Why Do Australians Really Know Poverty?

The word poverty gets throw around in today society. But as Australians do we really know what poverty is any more?

Poverty is the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. Poverty is said to exist when people lack the means to satisfy their basic needs which include food, water and shelter.

300 million people in Africa are living in extreme poverty with 40 to 50% of people living in Sub Saharan Africa live below the poverty line. This is due to a very low percentage of rainfall. Africa still has the world’s greatest number of infant mortality due to poverty alone. Africa includes some of the poorest countries in the world. Because of poverty in Africa one in six children die before they
Statistics show that over the last 30 years, worldwide absolute poverty has fallen dramatically from about 40% to under 20%. But in African countries the percentage has barely fallen at all. Still today, over 40% of people living in sub-Saharan Africa live in absolute poverty. Poverty is sometimes more about how society shares money out than how much money there is overall. Some people take an unsympathetic view of poverty and starvation in Africa. Australians’ would have no idea what real hunger is like. 700 thousand children die before their first birthday because of hunger related causes.

Knowing that over 800 million children go to bed hungry ever night with absolutely no food, and we go to the fridge complaining there is no food when in actual fact there’s food everywhere right before our eyes. Australians take so much for granted and barley looks past our social status. 40% of Africans living in poverty live on less than 1 US dollar a day. That’s $1.10, which can’t even buy you a loaf of bread or a carton of milk. Yet 40% of Africans living in poverty live off this. This has to cover basic shelter, food and clean drinking water. That $1.10 hasn't gone towards the latest fashion, the newest I-phone or a new x-box game. That money can’t even put a bowl of rice on the table for one
Dumbo Jonasi lives with his aunt and his six other siblings. He is in 8th grade at school and says it isn't going to well. He says he lacks the basics like soap to wash his clothes. When he grows up and finishes school he has dreamed of working in an office as a manager. To make this dream come true he tries very hard at school and works a part time job to gain enough money to buy soap to wash his clothes so he doesn't have to miss school.

We need to stop being so selfish and put our problems aside for as little as 5 minutes and help out in the real world by donating just $1. It doesn't seem much to us but to them it means the world. Help people fight poverty. Because without our help nothing will ever be done. Stand Up For Africa (SUFA) is a non-profit organization. Their mission is to improve access to education, health, promote and protect the rights of children, young people and women and to provide opportunities for income generation. In the past five years, SUFA has helped Mozambique reduce poverty from 70% to 55% and has doubled the number of children in school. Kenya has brought 1.2 million children back into school by making primary education free with the help of SUFA and 1000 new schools have been built in Tanzania. All this wouldn't be made possible without your