Make Poverty History!
Hey you all…it’s been so long since I updated my blog - and yes, I have had no inspiration to write anything although exams were over about a week ago. I realize my enthusiasm to write is rather sporadic and inconsistent - hmmm…so perhaps a career in writing is not something for me?
Anyway, for ONCE, the self-centered part of me has given in to the not-so-self-centered part of me and I’ve decided to write abt something outside of my life : African Poverty. I don’t know about you guys, but it was not something I really cared or thought abt until recently - thanks to all the Live8 concert, TheOne Declaration, Make Poverty History campaign, etc, etc. I guess in my sheltered little world, Africa seemed so far away that it almost didn’t exist.
The irony behind it is that I did go to Africa when I was 16. I know after returning from my trip to Zimbabwe & South Africa (although South Africa isn’t really poverty stricken), I felt a deep sense of gratitude and thankfulness for the life I lead. Too often we take for granted all the luxuries we enjoy and focus on the teeny-weeny bits that we miss out on. The fact that after I visited 2 countries in Africa - which, you can consider to be richer than the other ones in their continent - I felt moved…. what more if I had visited really poor nations such as Ghana and Ethiopia ???? And yet…a few months after my visit, I don’t think I gave 2 hoots about Africa. I settled down back into my complacent life and my biggest worry (then!) shifted back to what many 16-year-old Malaysians were focused on - trying to understand Add Math. *Sigh*
These are certain memories that I have of my visit:
1. When we got down the tour bus, a swarm of men would encircle us to try and sell their goods which were mostly carved figurines (correct word?) from wood or stone. They would accept cash or goods in exchange for the figurines. I know that whenever I used the excuse "I’m a student, I don’t have any money!", they would simply point to something that I had instead. (Which was often my shades or my cap!)
2. If any of your figurines were damaged, any of the men would be happy to fix it, whether it came from their "shop" (if you can call a carpet spread under the sun a ’shop’) or not.
3. Victoria Falls was simply BEAUTIFUL!
4. On a lighter note, there was this African lady who walked around wearing just a bra and a piece of thread-like material on top - and yet none of the African guys seemed in the least interested!
Oh well, I know these distinct memories don’t exactly potray poverty - but you have to be there to really understand it. But my experience is nothing to what I saw on TV when Chris Martin (from Coldplay) visited Ghana. I don’t think an explanation of what I saw is half as good as watching it yourself - so go tune in to MTV whenever it’s showing again. I’ve caught it a couple of times already!
So well…I did a little research on Africa and here are a few facts that caught my attention:
30 000 CHILDREN (not inclusive of adults!) die daily due to extreme poverty
The "The One Declaration" only asks the US government to increase it’s budget for African Poverty equal to 1% of the whole US government budget. Seriously… if they can fund a war on Iraq…this must be peanuts..!
50% of the people in Sub-Saharan Africa survive on less than USD1.00 per day .. (and here I am complaining that my allowance is too little!)
In the poorer African countries, more money is spent on repaying debts than on education and health.
One in six children die before the age of 5
Of the 49 least developed countries in the world, 31 receive less aid today than they did in 1990
The annual dairy subsidy in the EU amounts to $913 per cow per year; EU’s aid to Africa is $8 per African per year.
I know it seems like we’re helpless in this situation - there’s not much the average Malaysian 20-year-old (damn…I can’t use the word ‘teen’ anymore!!!) can do unless you have friends in high places. But there are a few things you can do (besides praying) that might push the leaders to taking this matter more seriously:
Sign the "The One Declaration" . Unlike what you may think, it is not only open to citizens of the USA. Visit http://one.viewpoint.com
Send your photo to the "Make Poverty History" campaign. They don’t want your money - just your support! Visit http://www.makepovertyhistory.org
Learn more about the Live 8 Concert and what’s it all about. Visit http://www.live8live.com
And if all else fails - just google "African Poverty" so that you’re a little more aware about the plight of our African neighbours.
As one of the artists on MTV said (can’t remember who lah..hehehe),
"If anyone thinks they’re too small to make a difference, they better be smaller than a mosquito."
"It’s like going up to President Bush and saying ‘I know I’ve caught you at a bad time, but could I just have that twenty dollar bill?’ "
- Daniel Beddingfield
July 6th, 2005 at 4:54 am
Hey good post, btw wasnt it tht dude from Maroon 5 who said “its like Bill Gates going to a really poor person n saying I know Ive caught u at a bad time but could i have my 20$ back”? im not so sure as to exactly wht he said but whtv cya k
July 6th, 2005 at 7:39 am
OOpss..perhaps it is that Maroon 5 Dude…aiyo..that perhaps daniel bedingfield did the “smaller than mosquito” quote…aish..they interviewed too many celebs!!!!