China's poverty rate has decreased. Because of their advanced technologies they have been able to pull some of their country to an above poverty level. They had to also change their way of thinking towards their people. They had high expectations of their people and their government was extremely harsh towards those that didn't meet their expectations. China's transition from a centrally planned to a globalised market economy has helped reduce chronic poverty and disadvantage, but also created new forms of vulnerability and poverty (childhoodpoverty).
4.2 million Chinese children live in absolute poverty and 8.7 million live in disadvantaged conditions(childhoodpoverty). Education and health levels in China are higher than in many countries with equivalent incomes (childhoodpoverty). Recent studies suggest that the health and education reforms are reducing poor families' ability to make use of these vital services (childhoodpoverty).
Poverty in any place is simply disgraceful. You look around and you see what resources could be used to make these situations better. I feel that when you have the money to fight wars or build expensive technology then you should also have money to make sure that your people eat and are not on the street. For me this is true regardless of where you live or come from.
Three insights that I have gained are:
-this has to be a nation and world wide effort
-everyone has to do their part to make sure that our governments don't allow people to fall through the cracks
-that we have to reach out to each child and situation to make sure that they are cared for and given the best education/ health care/ and living conditions that we can. Things don't have to be perfect but making small changes can lead to big things.
References:
(http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/),
Hi, DeWana! Thank you for your post about China! I visited China (Beijing and Shanghai) a few years back and saw what you are talking about. China has made great strides to lift those living in poverty but because of the change to being globalised also created new forms of poverty as you stated. While we were there, the streets were free of roaming children, homeless individuals and I was not able to see shanties. But as we were going around, I was able to see that there were high walls up behind the nice buildings and hotels. My colleagues and I decided to ask the tour guide about it and he said that the wall was place to cover up the "poor side" of the city. Apparently, behind the walls were low-cost housing- buildings-that housed the families who were in poverty. In a single housing-building,according to the guide, lived about a hundred families and they share a single kitchen/mess hall and bathrooms! Imagine that! I hope these families are now living in better condition...
ReplyDeleteDeWana, I agree with you that every one must make an effort to reach out to each child and ensure that we do our small part to care for them. As we say in Jamaica "every mickle make a muckle" meaning every little bit adds up to a lot.
ReplyDeleteHi DeWana,
ReplyDeleteI share your thinking that if a country can fund wars and technology, then it can certainly take care of its people. Every country, state, community, or neighborhood that allows one of its citizens to go hungry or cold is a disgrace. It almost seems that the poor become invisible to those who are better off--or perhaps it is just easier to look away and leave it to ponderous government programs. I wonder if the answer isn't in looking to the communities to take control and end poverty one community at a time instead of waiting for bureaucracy to make a difference?
DeWana,
ReplyDeleteAs you I believe and as we learned this week, that in order to fight to end poverty is a community effort. Numbers reflect families that met the poverty guidelines but what about the families that are sufering from "food insecurity ". I was surprised by the numbers in China since China is related ot technology and my guess was that it was almost impossible to see such high numbers.