The Worlds Youngest Poverty Fighter
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
I am constantly amazed by the youth of today!! I hear so much encouragement from our event and how God is using it to confirm misional callings on peoples lives, inspiring people to give and go, and it being a catalyst for change in peoples thinking and attitudes toward the poor and social action. One of the greatest joys of my travels is that I meet inspired young people and delight in hearing their stories of how they’ve taken up the call to speak for the voiceless and stand up for severe injustices all around the world. This past week I got to hang with a young girl who rocked my world with her passion and purpose for the heart of God. Now 10 years old, I interviewed her so I could tell her story, a story that will inspire even the hardest hearts to, as Mother Theresa once said, “do small things with great love”. Jordan Grosser – One of the world’s youngest poverty fighters!
It all began when she was 7 years old. Jordan Grosser, was at church one Sunday when they handed out a brochure from TEAR Fund called “The Worlds Most Useful Gift Catalog”. She took the leaflet home and was reading it one afternoon and realized that she could buy school supplies for a student in a developing nation for only $5, or she could send a student through school for an entire year for as little as $45. Jordan, a self confessed lover of school, was amazed at how cheap it was to give someone the same chance as she has at an education. “I loved stationary as a kid, I thought they’d be happy if I can supply them with theirs” said Jordan.
So she set out to do something about it. An idea came to her one afternoon that she could make and sell items to raise money for school supplies for kids around the world. She quickly re-arranged her bedroom and it became a factory. Working tirelessly to create ornately designed wrapping paper, which she sold to her friends and family for wrapping birthday presents, and made Japanese origami, paper ornaments, jewelry and beads, which she sold at school market stalls and at church. Her grandmother then donated some books to her cause, so she set up a bookstall at her church and began selling used books to the congregation. Items ranged from between 5c to $2 for the most expensive books. Jordan sold shells and prized rocks she collected at the beach to her friends when they came over to visit and play…. She used every opportunity to sell items to everyone she met.
After 4 months she had raised over $270, all of which she gave to TEAR Fund. That enabled 54 kids to receive school supplies for an entire year!! “All human beings should have the same rights! Education, shelter, it all comes back to the fact that we are all deserving of the same things… its wrong for people to be deprived of these basic rights” said Jordan.
Today, Jordan is 10 years old and continues to speak out against injustice and uses every opportunity to fight poverty. She recently finished the World Vision 8 hr famine (for children), helped raise money for a hospice ministry which operates in India and sponsors children through Compassion International, “I love reading the letters I receive from my sponsor kids, they always express their gratitude for sponsoring them. It makes me feel happy knowing I’ve been able to make a difference in someone else’s life.”
When I asked about how her friends at school responded to her newfound vision she responded, “A lot of fellow kids at school were really interested and encouraging… very supportive actually. Doing this is nothing compared to what people in poverty need to do, carrying heavy buckets of water for miles, it’s a heavy load! The least we can do is give a little. Pocket money, giving to TV telethons, every bit counts, every 5c adds up and soon makes $5 - which buys stationary.”
Recently, Jordan was involved in a class project in which they wrote a song about poverty and injustice and sent it to their local Member of Parliament, urging him to do everything within his power to help put an end to poverty. ”I want to help halve world poverty by 2015- If we all get motivated and help out… it could happen!”
What a legend!! A 10-year old who is changing the world! Doing what she can, “small things with great love” to impact those living in poverty around the world. She inspired me, and I hope her story inspires you! Ask yourself today, “What can I do to help raise awareness and resources for mission and social action work around the world?” Then go do it!!
