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Column: 1.4 Billion Reasons
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How I Learned to Live Below the Line
 
I'll be living below the line this year for the Somaly Mam Foundation - an organization that rescues girls from commercial sex work and provides a safe haven for victims of abuse or those at high-risk for trafficking. The foundation's namesake Somaly Mam survived a past of sex slavery and now dedicates her life to activism in her native Cambodia and the world.
 
I am particularly drawn to the work of this organization after my sister and I had the chance to visit Cambodia last December. We rented bicycles and spent three, hot, sweaty, glorious days exploring the vast rocky temples of Angkor Wat. According to UNICEF, over a quarter of all Cambodians live under the extreme poverty line and because of that, hordes flock to Angkor to hawk souvenirs - ranging from postcards to toenail clippers to wide-brimmed hats - fresh fruit and cold drinks. Tourists arriving at any temple could be guaranteed to be greeted by about 50 vendors, mostly children, who wouldn't take no for an answer. The theme song for the temples could easily be "Everyday I'm Hustling."
 
 
By day three, my sister and I were exhausted and we had become somewhat apathetic to such situations. So we asked a waitress how we could convince the peddlers to leave us be. She taught us the local phrase (phonetically) "Auk Men Loi" - basically "I have no money."
 
Auk Men Loi became our shield. Whenever we went, we needed only to utter it and vendors would part like oil on water, occasionally wide-eyed or giggling at our apparen 
fluency. We were gods.
 
Then we biked to a somewhat secluded temple and a handful of very young children dashed forward with offers of cocoanuts and key chains. "Auk Men Loi," I said, casting it out like a force-field. One girl - no more than seven years old - placed tiny fists on her hips. She cocked her head. "You have money and you don't spend on me. It's okay."
 
Her words broke through my Auk Men Loi barrier. With her clumsy constructed English sentences, she had managed to sum up our existences perfectly. I had money. I had things. I had a bicycle and a backpack full of snacks and a key for a hotel room with A/C and a shower. She had some key chains to sell and tattered clothes.
 
However, that was okay. She recognized that although unfair, this was how things were. It's okay that we have the privileges and luxuries that we have. Living with my own entitlement has been a struggle I've dealt with for years, and here this small girl who had so little was trying to absolve me of my guilt. We in America are so lucky to have the things we have, and yet it's okay that we enjoy them.
 
But, it's also okay if - for just a little while - we put such things aside and try in a small way to understand the lives of others. It's okay that search out alternatives to the unjust systems that keep such poverty in our world. It's okay that we share this message with whoever will hear it, so someday all Cambodians will see Angkor as a place to celebrate their history and not a marketplace from which to eke out an existence.
 
Because 1.4 billion people live on under a 1.50 a day. Because 22,000 children die from hunger or other preventable diseases every day. Because 1 out of 3 women will be abused, beat or coerced into sex in her lifetime.
 
And that is not okay.
 
That little girl from Angkor may never be a victim of trafficking or sexual abuse, but I am grateful that organizations like Somaly Mam will be there to protect her and others throughout Cambodia. I'll be living below the line for Somaly Mam because it's not okay for girls to be denied those basic safeties of childhood.
 
I hope you'll be joining me. Chose a charity that captures your heart, share this journey with those you live and work with, and tell the world you have no appetite for apathy.
Posted by Brittany Aubin in Poverty, Hunger, Women & Gender, Fairtrade & Ethical Purchasing for column 1.4 Billion Reasons on Apr 2nd, 07:43
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Tell Me a Story
 

It’s a snowy Saturday evening in Syracuse, and I am freezing. My day began many hours earlier when I packed my belongings in two bags, said good-bye to my family and piled into the van that would be my home for the next 14 weeks. Now, five hours and two gas station coffees later, I am here – quite cold, a bit tired, but ready to talk.

In particular, I am ready to talk about Bon, a seven-year-old Burmese refugee who I met while working with an arts therapy program in Thailand.

Bon is unique because he is tiny – really tiny. He dances Gangham-style like a pro and somehow manages to get the teachers to help him more then we ever should.

If you happen to be curious, you’ll ask Bon why he’s so small. He’ll tell you, “It’s because I drink Coke and not milk, because Coke is cheap.” Then, he’ll grin at you and add, “and more delicious.” Bon’s family cannot afford to feed him the things he needs, and because of it, he does not grow.

It was around the time that I came to know Bon that the Global Poverty Project offered me a position as presenter on the spring 1.4 Billion Reasons tour. And it was because of Bon and others like him that I accepted it.

Extreme poverty means a lack of choices. It’s why David, the young Zambian who was my best friend during my time as a Peace Corps Volunteer, probably won’t be able to access an education above a ninth grade level. It means no healthcare, no sanitation, and no shelter. It’s about not having options, or having only the heart-wrenching ones: which child to send to school, which mouth to feed, which basic necessity to sacrifice in order to pay for another.

 

Bon and David are just two of the 1.4 billion people who live on less $1.50 USD a day. But to me, they are important – because I know them. I drew on the floor with Bon. It was David who came to my hut’s doorstep every morning, asking to read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and review his math homework. I can no longer reach these friends around the world. I cannot write a letter, or send an e-mail, or dial a number and know that they will be on the other end. Since they cannot share their stories with the world, it falls onto us to share them with you.

So, it’s Saturday in Syracuse and I’m excited. I’m excited because change is possible. I have read enough statistics to know that extreme poverty can be eliminated in our lifetimes. I have seen enough in my travels over five continents to know that such poverty is intolerable in any form.

 

If Bon and David were able to tell their own realities, they would do it in a way infinitely more eloquent and vivid than I will. But in the absence of that, you’ll have to settle for me. I encourage you to share your stories – with your friends, family and co-workers. I tell a story, and you tell a story, and more and more people tell a story, we won’t have 1.4 Billion Reasons. We’ll have 1.4 Billion Friends. And when that day comes, extreme poverty will be a part of history.

Suddenly, it isn’t so cold anymore. 
Posted by Brittany Aubin in Poverty for column 1.4 Billion Reasons on Feb 13th, 02:09
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It Takes a Village to Build a Village
 

An important pre-note to this post: the example I will share with you here is just the latest of many projects from the Rotary Pakistan PolioPlus Committee which has been gathering momentum over the last few years, working closely with the Government of Pakistan and its partners (WHO & UNICEF) to end polio in the country.

Let me describe the scene for you: dense ramshackle shelters, no sanitation infrastructure, no access to clean water, a scarcity of food (or only available to those who can afford it), and a distinct lack of schools, clinics, medicine, doctors and, seemingly, paid employment. It’s not that everyone is sitting around doing nothing – quite the reverse in fact. Everyone is productive, but the way their dirty kamis (common long shirt to the knees) hang off their wiry bodies, you know they are not being paid much, or anything, for their labour. This is the reality of Site Town, Karachi, where I spent a few hours. This is one of the most disadvantaged areas of Karachi which heaves with 22 million people, and who knows what proportion of those live with adequate access and opportunities.

I was driven from another part of Karachi, the Defence area, where the houses make Australian houses look small. But there is a man and a community organisation that is doing their best to share their wealth, experience and expertise with others in their huge city.

In the middle of Site Town I visited the Site Town Rotary Polio Resource Centre. This is a shining beacon for that community and others in the area. It is primarily a school, and the only one in the area, but built into the practises of this school are toilets, clean water, a food program and, most impressively, a vaccine housing and distribution centre.

The man I referred to earlier is Aziz Memon and the organisation, Rotary. Aziz seems to be a very busy and successful business man, but he has brought together the right people and right resources to make the Resource Centre a reality. Those around Aziz are just as impressive in their commitment and expertise.

Over the years I have been able to see a lot of aid and development projects and let me just list some of the great features of this particular model:

It is from the community for the community - this is not a white man telling the local people what to do - it has come from the people of Karachi in consultation with education professionals, community leaders and local government, with the support of those they service.

Much more than a single purpose - it was set up as a polio vaccine distribution centre to service some of the hardest-to-reach children in an area where the population moves a lot and the refusal rate for vaccination is high. However their mandate isn’t to force the community to take vaccines, but rather to show they are there to support in all ways. People can choose to come to them for vaccines, or accept vaccines when they do a house visit, knowing that they are also providing education, clean water, food, etc to their child.

Very impressive outreach - while the school has limited capacity, their outreach is impressive. Clean water and toilets is accessible to all, the food program does as best it can to provide food to as many as possible. They also have 25 other hubs in four districts that provide polio vaccines on a regular and ongoing basis to 100,000 children in addition to the 4-5 annual national immunisation days.

A sustainable funding model - thanks to some local Rotary Clubs, Government and other reliable sources of income, the centre has the funds to not only build this centre but continue its service.

The model is scalable - thanks to all the features I mentioned above, this is a model that could be adopted by other disadvantage communities throughout Karachi and around the country. The most polio-affected areas in Pakistan are obviously the poorest or most remote, but a community resource centre is something that could be integrated anywhere.

The purpose is polio but really it is poverty - eradicating polio is a global mandate we must achieve. Now that numbers are reduced to record lows we are able to incorporate broader services in health, education, sanitation, food security etc. Not that these things weren’t happening before, but now that almost every last child has been exposed to polio vaccine, the foundation is set for the leap forward addressing the bigger topics and issues of health and extreme poverty.

I am brimming with excitement once again writing down these points as I was when I visited in person a week ago.

As a part of my visit I was able to hand over a few posters of support from people outside of Karachi and Pakistan. The core team at the resource centre who saw this were amazed that famous cricketers, actresses, the people of Canada (with the ‘Purple Pinkie’ photos) and others who have attended concerts, sign petitions, written stories or cared in some way for the people working on the ground in Pakistan. The poster now proudly sits on their wall and will be showed to the children that we are all global citizens and can support each other and the things that work for them from their needs.

A massive thank you to Waheed and the team at the Resource Centre for having me visit; Mr Aziz Memon and his team for his vision, drive and support to establish the centre and facilitate my visit; and Rotary - the incredible group who took on the beast of polio but do so much more than that and this includes the Rotary Clubs of Canada, Pakistan and all over the world committed to making a polio-free world.

The biggest appreciation I have are for those who are there day to day living, working and surviving in these areas with such resilience and resourcefulness without expectations but instead with unbelievable humility and gratitude for any little access or opportunity they are afforded.

I usually don’t plug donations, as I prefer people to donate their time to campaigns, writing to government and other advocacy. But seeing the effectiveness of this program and knowing that all donations to the Rotary PolioPlus Fund are so effective, I have to promote this:

This is the link to give to the Rotary International PolioPlus Fund.

And for all those Canadians out there, hear this! If you give to the Rotary PolioPlus Fund in Canada your donation will be tripled, being matched by Canadian International Development Agency from the Canadian Government and then again by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In other words, your $50 will become $150 and, for a project like the Resource Centre, that is a lot of food for their program, filters to clean their water, vaccines to end polio and so much more – follow the link above and choose Canada for your donation.

--
d'Arcy is a member of The End of Polio team at the Global Poverty Project, find him on Twitter:@darcylunn. This post originally appeared in his personal blog.
Posted by dâ??Arcy Lunn â?? GPP in for column 1.4 Billion Reasons on Jan 11th, 00:27
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Ending poverty in a generation gets new voice
 

We're thrilled that Save the Children have today released a report outlining how they believe we can see an end to extreme poverty within a generation.

Ending extreme poverty in our generation is at the core of the Global Poverty Project.

It's the belief on which the organisation was founded 4.5 years ago, and is quite literally, our vision statement.

It's the basis of our ground-breaking live presentation, 1.4 Billion Reasons, which tells the story of how we can see an end to extreme poverty within our generation – and the role that each of us as global citizens can play to make this world a reality.

To date, more than 150,000 people have seen 1.4 Billion Reasons at more than 1300 presentations around the world – you can get your chance to see or book the presentation here.

Ending extreme poverty within a generation is the title of our most read blog post – which we reposted just last week.

And, it’s the theme of a tongue in cheek video we made a few years ago, heralding the end of extreme poverty, and your role in it – check it out here.

At the Global Poverty Project, we’re committed to doing all that we can to catalyse global citizens taking action to create this world.

As Justin Forsyth, CEO of Save the Children noted in the report today, "An historic achievement is within reach. By committing to these ambitious but achievable new targets, we really can become the generation that ends extreme poverty forever. For the first time, it is feasible to imagine that in the next two decades no child will die from preventable causes, no child will go to bed hungry and every child will go to school."

 

 
Posted by Simon Moss (Co-Founder & COO) in Aid for column 1.4 Billion Reasons on Jan 8th, 10:09
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1.4 Billion Reasons with Bonnie Wright
 

Global Poverty Ambassador, Bonnie Wright took the Co-operatives United festival by storm by delivering the largest ever Ambassador presentation on 1st November. The Co-operatives United festival took place in Manchester to celebrate the culmination of the UN Backed International Year of Co-operatives.

Bonnie presented with GPP UK Country Director Elisha London to around 350 young people and families from across the Northwest. Bonnie was accompanied by fellow Ambassadors Anne Parker, Tom Stevenette, Lynda McDermott and Lara Smallman who each spoke about their experiences as a Global Poverty Ambassador. Tom shared with the audience his experience on the Live Below the Line campaign and how it has engaged his community with the issue of extreme poverty. Anne highlighted her experience with protecting the UK’s pledge to give 0.7% of GNI to international aid. She, together with a group of dedicated Ambassadors, started a Facebook page encouraging people to upload pictures thanking the government for protecting the 0.7% commitment which resulted in a staggering 10,000 uploads. Laura talked about the opportunity to meet with Nick Clegg as part of Oxfam and the Co-op’s Grow campaign. Lastly, Linda shared with the audience her experience in the program as an elected member of the Co-op.

Bonnie was also accompanied by Hannah Newcombe from the Co-operative who took to the stage to explain the importance of co-operatives to ending extreme poverty. Indeed, Peter Marks, Group Chief Executive at The Co-operative said: “Poverty isn't something that we tackle in the good times, and ignore when the going gets tough. The co-operative movement has always led from the front on Fairtrade and microfinance and we take great pride in the fact that the majority of Global Poverty Ambassadors are co-operative members or employees."

Thursday’s presentation was Bonnie’s first as part of the Global Poverty Ambassadors scheme.  Bonnie said: “I am thrilled to be presenting 1.4 Billion Reasons as part of the Co-operatives United festival.  That the UN chose to make 2012 the International Year of Co-operatives is testimony to the enduring role co-operatives play in helping to end poverty for millions, and the 1.4 Billion Reasons presentation is a brilliant way to see this in action.”

Bonnie has been particularly inspired by the campaign to end extreme poverty following a recent trip with Oxfam to Senegal, a country facing severe food shortages. With the support of the Global Poverty Ambassadors, The Co-operative and Oxfam have been campaigning since the start of 2012 on the role of small-scale farmers and co-operatives in helping to feed the world fairly and sustainably.

The evening was a huge success, with an engaged audience committing to numerous new commitments and expressing their interest in hosting 1.4 Billion Reasons in their local community.

If you are interested in going to or hosting a 1.4 Billion Reasons presentation, please click here.
Posted by Stephanie Talbut and Rineke van Noort in Education for column 1.4 Billion Reasons on Nov 9th 2012, 03:42
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