Poverty Reduction

A summary of the issue

Imagine.......being so hungry that you have already eaten the seeds for next years planting, not knowing where your next meal will come from. Not having a roof over your head and nowhere to go. Being really sick and not being able to see a doctor. Your family and friend around you are dying from preventable dieses but you cannot afford to help them. Not being able to bury your dead.  You cannot read or write because you cannot go to school and you have no hope of getting a job. You are powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom with no hope of change. Living your life one day at a time.  This is poverty.

There are different levels of poverty.  Poverty at a national level means a country may have insufficient economic resources to invest in education, health, infrastructure, political and legal systems and public institutions, which can lead to instability and civil unrest. This is not fair and injust. In developed countries, deep and persistent poverty is a serious social problem but is less widespread than in developing countries. Poverty is often concentrated in certain segments of society, mostly defined by region, by age, or by social group.

Poverty occurs in different countries for many different reasons.

·       Lack of education is one main reason that poverty exists in such countries like Africa. Families that lack education often cannot afford to send themselves or their children to school. This leads to being illiterate and makes it extremely difficult to find a job and make a living.

·        Other reasons that poverty occurs are that many people are unable to work (handicapped) and have to rely on others for everyday needs.

·       Natural disasters are a huge cause of poverty as cyclones and fires can destroy crops and houses and these are the necessities that victims need to survive each day.

·       Corrupt governments are a cause of poverty in countries like Zimbabwe. These governments are significant causes for civil wars and this leads to crops, land and houses being destroyed.

What can be done about the issue?

Poverty is a worldwide issue but it can be resolved. There are many charity groups that are trying to reduce poverty such as make poverty history, caritas, Oxfam, world vision and lots more. These charities raise money to help people in poverty in 3^rd world countries. At Christmas time many charities have programs that people can buy things like goats, chickens, blankets, mosquito’s nets and lots more this is one way that poverty can be reduced or reduced.

There are thousands of different charities that are taking part and helping to end poverty. One of these includes- Make Poverty History- MPH is an Australian government organization that works towards abolishing Poverty. MPH raises money and collects unwanted but usable items and gives them to poverty struck countries over the world. You can help in different ways including donating money and unperishable foods, blankets and clothes that you no longer need, volunteering to help for various organizations and buying from stores such as Oxfam who give the money earned to help end poverty.

By Jessica Collings and Lucy Chen