Poverty - A Major Issue | Teen Ink

Poverty - A Major Issue

November 22, 2012
By Eemaaa SILVER, Male', Other
Eemaaa SILVER, Male', Other
8 articles 0 photos 1 comment

According to the statistics of 2011; a child dies of hunger every 5 hours. Therefore – approximately 150 children die from starvation every month. Thousands of people are hungry, and millions are dying. Today, poverty remains one of the biggest issues in the world. It is a common hardship forced to face throughout the nations. It is sad to note that poverty is an inevitable hereditary state which cannot be easily eradicated.

In parts of the world similar to Africa, Asia, and India more than a quarter of people live in poverty. They live in despair, grief, and pain on less than two dollars they make per day by grinding their bones while we make an average of twenty thousand dollars per month which is about 600 per day just by sitting at a computer. It is often said that the richer the country; the more the number of people who are dominated by insufficiency.

It is a startling fact that the combined wealth of the world’s poorest nations is less than the wealth of the world’s three richest people. Shouldn’t we feel slightly guilty taking all these things for granted? While numerous people die from starvation and over work; there is enough food and labor in the world to save them. However, in order for that to happen – no one person can have billions of dollars which is more than one could ever hope to spend in a lifetime. The title ‘billionaire’ is quite fitting - the accumulation of capital stolen from a billion people. Their wealth is owned by ripping apart families, and most importantly by corruption, while countless others slave away just to buy dinner. Is this fair?

This raises the questions; why cannot we donate money to charities? Why cannot the poor get their fair share of wealth? People are born in poverty. Poverty kills. It is not only the people but the government, which possesses much more global control that should make an effort to save the millions of hungry lives.


The author's comments:
Ahmed; an old man whom I come across everyday on my way to school inspired me to write this article. To him, the five dollar I give him everyday just might be the highlight of the day. It makes me wonder; how many people like him are currently present in the world. What are their stories? What can we do to help them?

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