poverty: A Silent Struggle We must Acknowledge
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It's easy to ignore when it is not staring us in the face, yet for millions, poverty is an inescapable reality that covers every moment of their lives.
To understand poverty, we have to move beyond the statistics and government reports. I once asked a friend what poverty was; he said, “It's when one can't live off a dollar in a day,“ but is that what poverty truly is?I myself have experienced poverty firsthand. This is the reason and what is making me write this blog on this topic: poverty.
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Poverty is not just about how much money or assets someone has or does not have, or even how many meals they skip a day. In Nigeria today, we as a country are facing poverty, but still, we are considered the giant of Africa. How can that be when our government can't take care of her citizens? Consistent rise in prices of goods and services that even the common man can't afford them. I can say that poverty is about the daily struggles, the quiet despair, and the endless sacrifices that define life for those who are barely scraping by.
Poverty is a deeply human issue, and to combat it, we must first understand what it is.
What is really poor?
Poverty is a word we hear all the time, but how often do we STOP to think about what it really means?
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There is so much information about poverty and how to escape from poverty, but still, we still have poor people around us. Why are some so wealthy and others so poor? We read statistics about billions of people living below the poverty line or hear about countries that are struggling with economic downturn.
If you have never lived in poverty, it can be hard to imagine or even understand what this word means or feels like.
For some people, poverty is the worry that comes with an empty fridge, a store of no food or even famine, and no money to fill it.
*For some, it is the decision between paying for medication or school fees, knowing you can't afford them both. I could remember one time that my brother was very sick; we couldn't afford to pay the hospital bill; we had to borrow to save his life. For days we slept without food. To me, poverty just simply means LACK. It's waking up every day wondering how you will make it through another week, month, or year.
Poverty looks different depending on where you live. In some parts of the world, poverty could mean you are not able to live in a home with clean running water or electricity; for others, it could be struggling to keep a roof over their heads in a city where the cost of living is extremely high and salaries and wages are stagnant. But no matter where you are living, poverty strips people of their basic needs of life. For example, stability, security, and the chance to dream of something better.
THE EVERYDAY STRUGGLING
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For people and countries in poverty, everyday life is a constant struggle and juggling; there is never a day of satisfaction or even happiness, whether it's time, money, or resources. You would always make a trade-off, i.e., choosing between options that you really needed. Recently a friend called me and said she couldn't go for her one-year compulsory service because there were no funds and that she was planning on going another time. That is what poverty does; it doesn't give you time; it makes you work with it's own timing.
Do you take another job? It will be rent, order You will if it means seeing your kids less?
Do you buy cheaper, less nutritious food because it's all you can afford, even though you know it's bad and it could affect your health in the long run?
Do you risk not paying your bills on time just to pay for school supplies, hoping education might give your children a shot at a better life?
Conclusion
POVERTY is taxing and painful; it is more than simply the physical cost of being without. It's the mental and emotional pressure of continually having to survive or being in survival mode. Poverty is the feeling of slipping behind, no matter how hard you work to move forward in life. It makes you feel inadequate, adds shame and stigma, even when you are doing your best.
Stay tuned for my upcoming READ ON POVERTY 2.
Harrison Eugene