A Big Problem in a Big World: Global Poverty
Poverty is not having a place to live. Poverty is constantly being hungry. Poverty is being uneducated, not knowing how to read and write. Poverty is not having clothes to wear. Poverty is not having a job, fearing for the future. Poverty is becoming ill because of the unsanitary conditions around you. Poverty is all around the world. Unfortunately, poverty is an obstacle that affects numerous people. From our own country, the United States of America, to countries like Niger and Zimbabwe, countless innocent lives people are questioning if they are going to survive every single day. In America, many people blame our poverty on immigration. There are multiple organizations that already try to help …show more content…
One of the main causes of its poverty is the natural disasters it has been through. In 1992 Zimbabwe experienced a severe drought which caused a rise in poverty. The drought stopped many from being accessible to their farming, especially with their cattle, leaving no work. “Recent statistics from the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency (ZimStat) 's October national datum lines showed that the average Zimbabwean lives on 3.24 dollars per day which is more than the World Bank 's 1.90 dollars, an indicator of extreme poverty” (IPS pg. 1). With such little money given to the Zimbabweans, many need food assistance. “In September this year, the World Food Program (WFP) said that 2.2 million Zimbabweans will require food assistance this year” (IPS pg. 2). If the program runs out of food, then the people of Zimbabwe will have to figure out their own way of receiving food. Another disheartening event that goes hand in hand with poverty is the amount of children that drop out of school. In Zimbabwe, thousands of kids have dropped out of school mainly because of hunger. Children complained about sitting in school all day and hearing their stomachs growling. They could not focus on learning because of how starved they are in this country. George Sithole, a primary school teacher in Lupane stated, "I have 45 pupils, but these days I would be lucky to have half the class," he said. "Cases of children fainting in class …show more content…
While children are dropping out of school in Zimbabwe because they are starving, teenagers in North Carolina are trying to prevent this from occurring at their school. At Washington High School in Beaufort Country, North Carolina, students and faculty realized that students were hungry and could not sit in class comfortably because of this. After doing some research they found out that twenty-one percent of residents in their county had been living below the poverty level. To benefit their peers they created a pantry that stored food, clothing, and necessities that students may need. The closet was anonymous so that students did not feel embarrassed or ashamed. “Walker notes that while she can 't measure exactly how many people have used their closest and pantry, she estimates it has helped "between 10 and 15 percent" of the students” (Mercedes Lara pg 4). This is something that the country of Zimbabwe could possibly do once they become slightly more stable. Their help is also important because it demonstrates a positive example of what other schools around the world could do to also help
Poverty is not having a place to live. Poverty is constantly being hungry. Poverty is being uneducated, not knowing how to read and write. Poverty is not having clothes to wear. Poverty is not having a job, fearing for the future. Poverty is becoming ill because of the unsanitary conditions around you. Poverty is all around the world. Unfortunately, poverty is an obstacle that affects numerous people. From our own country, the United States of America, to countries like Niger and Zimbabwe, countless innocent lives people are questioning if they are going to survive every single day. In America, many people blame our poverty on immigration. There are multiple organizations that already try to help …show more content…
One of the main causes of its poverty is the natural disasters it has been through. In 1992 Zimbabwe experienced a severe drought which caused a rise in poverty. The drought stopped many from being accessible to their farming, especially with their cattle, leaving no work. “Recent statistics from the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency (ZimStat) 's October national datum lines showed that the average Zimbabwean lives on 3.24 dollars per day which is more than the World Bank 's 1.90 dollars, an indicator of extreme poverty” (IPS pg. 1). With such little money given to the Zimbabweans, many need food assistance. “In September this year, the World Food Program (WFP) said that 2.2 million Zimbabweans will require food assistance this year” (IPS pg. 2). If the program runs out of food, then the people of Zimbabwe will have to figure out their own way of receiving food. Another disheartening event that goes hand in hand with poverty is the amount of children that drop out of school. In Zimbabwe, thousands of kids have dropped out of school mainly because of hunger. Children complained about sitting in school all day and hearing their stomachs growling. They could not focus on learning because of how starved they are in this country. George Sithole, a primary school teacher in Lupane stated, "I have 45 pupils, but these days I would be lucky to have half the class," he said. "Cases of children fainting in class …show more content…
While children are dropping out of school in Zimbabwe because they are starving, teenagers in North Carolina are trying to prevent this from occurring at their school. At Washington High School in Beaufort Country, North Carolina, students and faculty realized that students were hungry and could not sit in class comfortably because of this. After doing some research they found out that twenty-one percent of residents in their county had been living below the poverty level. To benefit their peers they created a pantry that stored food, clothing, and necessities that students may need. The closet was anonymous so that students did not feel embarrassed or ashamed. “Walker notes that while she can 't measure exactly how many people have used their closest and pantry, she estimates it has helped "between 10 and 15 percent" of the students” (Mercedes Lara pg 4). This is something that the country of Zimbabwe could possibly do once they become slightly more stable. Their help is also important because it demonstrates a positive example of what other schools around the world could do to also help