No Poverty: For everyone, for good!

What is the aim of SDG 1: No poverty? 

SDG 1 intends to provide social protection for the poor and vulnerable, improve access to essential services, and assist those who have been impacted by environment extreme events, as well as other economic, social, and environmental disasters. 

Poverty in all of its aspects remains one of humanity’s greatest challenges. Despite the fact that the number of people living in extreme poverty fell by more than half between 1990 and 2015, so many individuals continue struggling to fulfill even the most basic human requirements. 

The UN’s first sustainable development goal is to eradicate every form of poverty from the world. The World Bank said, “almost half the world’s population — 3.4 billion people — still struggle to meet basic needs”. Moreover, the decreasing rate  of extreme poverty has been decelerating slowly. Around 736 million people lived with less than $1.90 per day in 2015, many without food, decent drinking water, and sanitation. 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a high commitment to accomplish what has been  started and eradicate poverty in all of its forms and dimensions by 2030. Targeting the most vulnerable, providing basic supplies and services, and assisting communities affected by war and climate-related disasters are all part of this strategy.

The United Nations state that priority actions on poverty eradication include:

• improving access to sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurial opportunities and productive resources;
• providing universal access to basic social services;
• progressively developing social protection systems to support those who cannot support themselves;
• empowering people living in poverty and their organizations;
• addressing the disproportionate impact of poverty on women;
• working with interested donors and recipients to allocate increased shares of ODA to poverty eradication; and
• intensifying international cooperation for poverty eradication.

Now,  how about the poverty rate in Indonesia ? 

Based on the World Bank, Since the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, Indonesia- now, the largest economy in Southeast Asia- has seen remarkable economic development. 

Indonesia is now the fourth most populated country in the world, with the tenth largest economy by purchasing power parity and a G-20 member. Furthermore, Indonesia has made great progress in reducing poverty, with the poverty rate falling from more than 50 percent in 1999 to slightly under 10 percent  in 2020.

Indonesia, on the other hand, still has a long way to go in terms of development. Furthermore, the worldwide crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a new challenge to Indonesia’s targets. As a result of the epidemic, Indonesia’s economy fell from upper-middle to lower-middle income category by July 2021. The pandemic also impacted  Indonesia’s progress in lowering its poverty rate, which grew from 9.2 percent in September 2019 to 10.4 percent in March 2021. More people are being forced into poverty as a result of the pandemic: According to Channel News Asia, up to five million Indonesians fell into poverty in September 2020, and the amount is likely to have risen since then. Poverty increased in the first few months of the epidemic, and it has likely worsened much more since then.

What can we do as a youth  to reduce poverty?

It will never be easy to fight poverty since every country around the world is struggling with it. Besides, there are several ways to combat poverty as a youth:

1. Spread awareness 

Currently we are in an era full of technological advances, one of which is the existence of social media as a means of communication. Hence, now is the moment to use social media as a voice for social benefits. People will learn more about global poverty and become more aware of the issue by sharing links, concerns or education on Instagram, Tiktok , Twitter, and other social media platforms. 

2. Take Action Independently 

Individuals may contribute in a variety of ways, like paying a needy child’s education or sponsoring a poor family and encouraging others to do the same. Raising funds and donating them to a nonprofit foundation may also be beneficial.

3. Reduce Gender Inequality 

With women representing two-thirds of the world’s illiterates, hence boys or girls should be equalized in education. Girls who attend schools are less likely to marry before the age of 18, resulting in a 64 percent reduction in child marriages rate worldwide. Hence,it should be equalized because literate women will have a better understanding of knowledge, which contributes to accelerating reducing poverty in the long run.

4. Participate in Donation

Not only does it donate in the form of money, Donations can be used in a variety of ways. This might be as simple as donating books to poor and homeless children, or even purchasing groceries for a poor household in order to fight hunger. Donating old clothings, furniture, and toiletries can also help in the improvement of the poor’s well-being.

    5. Create Jobs 

According to the International Labour Organization, there are 197 million individuals in the globe who are unemployed. More job opportunities in a country, indicate more chances to reduce poverty. Hence, we can create job opportunities which aim  to reduce poverty.

6. Educate Everyone

Everyone should be knowledgeable because someone who takes an  education well will increase their own wages. According to UNESCO, there are around one billion illiterate adults in the world today which is one of the reasons why poverty is hard to fight. Hence, the best way is to teach those nonliterate persons a few skills and knowledge to make them employable in order to boost employment and reduce poverty. 

7. Educate Ourselves

Since most of us are still in school or university, we should educate ourselves to make sure that we can be successful and employed (self-employed or work for a company). By educating ourselves, we could affect the reduction of poverty by reducing unemployment. Be an Iron Stock person!

Those are several ways to help decrease poverty and  support SDG 1 to eradicate poverty in all of its forms. Nelson Mandela made his iconic speech in London’s Trafalgar Square during the “Poverty History Demonstration”, calling on international leaders to end poverty worldwide. 

One of his iconic statement is: 

“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life”- Nelson Mandela

Join us to battle against extreme poverty in all its forms now! Let’s make a more beautiful and prosperous world!

References:

• Asad, A. (2020, September 18). 5 innovations in poverty eradication in Indonesia. The Borgen Project. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://borgenproject.org/innovations-in-poverty-eradication-in-indonesia/. 
• Guy-Allen, C. (2020, July 15). 8 powerful quotes from Mandela’s ‘Make Poverty History’ speech. ONE. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.one.org/international/blog/10-times-nelson-mandela-was-spot-on-about-ending-extreme-poverty/. 
• Roy, S. (2019, November 22). How to stop poverty: Seven effective actions. The Borgen Project. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://borgenproject.org/how-to-stop-poverty-actions/. 
• UNDP. Goal 1: No poverty: UNDP in Indonesia. UNDP. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2021, from https://www.id.undp.org/content/indonesia/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-1-no-poverty.html. 
• United Nations. (n.d.). Poverty eradication | department of economic and social affairs. United Nations. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://sdgs.un.org/topics/poverty-eradication. 
• World Bank Group. (2021, October 19). Indonesia covid-19 observatory. World Bank. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/indonesia/brief/indonesia-covid-19-observatory. 
• World Bank Group. (2021, October 29). Overview. World Bank. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/indonesia/overview#1.