Picture - Kibera Slum, Kenya, home to 1.4 million of Kenyans poorest people.
It has dawned on me. As hard as I seem to find it to write about poverty and development, mainly because its so deep that I only ever want to do it justice, it's probably spurred on by the fact that it's one of those things people don't like to talk about too much.
People don't want to be made to feel guilty about something that is in many ways out of their control. People don't want to take responsibilty for what they fail to know. And people don't want to take the time to truly think about the possibility...the tiny but massive possibilty that we could actually do something to end poverty. For good.
Where to start?
It's a tricky one poverty and development. There is such a huge need that its normal for one not to be able to fathum the possibilty of change but let me just shed some light on why there needs to be change...how better then a few hard hitting statistics ay!
1.4 Billion people live in extreme poverty right now. That's not including the millions who live in poverty. When I say extreme poverty I mean they live off less than 85p a day - according to the World Bank. And this figure is adjusted to buying power so dont think ooh 85p into naira is like 170 naira which can buy enough food for a day...coz the equiivilent I mean is not.
884 million people don't have access to safe drinking water and around a Billion people don't have a toilet. May seem hard to believe but I have used a pit latrine and if there is no water around they are highly unhygienic and extremely unpleasant. The result of this is that 2.2 million people die from diarrhoea related diseases EVERY YEAR!!! Here in the UK people make jokes about diarrhoea because its nothing to us. Get a pill and its cleared. Completely different story over there.
EVERY DAY 22,000 people die from hunger and diseases we easily cure here. Die from hunger? Seriously. We see it in the news and in adverts but can you really imagine being so hungry you die? I can't, that makes me shudder. That is one child every 3.9 seconds people. SubhanAllah.
72 million children are missing out on an education and there are still 759 million adults who never went to school. So where are their prospects of making a living? There are a not enough jobs so these uneducated people will do menial labour for menial pay - probably not even amounting to that 85p.
These are just a few reasons why we must act. We all talk about Peace, Love and Unity but if we don't do what I see as one of the clearest and most needed acts of love to the people who need us most, what are we doing?
I always think, if I were in their shoes, sitting in my village trying to figure out what I'm going to feed my family today knowing there were people thousands of miles away with money they use to splash out on gucci, prada and versace (not that I'd know or care what that was), I'd be praying that they would help. Especially if my own country were not doing or could not do enough.
The world is unjust. It just is. God made it that way. He also gave us free will. Most of that is abused because the worst things in the world have happened through mans desire to use free will for bad rather than good. But we, as God feering slaves and children of God, whether your Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh or Rastafarian, know what love is. And love is kind. It is caring and giving and it is unconditional. If not for any other reason we should be pushing for the end of suffering for these reasons alone.
But also, and this is a lesson I took from Kenya and will always apply to my life. We have the ability to live in balance. So when you splash out on that bag or coat, spa weekend or holiday in the bahamas give a little more that month. Sponsor another child. Volunteer during that holiday. We should always strive to make the world better.
Why?
Because we can...it is possible and it has been done!
South Korea (I learnt at the 1.4 Billion presentation held by MADE) is an example of an aid recipient country becoming a aid donor today. The country has been transformed from developing to developed. From struggling to surviving. It is so possible.
In Ghana, 'following a landmark democratic election in 1992, Ghana's government helped implement policies that promoted economic growth and poverty alleviation by investing in things like health, education and infrastructure. Extreme poverty in Ghana has dropped from 49% to 30%'. Alamdullillah (Praise be to God)!!! While they still have a long way to go...that's a huge achievement and proof of what can be done internally.
And finally, for this post anyway...we must work towards and get involved in alleviating poverty because once upon a time the world thought slavery was normal. That it was something the economy couldn't live without. That it was the natural order of things. And that it couldn't ever really end. But it did. And while there is a huge difference in the two, how amazing would it be to wake up and know that no one was going to die from poverty related issues again?
Anyway, that's all for this post. Will delve a little deeper in my next one.
Just remember...
We can - see the UN Millenium Development Goals come to pass.
We should - show love, peace and unity in the greatest way.
We will - MAKE POVERTY HISTORY.
Still smiling.
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