fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
The Counter-Intuitive Fact File
By: Carmelo San Paolo
Tags: Progressivism, Politics, Poverty, Economics, Facts And Myths

This is the beginning of series I call the Counter-Intuitive Fact File. Often we are misled — by our friends on social media, the media elites, or even by our own assumptions. I have found that often with a bit of research, the truth I find reminds me of the old adage that appearances can be misleading.

A common theme in all of the factoids I share will be that the world is not the dystopian nightmare that we’re often led to believe it is. Nor is it headed on a downhill slide toward such a state. I was inspired to make these lists by reading Steven Pinker’s book, Enlightenment Now in which he includes over 70 graphs as to how the world has improved since the Enlightenment in the 18th Century. It is an incredible book that I highly recommend. But if you want the short version, then I also recommend his Ted Talk on Youtube.

Thanks for reading, and if you know of any other facts, please feel free to let me know.

The United States has the highest survival rates for most cancers (the exception here is childhood Leukemia), and cancer mortality in the US is steadily decreasing Source: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/research/articles/concord-2.htm

2. Since 1990, the number of people living in extreme poverty throughout the world has decreased significantly. Source: https://ourworldindata.org/extreme-poverty

3. Since the early 1990s, violent crime in the United States has fallensignificantly. FBI statistics say by 51%. Department of Justice say by 71%.

Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/10/17/facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/

4. Men, on average, make more money per year than women. That gap, however, closes almost completely when controlling for skill level, experience, and job choice.

Source: https://www.payscale.com/gender-lifetime-earnings-gap

5. Since the 1990s, wages for non-supervisory employees have been increasing consistently in the US. This was following a sharp decline after the 1970s.

Source: https://www.factcheck.org/2019/06/are-wages-rising-or-flat/

6. From 2006 to 2018, rates of incarceration for African Americans have fallen significantly — approximately, by one third. Rates have fallen for whites, and hispanics as well, to a lesser extent.

Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/05/06/black-imprisonment-rate-in-the-u-s-has-fallen-by-a-third-since-2006/

7. During the industrial revolution, wages rose consistently, and significantly in the UK.

Source: Wood, George H. 1909. “Real Wages and the Standard of Comfort since 1850,” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 72: 91–103.

8. In the United States, the average share of income spent on food is has decreased since the 1960s.

9. Since 2009, the average cost of solar electricity in North America has declined significantly

10. Harmful Emissions have declined in the US by 74% since the 1970s, according to the EPA, even as GDP, population, and vehicle miles traveled have increased.

Source: epa.gov
ILLUMINATION-Curated
By: Dr. Deborah M. Vereen
Tags: Giving, Poverty, Grief And Loss, Holidays, Helping Others

What are you doing to make the holiday season happier for families who could use extra help?

This is traditionally a magical time of the year. Sadly, the magic has become invisible to many families who are suffering in unspeakable ways. Children are among those who cannot believe in the magic of the season.

There are several ways to reach out to families in need to give them hope. I encourage all who read these words to make a difference in their lives by helping.

I offer many different suggestions for making families happy during this season. Be sure to read my article to find out what you can do for others.

Are you willing to help?
On the Third Day
By: Ann Marie Steele
Tags: Disenfranchisement, Poverty, Free Verse Poetry, Life Questions

On the Third Day

Photo by Ivan Lenin on Unsplash

The white-bearded old man a regular

lumbering between Varella and Collins Avenues at SR 16

pockmarked face

bloated and ruddy with rosacea

faded camouflage fishing hat, oversized maroon sweatshirt,

too-long denim shorts holding up his big belly

not lumbering, but simply stumbling through his territory

between Family Dollar and Dollar General-

near the building touting “GUNS” in all caps,

Advance Auto Part, Seed Sod Sold Here store as well as

Rabbit Hill Self Storage, unkempt lawns blanketed in front of shabby homes where windows permanently covered by weathered 2x4's

in perpetual anticipation of the next Florida hurricane

Is He just an afterthought?

I almost rolled into him once as I turned right on Collins Avenue where

I teach — a Title 1 school in the oldest City in America, St. Augustine-

I did

as I recklessly typed notes on my phone

peering at the slowly-stumbling Him

paling polaroid in my mind.

In his former life did he man the counter

at the store called GUNS,

mow lawns in the scorching Florida heat, or

did life eventually get the better of him?

Is his first love and two kids, now grown,

wondering where he is

picket fence now grey and grass greener elsewhere

or are they relieved to have him out of their hair?

Oh, I’ve got it!

Of course

a PIRATE, that’s what he was

like the actors that serve at

the family pirate ship and ghost tours

that frequent Dunkin Donuts

took me by surprise the first time I saw them

before school getting my mornin’ fix of java

looking like they really did just

mutiny off of this historic Florida coast

raiding the Castilla de San Marco

17th century Spanish fortress

maybe he played the role too well

too much rum

to act in these PG events

couldn’t even hold down that part

he was type cast for.

Failure spewing from his mouth

eventually he plodded through the downtrodden streets

of Old St. Augustine, past the Ponce de Leon’s

Fountain of Youth and Ripley’s Believe it or Not! tourist traps

landing at the corner of Collins and SR 16.

For two days straight I studied him

as I neared my school

frantically recording images -

on the third day

as I rolled by, He just lifted his hat

stared through my eyes and waved

that saved me

If He could be okay, so could I.

Ann Marie Steele
MSPs must ‘recommit’ to child poverty targets after May election
By: Louise Wilson
Tags: Child Poverty, Poverty

MSPs elected to the Scottish Parliament in May must recommit to tackling child poverty, the former Edinburgh Poverty Commission chair has said.

Dr Jim McCormick, who is now chief executive of grant-giving charity The Robertson Trust, also warned politicians not to use the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse not to act.

Scottish Government figures show almost one in four children in Scotland were living in poverty between 2016–19 (230,000 per year).

And recent analysis estimated 60,000 children were at risk of falling into poverty due to income reduction as a result of COVID-19.

But the Child Poverty Act, passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament in 2017, put in place a target of reducing child poverty to less than 10% of all children by 2030.

In an interview with Holyrood magazine, McCormick said there would be “tough questions” about the policy interventions required to help people out of poverty in the next parliamentary term.

He said: “It is absolutely right that we recommit following the election. Whoever is elected to Holyrood next May, thinking about the big turnover here in ministers and MSPs, we need to recommit to those targets and not use the economic shock as an excuse.”

The next Scottish Parliament election is set to take place on Thursday 6 May 2021.

Interim child poverty targets oblige the Scottish Government to ensure fewer than 18% of children in Scotland are living in poverty in 2023.

McCormick has also called for cross-party commitment to achieve this milestone, warning not doing so would risk meeting the overall target in 10 years.

He said: “It’s appropriate that politicians argue over the best way to get there, but there should be no argument about the fact that we should recommit and that this is feasible for a wealthy country like Scotland, pandemic or not.

“I think we need to reenergise everyone around this as the right goal for this decade, and be quite tough about the interim target three years from now rather than saying we can relax on that because we’ll get there by the end of the decade.

“We’ll only get there by the end of the decade if we make enough progress now.”

The Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland has also called for every level of government to work together on the issue.

Director John Dickie said: “Real progress can be made, so we need to build on the platform and really start to shift resources and priority in a pretty big way if we’re serious about meeting both the interim child poverty targets and the 2030 child poverty targets.

“With political will, with commitment and public support, these are targets that can be met.”

There have also been calls to support single parent families in particular, who face a greater risk of poverty than two-parent families.

One Parent Families Scotland director Satwat Rehman said: “This is not something we’re going to solve in three to five years. This doesn’t follow political election timetables and cycles neatly.

“This is something that we have to commit to for the long run, because it is about structural and systemic change.”
Whoopie! A Whole $600
By: Carol Burt
Tags: Poverty, Politics

Whoopie! A Whole $600

Well, glory be. Our government is going to “give” us $600 each of our own money! How nice of them. Just out of the goodness of their hearts?

Hell, no.

Would it surprise anyone to know that Canada is giving their citizens $2000 per month during the pandemic? That’s a little more realistic as to how much it takes just to have food, shelter, and transportation to work if one has work.

Six-hundred dollars. Really?

The sorry Republicans gave away 1.7 trillion — yes, trillion — of our revenue when they greatly cut the taxes of the richest people and the biggest, most profitable corporations.

People are starving and Tsar Trump and the slimy Mitch MCConnell gave away 1.7 trillion to people who did not need it and should never have gotten it.

They basically robbed us. Just to benefit the richest of the rich, they robbed the treasury of a trillion dollars in revenue. Therefore reducing America’s revenue (income) by a trillion per year!

So why is it any surprise that the stock market is soaring while the common people can’t eat and pay their bills?

We were robbed. The first $1200 individual “stimulus” was not enough. This one, $600, would be laughable if it weren’t so sad. Noticed the price of apartments or milk and eggs lately?

We know that out of another program, the ridiculous loans to businesses fiasco, much of the money was misused, and a large number of “forgivable” loans were awarded to companies that did not need it and did not use it as required to keep people working. It was all just to continue the sickening Republican suck-up to the rich.

I’ve got news for businesses and their CEOs, all who have made so much off the poor and working poor of this country, and robbed the country in the process: When the working poor have no money, they can’t buy your shit. Your shit will sit on shelves and collect dust.

It applies to everything from baubles to cars, houses, and even food. Keep starving the poor and slamming the middle class into poverty and see how much you can sell. The results of the craziness of giving away the people’s money (well, more honestly the proceeds of the country’s loans) will get to you, too. It just takes more time.

Meanwhile we’ll all try to decide how a mere $600 will help get us through the dark winter of the plague.

Thank you so very much, Republicans. I sincerely hope you are someday rewarded accordingly.
After business losses, Kashmiri man puts kidneys on sale
By: Stand With Kashmir
Tags: Poverty, Kashmir, Occupation, Debt, Covid 19

Photo Credit: Vice

Srinagar, Indian-occupied Kashmir

A recent advertisement in a local Kashmiri newspaper left readers shocked: A young man was selling his kidneys.

Sabzar Ahmad Khan, 28, a resident of Nussu village in the Qazigund area of southern Indian-occupied Kashmir, faces a 90 lakh-rupee debt (about $120,000 USD). Khan’s business suffered from the multiple lockdowns the Kashmir valley has endured the past year. He didn’t know what else to do.

“I want to sell my kidney because I have lost everything,” Khan said in the ad appearing in a newspaper in Kashmir’s capital, Srinagar. “I request anyone in need of a kidney to contact me.”

Kashmir endured a months-long clampdown after the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of its constitution, scrapping the region’s autonomy. Then COVID-19 hit in March, reimposing closures of shops, offices and schools. While all businesses experienced a jolt, small enterprises like Khan’s can no longer make ends meet.

In an interview, Khan said he worked as a contractor and used to sell cars. Last year, he also began buying apples from farmers and then reselling the fruit. To fund his ventures, he sought credit from six banks as well as from private local lenders, who charged 30 percent interest monthly on the money he borrowed.

“From last year, due to two lockdowns in Kashmir my whole business collapsed,” Khan told Stand With Kashmir.

Khan’s wife, younger brother and sister, and aging parents rely on his income. His father works as a laborer, but at 78 years old, the older man’s earnings aren’t enough to buoy the family.

“I had no back up to help me in the distressing situation,” Khan said.

Last year, Khan purchased 15 truckloads of apples from growers in south Kashmir. It had been his “last hope,” he says, to make a decent profit in resale. But with his “bad luck” during the lockdowns, outside markets didn’t give good rates for Kashmir’s famed apples, Khan says. He lost 200 rupees on each box of apples, adding up to hundreds of thousands of rupees.

He now owes banks 60-lakh rupees (about $82,000 USD), and local lenders 30-lakh rupees (about $41,000 USD).

“I am in such a situation that I found no way out but to sell my kidneys,” said Khan, who’s hoping he can fetch 20-lakh rupees (about $27,000 USD), to help repay his debts.

Like many Kashmirirs who have lost their jobs and businesses, Khan has been out of work since the COVID-19 shutdown began in March. He’s been hiding from his lenders, who have beaten and harassed him and his family.

He got his family’s approval to run the newspaper ad, as they agreed he was desperate. A photo of his print ad circulated widely on social media. Many people have since contacted Khan. He plans to meet them first before deciding whether to move forward.

“My wife is very disturbed,” Khan said. “My parents are crying and my family is worried in this situation.”
The frightening fact is that salaries are too low to live off.
Tags: Money, Poverty, Finance, Economic Inequality, Inequality

The reality is that everyone has the same opportunity to be rich. Some may face greater obstacles than others. But the opportunity is there for everyone to seize.

The frightening fact is that salaries are too low to live off. In the past, one could live frugally, put away a little bit of money and be able to buy a modest house or accumulate a nest egg. No more. The only way to survive financially is to have money invested in the stock market and a good credit rating. This will give you the financial cushion that, in the past, was provided by having a steady job with a salary that paid a living wage. But many people are so overwhelmed by their day to day needs, they’re unable to even get on the first rung of the financial ladder. It isn’t their “fault” or the result of some personal failing. It’s the result of structural inequality.
Great way to flip the tiny house movement on its head.
By: Stephen Chamberlin
Tags: Money, Life Lessons, Poverty, Housing, Real Estate

Great way to flip the tiny house movement on its head. I believe we also have a humongous house (McMansions) problem. Shunting people towards tiny houses rather than filling the housing stock we already have or addressing massive wealth inequality is damaging as is the notion that the “American Dream” requires 5000+SF. We seem to gravitate towards excess whether in housing, wealth or politics. None of this is sustainable.
The Abyss
By: K.B. Bailey
Tags: Poem, Anxiety, Free Verse, Poverty, Poetry On Medium

A poem about poverty & anxiety.

Photo by Valentin Lacoste on Unsplash

My heels on the edge.

My back to the abyss.

My heart thrums,

aware.

One push, one misstep,

and you’re down there.

At the bottom, in the cold,

trapped.

The fear freezes me;

sinking into my center,

settling into my core.

Yet there’s something unreal about it.

Maybe I already fell into the dark?

And I only imagine

I’m still aboveground.

That must be it.

That’s why I can see your backs from here

circled around the abyss.

Your hands held out to balance you

like tightrope walkers.

Your dirty heels hanging over the edge;

Gum on the bottom of your tennis shoes.
Certain Poor Shepherds
By: Aaron Debee
Tags: Culture, Humanity, Poverty, Poetry, Christmas

Through streetlamp pools,

and snowflake swarms,

glide numb and frigid feet.

Green glow of yule,

red blossom bows,

warm carols ringing sweet.

Just off the main,

down alleys dark,

the burg’s forgotten souls

lie huddled in

their wraps too thin,

adrift in tides of cold.

No shopping rush,

no trimming scene,

no pageant breaks the drone.

But steady howl

and longest night

creep closer to the bone.

Joy to the World

belongs to those

tucked inside chapel doors,

away from grime,

stiff matted hair,

and seeping, stinking sores.

Yet hope resides

in kettle plinks,

those heralds of goodwill.

Word spreads the news

of place and time

where one may have their fill.

The morn arrives,

the kind hearts flock

to set the feast in place.

Two strange worlds meet

o’er tables full

for first time face to face.

Let not those eyes

escape our minds

so often hid from sight;

take them with you

as you head home;

think of them christmas night.
UNICEF Sends Food Aid to Poverty-Stricken Dictatorship, Rulers Unhappy
By: Katy Preen
Tags: Unicef, Politics, Poverty, Uk News, Food

These are just a few recent examples. The present UK government is failing at everything they attempt, and then having a go at those who point out the failings. Much like the authoritarian regimes we dare to criticise, the UK is mimicking ‘failed’ states by ignoring problems and denying to the outside world that they even exist.

Britain’s current state reminds me of the Twitter thread by Patrick Gathara, a Kenyan journalist who described America’s political turmoil in similar language to that normally reserved for so-called developing nations:

But 21st Century Britain’s problems run deeper than merely failing at providing the bare minimum for its citizens to survive. Something else that Philip Alston, the aforementioned UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said in his 2018 report was that

“The experience of the United Kingdom, especially since 2010, underscores the conclusion that poverty is a political choice.”

Britain has the money and the means to solve all its social problems. It is the 5th richest country in the world. But the Conservative government is following an ideology of punishing the poor, as if making poverty even harder will somehow motivate them to become millionaires.

The poverty occurring today in Britain is deliberately imposed.

Money that could have been used to bolster public services and alleviate poverty was instead diverted to private companies with connections to Conservative MPs. If any other nation was involved in such activities, we’d be screeching about how corrupt and immoral they were.

Did we not think it could happen here, or don’t we care? Do we even know — the British media is the least trustworthy in Europe, and has set the scene for a nefarious government to walk in and asset strip the nation while distracting us with just enough racism and xenophobia to make us feel superior.

When UK politicians deny the existence of widespread social ills, it’s not because they want to pretend the problem isn’t real, or because they don’t know how to cope with it. It’s because they created these conditions on purpose and they want things to stay like that to ‘discipline’ the unworthy.

The cruelty is the point.
What It’s Like to Live in the Poorest Countries in the World
By: Kiah Swenson
Tags: Travel, Money, Poverty, Finance, Charity

Burundi

Burundi comes in as one of the poorest countries in the entire world (ranking in as the #1 poorest on some lists) in 2020. They have an estimated GNI per capita (the estimated dollar value of a countries final income in a year, divided by its population) of a mere $775 (approximately).

Let me reiterate that… If you took the entire country’s income for a year and divided it by the population (which is estimated to about 12 million people), each person would only get $775 USD.

As a result of this lack of wealth, more than 70% of Burundi’s population (greater than 8 million people) lives on $1.90 per day or less.

Photo by quentcourtois0 on Pixabay

About the Country

Burundi is a very densely populated country. With a population growth rate of 3.12% and an average fertility rate of 5.45 births per woman, Burundi comes in as the 14th most densely populated country in the world.

Despite the high population, Burundi is one of the least developed countries on earth. More than 87% of Burundi’s population lives in rural areas and less than 10% of the population has access to electricity. Greater than 65% of the country lives in poverty.

Because most of the country’s people live in rural areas, it makes sense that agriculture is Burundi’s largest industry, making up about 33% of their GDP and employing more than 70% of the population.

Although the country produces a lot of food, overpopulation and a generally poor economy still puts Burundi as one of the hungriest countries in the world, with more than 58% of people facing chronic malnourishment.

In addition, due to the lack of wealth throughout the country, Burundi’s health system suffers from a lack of infrastructure and human resources. As a result, health of the Burundian people can be poor. Diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria ravage throughout the country and the life expectancy of Burundi’s people is only an approximate 61.2 years (almost 18 years less than the life expectancy of a US citizen).

How to Help

It’s clear that Burundi needs help. Their lack of food, clean water, medical resources, and basic utilities like power are extraordinary issues that no human should have to face. Here are some resources/donation links that directly help the people of Burundi.

The World Food Programme — an organization that not only helps people worldwide become more food-secure, but also teaches locals in Burundi how to be more energy efficient in their agriculture

BeyGOOD — Beyonce’s very own organization, in partnership with UNICEF (also a good place to donate), hoping to bring Burundian’s greater access to clean water

The Burundi Education Fund — an organization that helps provide materials and financial support to students and schools in Burundi facing extreme poverty

AVSI — an organization working to ensure access to affordable and sustainable energy for the more than 10 million people in Burundi without power
Why do beggars still exist?
By: Noble Kovacs
Tags: Societal Pressures, Poverty, Economy, Standards, Government

Why do beggars still exist?

No one is born a beggar. You may ask what about the children of beggars then? Well they aren’t beggars, its their parents who are. Your parents dont define who you are. They are just your mentors in life.

“If you were born poor, its not your fault. But if you die poor, it is your fault.”- Bill Gates.

Each and every one us humans are born with talent. Some realise it and use it to increase their potential, while others laze away wasting life.

It has become rather obvious by now how begging has become a scam and even a business; by invoking others pity for their gain, which has ruined our perception of them, making us wonder if anyone truly is in need. But it’s not all their fault. Its the fault of a community as a whole. Not all beggars are the same, some once were leading a normal life, but they gave up after a major setback. Some would’ve gotten used to it as time went on and started relying on others. While others are just lazy. Many people try to make a living by doing the minimum amount of work and live a basic life.

The misery of these people is also caused by society, the “societal standard” will stop people from working “less respectable” jobs to avoid being looked down upon. Another reason being children are being taught from a small age with an employee or a workman mindset. When these individuals grow older they only know what to do from what was taught to them, which results in being unable to power through setbacks in life and unable to get themselves up without a similar job.

There are many reasons for the existence of beggars, but one of the main factors for it is themselves. If you see the lesser developed nations its easily noticeable how an entire family depends on one person for their sustenance. If a person wants to change their standard of living they may do so, even though each individual may face different challenges throughout their journey, they still would be able to get themselves out of a rut. There are not one but many examples of people working hard to get out of poverty and achieve their highest of dreams, while others have far too little dreams to even care about.

In most countries that have a prominent population of beggars, it can be seen that the government has remarkably more restrictions on businesses, which is the backbone of an economy of a country. Others spend more money on their defenses and make non productive investments rather than spending on the welfare of its citizens.

Fingers can be pointed everywhere to find a reason for their existence, but it all comes down to a person, and themselves. If they truly want to change their life or others it can be done so. A human mind can be easily manipulated, turning it into an advantage or a weakness is the responsibility of one's self.
Garibi………
By: Durgesh Nandan Singh
Tags: Poverty Alleviation, Poverty

Poverty is not a result of children and families who don’t work hard. Our children, families and people work as hard as anyone else will do…. Poverty is by political design and it is rooted in a system that has been fractured, corrupt and rotten from its core from the inception of india…. We people of India don’t celebrate an individual honesty, selflessness but instead we celebrate how much a person has earn. We close our eyes in seeing the modus operandi of the person… How he created such wealth,which leads to other individual doing the same and it continues generation to next one… We people of India have to come up with a movement designed to push back against a system that’s slowly and steadily killing us. This whole system has been making our generation blind mentally, psychologically and spiritually. It is forcing us to live in a country where so many people are hopeless and have lost faith not in just political system but also on each other.. I want to restore that faith as we all are in the same situation… If we will not stand together against it the status quo will literally kill us one day…….
Poor People Santa
By: William J Spirdione
Tags: Society, Sonnet, Poverty, Poetry, Christmas

Poor People Santa

photo of author and Santa 1970

Don’t think I ever believed in Santa,

But I still love the music and the lights.

A silly piece of Americana,

Nast’s image, with Coke’s colors still delights.

Being raised by two poor teenage parents,

They both worked two jobs to give us Christmas .

We had lights, a tree, and received presents.

What Santa delivered was suspicious.

Not wanting to hurt my parents feelings,

Maybe there’s no island of misfit toys.

But less poor cousins, in seasons greetings,

Nicer clothes and toys, same Santa deploys.

The children poorer still always miss out,

A department store Santa instills doubt.

Thank you Carol Burt for a timely reminder. I don’t hate Christmas but it’s getting harder to love it.
Goals to Accomplish! #JustStart
By: Muhammad Qasim
Tags: Poverty, Just Start

Yes, you might be thinking right, poverty!. Unfortunately, we live in a country where poverty is continuously rising with the passage of time. The government has tried much to control it much but they usually fail. There are many people that have started their own organizations/NGOs to help fight poverty and other problems of the needy people ones.

Every single human being who has humanity left in his heart and soul feels for others when he sees someone else in a tough or bad situation. I also wanted to change the situation we are living in right now. People are being hopeless, demotivated and most of them quit at times. I want to be their hope and their motivation that there’s still life left and there are many people left who help others.

The situation of giving your valuable/precious thing to others is something great, people might think they are welfare worker but at the time of giving, they usually become selfish and sometimes mean.

I have been taking an active part in doing welfare work. Sometimes we collect money and give food to poor people. At times we go to a shelter home. This time since the temperature of Karachi is dropping down, our team initiated a winter cloth drive. Where I donated many clothes while taking out some of my personal there was a point “No! I wear this, I will wear it”, but I left this behind and donated them.
Make our Voice Count
By: Haven Rector
Tags: Women Helping Women, Poverty, Womens Rights, Improving Global Health, Global Issues

Many of us struggle as women in this country, at school, at work, in politics, and many other places here in the United States. 100 years ago, we as women were given the right to vote, and since then we have had an improvement of being recognized in our Country. But what about the world, and the other women in other countries?

Many of you might not know the extent of what other women and girls go through in other countries. 736 million people live in poverty across the globe, which impacts a vast majority of women and girls. About 130 million girls are not in school because they are in impoverished countries. Girls are 3 times more likely to drop out of school than boys; these girls are pressured in leaving because of family, forced marriages, or pregnancy.

About 800 women each day die due to pregnancy and childbirth, the risk of dying in childbirth is 47 times higher in Africa than in the United States. Most of these deaths are preventable, but these women are living in impoverished countries that don’t have access to proper health care. And the societies that these women live in do not give women voices, and see them as a 2nd class citizen; many of these women’s jobs are to marry, have as many babies that their husband wants, and take care of the house and children.

There have been several cases where these women and girls have tried to break away from their societies norms, Malala is a great example, however, she had to leave her country because she was not safe there. Many girls do not have these chances to leave their country for a better life.

However, do not feel discouraged, we can help them. We have the power, the voice, and the resources to help these women and provide them with a better future. The non-profit organization that I am interning at provides us with a basic way to help, and it is as easy as contacting congress. We can email and call them to ask them to support The Borgen Projects bills, some of these bills are Keep Girls in School Act, the Girls LEAD Act, and the Reach Every Mother and Child Act. Contacting Congress or even spreading to word can lead to change and help give these women and children a better hope.
Why do the Rich let the Poor Die ?
By: Todd Zen
Tags: Poverty, Republicans, Mitch Mcconnell, Covid 19 Crisis, Billionaires

Why do the Rich let the Poor Die ?

The question of why the Rich let the Poor die in Poverty has been around for thousands of years. Even Lao Tzu mentions in the Tao Te Ching that the village has no grain while the Rich strut around like Peacocks. Or something like that. So the evil Rich have been with us since the birth of Civilization. The divide between the Rich and the Poor has never been worse than it is now in the United States in 2020. Millions are facing the downward spiral towards Poverty because of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Government is refusing to help. This is because the Wealthiest people in the Country don’t want to be bothered with the problems of the Poor. My God, They have Houses and Yachts to buy. Or $100 million dollar paintings to collect. The thought of millions of people crawling through the garbage for food is none of their concern. What could be more awful than getting your taxes raised to help people fighting to survive. “It’s there Fault” The Billionaire snaps to his millionaire friends at the Country Club. And to think these ‘people’ want their wages increased so they can afford their rent ! Don’t you know I have 150 Billion dollars to take care of. The stress of having 150,000 thousand million dollars is awful ! I deserve a new Maserati as a reward for my suffering. Or another Mansion. Yes, the Evil Rich have been around since the Devil was invented. They have sent armies of poor people out into battle to hack themselves to pieces with swords. Don’t these homeless Americans know how good they have it. I mean we provide at least one public toilet per 100,000 citizens ! Be happy you live in the greatest Country on Earth. What, You want ‘Healthcare as a Human Right’. Well forget about. I am not paying another cent on the zero taxes I pay. My friends the Republicans have assured me America will never have a National Healthcare System. God Bless Mitch McConnell. God Bless The Republican Party. God Bless Capitalism.
A Long December
By: Matt Keene
Tags: Society, Politics, Poverty, Pandemic, Covid 19

In my quest to find ways of engaging with the community and getting to know the area, I’ve volunteered to help out at a local food bank. The manager told me the place saw 50–80 people per day. While it was a bit slower than that for my first day, a steady stream of the disadvantaged did filter through during those three hours. It is one thing to read about poverty, about racism, about the impact of the pandemic upon a population that was already struggling. It is quite another to see it for yourself and to hear the stories. People living in cars, ex-cons who couldn’t nail down employment, a disturbingly high percentage of senior citizens, even a few people you’d not expect to see at a food pantry, at least judging by appearance. I can’t judge whether all the stories I heard were honest gospel or truth mixed with fiction.

One old man named Steven, who still works in maintenance and remodeling, came in because his four grandchildren were coming to visit and he didn’t have enough for them. He decorated his table and a small tree, he said, which raised his spirits. He worried about the impending winter storm slated to hit the region tomorrow, noting that the heater in his house needed a repair due to a breakdown last winter that went unfixed through summer and autumn — estimated cost: $150. He would have gotten to it, he said, but the truck needed brakes and rotors. The skirting on his trailer needed repair, and he fretted about snow getting in.

Another fellow pointed to a left knee injured years ago during service as a Marine, and spoke at length about his inability to obtain and hang onto a trucking job. In an incident outside Target years ago, he said, a man punched his wife in the eye. He retaliated against him and was then taken down by police, he said. The man who hit his wife got probation. After a confrontational hearing in front of a judge, this guy got five years. The man working alongside me asked whether the man who punched his wife was black. Our Marine, black himself, replied, “I don’t see that stuff.” That wasn’t his point, the volunteer replied. Maybe he got it easier because he was white? The Marine’s eyes got glassy as he told us that his wife, who was white, died while he was in prison, and that he lost his house and several acres in Hellam Township. He lost everything that mattered to him, he said before swallowing and moving on.

Both volunteers and visitors commented occasionally on the inability of anyone to count on the government for assistance. And a number of those drove in with Trump paraphernalia on their automobiles, which left me shaking my head.

The most prosperous nation in the world, we’re told, and so many suffering.
Bottom of the Pyramid: A Layer to Focus for Holistic Development
By: Abhishek Pandey
Tags: Poverty, Bottom Of The Pyramid, Poor, India

Bottom of the pyramid is the group of people that belong to the lowest strata of the pyramid consisting of four billion people living in extreme poverty. Out of these four billion people, there are around 400 million in India. And to cater to their needs there are several policies framed, wherein one of them is doubling the farmer’s income by 2022. For many, this seems to be a questionable and fake promise but let us see the positives in case it becomes a reality.

Source: Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid (C.K. Prahalad)

As we saw the above pyramid where the maximum people lie at the bottom, so if their income gets doubled, it will be affecting positively everyone in the chain from bottom to the top of the pyramid. There would be a question coming in everyone’s mind that how it will help upper section of the pyramid? So, let us assume a farmer who was selling tomato at Rs. 40 per Kg (earlier) in order to get his or her income double will have to sell at a rate of Rs. 80 per Kg. Now the consumers should be able to pay Rs. 80 to enable the farmer to double his or her income. In that case, there would be four times growth in the consumer’s income. These consumers are predominantly from the middle class (middle section of the pyramid) who work at managerial, engineering, and other such high paying jobs. So, in case these people have their income quadrupled, implies that the people at the top of the pyramid would have their income increased by eight times. Thus, this is the benefit of working for the bottom of the pyramid.

There are many other private and social enterprises who have displayed a profitable and sustainable working model by using this large section of people at the bottom of the pyramid as their consumers. Some classical examples are Jaipur Rugs, Arvind Eye Card, HUL-Lifebuoy, and Jaipur Foot.

To conclude, it can be inferred that whenever there is a growth of the people at the bottom of the pyramid, the development will be holistic including each and every individual in the society. And if this continues the pyramid will be morphed into a diamond as shown below.
Lament is for the privileged, Life must go on for the poor…
By: Tasneem H Yousuff
Tags: Patience, Life Struggles, Poverty, Grief, Tragedy

Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg whose creation of Facebook, lets millions forget their pains and sorrows, for that quick rush of adrenaline, generated by those “likes” and sometimes appreciative emojis, and some engaging comments.

During one of those “down” moments, I considered resorting to Facebook, and posting my thoughts. Then again looking through the numerous photos I took on this holiday, which was drawing to an end, I was in the process of selecting a few for my Facebook friends, when Harry our Cabin attendant on the cruise, knocked on our door, to clean. I told Harry that the Cabin was quite clean and he didn’t have to, but he insisted on making the bed and changing the towels. While Harry a young Filipino man of 40, with his slight limp, did his job, we got chatting. Harry told me that he had worked on another ship for long, and then had to take a break of over two years, to recover from a car accident, before commencing work again on this ship. Putting my laptop down I asked Harry, if he sustained injuries in the car accident. What he told me really shook my senses, on how trivial my issues were in comparison with what this young man was going through….

Harry said, “yes, I sustained a lot of injuries and had to learn to walk again. But, I have to work”!

Then Harry said, “my whole family was in the car, when the accident occurred. My wife, my mother and my cousin died on the spot! My wife was holding our two year old daughter with her hands wrapped around her, so my child survived, along with my three other children, all of whom had to be hospitalised due to their injuries!” I sat there stunned…. How could this man who had undergone such severe trauma, work with so much enthusiasm? Some days Harry even cleaned our cabin twice a day! For the poor, life has to go on… there is no time for lament, sorrow or contemplation…

I remembered those days, when whole families travelled on one two wheeler in countries such as India and, there was no limit on the number of people who could fit into a four wheeler! It was the same in Phillipines where Harry came from…

I asked Harry how he was coping? He said, I try not to think about it as I have to work for my four children. Though I try to get busy with work, there are times when everything around me is dark…….

I really was lost for words…then, I summoned the courage to say, “have you met anyone since? “ He said “My wife was my childhood sweetheart. She was 14 and I was 16, when we got to know each other. My youngest daughter was in her arms. She saved her and died. If I got into a relationship, will the new woman care for my four children?”

I had no answer, true I thought — it would be a gamble!

Then thoughtfully Harry said, “I see a lot of couples on this ship. But they have been married before, and either widowed or divorced. And they have found happiness and companionship. After all, God created Eve for Adam…… I breathed a sigh of relief…..”Good thinking Harry, I said. Please leave the door open….”
15 Ways To Help Families In Need This Christmas
By: Dr. Deborah M. Vereen
Tags: Giving, Grief, Poverty, Kindness, Christmas

Introduction

This year has been especially difficult for many families because of the added stress of financial instabilities. Others continue to grieve the loss of loved ones.

A lot of parents and their children, as well as the elderly, could use some holiday cheer this year. Here are 15 thoughtful ways to spread happiness to unsuspecting families who could use an extra boost of joy.

Ideas That Will Bless
Crying Over Cornflakes and Cookies in a Third World Country
By: Iva Ursano
Tags: Life, Poverty, Kindness, Make A Difference, Hunger

Moving to a third world country

So, in case you don’t know one of the reasons why I came down to beautiful Guatemala to live was to help the poor people here as best I can. When I first got down here I was sponsoring families through an NGO (non-profit organization), but after almost 2 years I cut off the sponsorships.

Now before you think it was mean and heartless to do that, but it wasn’t. I understand that charities have overhead and staff to pay and all that good stuff but I just felt that my money would go a lot further if I just personally helped the families myself.

So I started doing that a little at a time and then my income took a huge hit at the beginning of 2018 and I could barely afford to support myself. Because of this, I had to really scale back how much I could help. It hurt my heart but I’m working my ass off trying to make it work. I know one day it will all come together for me.

In any case, food and staples are reasonably priced so even just being able to buy one small bag of food for a family won’t break my pathetic bank account and I know a family will have some good food.

That’s good enough for me.
Literary Autoethnography
By: Tam T Nguyen
Tags: Poverty, Literacy Definition, Literary Autoethnography, Activism, English 1a

In my experience, literacy is a word spoken, said, and understood as the ability to read and write. Wikipedia admits this fact stating that the word is understood mostly as the ability to read and write. Some members of my community, like my long-time friend, is a victim of this belief. However, that definition placed on literacy is only part of its true meaning. My definition of literacy is the fluency a person has in an area or field. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, literacy is the state of being literate and knowledge that relates to a specified subject. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gave the literal definition. However, there are other groups, institutions, and people who define it differently. Alberta Education defines literacy as the ability, confidence and willingness to engage with language to acquire, construct and communicate meaning in all aspects of daily living. Alberta Education gives a more thoughtful and meaningful definition to literacy. Regardless of which definition is chosen, literacy remains as the amount of knowledge a person has in a subject.

Why is literacy important? Literacy is presented in our lives daily from grocery shopping to petitioning. For example, activism. Activism promotes better changes into our lives. Jstor, a database, presents how cultural activism can alter their circumstances, formally or informally like participating in protests from Local Actions: Cultural Activism, Power, and Public Life in America by Melissa Checker and Maggie Fishman. These authors expressed the importance of literacy through their writing of cultural activism. To be able to promote a change we want in our lives, it is necessary to know what change we want, how we can change it, &c. Another example of literacy’s importance is the ability to escape poverty. Factsheet #9 — Literacy and Poverty provides a list of how literacy is connected to poverty and one of them is how poor families are in risk of poverty. This is because poor children would be placed in the lower end of the education system and their parents don’t have the ability to help them. Factsheet #9 — Literacy and Poverty also notes how children would drop out of high school because they can’t get the help they need. This cycle would repeat, and their children would be placed in the same place.

Though literacy is an excellent tool in life, there are obstacles everyone has. One of my obstacles is fake news. Literacy is necessary to understand the world we live in, however it could be muddled with fake news and false information. Literacy in false information would only lead one astray, and possibly make their life more difficult.

Overall, literacy is important. It is being fluent and knowledgeable of a subject and its importance is life-changing. Two examples of how literacy impacts and changes life would be through activism and escaping the poverty cycle. Through spreading information about literacy, we could make our lives easier and for the better.
Salvation Army rings in the holiday season with Tony Packo’s
By: Jaden Jefferson
Tags: Local, Poverty, Community, News, Tony Packos

Salvation Army rings in the holiday season with Tony Packo’s

Poverty.

TOLEDO, Ohio — One of Toledo’s most famous eateries is once again partnering with the Salvation Army of Northwest Ohio to fight childhood poverty in the area with special events this 2020 holiday season.

On December 2nd, Tony Packo’s® kicked off their ‘Pierogies Against Poverty’ push in conjunction with the Salvation Army. For every order of the restaurant’s new pierogis purchased at their locations through December 24th, they will donate $1 to the cause of childhood poverty.

In addition, the well-known Salvation Army bell ringers will be present at the Original Tony Packo’s at 1902 Front St. on Thursday, December 10th to accept donations. This single-day event will be accompanied by a special promotion for customers to receive one, free world-famous Packo’s hot dog upon the presentation of a coupon that will be shared through email and online.

Packo’s has been meeting and exceeding local and state guidelines for COVID-19 and wants to assure all its customers they can visit every Packo’s location and feel safe and secure in a clean, healthy environment.