If you’ve ever wanted to leave the world a little bit better than you found it, or if you’re a Christian who wants to use your God-given resources to do His work in new ways, keep reading. Serving projects supporting developing countries’ growth and prosperity is among the best ways to do the most good for the people who most need it. Here’s what you need to know about developing countries, their greatest challenges, and how to help.
What Is a Developing Country?
Developing countries (sometimes called emerging countries or low-income countries) have economies that are still in the process of industrialization or have yet to reach a level of economic and social development comparable to those of more developed countries. Examples of the least developed countries (LDCs) in the world include those in Africa (particularly in sub-Saharan Africa); Central, Southern, and Eastern Asia (with exceptions); and Latin America and the Caribbean.
While definitions of what constitutes an emerging country vary, a common thread is that these nations are still developing their infrastructure, institutions, and the overall economy. They are sometimes referred to as low-income countries because they often have lower income per capita, higher levels of poverty, and greater reliance on agriculture and natural resource extraction than wealthier nations.
It’s important to note that although it is still commonly used, the term “developing country” can be problematic in some contexts because it can sound condescending, dehumanizing, or judgmental. It can imply that the problems citizens of such nations face are somehow their fault or that they don’t inherently deserve the same resources and opportunities as people in wealthier countries. In other contexts, it can be factually inaccurate, as the characteristics of nations often lumped into this category are very different.
Significant Barriers to Advancement for Developing Nations
For an emerging nation to become secure, healthy, and prosperous, it must address the kinds of conflicts that threaten the vitality of its people. Some of the most significant challenges that prevent developing countries from thriving include:
Poverty: Poverty is the most significant barrier to development in many low-income countries. High levels of poverty limit access to basic needs such as food, clean water, healthcare, education, and housing. As of 2023, about 719 million people worldwide lived in extreme poverty, living on less than $2.15 per day.
Poor infrastructure: Developing countries often need essential infrastructure, including roads, transportation systems, electricity, and telecommunications. This absence severely limits economic growth and makes it challenging to access essential services.
Limited access to education: Education is crucial for advancements in health, technology, energy, and more, yet many emerging countries struggle to make quality education accessible to their citizens. Barriers can include unaffordable tuition, long distances to school, a lack of well-trained teachers, disease, and children taking on marriage, work, or childcare prematurely. This reality perpetuates poverty, preventing people from gaining the skills to secure lucrative jobs and a good quality of life.
Political instability: Political instability, including corruption, civil unrest, and violence, can have a significant impact on a country’s development. A lack of political security can limit foreign investment and make implementing policies and programs promoting economic growth and development arduous.
Environmental degradation: Environmental degradation, including deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution, yields minimal short-term gains and grave long-term consequences for the economy and public health. Environmental degradation can ultimately extinguish agricultural productivity, limit clean water sources, and exacerbate poverty.
Health and disease: Health and disease are also significant challenges facing developing countries. Many people in developing countries—particularly rural areas— cannot procure basic medical services and treatments. Providing healthcare is especially problematic given that low-income countries in tropical zones face greater health challenges than elsewhere, including life-threatening infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
Lack of access to clean water: Access to clean water is another significant challenge in many emerging countries. Billions of people cannot reliably or easily procure safe drinking water, and billions more live in areas that need adequate sanitation facilities. Drinking and bathing in contaminated water exacerbates existing public health threats, as it can result in severe bacterial and viral infections. Without good medical care, these go untreated, sickening or killing children and keeping them out of school.
Lack of energy resources: Safe energy resources are limited in many developing countries. Lack of reliable infrastructure that supports widespread use of electricity limits economic growth and makes it difficult for people to provide or access essential services such as healthcare and education.
Ways Governments, Organizations, and Individuals Can Help
There are plenty of ways that people can help developing nations make critical advancements that pave the way for their people to prosper. Governments, non-government organizations (NGOs), nonprofit organizations, and individuals all have important roles to play.
While governments and large organizations can implement investments and policies that work to promote development, private citizens of any country can have an enormous impact as well. If you’re one person, family, community, or church wondering what you can do to help, consider any of the following actions:
- Volunteering with a nonprofit or church organization that works to address various challenges in low-income nations
- Donating money, goods, or services to such organizations
- Using your sphere of influence at work, church, in family and social circles, and on social media to educate others about the needs of emerging nations and to connect people with ways to help
Once you’ve decided to support a worthwhile cause in a developing country, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish. By offering your resources and working with others, you can make life-changing differences in the lives of countless people in the following areas:
Promote economic growth: Governments can promote economic growth by implementing policies encouraging investment, trade, and entrepreneurship. International organizations can provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries to support this process.
Increase access to education: Governments can invest in education infrastructure and incentivize families to send their children to school. Other organizations can provide financial assistance to create or support education programs in developing countries.
Support infrastructure development: Major investors of many kinds can work to support infrastructure development, including roads, transportation systems, electricity, and telecommunications. Various organizations can provide financial, material, and engineering assistance to support infrastructure development in developing countries.
Promote good governance and political stability: Governments can promote political security by implementing policies that promote transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. Government and non-government organizations can provide other forms of support to help promote political stability.
Address environmental degradation: The governing bodies of low-income nations and those invested in their success can implement policies and programs to reduce environmental degradation. These policies include reforestation programs, soil conservation programs, and water pollution control. Other organizations can provide financial, educational, and technical assistance to support environmental programs in developing countries.
Address health and disease: Governments and private investors can support the creation of healthcare infrastructure and provide incentives for healthcare professionals to work in underserved areas. Various organizations can provide assistance to help healthcare programs in developing countries, including services like education and transportation.
Increase access to clean water: Governments and other organizations can invest in water infrastructure and implement policies to reduce pollution and conserve water resources. They can also use various strategies to support clean water programs in emerging countries.
Promote access to energy: Various organizations can invest in energy infrastructure and implement policies to promote renewable energy sources. In this regard, financial, educational, and technical assistance forms can be of enormous value.
Support private sector development: Governments of low-income nations and those invested in their success can implement policies to encourage entrepreneurship and foreign investment. Other organizations can offer mentorship and additional support to encourage people to either go into business or expand their existing business.
Provide humanitarian aid: All governments, organizations, and individuals can work together to address the most immediate needs of people in developing nations. Support can involve anything from disaster relief to installing wells facilitating clean water access. Providing humanitarian aid is a great way to do good works, connect with people, and deepen your gratitude for the resources and systems that make your life easier.
Lift People In Developing Nations With Tree of Life for the World
Tree of Life for the World provides essential community development, health, and education services for the most underserved people in low-income countries, including care for widows and orphans. We focus on lifting children and communities through education, essential healthcare, improved infrastructure, workforce support, and disaster relief through a Christ-centered approach.
You can support our work by making a one-time donation or monthly donation. Your sponsorship prioritizes protecting orphans, widows, and their community’s well-being. Your monthly gift allows a community’s dreams to become a reality. Give today!