P O V E R T Y How can millions of dollars only buy bread?
What is Poverty? Poverty is the lack of basic everyday materials such as food, clean water, nutrition, clothing, shelter and education because of the lack of income.
Causes Poverty exists and it was caused. Many things contributed towards it. Wars, disease, transformations in our economic structure and the lack of finance, income, and education are just a few possible causes to poverty.
Did you know? For the 1.9 billion children from the developing world, there are: 640 million without adequate shelter (1 in 3) 400 million with no access to safe water (1 in 5) 270 million with no access to health services (1 in 7)
“Poverty is restriction and as such, it is the greatest injustice you can perpetrate upon yourself” – Azim Premji
Do You Know Someone in Destitution?
Did you Know? The poorest 40% of the world account for 5% of the world’s income where as the richest 20% account for 75%. Less than 1% of what the world spent on weapons was needed to put every child in school by 2000.
“Poverty is the worst form of violence” -Mohandas Gandhi
Can people survive on two dollars a day? Zimbabwe is named after great historical structures called “Great Zimbabwe.” For thousands of years it has experienced economic and social problems. Drastic measures must be taken just to begin to stabilize the situation. HIV/AIDS is huge problem like it is in many African countries, killing millions and exhausting Zimbabwe’s human resource.
Did you know? Every year 6 million children die from malnutrition before the age of five. Every 3.6 seconds another person in Africa dies of starvation, the majority of which are children under 5 years old
Population: 12,084,304 Life Expectation: 49.9 yrs People with HIV: 1.2 Mil. Location: Southern Africa between South Africa and Zambia Capital City: Harare Unemployment: 95% Pop. Below Poverty Line: 68%
Who is affected? Zimbabwe is experiencing a rare economic condition of hyperinflation. Hyperinflation is when the value of goods or services is relatively the same but the price that is paid for them is incredibly higher. This type of inflation is rare and is so severe it is completely out of control. Kundai Makumbe is a 15 year old boy who is forced to manage a street corner market stall instead of attending school with a dwindling number of children. Due to extreme cases of poverty Kundai was basically thrown out of his home and told that he must take care of himself. His lack of knowledge severely limited his options in terms of what he could do to make money. At one point Zimbabwe’s public education was revered as one of the best in Africa but now struggles to meet world standards. Public schooling is rather inexpensive costing only 3-23 U.S. dollars but when a factory worker’s wage is only 77 U.S. dollars this is still often quite hard to pay for this and still manage the family’s rent. The likelihood of many of Kundai’s classmates to dropout of school and join him in simply trying to make enough to get by is very high. These sad facts add up and scream for a reform of the government to help return Zimbabwe’s public education system back to its former glory.
Did you know? 20% of the country has fled since the hyperinflation has begun. From 1990 to 2003 the poverty rate rose from 25% to 63%.
Why Children? Inner city kids are coming to school everyday with one uniform to their name, no school supplies, no food in their stomachs so teachers are paying out of their own pocket to help by children clothes food and school supplies. Children are most vulnerable because most are not old enough to help themselves. They cannot get a job to pay for their own food or clothing. Children require the aid of their parents or other adults to help them simply get by in life.
Did You Know ? Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century without knowing how to read or sign their own name. More then 80 percent of the worlds population are living in countries where the income differentials are widening.
REACH OUT AND GIVE TO OTHERS. FEEDING AMERICA– www.feedingamerica.org PROJECT BREAD– www.projectbread.org KIVA– www.kiva.org ONE– www.one.org OXFAM– www.oxfam.org MEALS ON WHEELS– www.mowaa.org MERCY CORPS– www.mercycorps.org THE HUNGER SITE– www.thp.org