Life is not easy for Bholanath on the small Indian island of Maipith in the Bay of Bengal. Poverty here is rampant and ruthless, and opportunities to overcome it are scarce. Bholanath struggles as a daily laborer. He considers it a good day when he earns enough to feed his children more than one meal for the day.

Today, thanks to the support of Children International , a member of Global Impact’s charity alliance , Bholanath and five other fathers are working as self-employed fishermen on a boat they own jointly. The men distribute the profits from their catches equally.

As a result of the families’ improved standard of living, their children have a chance to break through the barrier of poverty in their own lives. “Feeding a big family is always very hard,” says Bholanath, “but now I feel lighter and happier.” Six families, a total of 29 people, have seen their household incomes nearly double since receiving the boat and fishing net. With one compassionate donation of about $1,500, Children International delivered a life-altering gift.