The Cause
People often say that money is the root of all evil. Half the people in the world would disagree. The reason is that they've never had the chance to love their money, yet they've seen the evil caused by the lack of money. Poverty has consumed their hope.
If you follow the breadcrumbs of many problems found in the world today, you will most likely land on the subject of poverty. It is arguably the biggest problem that our world faces. Roughly half of the population of the earth lives below the poverty line established by the U.N. That means that somewhere around 3 billion people live on less than what would be equivalent to $2 a day in America.
Let's go a step further. Out of the 3 billion people that live on less than $2 a day, a third of them, about 1 billion people, are trying to survive off of less than $1 a day. The numbers are staggering and should speak for themselves. But, for many people, they don't.
Now for the math. Don't be afraid of getting a bad grade if you can't figure out all these numbers, just realize that it may make the difference in someone's life. So, here we go.
One billion people make less than a dollar a day. There are 365 days in a year. They make how much? Less than $365 a year.
Two billion other people live on more than $1, but less than $2, a day. Thus, with there being 365 days in a year, the most they could possibly make would be $726.35 in a year. On the other hand, they may accumulate as little as $368.65 that year.
Perhaps these numbers are a bit shocking. Maybe not. The good news is that the median income for Americans is $46,326 with over 17% of all households receiving incomes exceeding $100,000.
The average American family could give less than two-hundredths (0.02) of their income to a family that is included in the 3 billion living below the poverty line and instantly double their yearly income. Needless to say, every little bit counts.
What small percentage could you give to drastically alter the lives of people around the world?
One of the first visible results of poverty is hunger. Today, there are 854 million people, across the world, that are truly hungry. The undernourishment weakens people's physical condition, work productivity and, ultimately, destroys the hope needed for their well-being. One of every three people that live malnourished will either prematurely die or end up with a disability of some sort. In 2005 alone, somewhere around 10.1 million children ended up dying before their 5th birthday. Almost 16,000 children die from hunger each day. That adds up to 5.8 million children each year; that breaks down to a child dying every 5 seconds. This means that the average reader has been on this page long enough for over 25 children to have died from hunger.
Poverty is found to be so extreme that people can't provide for their most basic, everyday needs.
So what do they do?
Many find themselves faced with a new problem: slavery. There are more slaves today than there have been in any other point in history. It is estimated that twenty-seven million people, around the world, are victims to some form of slavery. Families live in such impoverished conditions that they are forced to sale themselves or their family members, their children perhaps, into slavery. They are enticed into doing this by those running the slave market who promise a better life and good pay. Once in the cycle, it's nearly impossible to break free.
No place in the world has legalized slavery, yet there is currently no country that has solved the surging epidemic of human trafficking. There are an estimated 14,500-17,500 people that will be trafficked this year into the United States. Out of the annual estimate of 600,000-800,000 people trafficked across various borders internationally, an overwhelming number of them are women and children. Of those victims, up to 50% are children and 80% are believed to be female. Most of these will be used in sex labor. Though there are several types of human traffickings, an estimated 75% is done solely for use of the illegal sex industry.
But. There is still hope in the world. We have what it takes to make a difference. Don't skirt the issue with the cheap excuse of claiming that you can't give enough to make a difference. Every single dollar makes a positive impact on the lives those living in poverty.
The Connection
Free the Slaves is a non-profit organization that is working towards the ultimate goal of realizing the end of slavery on a global scale. They have an amazingly high commitment level to the guiding principles that they allow to steer their efforts. Their approach involves several steps:
- partnering with organizations that are the mission front
- raising awareness of the problem
- advising and educating those in positions of power
- promoting the trade of slave-free products
- and research
Their use of these steps has seemingly worked as they continue to see success around the world concerning the progress of their efforts. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Gave more than 4,000 slaves the power to free themselives
- Became the first to ever testify before US Congress about the amount of slave-produced goods that we unknowingly purchase daily
- Were called on for advice by 25 countries
- Rescued more than 200 children who were slaves in the carpet industry
The list goes on. Go to FTS and find out more about this amazing organization that is helping to enable people to live the lives of freedom that each one should have the opportunity to partake in. Find out how you can GET BEHIND THEIR EFFORTS, RESEARCH what is going on, and DONATE to help fund their work.
Freed slaves at the Bal Vikas Ashram.
Free the Slaves | Peggy Callahan
© All rights reserved.
Free the Slaves | Peggy Callahan
© All rights reserved.
The Connection
Food for the Poor is an international relief organization that is working in 16 different countries in Latin America & the Caribbean to aid the poor by doing several things for them, such as:
- feeding them
- housing them
- providing an education
- providing medical assistance
- and many other things
During the 25 years since its inception, they have given over $3 billion to aid those in need, building over 40,000 houses, and feeding innumerable amounts of people, making it the third largest international relief organization in the United States today.
In Haiti alone, FFP programs feed over 1,100,000 people daily. A large portion of the $734 million shipped in 2005 consisted of medical supplies and medicine to help supply hospitals, clinics and AIDS facilities.
Angels of Hope is an initiative of FFP that focuses on the needs of orphans. They have selected over 86 orphanages, giving hope to more than 3,000 children in 9 countries.
Food for the Poor also seeks to develop micro-enterprises amongst the villages. The aim is to give the very poor the tools they need to break the cycle of poverty by making a living. They've supplied 17 villages with boats, motors, fishing gear, refrigeration equipment, storage facilities for the equipment, and, most importantly, training for the fisherman.
Not enough can be said about the operational efficiency of FFP. The administrative cost ratio was only 3.7% during 2005-2006, with fund raising and administrative costs adding to less than 4% of the expenses. That means that over 96% of all donations went directly to the operations and programs that aid the poor. They have also received the highest ratings available from such organizations as Ministry Watch and Charity Navigator. Grants received from the USDA and USAID show the governments approval of FFP's operations.
There are several ways to get involved with Food for the Poor. Visit their website by clicking the banner below or go straight to the donations page and choose from one of several ways to give of your finances.
School feeding programs are important to education in developing countries like Jamaica. Deprived of a morning meal, many children fall asleep at their desks, too listless to learn. Food For The Poor provides nutritional food to schools through the Caribbean and Latin America, enabling children to learn.
Thinner than their shadows, Mercedes Visiosa’s grandchildren stand around their grandmothers’ cooking pot waiting for their one meal of the day. The thin bowl of soup will serve the whole family. The children live on the border of the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. Life here is harsh, with malnutrition prevalent among the young.
Hungry, in pain, the baby would not stop crying. Fritzel had eaten nothing since the day before, when he had a handful of white rice. When asked what she would do, his mother looked up and whispered, “I don’t know. The only thing I can do is hold him.” Too many children in Haiti cry from hunger. The tears sometimes only stop when they grow too listless … and eventually die.
Alicia, 4, and her sister, Leidy, 3, never received a warm hug. Their tears were never wiped away by a loving hand. Their pitiful cries for food went unanswered. Like many orphans and abandoned children in Guatemala, Alicia and Leidy never knew love. Their father and grandmother tied them to a front porch post and frequently beat them. Upon being rescued, the little girls weighed as much as the average 6-month-old baby.
Caring people, warm hugs and comfort they never received at home slowly helped Alicia and Leidy heal from their traumatic experience. Although they are now safe at an orphanage in Guatemala and receiving help from Food For The Poor, the effects of starvation, neglect and abuse have ravaged these innocent little girls physically, mentally and emotionally.