Wednesday, April 14, 2010

World Bank, Solution to Poverty

The World Bank is an international bank for reconstruction and development. A U.N agency created to assist developing nations by loans that are guaranteed by other member countries it is important to collect data from 73 countries so you get more people's experiences problems and voices. This way the data collected is from everywhere so no nations can deny these impoverished nations help. Poverty is having a shortage of food for all or part of the year you cant save money you cant afford to send your children to school live in an unstable house constantly in need of repair and don’t have a close source of clean safe drinking water. Many of the people living in poverty are in a poverty trap a poverty trap is any self reinforcing mechanism which causes poverty to persist. The world bank defines poverty as not having enough income to meet the most basic human needs. The world bank defines the poverty line as making less than $1.25 a day, there are currently 1.4 billion people living under the poverty, a large improvement from the 1.9 billion in 1981. This means that 500 million people have crossed the poverty line over the last 20 years. If we keep going at this rate poverty will not be a thing of the past by 2015 but someday it might be nonexistant. Many of those below the poverty only make enough to live on, if charities could buy these people food and water then they could save their own money and maybe build up enough money to cross the poverty line. I have witnessed poverty time and time again, one particular memory was when i was driving to my condo after flying back from Redange when i saw a bundle of bags and cloth walking down the street. it made me feel guilty that he was on the street while i had just gone on a vacation, however my sympathy was short lived when he tried to steal a woman's purse and was instantly beaten by no less then 5 bystanders. Upon seeing this i realized that there is usually a reason that people are living in poverty, but in some cases the poor people are simply unlucky and it is up to us to find the unlucky ones and help them cross the poverty line. As of 2005 (these statistics may not be up to date) 850 million people go to bed hungry each day, 13500 people are infected with HIV/ AIDS per day and 22000 die from extreme poverty and curable diseases such as diarrhea and fever. Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, one of Time magazine's "100 most influential people in the world" claims that, "International will is the solution to poverty." Dr. Sachs also believes that to end extreme poverty all you need are: better agricultural tools, access to vitamins and mosquito nets. The image you see in this post is key words that represent the Rights that all children have, these rights are being violated because the poverty inhibits their legal guardians ability to properly take care of them and provide them with important things such as nutrition and education are neglected because they are too expensive.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Sauri and the Millenium Villages

Agricultural yields have doubled; child mortality dropped by 30 percent; school attendance and test scores increased. Cell phone ownership increased fourfold resulting in changing attitudes. 80 millennium villages are spread across Africa, through projects inspired by Jeffrey Sachs. Simple technology based programs influence health care, education, job training rapidly lift people out of poverty. Teaching crop-rotation, mobilization against malaria, a killer of a million children yearly help empower africans. Sending blood results via phone causes instant medical response and treatment. Can Sauri be replicated world-wide? Sachs despite his reputation has critics who claim, Corrupt governments prevent promising aid projects. The public must be informed and act.
Visit: Shower of Aid Brings Flood of Progress for more information.