Perspectives on Poverty, Global Poverty UPDATE

A colleague referred me to some media information concerning world poverty that would be helpful in broadening my views.  I still believe that poverty in America should remain the most important discussion.  However, poverty around the world can be described as worse than here in America.  America is populated by less than three hundred million people.  If the poverty level represents around fifteen per cent, then we can estimate around forty five million people Americans are at the poverty level or below.

Comparatively, billions of human beings all over the planet do not have basic human necessities like education, health care or clean drinking water.  This is according to Ashoka's Global Academy films on Social Entrepreneurship.  I reviewed a film narrated and about Mahammad Yunus called Creating a Poverty Free World.  Dr. Yunus begins by stating that poverty is not the result of poor people but of the system which he believes can be changed to benefit everyone.  Mahammad Yunus created Grameen Bank (Grameen means Village) that specializes in micro-loans for poor people.  These are low-interest loans whose goal is to help the borrower begin a journey out of poverty.  The loans are start-up money for people who would otherwise have no access to the money it takes to become self reliant.  Yunus believes that in a world whose movement involves money, "It takes a Dollar to catch a dollar."  The poorest people are unable to get the first dollar needed to continue catching dollars.  Dr. Yunus also asserts that CREDIT should be adopted as a "Human Right."  Of Grameen Bank's borrowers (4,000,000), 96% are women.  He determined that women have been the best stewards of the money by taking better care of the family.  Several measures are used to determine if a borrower has escaped poverty.   Adequate housing, children in school, savings in the bank, sanitary latrines, and proper drinking water are just a few.

Grameens Bank's success can be measured by the 56% of borrowers who have successfully escaped the poverty level in Bangladesh.  100% of the children of Grameen Bank borrowers are in school.  They also boast a near 100% return on their principal loan amounts.  The founders vision includes roles for not only the poor, but the citizen, the investors, the governments, the donors and other large banks to set goals of eradicating poverty.  Dr. Yunus has been recognized by President Obama and he has been awarded around the globe.  His strategic campaign ends with the idea of "poverty museums"  He believes that through micro credit loans, it is conceivable that the images of deprivation, inadequacy and terrible neglect can be a memory to our children and future generations.

I applaud Dr. Muhammad Yunus, agree with him and am grateful to see through this film the impacted poor around the world.  Being a social entrepreneur should no longer be a novelty.