A view from the Shore

There are moments when you can feel the quiet convergence of calling, opportunity, and community—and I believe the upcoming THRIVE Forum in Chicago this October 16–17 will be one of those moments.

Around the world, we are seeing what happens when smallholder farmers are not given handouts, but dignity, tools, and a pathway forward—when households begin to move from surviving to thriving, and from stability to true resilience. Again and again, the stories coming out of THRIVE remind us that this is not theory—it is transformation, unfolding in real time in the lives of families who are learning new ways to see the world, to farm, to save, and to hope again.

And so, we gather—not simply to talk about a program at its halfway point, but to bear witness to what God is doing through it. Chicago will be more than a meeting; it will be a space where vision sharpens, where partnerships deepen, and where we collectively wrestle with what it means to press further into the work of ending extreme poverty. There is something powerful about being in the room with others who have chosen to lean in—to invest not only resources, but belief—in a model that restores identity and agency and invites families to step into a different future.

My hope is that when we come together, we will not just celebrate what has been accomplished, but we will be stirred toward what is still possible. Because, if the data and stories we’ve seen so far are any indication, we are only at the beginning. The invitation before us is not simply to observe this movement—but to help shape it. And I can’t help but feel a deep sense of anticipation for what will happen when this community gathers in Chicago, ready once again to ask: What might it look like, together, to go further?

Join us in Chicago!

World Vision in the news

National Public Radio presented a recently published article about World Vision’s work with displaced people in one of the poorest places on earth — Somalia. It is not the THRIVE model, but it shares common objectives of helping people living in extreme poverty get back on their feet economically.

Anti-poverty program is effective even in one of the world's toughest settings

The NPR article is a good overview. A deeper review can be found at:

Graduation from poverty: Can a big push program help conflict-affected households? Evidence from Somalia

Join us in prayer

Three drivers of food insecurity for smallholder farmers around the world are on the march. These include:

1. The expectation of a major El Niño event this year, which usually means increased rainfall in some parts of the world, increased drought in others, and rising temperatures;
2. Rising fuel prices because of conflict in the Middle East;
3. Rising fertilizer prices because of conflict in the Middle East.

When fuel and fertilizer prices change rapidly, there are some ways that smallholder farmers can cope. When weather patterns also do not cooperate, the prospect is much bleaker. Add historic cuts in foreign assistance, and the outlook is grim.

Please pray:

For World Vision and others who are seeking to prepare farming communities for what is coming, and to strengthen important coping mechanisms (like cash savings, crop diversification, and heeding early warning systems).

For World Vision and others who are readying our response mechanisms like recovery lending or prepositioned supplies so that we can respond quickly and most effectively when the emergency begins.

Thank you for uniting with us in prayer and for your faithful partnership!

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