In the words of Jay-Z, “The burden of poverty isn 't just that you don 't always have the things you need, it 's the feeling of being embarrassed every day of your life, and you 'd do anything to lift that burden (Jay-Z: The Fresh Air Interview).” In America, poverty can be seen everywhere. Walking along the street downtown one might see homeless people along the streets. Here, there are endless ways that one can donate, volunteer, and help out to try to do their part to defeat the poverty. Poverty in the United States is bad, but in countries such as Nigeria, it is much worse. Over 62% of the 170 million people living in Nigeria live in a state of extreme poverty (Africa :: Nigeria), compared to 4% of Americans (Poverty). Nigeria has the 22nd
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The story starts out with Nne and Ebuka walking home from school. Ebuka, the younger one, is worried that his mother will be angry with him when she sees he got his clothes dirty at school. Nne, the narrator, shares her thoughts as her mind wanders to thinking about her everyday life. She tells us about the rough neighborhood she lives in, and shares how her father passed away and she and her little brother now live only with their mother. After hearing Nne share her thoughts on these subjects, the characters hear a crash, and rush down the street to see a bulldozer tearing down the shacks in their neighborhood. All of the people living in the neighborhood were distraught, and didn’t know what to do. In the last few minutes, as the bulldozers are knocking them down, the family scrambles to pick up as many of their belongings as they can, before huddling together and crying. They, and most of the other people who had lived in the shacks, then had few belongings and nowhere to …show more content…
The GDP per capita in Nigeria is at about $5,500 (Nigeria GDP per Capita PPP | 1990-2016 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast). Although this isn’t very high, it is still higher than is reflected by the quality of life represented in the country. The annual GDP growth rate is at about 5.4%, yet there is no change in standard of living (Poverty in Nigeria: Rich Country, Poor People). With a GDP of 1.1 trillion dollars, Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa, yet 70% of the citizens fall below the poverty line (Africa :: Nigeria). This is because the money in Nigeria is almost all concentrated in the hands of the rich (African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues). Nigeria is a republic, and there, being part of the government is viewed solely as a way to gain wealth. Because of this, corruption is prevalent in Nigeria’s government (African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues). Conspicuous consumption is common among the rich, while their neighbors are starving (African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues). So, Nigeria is a rich country, but those who could make a difference aren’t the ones motivated to do so. Those who would want to change things lack the resources to get rid of corruption and put proper government in place (Poverty in Nigeria: Rich Country, Poor People). The corrupt government is the cause of the waste of Nigeria’s resources
The story starts out with Nne and Ebuka walking home from school. Ebuka, the younger one, is worried that his mother will be angry with him when she sees he got his clothes dirty at school. Nne, the narrator, shares her thoughts as her mind wanders to thinking about her everyday life. She tells us about the rough neighborhood she lives in, and shares how her father passed away and she and her little brother now live only with their mother. After hearing Nne share her thoughts on these subjects, the characters hear a crash, and rush down the street to see a bulldozer tearing down the shacks in their neighborhood. All of the people living in the neighborhood were distraught, and didn’t know what to do. In the last few minutes, as the bulldozers are knocking them down, the family scrambles to pick up as many of their belongings as they can, before huddling together and crying. They, and most of the other people who had lived in the shacks, then had few belongings and nowhere to …show more content…
The GDP per capita in Nigeria is at about $5,500 (Nigeria GDP per Capita PPP | 1990-2016 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast). Although this isn’t very high, it is still higher than is reflected by the quality of life represented in the country. The annual GDP growth rate is at about 5.4%, yet there is no change in standard of living (Poverty in Nigeria: Rich Country, Poor People). With a GDP of 1.1 trillion dollars, Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa, yet 70% of the citizens fall below the poverty line (Africa :: Nigeria). This is because the money in Nigeria is almost all concentrated in the hands of the rich (African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues). Nigeria is a republic, and there, being part of the government is viewed solely as a way to gain wealth. Because of this, corruption is prevalent in Nigeria’s government (African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues). Conspicuous consumption is common among the rich, while their neighbors are starving (African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues). So, Nigeria is a rich country, but those who could make a difference aren’t the ones motivated to do so. Those who would want to change things lack the resources to get rid of corruption and put proper government in place (Poverty in Nigeria: Rich Country, Poor People). The corrupt government is the cause of the waste of Nigeria’s resources