Majority of the people in this planet live in poverty. What causes poverty? Can we say that people have been lazy or can we blame people for their situation?
Some facts related to poverty:
- Almost half of the world’s population survives on less than $2.00 a day.
- Almost 1 billion people cannot even read a book.
- The world spends a great deal of money on weapons, while a very small part of that amount can put all children in schools.
- About 1 billion children live in poverty; without access to medical and other health services, safe drinking water, and without adequate shelter.
When you live in the richest countries of the world, there is inequality. The same is true when you live in the poorest nations. INEQUALITY is one major cause of poverty. The less privileged would likely get less access to health services, education and other services. They have less opportunity to represent themselves in public and political issues making it difficult to rise from poverty.
In contrast, if you are rich you earn the benefits from political and economic policies of the government. There are many areas where only the rich people get the benefits like financial bailouts and the social status accorded to them. It is the gap between the rich and the poor that makes poverty more visible. This is the condition when social problems come in such as violence and crimes.
Another cause of poverty around the world is CORRUPTION. It happens in all sectors of society; local and national governments, military, judiciary, and many areas of business.
There have been presidents ousted for charges of corruption like former President Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia and former President Jean- Bertrand Aristide of Haiti. Corruption is everywhere, in poor and rich countries. The United States Government is not exempted when accused of outsourcing many contracts without an open bid process. Where corruption is rampant, the poor citizens becomes poorer.
There are hundreds of results or effects of poverty which need to be addressed by all the concerned levels of society and governments.
- More health and social problems
- Drug use and abuse
- Shorter life expectancy
- High infant mortality rates
- Lack of Education
- Teenage birth rates are high
- Homicide, murder and other related crimes
- Children caught in family conflicts
- Poor innovation in society
- Less effort on waste management and recycling that contributes so much on global warming.
Poverty cannot be resolved alone by aids coming from foreign sources. It is how resources are put into the proper channels and how the officials run them. Inequality and corruption are the enemies that poor citizen have no force to defend themselves from. Will they forever keep silent and say nothing about their flight?
Donating for the poorest children can help them go to school and raise them from poverty. Donations are accepted here at “Children of the Planet Trust”. Kindly go to our Donate section and thank you in advance.