William Wiley April 23, 2014 ENGL 1102 Camargo

Shining A Light On Poverty Poverty has an endless grasp on societies across the world. Most people have their daily routines, but what do those routines consist of? Daily routines comprise of jobs, meeting up with friends, errands. What if you took out any one of those parts of your daily routine that had to do with making, spending, or saving money? Most of you day would disappear. Upwards of half of the worlds population live on less than $2.50 a day (Shah, 1). On top of that, almost 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day (Shah, 2). What does poverty mean to you? Lack of education for jobs or lack of everyday items that fuel those who work? Ethiopia plays a large role in what I personally see poverty as, and this country tends to be a main contender for poverty relief efforts. Living in a part of the world in which a dire need for help is a must, I witnessed some of the main reasons as to why poverty is so prevalent. I worked at three different schools, which all differed very drastically. Two of the schools were in the worst parts of the city, in extremely dense, dirty neighborhoods. The third school had such a different atmosphere due to the presence of the Catholic Church and the funds they generously donated to the school as well as the neighboring orphanage. I noticed how well the students at the Catholic school excelled, versus the students at the two other schools, and this was because of the learning

environment. Because the Catholic school had more in the way of resources such as a library, and teachers who had graduated college with degrees in teaching, the students were able to learn more subjects, and were more likely to learn updated and accurate information. The other two schools relied heavily on the volunteers that would come to the schools daily to teach whatever the director had decided on that day. I was shocked at how little organization the curriculums had and learned the hard way that this was the standard that the schools director had been used to. Poverty goes beyond tattered clothes and begging though. In Ethiopia, a country where rapid population growth and poor health care are the leading causes of poverty, one would witness the despair of how many people are on the street, not knowing where they are going to lay their head at night. So, many parents continue to have kids because of how they will bring in extra income in the future when they can work. Many kids, who are sent onto the street by their parents to make a little extra money, take on the lowest paying of all the jobs. So many kids will sit on the side of the road, chasing down anyone who looks wealthy, asking them if they want a shoeshine. The few times I got my shoes shined, I did so only for the kids. I felt selfish and was even overcome with pity for the children. Even in a country where it is almost impossible to not see poverty, I developed this attitude of avoiding the worst parts of the city. What would other Americans do if they were dropped into the middle of a slum in Africa, and how would they act? Many Americans see lack of education as the main culprit of poverty. After teaching English for eight months, I realized that the priority of so many people over there is not to educate. This was shocking to me because of how important education is over here in America. I found myself consistently having to come up with my own curriculum. It got to a

point where I would think back to when I was in the grade that I was supposed to be teaching, and try to remember what I had learned. So many schools face lack of funding from the national government that it is common to not hold any kids back from progressing to the next grade, even though they arent up to the same par as many of the other kids in their grade. I taught at three different schools and one after school program over the course of the eight months I was abroad and every school was very different from the others. Because some schools have funding from outside sources, any non-governmental schools already have the advantage. One of the government schools that I taught at was actually shut down due to corruption of the founders, a problem faced by many schools because of the overwhelming amount of greed people can have. Many of the citizens that are impoverished, are because of how many diseases are prevalent within their everyday society. Leprosy, a disease that has mostly been eradicated in the western world, still affects so many people in developing countries. Oddly enough, it is one of the easiest diseases to cure, but the national government hasnt found a way to treat the millions of people who deal with it everyday. The more widely known HIV-AIDS virus, forces so many to lay bed ridden, unable to provide for their families or even themselves. So many are succumbing to the deadly virus, and with it, HIV takes so many from the ability to create a flourishing economy. I met a thirteen year old boy, Abel, who had run away from his abusive father and HIV-AIDS stricken mother at the age of eight, to live on the streets, an idea that so many believe will be a better life. Upon meeting him, I noticed that he had a horrible skin rash, as well as severe migraines throughout the day. I figured I would take him to the clinic I frequented so often, to see if they could figure out what was wrong. The doctors tested for an incredibly wide range of diseases, and came to

the conclusion that Abel was suffering from AIDS, and had been for a while. They immediately prescribed him an antiretroviral vaccination to take. I was so shocked at the way that he reacted, almost as if he had already known that his body was deteriorating. I was also shocked at how it didnt even affect his progress in class, always yearning to know more. Many kids and adults who dont know that they have AIDS, such as Abel before he was diagnosed, suddenly become so sick that their chances of surviving are slim to none. But we cant just leave it here; although informing is an incredibly important part of ending the grasp that poverty has on America. Many people believe that there is enough aid for the impoverished that they dont think that they need to do anything about it. But thats not true! You can make just as much of a difference here in America as though who travel the world witnessing the poverty! Donations through legitimate organizations go a long way. Unfortunately, many well-known organizations that help to alleviate poverty have greedy individuals in charge. If you arent comfortable with donations, sponsor someone who is planning a trip abroad! I know from personal experience that being sponsored helps the traveler and the sponsor has a way to feel connected to the countries in need. Lastly, if neither of these options sounds appealing to you, just be aware! I have found that just reading other peoples stories or blogs make me feel as if I am part of their experience! So in the end, being aware is so important in alleviating poverty.

Works Cited Hay, Phil, and Aby Toure. "News." Africa Continues to Grow Strongly but Poverty and Inequality Remain Persistently High. The World Bank, 7 Oct. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

Kendig, Sarah M., Marybeth J. Mattingly, and Suzanne M. Bianchi. "Childhood Poverty and the Transition to Adulthood." Family Relations 63.2 (2014): 271-86. Academic Search Complete. Web. 8 Mar. 2014.

Maixner, Kira. "10 Facts About Poverty In Ethiopia - The Borgen Project." Web log post.The Borgen Project. The World Bank, Merlin USA, BBC, 11 June 2013. Web. 8 Mar. 2014.

"13." Understanding Contemporary Africa. Ed. April A. Gordon and Donald L. Gordon. 5th ed. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner, 2013. 419-20. Print.

Shah, Anup. Poverty Facts and Stats. Global Issues. 07 Jan. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. <http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats