“What you did for the least of these,
you did for me…..”
Jesus identified himself with the
hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the
imprisoned, and the stranger, insisting
that when we serve them we serve him
(Mt 25:40).
A Place at the Table, pg. 3
What is poverty?
The dictionary defines poverty as:
“Not having the minimum income
level to get the necessities of life.”
‘Necessities of life’ means basic things like food,
shelter and clean water – anything that is vital to life.
But…
…Poverty also means not having the
opportunities and choices which open
up a future – education, healthcare and
human rights.
Poverty is hunger.
Poverty is lack of shelter.
Poverty is being sick and not being
able to see a doctor.
Poverty is not being able to go to a
school, not knowing how to read, not
being able to speak properly.
Poverty is not having a job, is fear for
the future, living one day at a time.
Poverty is losing a child to illness
brought about by lack of clean water.
Poverty is powerlessness, lack of
representation and freedom.
(Understanding and responding to poverty. PovertyNet. The
World Bank, www.worldbank.org/poverty/)
What does poverty look like?
850 million people living in
hunger
What does poverty look like?
7.6 million children under-five
dying each year
What does poverty look like?
390,000 children infected with
HIV in one year
What does poverty look like?
61 million children not having
the chance to go to school
What does poverty look like?
32 women dying every hour from
childbirth or pregnancy related causes
What does poverty look like?
783 million people without
access to clean drinking water
At least one million
Australians are living in
poverty or hardship today.
“The goods of creation are destined
for all, and in the world community
economies must be directed toward
the sharing of these goods, their
lasting use and the fair division of the
benefits that derive from them.”
Pope Benedict XVI (World Food Day 2008)
Let’s dig deeper to see what some of the
root causes of poverty are…
Lack of
food
DEBT
Conflict
Lack of
Education
Gender
inequality
Debt
Countries borrow money to fund projects
like roads, irrigation programs and
agriculture, or to help them through
difficult times such as a natural disaster.
Debt mounts up and repayments can eat
into budgets for education, health and
development.
Lack of
food
Debt
Conflict
LACK OF
EDUCATION
Gender
inequality
Education
Education is an essential route out of
poverty. Children who can’t go to school
will have fewer opportunities to escape
poverty.
Lack of
food
Debt
CONFLICT
Lack of
Education
Gender
inequality
Conflict
During conflict, crops can be destroyed,
water sources poisoned and livestock killed
or stolen. This reduces food, water and
income for communities.
Injury and disability, resulting from
conflict, can make it impossible for people
to grow food, collect water or earn an
income – even after a conflict subsides.
LACK OF
FOOD
Debt
Conflict
Lack of
Education
Gender
inequality
Food
Without secure supplies of the right food,
people’s health can suffer, affecting their
ability to earn money or attend school.
Malnourished children suffer from
incomplete physical development and
learning difficulties, which can lead to a
life of poverty.
Lack of
food
Debt
Conflict
Lack of
Education
GENDER
INEQUALITY
Gender
Women and girls are more vulnerable to
poverty than men and boys. Their basic
rights are denied just because of their
gender.
This means they often have less access to
education, lower wages and, in some
countries, can’t even own their own land.
Our love is not to be
just words or mere talk,
but something real and active.
1 John 3:18
What can I do?
Learn about and support your Catholic
agencies who are working to fight against
poverty at a global and local level.
Picture credits:
Sean Sprague
Cindy Godden
Peter Solness
Caritas Australia
Last updated September 2012