Poverty as a Global Disaster - Essay Example

We are coming close to 2015 when the world should have attained the millennium development goals that were set in the year 2000. The first-millennium development goal is eradicating extreme poverty (UN1). This had targeted to reduce by half the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and those living on an income of less than a dollar a day. This is not the case as most people and countries still suffer from poverty. According to Shah (1), almost half of the world’s population live on less than 2.5 dollars a day. Many universities and other educational institutions have played an important role in poverty awareness. Through educational programs, they educate the students and the society of the causes of poverty and their effects. Many children around the world are living in extreme poverty with no food to eat. The question is who is to blame? The cause of poverty, in my mind, is the gap between the poor and the rich. This gap exists between countries and between individuals. Looking at countries, the rich nations are not willing to help the poor ones out of poverty. They provide aid to them with strings attached. The conditions for aid have always made the countries to be poorer. Within individuals of a particular country, we also find that the gap between the rich and the poor is so wide. The rich in society does not put up measures to assist those who are poor. They in fact amass more wealth through dubious means such as stealing from the national coffers or tax evasion.

In order to end poverty around the world, the developed world should genuinely extend aid. The conditions put forward should encourage positive reforms in the society and not make these countries poorer. The rich countries must also help the poor and not exploit them. In so doing it will enable the society to progress as one and not on an individual level.

Universities have programs that help alleviate poverty. The universities also do offer scholarships to poor students to enable them to access higher education. By getting this education the students are able to engage in gainful employment that raises their economic status. Through education, the students know whether the aid extended is exploitative or gainful. This enables them to stand up against any form of exploitation in society. University students, when they get out of school should maintain the moral standards taught them by their parents and teachers when in leadership positions or employment. They should not engage in corruption because they know how this vice causes poverty in society. They should also help others who need this education by sponsoring them. Education of society results in the reduction of poverty.

When I get into a leadership position, I will ensure that I put in place strategies that will ensure poverty alleviation in society. First I know that corruption has been a major cause of poverty, I will ensure that there is zero tolerance to corruption. There will be no tax evasion or looting of public property. Using the tax that is collected will also on projects that are likely to benefit the majority of taxpayers. With this in place, even the poor can have a share of the ‘national cake’ that can greatly assist them to come out of their poverty.

The second measure is to encourage small-scale enterprises. This I can achieve by reducing the legal requirements for the starting of these businesses and providing grants for people who would want to start such businesses. Small scale businesses are a good way to fight poverty because the capital required to start such businesses is normally small and even the poor can afford it. One also needs to be equipped with just the basic entrepreneurial skills to manage such businesses. My leadership will invest in funding these small-scale enterprises to ensure that it assists the poor to come out of their poverty.

Thirdly I will also invest in the education sector. Having been in school I am well aware of the role that education plays in poverty eradication. I will ensure that basic education is affordable even for the poor. My intent is to ensure that poor students are sponsored. When these students get out of school, they can engage themselves in well-paying jobs that can assist them to get out of poverty.

Lastly, I know poverty is a global issue and it will be selfish only to consider my home country. I will extend aid to underdeveloped countries. The conditions for getting this aid will be for the good of these countries and not benefitting my country. I will also write off some debts that these countries owe my country in order to reduce their debt burden. This will ensure that their resources go towards projects that can assist in poverty alleviation rather than paying debts.

Poverty is a global disaster that requires each one of us to join hands to fight it. It is quite unmindful that some of us have more than what we need while children all over the world are dying of hunger. Nations and individuals should endeavor to assist each other from the chains of poverty. Every individual has a role to play in terms of combating poverty, especially those of us that have been equipped with the knowledge on how to fight it.