Poverty

This is a small article I wrote 2 years ago about my opinions on poverty.

Does it cost to be poor? - 1st President of Tanzania. 

"The dignity and humanity of people even in situations that range from abject poverty to refugee camps and starvation" - This is what my piece will try and reflect. 

Why can't everyone have equal access to the necessities of life? The world is divided into two - those with and those without. Within this global spectrum of division, it is clear that every country suffers the same in terms of the rich and the poor. 

The solution to poverty is quite simple - money. The unwillingness and refusal of individuals around the world and their connecting governments that prevents major development. Despite being in a recession, is it not important to make sure that people have enough to live? Having luxuries should not cloud how crucial the bare necessities are in order to purely survive. 

Governments are always receiving requests and demands for better facilities and an increase in funding to help those in dyer need of the basics; food and water - the things we take for granted on a daily basis. Some people are not able to walk to their sink and fill up a glass of water, they have to travel miles in the blazing heat. A lot of people who are lucky enough to have the ability to drive to a supermarket every week to stock up on food for the coming week - including myself - do not always realise how fortunate we are, we throw money away. 

Countries affected - to name a few - are;

Kenya - 

* Suffer from rural poverty

* More than 15million poor people

* Over the past 30 years, poverty figures have doubled.

* Poverty seems to be a paradox - it is a low income country, with per capita income average to be approx $360.

Africa - 

* 1 in 6 children die before they reach the age of 5 - most of these deaths could be prevented.

* Nearly a third of children in Sub-Saharan Africa are underweight (Source; UNICEF)

* 43% of children do not have safe, accessible drinking water (Source; UNICEF)

* 64% of children do not have adequate sanitation (Source; UNICEF).

Asia / Cambodia - 

* 35.9% of Cambodians live below the national poverty line (the poverty line deemed appropriate for a country by its authorities) of US $0.45 = £0.22 per day! 

* Rural households account for nearly 90% of the countries poverty state. 

* 36% of children under the age of 5 are moderately or severely underweight. 

The people of these countries are severely suffering beyond words; 1 person dies every 3.5 seconds and devastatingly a majority are children. 

Why do people suffer in abject poverty on a daily basis whilst others are going about their lives without a care in the world surrounded by their meaningless luxuries not giving those less fortunate a second thought?   

Every country has areas of low income earners as well as the wealthier yet the poor have to pay the taxes of those that can clearly fund themselves. The poorer people need to savour every penny they earn in order to make ends-meet. 

Victims of poverty crave food, water and shelter every single day because the conditions they live in are terribly unhygienic. No one should live that way, life is meant to be a happy journey not something to struggle through.

Poverty is a serious problem and needs to be better recognised as such and addressed by as many people as possible if we are to tackle this as a growing issue and prevent it from expanding or worsening. 

In Asia, Africa and Latin America for example, they survive on $2 a day - £0.98!

How?! - The minimum wage in the UK is £4.35 and in the USA $6. In my opinion, they should lower it and balance the costs out to increase the amount of disposable income is available to the poorer countries for them to survive let alone work.

Give them a hand to realise their dreams.

Thank you for reading.