"I know poverty because poverty was there before I was born and it has become part of life like the blood through my veins. Poverty is not going empty for a single day and getting something to eat the next day. Poverty is going empty with no hope of the future. Poverty is getting nobody to feel your pain and poverty is when your dreams go in vain because nobody is there to help you. Poverty is watching your mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters die in pain and in sorrow because they couldn't get something to eat. Poverty is hearing your grandmothers and grandfathers cry out to death to come take them because they are tired of this world. Poverty is watching your own children and grandchildren die in your arms but there is nothing you can do. Poverty is suffering from HIV/AIDS and dying a shameful death but nobody seems to care" (http://cozay.com/)
For as long as I can remember poverty has been a major issue for the people in Africa. Children in Africa are faced with diseases, famine and war. Many of the children in Africa have lost their parents, grandparents and siblings and are left to face the harsh realities of poverty alone. In many parts of Africa the production of food is dependant upon labor workers. Being that some areas are destroyed by war and deaths from HIV and lack of food and other diseases; results in the production of food to be scarce. Several families are left to depend on others to give them food in times of need.
"About 50% of the African population lives in slums" (http://cozay.com/). "Slum" houses are normally self built and the people have no electricity, poor sanitation and no water. Because of poor sanitation diseases such as malaria and cholera. Children who live in slums do no go to school because there are none and if they become ill they don't get medical attention because there are no hospitals.
What is being done to help Africa?
Two organization "African Union(AU)" and "The New Partnership for Africa's development(NEPAD)" are handling HIV/AIDS and helping to minimize and maintain economic growth. These organizations are dedicated to improving peace and security in Africa. Some countries have made progress. "In the last five years, Mozambique has reduced poverty from 70% to 55% and has doubled the number of children in school. In Tanzania, 1000 new schools have been built and 18, 000 teachers recruited. Kenya has introduced free primary education, which brought 1.2 million children back in school" (http://www.food4africa.org/indes.asp?pgid=46)
"Africa means "Beauty" and Africa means "Love". Africa is nature and Africa is life. Africa is "culture" and Africa is "tradition". Africa is blessed with beautiful culture and traditions across the continent" (http//:cozay.com/).
References
http://cozay.com/
http://www.food4africa.org/index.asp?pgid=46
Felicia, your post was artful, insightful, and encouraging. That illustration of the stress of poverty was dead on. Poverty is such an ugly thing and the fact that it basically causes everything else (disease, malnutrition, no education, etc.) makes it even uglier.
ReplyDeleteFelicia I feel you on poverty but poverty did not have any effect on me growing up as a child I have always had foof to eat and a place to stay and I may not have had the things that I wanted but I did get the things thatI needed. I wish that there was some kind of magic wand that you could wave and poverty will disappear but until then we have to find other ways to deal with it.
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