THE ISSUE OF POVERTY Citizenship Stage 2

Joseph Lai Paul Loh Joshua Seow

POVERTY?

• More than 1 billion people live on less than US$1 a day• One in three people lack access to clean water each day • 75% of people in the world live in rural countries • 22000 people die from poverty each day • 1 billion children live in poverty• 121 million children don’t receive education

Facts you

NEED

to know

MUHAMMAD YUNUS…

“Poverty is unnecessary”

HIS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

• Third child in his family • Born in 1940 in modern day Bangladesh• His father owned a goldsmith shop• His mother was devoted to helping the poor • He moved in 1944 to Chittagong

THE START OF HIS MISSION

• In 1976, during a field trip to some of the poorest households in the village of Jobra near Chittagong University, Yunus discovered that very small loans could make a disproportionate difference to a poor person, especially in helping him or her find his or her livelihood. Village women who made bamboo furniture had to take on loans to buy bamboo, and repay their profits to the lenders. Traditional banks often did not want, and were not willing to render monetary assistance to these poor people. Furthermore, during that period of time, there was an outbreak of famine in the country. However, Yunus felt that there was something that he could do to help ease the burdens of these people in poverty.

THE NOBEL PRIZE WINNER

• Prize Motivation: “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below”

• Role: Founder of Grameen Bank • Field: Humanitarian work • Prize Share: ½

• “ Yunus has, first and foremost through Grameen Bank, developed micro-credit into an ever more important instrument in the struggle against poverty”

OUR REFLECTIONS

1. Each of us play an important role in creating a better world 2. A small action and gesture of love can go a long way in providing much support and comfort to those around us 3. A creative and generous mind-set can bring forth a huge difference in the lives of many4. Going out of one’s comfort zone to provide a helping hand to someone, will bring you more joy than staying in your comfort zone