Helping fathers stay close to home & keeping families together

When a father is struggling to provide for his family, the weight of it can be hard to put into words.

He may be worried about food. School costs. Keeping the house warm. Finding work that pays enough to get through another month.

And even when he is doing everything he can, it can still feel like he is falling short.

Poverty is too heavy a burden for any one person to carry alone.

That is why we work closely with families over time. We are not just dropping off help and leaving. Through local staff, partner churches and long-term family sponsorship, we walk with families as they work toward stability, confidence and self-sufficiency.

You can see this in the story of Viktor and Mariya in Ukraine. Viktor is a hardworking father, husband and church deacon. He does not have regular employment, but he takes temporary jobs whenever he can to provide for medical needs, clothing, school supplies and everyday basics for their growing family.

Through Mission Without Borders, their family received food, clothing, footwear, household supplies and school support. They also joined Seeds of Hope, receiving vegetable seeds so they could grow more of their own food. For a family already working hard on the land, that kind of help does more than fill plates. It builds dignity. It gives a father and mother a stronger way to provide for their children close to home.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Esmir and Nermina’s family faced a similar struggle. Esmir works hard to provide, but low wages and a lack of winter work meant the family often struggled to afford food. Through Seeds of Hope, the family received seeds for potatoes, onions, carrots, beans, cucumbers and other vegetables. Nermina also took part in Mission training on how to grow vegetables well, which helps supplement the resources Esmir can provide.

Their garden meant fewer trips to the market, where food was often too expensive. It also meant the pressure on Esmir to provide every single meal was eased. The whole family worked together, and the children learned that food can come from patience, care and hard work.

This kind of support matters because when there is no local work, parents often feel they have no choice but to leave home, or even leave the country, to earn money. Many do it out of love. They go because they want their children to eat, stay in school and have a better life.

But leaving comes at a cost.

Children miss the daily care of a parent. Families become stretched. Parents may end up far from the protection of family, church and community. And when people are already living in poverty, the search for work can make them more vulnerable to unsafe labour, exploitation and human trafficking.

This is not a small concern. In 2024, the European Union recorded 9,678 registered victims of human trafficking. Of the cases where the form of exploitation was reported, 37 per cent involved forced labour or forced services. In Moldova, authorities identified 149 trafficking victims in 2024, including 87 labour trafficking victims, and most identified victims were men exploited through labour trafficking or forced criminality. In Bulgaria, traffickers exploit men and boys in forced labour across Europe, especially in agriculture, construction and hospitality.

These numbers do not mean every parent who leaves home for work is trafficked. But they do show why safe, local ways to earn income matter. When families are desperate, bad offers can look like the only way forward.

We see the pain of family separation in Andreea’s story from Moldova. As a little girl, both of her parents worked abroad. She was left in the care of her grandmother, who worked long hours. Later, her father abandoned the family and her mother remained overseas for work. Andreea remembers feeling isolated and forgotten.

Mission Without Borders came alongside her through Family and child sponsorship, summer camp, practical care and education support. Today, she is studying multimedia production and building skills that can help her create a more stable future.

Skills training can change the direction of a family’s story. In Bulgaria, Dimitrina had little education and few job prospects. Employers kept refusing her because she had no qualifications. When her family was enrolled in Mission Without Borders’ Family Sponsorship program, local staff encouraged her to take a vocational tailoring course. She completed the course, received her certificate and was hired almost right away. Read Dimitrina's story here.

That job became a lifeline for her family.

These are the kinds of practical steps that help families stay together. A garden. A course. A scholarship. A local job. A caring staff member who visits, listens and encourages someone who has almost given up.

Helping fathers is not about replacing their role. It is about standing beside them so they can keep showing up for their families.

When you support Mission Without Borders, you help parents build a future closer to home. You help children grow up with more stability. You help fathers and mothers find dignity, hope and practical support right where they are.

Read more stories of hope and impact here.