Poverty Awareness Month
Introduction:
Every January marks Poverty Awareness Month - the month where everyone should take a part in spreading awareness about poverty. In 2024, there will be 700 million people living in poverty. This is a huge amount of people, so just being aware is not enough to combat the crisis. In order to solve this crisis, it takes a lot of action, whether in your community or as an individual. So, here are some ways that you can help take a part in combating poverty.
Understanding the Root Cause:
The first step to combating the poverty crisis is by understanding what the root of the issue is. From low wages to a lack of wages, there are a variety of reasons as to the start of this crisis.
Low Wages
Low wages creates a difficult situation for individuals. It makes it hard for them to support themselves and their families in terms of basic necessities such as food, housing conditions, healthcare, etc. This may lead them to feel hopeless, stress, and develop mental health issues. These effects on mental health in combination with the lack of basic necessities may also leave individuals in poor physical health.
Low Quality Education/ Unequal Access to Education
Without proper access to quality education, individuals may not have the necessary skill sets or qualifications for well-paying jobs. This leaves them in a cycle of financial instability, meaning they might be working several low paying jobs to support themselves and their families. This only makes the situation more stressful and difficult to combat.
Unequal Access to Healthcare
Unequal access to illness may leave individuals with undetected illnesses, which can lead to them becoming worse or even untreatable. This in turn means that it will cost more to receive care, creating a difficult situation for individuals as healthcare is very expensive. These systematic errors unequally affect minority groups in poverty, creating inequality and racism in the health care system.
What Can You Do to Help out this Month?:
Volunteer at an Organization that Advocates for the Poverty Crisis
Associations like End Poverty Now, NAFC, CARE, Oxfam international, and many more are great organizations that are dedicated to fighting the poverty crisis. Volunteering at these organizations are a great way to help combat the crisis. These volunteering jobs can include assisting with medical care, handing out basic necessities (food, water, hygiene products) to areas with a poor majority, and finding innovative/sustainable solutions to combat poverty.
Advocate for this Cause
You can create a social media page, hold a community meeting, create a club, and do many things to advocate for the poverty crisis. For example, you can create social media posts on the poverty crisis that include current statistics on poverty. You can also include links to sign-ups for volunteering for this cause so more people can contribute to the cause. In addition, you can create a club at your school or community that advocates for the crisis. Through this club, you can connect with other clubs or organizations to find/create ways to advocate for this cause.
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