Hey guys!
Do you
remember, way back in June, when I began my series called What You Don’t Know
Can’t Hurt You? Yeah, neither do I. However, jog your memory and read it again
if you need to, just click here.
Are you
back? Okay, let’s continue.
Of all of
the things I want to talk about in this series-gender equality, terrorism,
hunger, child slavery, prostitution, ethnic stereotyping, etc.-I came to the
conclusion almost right away that one of the biggest issues facing the world today
is poverty. In fact, if you do a little digging (as I did), it becomes clear
that poverty is at the root of almost all of the social issues I just listed.
We live in
an insane world. That’s the only conclusion I can come to when I see people
plugged into their tablets and phones as Rome burns around them-our modern
equivalent to Nero’s fiddle, I suppose. Living in Mexico gives me a unique
perspective, because unlike the manicured perfection of the States-or at least
of suburban Minnesota-Mexico doesn’t clean up after itself. There are beggars
on the curbs, children performing on the street for money for their dinner money,
and prostitutes working their corners at night. And every time I go into the
city of Puebla, I watch people walk right past them, too concerned with their
Facebook accounts and watches to stop and help their fellow man. Worse than
this, I’m just as guilty of them-I’ve walked right past the needy, as well. Can’t
save them all, right?
There are a
lot of things wrong with this world, but I think out of all of them, our
biggest issue is apathy. And that’s why this post exists: if you can shake the
apathy long enough to read it, maybe-just maybe-you’ll be inspired to do
something to halt poverty in its tracks.
What is
poverty?
The World Bank Organization describes poverty
in this way:
“Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick
and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and
not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear of the future,
living one day at a time.
Poverty has many faces, changing from place to place and across time,
and has been described in many ways. Most often, poverty is a situation people
want to escape. So poverty is a call to action- for the poor and the wealthy
alike—a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate
shelter, access education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in
what happens in their communities.”
On a world-wide scale, there is a debate on how exactly to define
degrees of poverty. Currently, poverty is divided into two types: Relative and
Absolute. Relative poverty is when
an individual’s income or way of life is far below that which is the norm in
their country or place of residence. These are your neighbors that struggle to
buy food at the grocery store or pay rent each month. These are the people who
work to make a living wage off of minimum wage and part-time work. This is the
kind of poverty we are familiar with in the United States-everyone can think of
someone who has been effected by this kind of poverty.
Absolute poverty is characterized
by a lack of basic necessities for survival: lack of food, water, housing,
proper clothing, etc. It is the very extreme of poverty, the kind most of us
can only imagine. It robs humans of their dignity, whittling them down to
shadows of the people they could be, focused on only one thing: survival. This
kind of poverty is most commonly seen in developing countries, the kind of
poverty people think of when Africa comes to mind, and can be very difficult to
overcome.
At the base of it, poverty is about deprivation. Poverty is the lack of
access to clean water, medical treatment, or food. Poverty is the lack of
education that prevents children from reaching their potential and forcing them
to travel the same beaten track their families have traveled for generations.
Poverty is knowing that no matter what you do, you’re trapped in a life you
have no power to escape from.
What causes
poverty?
There are
many causes for poverty. Living in a county with a shaky economy can plunge
even the most stable individual into gut-wrenching poverty. Children born into
impoverished families have little chance of overcoming their circumstances
without outside assistance, and many times are doomed to a life of hunger and
neglect. Listed below are a few of the causes of poverty, although there are
many, many more that I didn’t mention. When it comes down to it, poverty could
happen to anyone, and the severity of how far you fall economically is measured
by some of these factors.
Lack of education or skills-People with specialized skills or
higher education are usually uniquely suited for specific jobs. However, when you
come from a lower educational background, job opportunities just aren’t what
they could be, because twelve other people cab fill the position you’re vying
for just as well as you can.
Size of family-Having a family comprised of many members
causes a lower overall income as well as higher living costs. Large
family=large overhead costs.
Gender-In some areas of the world, being a woman severely
limits financial opportunity. Women are thought of as ‘lesser’ or unqualified,
and are usually refused employment. Widows and divorcees are forced to
prostitute themselves or beg on the streets to provide for their families,
usually putting themselves at risk to do so.
Disability-Illness or handicaps limit what kind of jobs an
individual can get, making it difficult to find work. Also, in many areas of
the world there are many beliefs and prejudices against handicapped people,
forcing them to resort to begging as a means of supporting themselves.
Minority/Ethnic groups-Being a member of a minority or
ethnic group can have a detrimental effect on your wallet. Because of
prejudices, minority/ethnic group members are often the victims of abuse and
are refused jobs due to their heritage. They are forced to resort to theft or
begging in order to get by.
Living in a remote location-Because of lack of economic opportunity,
people living in remote areas often have fewer economic resources available to
them. The kicker is, even when the best answer is to leave it is not always possible-there
just isn’t enough money.
What effects
does poverty have world-wide?
Poverty has
a far-reaching effect on the world stage. It has been linked to higher levels
of violence and crime, the spread of disease, and heightened social tensions
due to economic inequality. Poverty causes higher infant mortality rates and
lower life expectancy in many parts of the world. It keeps generations of
children from reaching their academic potential, dependent on the goodwill of strangers
and their governments to maintain them. To quote poverties.org:
The vicious cycles of poverty mentioned before
mean that lifelong handicaps and troubles that are passed from one generation
to another. TO name just a few of these hereditary plagues: no school or
education, child labor to help the parents, lack of basic hygiene, transmission
of diseases. Unemployment and very low incomes create an environment where kids
can’t simply go to school. As for those who can actually go to school, they
simply don’t see how hard work can improve their life as they see their parents
fail at the task every day.
Among those
most affected by poverty are the most powerless: children. Since the 1960’s the
amount of child affected by poverty has grown exponentially, and today, more
than 1 billion children are growing up in poverty conditions-that’s 1 in 2
children in the world. Children are the perfect victims; they lack the social
power to change their circumstances or even complain about them. Children
affected by poverty are affected for life, whether it is their lack of
education keeping them from advancement in future jobs or the malnutrition they
suffered as a child.
How can I
combat poverty?
What does this mean? Simply this: poverty is a
problem that affects us all. We all live in societies with people who have been
affected by poverty, and we all feel the effects of it, whether we realize it
or not. Besides that, I would consider fighting poverty a moral obligation; not
only for Christians, but for anyone who has a conscience and moral compass
which points due north. That being said, here are some options for you to get
involved in the war against poverty.
1. Educate Yourself
You’re reading this blog, so you’re moving
in the right direction. However, while I hope this is a good post that inspires
action, I’m barely scratching the surface here. But don’t worry! There’s this
wonderful thing called the internet that is more than capable of making up for my deficiencies. Get online, and find
out more about the fight against poverty and what you can do to make a
difference.
2. Serve
Maybe you’re one of the lucky few
you aren’t bound by convention or social obligation to stay where you’re
currently living; well, what are you waiting for?? Go serve! Find an
organization, church, STM, Milk Brigade, and get moving. As someone who left my
home for foreign service, I can tell you this: It might not be what you’re
expecting, but knowing that you are helping to combat poverty in a real
tangible way goes a long way to make up for all of the things you’ll miss about
home.
3. Organize
Are you one of those people that like
to put together 5Ks and bake sales? Your services are needed! Here is a cause-ending
poverty-so pick it up and run with it. God didn’t give you these wonderful
organizational and administrative talents for you to waste them!
4. Donate
When I say donate, I don’t mean indiscriminately.
Do your homework, and find an organization that supports what you believe in.
Remember to check their funding and what their funds go toward, to make sure
you’re not helping to bankroll something you’re not morally on board with. Without
people donating, there are no charitable organizations (or missionaries!). Your
support is needed, and while it may be impractical for you to go out and change
the world, there’s always someone doing it somewhere-help them out!
Here’s the
deal, guys: poverty isn’t going anywhere. Jesus tells us in Matthew 26:11 “The
poor you will always have with you.” We can’t solve this problem. We aren’t capable-it
too big. There are always going to be poor people. However, we can help fight
against it. We can raise awareness and let people know that there are people suffering
out there in the world, and then give them something they can do about it. We
can go out into the world and tell the people who have been rejected and abused
their entire lives about a God who loves them and cherished them while helping
them in real, practical ways. And for those of you who hear the words ‘International
travel’ and go, “Eew,” here’s a thought for you:
Poverty is
not just overseas. There are people in this world who are suffering where you
are, as well. Get involved at a homeless shelter, at a street ministry or with
an inner-city church. Look at the people around you and begin to think of ways
you can bless the single mothers or fathers you know-you never know who may be
struggling to keep going, who may be drowning in debt or unable to make their
car payment this month. Keeps your eyes open and be in prayer to see how the
Holy Spirit can guide you-I think you will be surprised at what you find.
I hope you
enjoyed post #2 in my What You Don’t Know Can’t Hurt You series. Next month I
will be tackling a new social issue, as well as continuing to post on my
dramatic (she said dryly) life at Esperanza Viva. And, if anyone is hoping to
see me when I’m in the States, drop me a line on Facebook-I’ll be in Minnesota Oct.
29-Nov. 13.
Sources
6. Holy Bible, The
