MODULE 4
Q1
Social and economic inequalities lead to imbalances in opportunities for advancement and growth. These imbalances lead to a greater sense of insecurity and lack of control. Microfinance or village banking programs are approaches used to encourage shared risk, security in savings, and opportunities for capacity building. Discuss the potential of such microfinance programs in lower-income communities where irregular income is common and their impact on reducing social and economic disparities. In your response, identify a specific example of such a program in a low-income or middle-income country and critically discuss one challenge and one benefit of the program. Evaluate the relationship between economic microfinance programs and social inequalities..
Q2
Inequalities lead to feelings of despair, depression, and anxiety often associated with substance use disorders. Consider the following scenario: Mr. Banda is a middle-aged man living in rural Malawi with a wife and three young children. He often travels to find work while his wife and children maintain the family farm to sustain themselves. Recently, Mr. Banda found out he was HIV positive without access to HIV antiretroviral therapy in the village. He became severely depressed and turned to alcohol to help him cope as an available social outlet. Over time, he started to drink on credit against his family’s harvest. When harvest time came, the tavern owner showed up at Mr. Banda’s home demanding half of his harvest to pay off his debt. Mr. Banda has come to you to ask for help. How would you respond to Mr. Banda after he shared his story with you? Discuss three social or economic inequalities influencing Mr. Banda’s actions and options. How would you leverage the strengths of faith-based organizations or
churches in the area to address these factors influencing Mr. Banda’s options assuming others in the community are going through similar situations? Watch the “Aid and Development” video to help you in answering this discussion question.
STUDY MATERIALS
Read Chapter 8 in For the Love of God: Principles and Practice of Compassion in Missions.
Read “Mental Health Services Provision in Low and Middle-Income Countries,” by Rathod et al., from Health Services Insights (2017). URL:https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=126273972&site=eds-live&scope=site
Watch the “Aid and Development” video in the Participatory Community Development playlist, located in the Student Success Center, in preparation for responding to a discussion question in this topic. This video discusses how humanitarian aid and charity influence the definition of development. A faith-based approach to holistic development is important to integrate participation and strong relationships with community development work that continues beyond relief and rehabilitation activities.URL: https://www.gcumedia.com/lms-resources/student-success-center/v3.1/#/media-element/CONHCP/002E95E4-E032-E811-8F95-005056A072B6
Read “Faith-Based Organizations and Development: Prospects and Constraints,” by Olarinmoye, from Transformation (2012). URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0265378811427985
Read “Faith-Based and Secular Humanitarian Organizations,” by Ferris, from International Review of the Red Cross (2005). URL: https://jliflc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/irrc_858_ferris.pdf
Read “Poverty and Mental Disorders: Breaking the Cycle in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries,” by Lund et al., from The Lancet (2011). URL: http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(11)60754-X.pdf
Read “Principles of Excellence in Integral Mission, located on the Accord Network website. URL: http://www.accordnetwork.org/integral/
