Making poverty history!

Dear Editor,

Whether it’s poverty on a local or global scale, its impacts are profound. Poverty hurts, it deprives individuals of essential needs like access to education, adequate shelter, or even putting food on the table.

While I am fortunate to enjoy life with access to these basic needs, I’m acutely aware that millions worldwide are trapped in this harsh reality. Among them are internally displaced people, refugees, and those from low-income households.

According to the World Bank, the pandemic has pushed us even farther from achieving the sustainable development goals (SDG) by 2030. Shockingly, if current trends persist, approximately 574 million individuals—almost 7 percent of the global population—will still be living on less than $2.15 per day in 2030. Most of who are living in Sub-Saharan Africa, conflict-ridden regions, and rural areas.

These challenges fuel my daily commitment to advocate for ending extreme poverty. On October 17, I  observed the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Witnessing the incredible efforts of advocates fills me with inspiration.

I can’t help but believe that a world free of poverty is possible.

Peace Mukazi, 

Kanata, Ont. 

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