Education is the Weapon to Overcome Poverty

Gain freedom through Education is the mnemonic call by Brahmashree Narayana Guru Deva in 19th Century which is an omnipresent tool to overcome poverty. When Guru Deva Born in Kerala the condition is that the people are forced to live in poverty and humiliation, as described by Swami Vivekananda, Kerala at that time a Lunatic Asylum means the mental hospital. Guru Deva immediately realized that the lack of education is the major cause for this. Even though he born in poor family and never had the privilege to learn modern westernized education, his pure traditional Sanskrit based education gave him everything that he spread across the world. His life is a directing polestar for everyone who wants to replace poverty by prosperity. As rightly said by Nelson Mandela Education is the most powerful weapon with which you can change the world. If we want to view the changes in the world, there is a need to change the state of living. If a person comes from poor background, he cannot feel the changes in the world but he can only visualize the changes. Every person has a seed investment by birth i.e. education. Being educated a man can fight against poverty with the help of God. A strong determination is required to do this job. Just completing a degree is not sufficient to war against the poverty; this is only the formal education. Being employed and in that work acquiring greater skill and thus looking for higher wages, also utilizing this income by proper planning can only give some idea about living standards of life. Comparing to living standards, poverty will be a state of having little or no money or negligible material because of which a person cannot afford food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare and even quality education. It will be noted by every poor person, if at all a quality education is required, it has to be gained by hard work and continues effort otherwise he will be suffering in his same condition life long and also his future generation. Quality education should be based on values and morals. It is missing for poor people because of ignorance and also lack of education information. Ignorance may be in terms of not having a goal in life and simply thinking that they cannot reach their destiny whichever the source they have. Most of the time they think that money is only ultimate thing to achieve something. But the fact is that if a strong will power is there to do something to eradicate poverty, work will be getting done even without money also. An effective communication at right time with right person gave me an opportunity to continue my education. I tried my level best and sacrificed many things to gain little knowledge and I am having a burning desire to achieve something and also to help poor people like me. Finally a poor person need to consider his poverty is a punishment given him where he did not committed any guilty and he has to take a step towards disprove his crime by getting a quality education by hook or by crook. According to one quote Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and decent life. So if we want to beat poverty in right way education is only the right weapon. Santhosh Poojary, Nellikatte, Karkala