What is Extreme Global Poverty?
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* About

The numbers are staggering but are absolutely real. Behind each number is a human being: a mother, father, sister or brother. While ODW is not a religious organization, we are compelled by our faith and conviction that human life is sacred and precious. 3 billion people live on less than US$2/day. 1.4 billion people live on less than US$1.25/day - the definition of those who live under the condition of "extreme global poverty."

Consider the following:

* Approximately 9.2 million children under the age of 5 die each year, mostly from preventable diseases. That's approximately 25,000 children each day.
* 2.5 billion people around the world do not have access to adequate sanitation and about 885 million people do not have access to clean water.
* Every day, 4100 children die each day from severe diarrhea - as a result of poor sanitation and hygiene.
* Approximately 600 million children live in extreme poverty.
* Nearly 11,500 people die every day from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Nearly two-thirds of these people are living in sub-Saharan Africa.
* 69 million children are out of school around the world, a figure equivalent to the entire primary school-aged population in Europe and North America.

As a result to the Global Economic Recession, those living in extreme poverty have suffered the most. Recent increases in the price of food and oil have had a direct and adverse effect on communities that were struggling for survival even before the recession hit. The long-term effects of this recession are expected to potentially push millions more into extreme povery.

Global poverty facts:

* $1 challenge. More than 1 billion people live on less than $1 a day and more than 2 billion live on less than $2 a day.
* Check your assumptions. Americans believe that their government spends 24 percent of the federal budget on aid to poor countries, but the actual figure is less than 1 percent.
* Daily disasters. HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria—all treatable diseases—claim the lives of over 8,000 people every day in Africa due to lack of access to health care.
* The water walk. Women in developing countries travel an average of almost four miles each day to collect water.
* The poor pay more. People living in the poorest slums can pay as much as ten times more for water than those in high-income areas of their own cities.
* Gender disparity. According to the U.N., the majority of people in poverty are women, who globally earn roughly half as much as men.
* Daily bread. Food prices have risen 83 percent since 2005, disproportionately affecting those in poverty who spend a higher percentage of their income on food.
* No school for you. In 2005, a conservative estimate stated that 72 million children around the world of elementary school age were not enrolled in school.
* The global wealth gap. The richest 20 percent of the world's population receives 75 percent of the world's income, while the poorest 40 percent receive only 5 percent of the world's income.


Statistics are from the World Bank and the ONE Campaign.

So much people needing help but only a man who is not poor can help

That is why our hard earned money should go to the poor and not to wolves in the church.

How dare Pastors and their associates live off the sweat of God's people ??

frosbel:

That is why our hard earned money should go to the poor and not to wolves in the church.
How dare Pastors and their associates live off the sweat of God's people ??

Mr christian,Is your pastor among these wolves?

@newmi, you are very correct to say it's more expensive to be poor. The poor actually pay more for basic necessities of life in the world we live in, i believe it is not possible to achieve equality, but we can close the gap.

newmi:

So much people needing help but only a man who is not poor can help

Yes. That's why people criticize pastors for being insensitive to the plight of the poor/homeless.

^^^
Abi oh! Money and resources Jesus directed we use to assist the poor has been cornered by bible twisting charlatan rogues like Oyaks, no wonder there is so much poverty in the land. If our so called pastors are preaching the geniune gospel of christ, I am sure the average christian would be more eager to love and assist his neighbour and their would be much less poverty in the land.

I once read an estimate that said 10% of all Christians' annual global income is >$1trn, and this figure is more than enough to end global poverty.

That is why all the custodians of the funds that Christians give should search their hearts to determine whether they are using the funds available to them in a way that God would approve.

Well, not much will change unless churches start attacking poverty instead of fighting it with words - hear the message and you'll be rich. It doesn't take a seer to see that that's not working very well for such reasons as the fact that not everything catches revelation at the same speed. Building massive structures to compete with the world has not helped much either.

Zikkyy:

Yes. That's why people criticize pastors for being insensitive to the plight of the poor/homeless.

This statement is incomplete unless you add this "No true Pastor will be insensitive to the plight of the poor/homeless"
Jeremiah 3:15
And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding