The Tree of Poverty

This is a visual representation of the challenges women face. The mistake we often make as nonprofits and ministries is to focus on the branches of the tree. In Ruth Harbor's case, we focus on "unplanned pregnancy" as the issue that needs to be addressed.

While we acknowledge that poverty plays a part, we fail to recognize that "unplanned pregnancy" is only a (small) symptom of many much larger issues in a woman's life. Each of these issues are branches of the tree, which is deeply rooted in generational poverty.

To help a woman go from surviving to thriving, we must address the root issues that start with the impact of toxic family and community relationships. Helping a woman understand the negative impact toxic relationships can have on her life and develop proper boundaries is key to begin addressing the multitude of symptoms resulting from generational poverty.