War on Poverty!

A kiss!

Because poverty is such a “hot” topic, I feel it’s time to ask some questions.

Firstly, how does it feel to be a poor adult? How does it feel to be a poor child? Does poverty mean loss of dignity or does poverty mean less of credibility?

Would you be happy to live in a poor area or neighbourhood? Would you be happy to mix with poor people and be in their midst?

Would you be able to feel what poor people feel? Would you be happy to wear the same things as poor people do? Would you eat their food and live in their houses and sleep on their furniture? How can you get acquainted with poor people when you only invite rich dignitaries in?

In my view, poverty is not just a by-product of the system but a phenomenon that has to have its root causes treated.

For each rich individual, there are 10 or more poor people. We need to try and override the desire of our selfishness, greed and individualistic approach. The causes and solution of poverty live inside us.  We keep on making the rich, richer and the poor, poorer.

The solution to poverty is not a governmental one, nor an institutional or organisational one. The responsibility of caring and sharing is individual.

It’s the responsibility of each and every one of us to make poverty history. It is up to us to declare War on Poverty.