Facts About Poverty

Poverty-Earth’s Number One Problem

“Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn’t commit”(“Quick Facts About Poverty”). The millions of people in poverty are innocent citizens. Children in poverty cannot even live a normal life, because they must work long hours for precious money. Poor families are then faced with the herculean task of breaking free of their bankruptcy. War and other factors throw people into inescapable poverty, however this nightmare can be ended if society would educate the less fortunate. Poverty is one of the most painful experiences to live through, yet millions of people are living through it every day. Poverty may be thought as something “far away”, but in reality, the blanket of poverty is spread worldwide.

Poverty mainly affects people in south Asia and sub-saharan Africa, however Africa has the highest density of poor people. Their bodies are constantly threatened by disease, hunger, and harsh labor. “Where you live should not determine whether you live, or whether you die”(“Quick Facts About Poverty”). Diseases like Ebola and Malaria have the harshest affect on the poor, because they cannot afford treatment and are already in bad physical condition. Children are likely to die soon after birth, and if they do not, they will likely be put into child labor in order to raise a family’s income. Poverty also has devastating effects on people’s mental health. “The poor feel negative, inferior, passive, hopeless. And powerless”(“Causes and Effects of Poverty”). Because of this, victims are more likely to commit suicide. Poverty also puts insane amounts of stress on a family, and this tenseness can lead to things like child abuse and drug use, along with a higher chance of accidents. These people know how hard it is to escape poverty, so many of them do not even try, and just rely on alcohol and drugs to live in peace. The biggest effect of poverty, however, is lack of education. Approximately 70 million children worldwide cannot afford to attend school, because it means leaving their jobs and paying for school supplies and transportation. If the children in a family cannot afford to go to school, then

Bad government, war, racism, and natural disasters put families in a situation where they cannot afford an education. This leads to hunger, illiteracy, depression, and sickness. If people who are more fortunate are willing to spend time and money on educating them, they can get a real job and escape the devastating cycle of poverty. To relieve the world of poverty, citizens of the middle and upper classes must donate There are multiple websites such as Childfund.org that provide free supplies and education to the poor around the world, in addition to hiring and paying teachers. Just remember that in the time it takes for you to watch an hour episode of your favorite TV show, nearly 40 children die in poverty, and you can help stop