P – Pleading Population
Over 1.9 million people, which is 36% of our population, depend on others’ for extra income to feed their families and live a some-what normal life. Nearly half of the families that live in countries that are developing, earn only $1.25 a day. Being pushed onto roads and streets, men, women, and even children are forced to spend a majority of their days pleading and begging for people along the side to help them, with only one wish. That wish being that one day, they would never have to worry about not having enough food to eat nor depending on others to be the ones to give an education to their children.
O – Obvious Obstacles
Ever wondered about what it would be like if you never knew if you could eat that night, was forced to work with your parents instead of getting a proper education, or even not even having a place you can call ‘home’ where you cherish great memories with the ones you love? Well billions of people in the world including youth like us are forced to face these absurd obstacles on a daily basis. From drinking unfiltered water straight from natural bodies of water to sleeping on newspapers in the middle of streets. The extreme severity of problems these people face are most-likely not even comparable to any of the simple issues we come and tell our parents about, crying and thinking it’s the end of the world.
V – Vaguely Valued
The last time you walked on the street and saw a homeless person on the side, what did you think? Did you show any sense of sympathy or care towards them? If you answered no, it’s not a bad thing. It’s the perspective society has created. Something that tells us that people who face poverty had a choice and took the wrong path in life. However, that’s not true, if you try to put yourself in their shoes. At times, people who walk by don’t even value them as human beings. They tend to show no respect, assuming that it was completely their fault that they’re put on the streets. But, as youth we need to know that not everyone can control what happens to them. People should still be valued the same.
E – Extreme Exposure
Staying outside every hour of the day. Not taking a shower for days put together. Eating unhealthy meals and even starving. Having uncomfortable and unprotected clothing that exposes you to the outdoor weather. All these things that I just listed are key hygiene practices that all people should avoid in order to live a healthy lifestyle. However, because homeless people have such negative exposure towards the bad weather that can really affect their health. This includes diseases like hepatitis A, B and C, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS which is most likely to be created by staying outside for too long.
R – Repetitive Regret
As youth, we tend to regret the most simple of things. Whether it’s lying to your friends, confessing to someone about how you feel and etc.. But, the truth is that people in poverty just have even worse things to regret. The deep regret of not being able to give their kids good schooling. Not being able to help their parents much in working and earning money for the family. Regretting all the past decisions they had taken that could have led them to where they are today. Things like this that just lay up on each other overwhelming them which can lead to even worse cases. Repetitive regret is always something that plays a huge role for someone facing poverty that we should all know about.
T – Triggered Terror
As we’ve already talked about, many things can keep people in poverty scared and nervous. As a recap, not having enough food and water, thriving such a hard end life, and the uncomfortable surroundings. However, we missed an entire major pillar that triggers many homeless. The rate of accuracy for them to get kidnapped and even harassed. Living in such an open atmosphere, leaves them to be such an easy target for any source of human predators. Waking up in the middle of the night to any small movement and parents being nervous to even leave their kids out of their eyesight for such a short amount of time. This leaves them to be terrorized and very emotionally unstable.
Y – Yearning Youth
As youth, I think this is the most important pillar amongst the rest. Something that can put us in the shoes of other youth that have different perspectives of the world. In this case, teens that don’t necessarily have the same opportunities in the real-life world like we do. These youth end up yearning for a good education, a good safe and sound surrounding and even friends to socialize with. The dream of having a lighted future where they can be more hopeful and free. Striving to get the best out of their few opportunities. They endeavor for something that we might take for granted and just like this, the youth have so many hopes and dreams for the future whether achievable or not. Therefore, we as youth must advocate for our peers out there who face inexpressible loss of living a normal childhood life like we do.
Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.
GrapeSeedUs. “How Poverty Affects Education Children.”
Accessed 26 Feb. 2021
The Heritage Foundation. “How Poor, Really, Are America’s Poor?”
Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.
United Nations. “Ending Poverty.”
Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.
Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.
Thank you for sharing your perspective on this issue, Anannya. You have some very insightful points here, and I’m glad you wrote on this topic.