food, water,
(Answer: Help people to get clean water, grow better clothes, and shelter. 31
Working together, we can help! By putting donations in she could sponsor a child. Now she helps with yard
your giving jars, you are proving that even one person work, unloads the dishwasher, folds laundry, sweeps
can make a difference for people far away who are the garage, and waters plants to earn extra money.
hungry and poor. These people know the help they get Today Lauren is working twice as hard because she
comes from people like you who care—and they are now sponsors two children.
very thankful for what you share so they can learn to

6
grow better food, go to school, and be healthy. Do It: Conduct the drama found on page 35. Intro-
duce it by noting that its purpose is to demonstrate
Once again, Hope and Binja have a story to share with
that helping people in need can be easy, rewarding—
us about how people who are poor often cannot help
and even fun!
themselves until other people—like you and I—help

7
them first.
Say It: God has placed you in a country where people

4
have plenty of money, good education, and lots of food.
Do It: Give each participant a copy of
But more than half the people in the world don’t have
Handout 3, “A Better Future.” Invite someone
these things.
to read the story aloud. (If your group is
too young to read well, read the story aloud to • What ideas do you have for helping people in the
them yourself.) world who are poor?

5 8
Say It: Can one person your age make a Do It: Give each participant one of the bookmarks
difference for a child like Taranna? All across the you created from the bookmark template. Also hand
United States, children are doing amazing things out the crayons, markers, glitter, paint, and other
to help others. Here are a couple of examples: decorating items. Invite participants to add their own artistic
touches to these bookmarks. Finish the bookmark by attaching
• Forrest and his mom were visiting World Vision’s a piece of yarn or string to the hole at the top.
Web site when they read a story about a young
African boy who was so hungry he had to eat rats

© 2007 Jon Warren/World Vision


to survive. Forrest’s mother writes, “We talked
about those who are poor in the world and how
blessed we are to have a nice home and food to
eat whenever we are hungry.” Then Forrest asked
if his mother thought that the boy who had to eat
rats had any toys. His mother said he probably had
no toys. Forrest realized that he had enough toys,
so when his 7th birthday came he asked his party
guests to bring a cash donation instead of a gift.

9
When the guests arrived, Forrest was also able to Write the following verse on
tell them about the poor of the world who can use a sheet of poster paper or on
their help. Forrest collected $195 at his birthday a blackboard:
party and sent it to World Vision to help children
in need.
Do not merely
• Lauren was 9 years old when she went to a
Christian concert and heard about children who
listen to the Word
are poor and in need of help. She asked her parents … Do what it says.
if she could sponsor a child. This means Lauren had
decided to give $30 every month to help a child —James 1:22
have things like clean water, food, healthcare, and
education. “I’ll do anything,” Lauren told her parents.
Since Lauren’s allowance is much less than $30 a
month, she had to find new ways to make money so

32
10
Ask and discuss the following
questions:

• This verse says to listen to the Word.


What is “the Word”?

• Why do you think the Bible tells us not


just to listen to the words in it, but to
do what it says?

• When we think about the needs of


those who are poor, how can we do
what God’s Word says?

11
Do It: Distribute to each participant
a Certificate of Completion, as well as
a copy of Handout 4, “How You Can
Help.” Ask them to take some time to fill out the
action step portion of their certificate. If time
permits, you can invite participants to share what
actions they plan to take.

Tell participants that the handout will give them


information about what they can do with the
money they have collected in their giving jars over
the last four weeks. Encourage each participant
to spend some time with a parent to determine
how and where they wish to donate the funds
they have collected.

Close with prayer. Pray that God will continue to


show your group ways you can help people who
are poor.
© 2008 Kevin Cook/World Vision

33
handout 3

A Better Future
Taranna’s story

Fourteen-year-old Taranna lives in a very poor area in India called


a slum. Life is very hard for her family. Taranna’s father is sick with
asthma and needs medicine to stay healthy. Although he works,
he does not make enough money to pay for his medicine and take
care of the rest of his family.

“Whatever he earn[s], he spends on his medicines,” says Taranna’s


© 2008 Kit Shangpliang/World Vision

mother. This means that there is not much money left for food.

At a young age, Taranna went to work polishing gemstones to


make money so that her family would not go hungry. Polishing
gems is hard work. Taranna gets tired, and sometimes the gems
Tarann a (secon d from left) used to work cut her hands. Taranna’s mother wishes that her daughter did not
12 hours every day polishing gems. Now she is have to work, but the family is so poor that she has no choice.
going to school and helping other children learn.
Taranna used to work 12 hours a day—from early in the
morning until late at night. This meant that there was no time
for her to go to school. Even though education would give her
skills to get a job as an adult, making money for her family’s daily
survival was more important. As her family struggled day after
day, it looked like Taranna would not be able to create a better
life than her parents had.

• H
 ow do you think you would feel if you had to spend
your days polishing gems? What things could help Taranna
Where have a better life? (Answer: Taranna needs food, education,
is India? and healthcare if she is to have a better future.)

Today Taranna still lives in the slum, but her life is improving.
World Vision began working with the children in this area,
Mongolia
providing support and encouragement for them to attend school.
Now, Taranna only works for one hour a day and is going to school.
China
Japan
She is the first woman in her family who has learned to read and
write. Soon, she will finish high school.

Taranna knows that the education she is getting can help her break
Philippines free from poverty, and she wants to help other children understand
this too. She has become a leader at a World Vision children’s club,
Indonesia where she and her friends are passing along what they have learned
to other boys and girls. “Our dream is to see that every child …
India
know[s] how to read and write well,” says Taranna.

Australia Because of the help she got from World Vision, Taranna has a
bright future. The money you have saved in your giving jars can
help more children like Taranna and her friends break free from
poverty by helping them get enough food and go to school.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their
full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a
demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.
34
Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.
resource 5 “Count Pennies—
Pennies Count!”
Megan and Sarah are walking to the local candy store Megan: How do you do that? Do you pack the
with money jingling in their pockets. chickens in a box and send them to Africa?

Megan: Hey Sarah, what kind of candy are you going to Brian: No. It’s really easy. I send the money to
buy today? World Vision, and they give the chickens to
families in poor countries so they have eggs
Sarah: I don’t know. My mom didn’t have much to eat and sell. Or I can send seeds to families
change, and the candy there is expensive. in need for $17. The seeds grow into vegetables
I think I might have enough for two of those and provide food for families who are hungry.
yummy watermelon candies. You know, the Isn’t that great?
big ones?
Sarah: I’m not sure. $17 could buy lots of candy …
Megan: I’ve been dying all day for some fudge. I hope
they have the kind with nuts in it. Brian: Or it could help a family have food for a
long time.
Sarah (pointing to the ground, says without enthusiasm):
Hey, a couple of pennies. Megan: But why should we? This is our money.

Megan (shrugs): Yeah. Sarah: But, wait, Megan. Do you remember when we
learned last week in Sunday school that every-
The girls keep walking. thing we own really belongs to God—and that
Sarah (laughing): Did you hear what happened when … He wants us to share with people who don’t
have as much?
Brian comes in, interrupts Sarah.
Megan (smiling): Oh, yeah. I guess we can share some
Brian: Hey! Look! I found two pennies. of what we have. And I already have an idea! I
think I’ll get a smaller piece of fudge and save
Megan and Sarah turn and stare at Brian.
the rest of my money to give to someone else.
Megan: Yeah. We saw those, but you can’t buy
Sarah: And I can buy just one piece of candy—
anything with a couple of pennies.
not two—and give the money I save away.
Sarah: Especially at the candy store—and that’s where
Brian: See? You’re already coming up with great ways
we’re going.
to help people who are poor.
Brian (holding out the pennies): Are you kidding? I
All three turn to the audience and say: “What ways
always pick up pennies. Sure, they may not buy
can you think of to help people who are poor?”
much here. But in other countries they can do
a lot to help people who are poor.

Sarah: I don’t know any people who are poor.

Brian: Well, you don’t have to know them to help


them. I put all the pennies I get in a big jar,
and then I use the money to buy a family in
need some chickens, or a blanket, or seeds for
planting a vegetable garden.

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

35
resource 6
Bookmark template

5 your
family
things
can
do to
5 your
family
things
can
do to
5 your
family
things
can
do to
help people help people help people
who
are poor who
are poor who
are poor
1 Pray for them. 1 Pray for them. 1 Pray for them.

2 Sponsor a child in another country. 2 Sponsor a child in another country. 2 Sponsor a child in another country.
Go to www.worldvision.org or call Go to www.worldvision.org or call Go to www.worldvision.org or call
1.800.423.4200. 1.800.423.4200. 1.800.423.4200.

3 Learn more about people who are 3 Learn more about people who are 3 Learn more about people who are
poor. Visit www.worldvision.org. poor. Visit www.worldvision.org. poor. Visit www.worldvision.org.

4 Organize a fundraiser and buy a 4 Organize a fundraiser and buy a 4 Organize a fundraiser and buy a
gift for an impoverished family. gift for an impoverished family. gift for an impoverished family.
Visit www.worldvisiongifts.org. Visit www.worldvisiongifts.org. Visit www.worldvisiongifts.org.

5 Create a family “giving jar” to 5 Create a family “giving jar” to 5 Create a family “giving jar” to
collect donations year-round. collect donations year-round. collect donations year-round.

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

36
resource 7
Certificate of completion

Certificate
of completion
______________________________________________________________
(name)
has completed World Vision’s “When Do We Eat?” program and is now a
partner-friend of children around the world. Together we have learned that
we can help people who are hungry and in need—and help break the cycle
of poverty!

To help those who are poor in my community and around the world, I will:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Certificate
of completion
______________________________________________________________
(name)
has completed World Vision’s “When Do We Eat?” program and is now a
partner-friend of children around the world. Together we have learned that
we can help people who are hungry and in need—and help break the cycle
of poverty!

To help those who are poor in my community and around the world, I will:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

37
handout 4 How You Can Help
For the past few weeks, you and your family have been collecting money for those who are
hungry and poor. Now you must decide what to do with that money. Spend some time with
a parent discussing some of the ideas below. These are various ways your money can help
those in need.

Give a gift
World Vision’s Gift Catalog allows your family to give life-changing gifts to children and
families in need—things like goats, clean-water wells, or seeds. You can even donate in
the name of someone special. Go to www.worldvisiongifts.org to see and order items
from the catalog.

Sponsor a child
Thousands of children need help. You and your family can sponsor a child and help his
or her whole family and community through World Vision’s Child Sponsorship program.
You can choose the country, gender, age, and even birth date of your sponsored child.
Think about sponsoring someone who shares your birthday! Visit www.worldvision.org
for more information.

Educate others
World Vision Resources provides wonderful educational books and tools to help
children and families learn more about hunger and poverty. Use your giving jar money
to order one of our books and donate it to your church, or present it to your teacher
as a tool to help others learn how they too can reach out to those who are poor. Go
to www.worldvisionresources.com to see the growing number of books available.

© 2008 Zanele Dlamini/World Vision

Permission to reproduce is granted. © 2010 World Vision, Inc.

38
About World Vision

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their
communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated
by our faith in Jesus Christ, World Vision serves alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of
God’s unconditional love for all people. We envision a world in which each child experiences “fullness of life”
as described in John 10:10. And we know this can be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty
and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World Vision is unique: We bring 60 years of experience in three
key areas needed to help children and families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy.
And we bring all of our skills across many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to
care for children’s physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Partnering with World Vision provides tangible ways to honor God and put faith into action. By working
together, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families who are struggling to overcome
poverty. To find out more about how you can help, visit www.worldvision.org.

About World Vision Resources

Ending global poverty and injustice begins with education: understanding the magnitude and causes
of poverty, its impact on human dignity, and our connection to those in need around the world.

World Vision Resources is the publishing ministry of World Vision. World Vision Resources educates
Christians about global poverty, inspires them to respond, and equips them with innovative resources
to make a difference in the world.

For more information, contact:


World Vision Resources
Mail Stop 321
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, WA 98063-9716
Fax: 253.815.3340
wvresources@worldvision.org
www.worldvisionresources.com

39
“When do we eat?” These words are common to the vocabulary
of almost every child. When we’re hungry, we expect to have quick
access to food. But in many parts of the world, hunger is a constant
companion. Children growing up in impoverished countries get
sick—and many even die—because they don’t have enough food.

When Do We Eat? A Guide to Understanding World Hunger and


Doing Something About It is designed to teach young people in
grades 1-3 to understand the causes of world hunger, to learn
how they can make a difference in the lives of those who are
hungry, and to give them an opportunity to respond.

Through this curriculum, young people learn:

• What it means to be hungry


• Why millions of boys and girls their age are hungry
• H
 ow they can make a difference by helping those
who are hungry

The study is designed so leaders can integrate individual parts into


a regular Sunday school or Bible class curriculum or use an entire
lesson to fill a full class hour.

PAIR091268_1209 © World Vision, Inc.


34834 Weyerhaeuser Way S.
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, WA 98063-9716

www.worldvision.org

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization


dedicated to working with children, families, and their
communities worldwide to reach their full potential by
© 2008 Hasanthi Jayamaha/World Vision

tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by


our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and
oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional
love for all people. World Vision serves all people,
regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

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