Poverty: A Global Concern

by Maryam Mohd Shukri

Hello everyone! How are you doing? I hope you are in the pink of health. In this blog post, I would like to share about poverty, its impact and our roles in helping poverty.

“Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the action of human beings,” said Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa. This quote indicates that fighting poverty is everyone’s responsibility. No matter who you are and where you come from, we are all united under one nation and we must act as a responsible member of the community. Poverty can be described as a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. This problem has been a growing concern in recent years because of the surge increase of global poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is reported by the United Nations that the COVID-19 pandemic will push an estimated 71 million additional people into extreme poverty. This is very alarming since poverty can have detrimental effects towards society. The economic damage resulting from COVID-19 pandemic is a large contributor towards the rise in poverty. Causes of global poverty can include inadequate access to clean water and nutritious food, poor education, lack of infrastructure and social injustice. The global pandemic has exacerbated these factors making more people living in multidimensional poverty, without access to education, health, housing, sanitation, nutrition or water.

The negative impacts of poverty are revolving where one effect will lead to another consequence. Poverty can be linked with negative conditions such as diseases, unemployment and crime. People who live in poverty are prone to catching diseases because they lack access to proper healthcare. Unemployment can also be related to poverty since these people are unable to receive education which makes them not qualified to apply for jobs. Some people lack economic opportunity hence they choose to be involved in crimes such as stealing things because they need money.

There is no doubt that poverty is a complex problem and it is not something that can be accomplished by just one person’s effort. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one, we should all take action together in order to reduce poverty. For instance, we can spread awareness on this issue by participating in campaigns. Volunteering to join local organisations that help the community can also bring great benefits in fighting this problem. If you have some money to spare, consider donating to non-profit organisations that collect funds to help people in need.

To summarise, poverty is not an individual person, but it is a broader issue for the entire nation. Solving this problem will surely make this world a better place for everyone. Action speaks louder than words so we must act now in order to fight poverty.

That is all from me for now. Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.

Thank you for reading!