Bryan Baucom
Econ 2010
December 7, 2014
Global Poverty
“The latest household surveys reveal that over a billion (people) are in “extreme” poverty ($1/day) and nearly three billion people as being simply “poor” ($2/day).” The article further states that $1 per day might buy you a very small amount of rice and a few beans but that doesn’t leave anything for rent. Not to mention other expenses like healthcare, childcare or even a drink.
There are two subjects in this article that are the most interesting and shocking. First of all, the “standards” of being poor. If you are a “poor” American, you are living like a rich man in countries like Haiti, Ethiopia and Nigeria. The average American has an income of $70,000 per year. If an American has an income of less than $20,000 per year they are “officially poor.” “Breaking that income down, the Census Bureau figures a poor family of four has about $20 a day to spend on food and another $40 a day for rent, transportation, education, recreation and everything else.” So considering that a poor American will still have access to food AND rent every day, the poor standards of the United States are considerably higher than those under the global poverty standards.
The second most interesting topic this article shed light on is what being poor means. The article states, “These levels of poverty imply levels of physical and social deprivation few Americans can comprehend. Living on a dollar or two every day means always being hungry, malnourished, ill-clothed, dirty and unhealthy.” The facts that this article shares are astounding. While Americans have a life expectancy of 75-80, the life expectancy in Mali, Nigeria and Zambia is 40-50. “At least one out of every ten children in low-income nations will actually die before reaching age five.” The article even states, “Illiteracy is rampant, and access to health care, secondary education or even telephones is more the exception than the rule.” As my wife and I both type away on our computers, in our warm house, on our comfortable bed, with plenty of food just a few steps away, I am feeling more and more guilty and ashamed that I was complaining about not being able to afford the new iPhone.
Now, what can we do to resolve global poverty? Obviously this problem isn’t going to be solved through one simple law or one big donation. Rather, this is an extremely complex, sensitive issue. But one that needs to be addressed quickly and aggressively. There are two thoughts that came to mind when searching for a solution that certainly won’t solve the problem immediately or even completely, but solutions that could make a difference.
First, the age old quote, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” My wife graduated from BYU with a degree in Public Health. For her capstone class, she was assigned to work with a subsidized living community in Provo, Utah. Her job was to create a Public Health program that would encourage the people that live there to eat healthier. However, that arose the problem of the cost of produce. Did you know that grocery stores purposely avoid low-income areas for their stores because they won’t make a profit, because most grocery stores make their profits on produce? However, gas stations in low-income areas thrive because of the cheap junk food they offer? My wife saw this problem and decided to create a community garden where the people of this low-income area could grow their own produce. This project included teaching the people about gardening, harvesting then teaching them how to cook the produce into healthy meals. This is a perfect example of teaching a man to fish.
It would take work, time and money but if there could be programs like the one just described, these countries affected by global poverty, would see a huge increase in the health of their population. After time, these gardens could also be a source of employment for the population.
The second solution has already been used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and has proven to be very successful when used properly. On the Church’s website, it states, “To provide in the Lord’s way, we must develop our own self-reliance and then seek to help others become self-reliant. The Church’s welfare plan has been available to help people to help themselves in times of disaster, in widespread economic depressions and recessions and in the smaller, more personal challenges families and individuals can face…” Through donations, volunteers and the use of Church owned farms and factories; the Church helps people all around the world. The Welfare Program is devised to get people back on their feet and see them off; not be a crutch for them. Like previously stated, this program is only successful through volunteers and if it is not abused. A similar program used by the world could help eradicate poverty.
Both of these solutions would take a great deal of energy, time, money and volunteering. The benefit of these solutions is that they are not a “hand-out” but rather a more permanent solution. This is a global problem, but one that hits close to home. The Utah Food Bank states, 1 in 5 children in Utah don’t know when they will eat their next meal. Especially at this time of year, there are lots of ways we can make a difference, even in the life of just one family. I encourage you to give to a local food bank or buy a few extra toys this year for a family in need.
