I have always believed that if man really put his mind to it, he can really change the world...Looking at the television everyday, we get bombarded with images of war and poverty..All products of man himself...Millions live in poverty all over the world, on an income less that USD2 a day...imagine! u, mum, dad, 4 sisters all living on that income...and yet, the only difference between you and them is where God decided to let u be born...
Very often we wait for a billionaire to come and give charity...We have barely enough to accomodate all our material needs in this hedonistic world to give away, and therefore most are of the opinion that the rich should give in and help this problem..interesting..it is a well known fact that the rich-poor divide is ever widening in developing countries, and capitalism is a main factor for this..however, i dont care about all that, and i am not going to give a lecture on it too...
Lets see what we can do..I have always had the belief that the solution to end poverty is through education...Poor people do not send their children to school, as they could use extra hands to feed their families..Education is a luxury, a liability that they could do away with..However, through education, the poor have a chance of getting themselves off the circumstances that they are in. Even if the results are not seen immediately, the long term results can be fantastic. Giving rise to a knowledge-reservoir that the country can use in the future, i dont really see any major drawbacks to it..
My first suggestion is that all governments provide free education for all citizens from all classes for all levels, from primary to tertiary. Make all governmental educational institutions free for all, and let those eligible by merit prosper. This way, we are giving all a fair chance. True, this can lead to unspeakable corruption, but its a small step nonetheless. Awareness should be spread about the importance of education, and its long term benefits. I remember Bill Gates once saying that education is the biggest investment that one can make with the biggest rewards..How true!
Apart from education, there is another way where we can help the people around the world...We do not need to be millionaires to be helping the poor, nor do we need to donate in bulk..We are all small people, with our own lives to care for, we do not need to go all out to help people...We can do it in small steps...like the malay saying "sikit sikit jadi bukit"...We all have our homes, hometowns from where we come from...I am from a small coastal village in Sri Lanka...And there are bound to be people who are poor there with nothing for themselves...Similarly, every year we see massive exoduses from the rural areas to the city, seeking greener pastures...most of them never go back, nor do a favor back to those people there...Your best friend from school could be living on a hand-to-mouth basis, while you eat premium popcorn at a posh theatre...you see, these are ways how these divides occur...What can we do as normal people??
What i propose is simple...first of all, take good care of your family, which includes your nuclear family and those back home. This is a basic responsibility for everyone. Take care of ur nuclear family first. If they are all good, and if you have money to spare, try to take care of ur extended family. Good. Now, if u feel you can give more, try giving it back to the community you come from, the poor people back in ur village. It doesnt have to be much. you can help with as little as USD10 a month...yup! you heard me! thats enuf...If everyone gives back to the community in small doses, and if its implemented in all communities, then over time, effects of poverty can be reduced..Maybe some of you may feel that it is not ur obligation and responsibility and that these are what the governments should do...Lemme tell you my friend, the rate of poverty in a country is directly proportional to the level of corruption in that country's government...you really wanna put ur trust in that government???
If all of you can take care of ur family, and community, slowly, you can help in making this world a better place...you dont need to wait till you are a millionaire before u have to start making an effect..do it small...Rather than donating to mosques, temples, churches, and other boxes lying around, you can directly buy rice, or other necessities and give them directly to the people..
Dont just give money, money can be unaccounted for...It is always better to give in forms of necessities, like rice, clothing, even mosquito nets (for places where malaria is rampant)...if you ask me, rice and other staple products is a safe bet...
And if you ever go back to your hometown, another thing that you can do, if u have the time and motivation, is to visit a school or two in the vicinity, and spend an hour with some classes to spread awareness about the importance of education...i am sure that they would appreciate that, and even if you manage to inspire at least one student, that is more than enough...
On a more personal basis, I really want to see the world becoming a better place. Poverty is a man-made thing, and i believe that we can all help alleviate it. We all have a desire inside to help, its just that many of us dont have the means, time or motivation. You have to admit that the way the world is today, has transformed us into materialistic beings, where we see everything in monetary terms...Sad but true...Please do remember that there is a God watching over our every action, and that we are accountable for all that we do..Praise God, for you are well enough to be reading this article, as there are millions of others who may never get the chance to be as well off like you...Peace...