N Chandrababu Naidu Launches 'Praja Galam' As Part of TDP’s Election Campaign
Poverty
1. Done by:
G Rachagen
Kevin Soon Shi
Yang
Boey Mao Cai
Chew Jun Hao
2. Hunger and World Poverty
Almost half the world - about 3 million people - live on less than USD$2.50 a
day.
About 21,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes,
according to the United Nations. This is one person every four seconds,
as you can see on this display. Sadly, it is children who die most often.
Yet there is plenty of food in the world for everyone. The problem is that
hungry people are trapped in severe poverty. They lack the money to
buy enough food to nourish themselves. Being constantly
malnourished, they become weaker and often sick. This makes them
increasingly less able to work, which then makes them even poorer and
hungrier. This downward spiral often continues until death for them and
their families.
3. At least 80% of humanity
lives on less than $10 a
day
4. The effects of poverty are most often interrelated so that one problem
hardly ever occurs alone. For instance, bad sanitation makes it easier to
spread around old and new diseases, and hunger and lack of water
make people more vulnerable to them.
Impoverished communities often suffer from discrimination and end up
caught in cycles of poverty.
5. Education
Children from poorer backgrounds lag at all stages of education.
By the age of three, poorer children are estimated to be, on average, nine
months behind children from more wealthy backgrounds.
According to Department for Education statistics, by the end of primary
school, pupils receiving free school meals are estimated to be almost
three terms behind their more affluent peers.
By 14, this gap grows to over five terms.
By 16, children receiving free school meals achieve 1.7 grades lower at
GCSE.
6. Health
Poverty is also associated with a higher risk of both illness and premature
death.
Children born in the poorest areas of the UK weigh, on average, 200 grams
less at birth than those born in the richest areas.
Children from low income families are more likely to die at birth or in
infancy than children born into richer families.
They are more likely to suffer chronic illness during childhood or to have a
disability.
Poorer health over the course of a lifetime has an impact on life
expectancy: professionals live, on average, 8 years longer than
unskilled workers.
7. Communities
Children living in poverty are almost twice as likely to live in bad housing. This
has significant effects on both their physical and mental health, as well as
educational achievement.
Fuel poverty also affects children detrimentally as they grow up. A recent report
showed the fuel gap has increased from was £256 in 2004 to £402 in 2009,
and that low income families do sometimes have to make a choice between
food and heating.
Children from low income families often forgo events that most of us would take
for granted. They miss school trips; can’t invite friends round for tea; and
can’t afford a one-week holiday away from home.
While studies show that there are more play areas in deprived areas, their quality
is generally poorer. Vandalism, playground misuse and danger of injury all
act as deterrents to using what otherwise might be good facilities
8. Rich countries are blocking a global trade system that would help make
poverty history. This injustice will only be changed if enough citizens
across the world call on rich country governments to change their trade
policies, for example at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
We need to stop people's lives being destroyed because of unfair trade
laws - and you can help make that happen. Be part of the call for just
and fair world trade. Take action with the member organisations of the
Trade Justice Movement, the coalition continuing the campaign
for trade justice.
9. Already, public pressure has forced rich countries to cancel some poor
country debts. The progress seen on debt in recent years is down to
people like you. Gordon Brown acknowledged that the G8 made further
concessions in 2005 because campaigners had made debt "a crucial
public issue".
But there is much more to do to end the scandal of poor countries paying
money to the rich world. To find out how you can help bring about 100%
cancellation of unpayable and unfair poor country debts, visit the
website of Jubilee Debt Campaign
Many organisations have campaigns which continue to focus on making
poverty history
