Blog Action Day 2008: Poverty
Wednesday, 15. October 2008, 00:01:00
October 15 is upon us. For many in the world, that means it’s Wednesday. Some call it Hump Day, just two more days until the weekend. For others, it means that it is Blog Action Day, a day for thousands of bloggers (9,000 have signed up this year, last time I checked) to step up onto their virtual soapbox and speak out against the chosen issue. Still others - others who don’t read blogs, chat on forums, subscribe to RSS feeds, surf on their mobiles, debate the latest gadget, Twitter during meetings, and check their email – are seeing today as a victory. They made it through another night, and have at least one more chance to live.
I speak of the millions of people who live in poverty, day in and day out. They could be people in Africa, who barely make it through the day. Or, they could be the 26,500 to 30,000 children who die every single day in the poorest of villages across the Earth. Or they could even be that man down the street from your office that you see everyday collecting cans.
Nearly 50% of the global population, around 3 billion of us, live on less than $2.50 a day. Think about what you usually buy with $2.50. It is the exact price of a ‘Barack Obama For President’ rally sign. Is this seriously what we are spending our money on, while billions of people go hungry? Regardless of your political preferences, why not take that money, and put it in a jar. Continue putting any spare change you have in the jar over the course of just a few weeks. Then take the money to a local food bank or homeless shelter. It’s really not that hard to do!
When we entered the 21st Century, nearly one billion people were unable to read or write their own name, simply because they cannot afford an education. Think of all the great geniuses we don’t even know about, just because they can’t afford an education! In that same time period - the turn of the century – less than one percent of what the world spent on weapons every year was all that it would have cost to put every single child into school, but it didn’t happen.
Some statistics about children: 1 billion children live in poverty (that is 1 in 2 children in the world), 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day). As stated earlier, around 26,500 to 30,000 children die each day because they live in poverty, according to UNICEF. They die in the poorest and most remote villages in the world, far from our digital cultures. But no one pays attention, because we are too absorbed in ourselves. It is estimated that 27-28 percent of children in developing countries are underweight and/or stunted. South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are the two areas of the world that carry the bulk of this deficit. Enrollment data shows that in 2005, about 72 million children of primary school age were not attending school, 57 percent of them being girls. These numbers are seen as optimistic.The poorest 40 percent of the world accounts for 5 percent of the global income, while the richest 20 percent makes up 75 percent of the global income. The richest ten percent of the world makes up for 59 percent of global consumption. The poorest 50 percent barely account for 7 percent of global consumption.
Obviously, there is an imbalance. But what can we do to relieve these problems? More than you may think, and it doesn’t even have to be a big thing, like starting a charity, or even a fundraiser.
A wise man once taught me that if you come across a homeless person (I am trying to phrase it so it doesn’t sound as if I am describing them as a wild deer or something), rather than giving them money to buy food, tell them to wait where they are, drive to the nearest food place (McDonald’s, BK, it doesn’t matter), get a meal for two, and return to them. Have a meal with them. If they aren’t there when you return, then you’ve just bought yourself lunch. You don’t even have to return with food. Get them a piece of clothing or a blanket, if you notice that they are without. The idea behind this is that you know exactly how they are being helped, without leaving it up to chance on how they would spend any money you might give them (because let’s face it, a lot of people would just by alcohol or something).Don’t get me wrong, I believe that fundraisers and charity are wonderful, wonderful things, and do great works for the less fortunate. But this method is infinitely easier, and involves you even more.
Last year, I challenged you to pick up a piece of trash if you see one. This year, I challenge you to have a meal with the less fortunate. If you can’t do that, then donate money, food, blankets, etc. to a local homeless shelter.
Just do something. You can make a difference. Maybe not on a global scale, but at least someone will get to eat today.
WIDGETIZE
Jake # 15. October 2008, 04:42
Santa Furie # 15. October 2008, 12:02
Joel Luther # 15. October 2008, 18:49
Geoff Girardin # 15. October 2008, 19:04
Asuna # 15. October 2008, 19:18
Jing the Jinx # 16. October 2008, 08:57
Denis Edward Chesney # 16. October 2008, 12:32
Anonymous # 16. October 2008, 17:18
Excellent post and I couldn't agree more.