Poverty

By Aidan Blom

Table Of Contents
1...........................An introduction to poverty
2.......................................Causes of poverty
3.....................................What poverty is like
4........................The Living On One program
5.......................................Poverty in America
6........................................YOU should help
7.............................................In Conclusion
8......................................................Glossary

Chapter 1
An Introduction To Poverty
Around 21,000 people die every day from hunger related causes. Yet, most people in the world
don't do anything about it. In fact, they don't even know about this horrible issue called poverty.

While many people in the Chicagoland (the area around the city of Chicago) area have free
access to water, good and steady jobs, and a steady paycheck, 66% of the people in the world
have informal jobs. This means that they have no steady paycheck. It's like getting paid nine
dollars one day and one dollar the next. This means that families cannot tell whether they are
going to get paid enough to survive.

Furthermore, many people in poverty in other countries in the

world cannot afford to send their kids to school. This can majorly
affect the kids' lives. Without proper education kids may not be
able to do many of the things that people in the Chicagoland area
know how to do, such as working with money, writing college
essays, job applications etc. Without these needed skills, kids will
not be able to get their family out of poverty. In the following chapters you will learn about the
horrific issue that is poverty.

Chapter 2
Causes of Poverty
Many people in the world live in poverty. In fact, 3 billion people are stuck in poverty. But there
has to be a reason, right? Well, in this chapter you will learn why poverty exists. Maybe it's from
lack of infrastructure? Or maybe it's because of war? Or maybe it's because of racism? These
reasons all contribute to creating poverty in the world, and in this chapter you will learn how.

One of the main reasons for poverty is because of lack of infrastructure, meaning that only a
certain percentage of the people in a country or place get the resources they need. In contrast, the
rest of the population (often the larger percentage) lives with a
lack of housing, money, food and appliances needed for
survival. This is because the larger percentage of the population
is often poor and live in rural villages.

The devastating consequences of war

is another contributor to poverty. Many wars leave countries
destroyed. Rebellions (A state in which a group of people rise up
violently against something that they believe is wrong) and uprisings
often result in buildings being left destroyed. This often leads to
extreme poverty because a country's factories and infrastructure in
German city
after World War
Two

general may be destroyed. Therefore people cannot gain access to the

supplies they need to survive and are forced into poverty. For example:
after WWII, Germany's infrastructure was completely destroyed by the

Allies' (America, England and Russia) bombing raids. In contrast, America's economy boomed
after the war, becoming the world's largest superpower.

Poverty is often caused by discrimination and racism. Usually in a racist country, one race lives
privileged while the other race lives in poverty. This is because the government favors one race
and gives most of the country's resources and protection to that particular race. Meanwhile, the
other race does not have enough resources or opportunities to better themselves and no
protection from the police force or the government. This creates poverty, shame and very often
abuse of and in these oppressed communities. For example: the African people in the nation of
South Africa suffered at the hands of Apartheid for decades. South Africa was sanctioned and
even banned from major world events like the Olympics from 1964 to 1988 because of racism.
Finally in 1993, Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa's first black president and
Apartheid came to an end. Unfortunately, this change did not put an end to all the poverty in this
country. It remains a major challenge for South Africa.

South African Flag

Chapter 3
What Poverty Is Like
Imagine not being able to get clean water when you're thirsty, going to work not knowing if your
getting paid or not. You're sleeping on the floor. And you are always hungry. You have no
medicine when you're sick. Seems impossible to live like this, right?

Well, around 3 billion people globally live like that (that's

almost half the world's population living in poverty.)
Africa, Asia and South America are especially plagued by
poverty mainly because of the lack of infrastructure and
population numbers. These people are on a daily basis
exposed to horrific conditions and impossible challenges.
This is especially devastating to the younger population
living in these countries.

I am convinced that most of us here at Skokie School would not survive the challenges that these
poor people have to face everyday. This is mainly because we at Skokie School are not at all
adapted (changing to a new environment or circumstance) to the living conditions of those who
live in poverty. Our immune system's (A network of cells in our bodies that protects our body
from unhealthy substances) are used to clean water while people in poverty are used to polluted
water. We would get very sick drinking the water people living in poverty drink.

Chapter 4
The Living on One Program
During a lecture, Chris Temple, a college student studying economics just outside of New York
City, had an idea. In class he kept hearing this one statistic over and over again: "1.1 billion
people in the world live on one dollar a day." So, Chris got three other friends together (Zach,
Sean and Ryan) and they decided to live on one dollar a day for two months. They traveled to a
small town in Guatemala (A nation in Central America) called Pea Blanca. There they stayed
for two months living on one dollar a day. You can watch their entire journey at
www.edutopia.org.

Their journey was not easy. For example Chris got very sick
from drinking polluted water. There was no immediate health
care available. Eventually, they found a doctor and she
diagnosed him with a bacterial infection that would have killed
him if not treated. Thanks to their experiences, the four friends
gained much understanding and appreciation for the challenges
that the people of Pea Blanca faced every day living in
poverty.

After coming back from their life changing adventure, the four
friends started the Living On One program. This organization
helps people that are plagued by poverty. By doing this they spread the word about poverty and
did something practical to help. It is one thing feeling sorry for poor people. It is something
completely different to actually get up and do something about it.

Chris, Zach, Sean and Ryan did go back to their friends in Guatemala and are currently running
the Living On One program.

Chapter 5
Poverty In America
Many people think that poverty is non-existent in America. Well, they are sadly mistaken.
According to the National Center For Law And Economic Justice, the 2012 Census (An official
counting or survey of a population, often referring to a certain place) reported that there are 46.5
million people living at or below the poverty level. That is the largest number in 54 years. That's
also more than the entire population of Australia. Even more concerning is the fact that one out
of sixteen people in America are living in deep poverty (people
with income 50% below the poverty level). Why? There's
multiple reasons for poverty in the the United States. In the next
paragraphs you will discover two of the reasons why 46.5 million
people live in poverty in the U.S.

One of the main reasons for poverty in the U.S. is because of

taxes. Because the government continues to raise taxes, families
have limited resources left after paying their taxes. Other
contributing factors are for example the price of gasoline. When
the price of gasoline goes up, it tends to make all other consumer goods more expensive. One
specific example of this is food. This can be a major threat to people who live in poverty.

Additionally, one of the main reasons for poverty in America is people losing their jobs. So,
without money, they cannot pay taxes or afford the basic necessities. And then, when a disastrous
snowstorm hits, most of the deaths we see and hear about in the media are people in poverty who
can't afford heating or have no home. Poverty is a condition that keeps escalating.

The other side of the coin looks like this: Jay Cutler gets paid $16 million dollars per year as
quarterback for the Chicago Bears. That's enough to feed hundreds of families below poverty
level. Derrick Rose makes 18.86 million dollars a year for playing basketball. This shows how

much society values sports. This does not even include the corporate business giants in the
American economy who make millions in salaries and bonuses. If we as a nation can value
creating an end to poverty as much as we value sports and business success, we may make
significant gains in the battle against poverty. It is clear that poverty in the US cannot continued
to be ignored. Something needs to be done. And soon.

Chapter 6
YOU should help
Poverty seems as if it can only be stopped by people with power and lots of money, but in fact
there are ways that you can help. My family adopted a boy named Efraim in Peru last year. By
giving Efraim only $45 per month, he is able to go to school, have at least one hot meal per day
and is provided with some basic necessities. We are also supporting a family in South Africa that
helps African people in poor communities. We are also investing money in missionaries around
the world that equip people to serve and help the poor. By just donating a few dollars a month
you can change a person in poverty's life.

Some ways that you can help are

-Donating money to foundations that help give aid to people in poverty
-Packing food for people in poverty
-or just giving money to a homeless person on the street

Some organizations that give aid are:

Food Pantries.
Children's Hunger Alliance.
Oxfam America.
The Hunger Project.
Society of St. Andrew.
Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
Bread for the World.
The Living On One Program

Chapter 7
In Conclusion
Nelson Mandela once said, "Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.
It is the protection of fundamental human right, the right of dignity and a decent life. While
poverty persists, there is no true freedom." We cannot ignore poverty. By turning a blind eye we
contribute to the extreme growth of this disease. We should actively be engaged in the battle
against poverty. Why? Because every child should be able to dream. They should not be ashamed
of living in poverty. They should not just have to survive, but have opportunities to thrive.
Poverty can be beaten if we all do our part.

Glossary
Chapter 1
Chicagoland
The area around the city of Chicago.
Poverty
A state in which one has a lack of money and living conditions.

Chapter 2
Infrastructure
The fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city or area. As transportation and
communication systems, power plants and school.
Rebellions
A state in which a group of people rise up violently against something that they believe is wrong.

Chapter 3
Adapt
To change to a new environment or circumstance.
Immune System
A network of cells in our bodies that protects our body from unhealthy substances.

Chapter 4
Guatemala
A nation in Central America.

Chapter 5
Census
An official counting or survey of a population, often referring to a certain place.

Sources
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/film-festival-poverty-education-lessons
http://borgenproject.org/what-causes-global-poverty/
http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-blumenthal/povertyobesity_b_1417417.html
https://www.freedomfromhunger.org/food-security